Comics Corner: Web Of Spider-Man Annual 5

   

Title: Web Of Spider-Man Annual
Issue Number: 5
Release Date: November 1989

Highlights

• Story I: War Zone: New York
• First appearance of Megasaur, Trish Fox, and Todd Tremaine
• First appearance and death of General Epititus
• Trish Fox stands in Battery Park, reporting on what is soon to be the first war on American soil since 1812
• On hand for protection with the military are Spider-Man, and the Fantastic Four, which includes a fifth member, Ms. Marvel, AKA She-Thing
• The Atlantean army attacks
• Reference is made to Avengers Annual 18
• The Atlantean army are pushed back by the heroes, and just as they appear to be in full retreat, but a second wave appears, riding a giant Megasaur
• General Epititus tries to warn Attuma that they cannot win the battle, and that he is being deceived by Ghaur and Lady Llyra
• Attuma shoots him dead for daring to suggest any of this
• Turns out Epititus was right, and Lemurian troops are attacking Atlantis at the same time
• The Atlantean army also makes its way through Washington, and as they bare down on some American soldiers, are stopped by a mysterious figure intervenes, ripping a chunk out of the wall, and blocking the enemies attacks
• After the smoke clears, he's vanished
• Back in Manhattan, the Fantastic Four all go down to the Megasaur, leaving Spider-Man standing ground on his own
• Ghaur claims one more bride for Set in Susan Storm
• The third wave of the attack comes from Attuma and his men storming the streets
• Spider-Man lures the large creature to an electric billboard, jumping out of the way as it attacks
• The electricity from within shocks the creature, going all the way to the Atlantean driver atop, knocking him out, but not affecting the Megasaur
• Without a driver, the creature instinctively returns to the sea
• NASA picks up on the nuclear explosion in Atlantis from the Lemurian surprise attack
• Attuma receives word of the attack, the destruction of Atlantis, and no signs of life
• As all the Atlantean troops retreat, Attuma stays behind, and surrenders, realizing he's been a fool
• Reed Richards holds a press conference, where he confirms his wife is missing
• The reporter asks if Spider-Man will assist, and he responds that he will if Reed wants him to
• The story is continued in West Coast Avengers Annual 4
• Story II: A Random Miracle
• Story by Gerry Conway, with art by Steve Ditko, inked by Al Milgrom
• First appearance of Quantum Mechanic
• Story III: Petey
• Fred Hembeck takes you into the life of young Petey Parker
• Story IV: Spider-Man's Most Dubious
• Another fun Fred Hembeck drawn gallery of Spidey's accessories, friends, foes, and situations
• Story V: A Mute Player For Deaf Ears
• First appearance of Jannsens, Bettermanh, Zahl, Madeline, and Frau Kuryova
• First appearance and death of Kuryova
• A solo story featuring Silver Sable
• Sable attends the funeral of one of her Wildpack operatives, Kuryova, where she is approached by his wife, Frau Kuryova
• The widow asks how she will feed her children with her husband gone
• Sable coldly answers that she prays, and then elaborates by saying to pray that the Pack Board doesn't find her husband as grossly incompetent as she does
• Again, the guy is dead
• As anger fills Sable upon her return home, we're taken to a flashback mission with her, Kuryova, and other Wild Pack soldiers
• The flashback is interrupted by her accidentally breaking a crystal cat statue in her home, which takes her to another flashback of her father training her
• It serves as an origin story, I suppose
• Silver Sable remembers another mission with Kuryova, calling him a coward and incompetent for abandoning his post, allowing good men to be killed
• The story then flashes to her and her uncle, explaining how she came up with her name
• We learn now how Kuryova died on the mission
• In a cowardice attempt to retreat, he leaves injured men behind, but as he climbs the ladder to a rising helicopter he's hit by enemy fire
• The Pack Board determines him a coward, insubordinate, and derelict of his duties, denying all benefits his wife would have received upon his dead
• Silver Sable coldly instructs her to be told all of this
• Story VI: Saga Of The Serpent Crown Part XI
• Art by Mark Bagley, inked by Keith Williams
• First appearance of the Serpent Cartel, and members Gergory Gideon, Justin Hammer, Leland Owlsley, Sebastian Shaw, Obadiah Stane, and Cornelius van Lunt

Low Points

• Story I: War Zone: New York
• It's unfortunate the story continues in an Annual I won't be reading
• Story II: A Random Miracle
• The story is all about Captain Universe, and doesn't feature Spider-Man at all
• Get your own book!
• Story V: A Mute Player For Deaf Ears
• Another story that doesn't feature Spider-Man, but at least Silver Sable is a character who got her start in the pages of his books, and occasionally reappears
• Story VI: Saga Of The Serpent Crown Part XI
• I didn't read the other nine parts, so I didn't read this one either

Oddities

• None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Comics Corner: Web Of Spider-Man Annual 4

   

Title: Web Of Spider-Man Annual
Issue Number: 4
Release Date: October 1988

Highlights

• First appearance of Ylandris, Carlos Cardinale, Doyle Denby, Santo, Maria, and Poison, AKA Cecilia Cardinale
• Peter appears on the television talk show, Miami Slice with host Doyle Denby
• Cecilia Cardinale, a woman working as housekeeping at the motel Peter Parker is staying in Miami at enters his room, and sets his spidey senses off
• As she leaves, she seems to be talking to herself, and one of the questions is if she should kill him
• In the Everglades, the High Evolutionary's men set up and activate his equipment, which awakens Man-Thing
• Meanwhile, after her shift, Cecilia is catch a bus, and continues talking to an image that only she can see
• The image of the female tells her that tonight is both their night
• Back in the Everglades red blobs fall from the sky, hitting the High Evolutionary's men, and appearing to kill them instantly, but they soon rise again
• High Evolutionary explains that it's genetic pollutants that rain down from the atmosphere, and like a symbiote attach to a host
• Kingpin makes a call to Slug, and the two come to a mutual agreement to work together to solve their "product shortage"
• At home, Carlos Cardinale is watching G.I. Joe on the television
• It appears that Cecilia has super powers, and displays them as she playfully lays on her back, picks Carlos up with her legs, and "helicopters" him over her head
• Peter heads out in the evening for some food, but ends up as Spider-Man, helping Santo from a beating he's receiving
• As Spider-Man gets information on who the assaulter was, and leaves, the High Evolutionary's Purifier squad "cleans" Santo
• Cecelia prepares for the night, and takes on the persona of her alter ego, Poison
• Slug kills his own man, by suffocating him in his stomach fat folds - punishment for failure with Santo
• Poison kills several Purifiers, and watching from the side is her son, who cheers her on
• Reference is made to Marvel Comics Presents 1 - 12
• Peter Parker makes a deal with the Tribune, first dibs on his pictures in exchange for a plane and boat ride to the swamp
• As Spider-Man, he finds the stash of drugs Santo told him about, but he's interrupted by some drug runners
• They in turn are interrupted by the Purifiers
• As Spider-Man watches the fight, his spider senses kick into overdrive, and he sees Poison, instantly recognizing her as the housekeeper from his motel
• Ylandris departs Poison's body, and proclaims she's strong enough now to make her trip home
• Mary Jane surprises Peter at his motel
• After the backup story, see low points, there's a year in review of Spider-Man, which showcases highlights from 1988
• Peter and Mary Jane's Wedding
• Kraven's Last Hunt
• The Mad Dog Ward
• The return of Doctor Octopus
• Venom
• The return of Black Cat

Low Points

• The story is long and boring
• There's a backup story, but it's just about Poison
• There's a third story, but it's just about High Evolutionary

Oddities

• None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Comics Corner: Web Of Spider-Man Annual 3

   

Title: Web Of Spider-Man Annual
Issue Number: 3
Release Date: October 1987

Highlights

• It's not a story, but rather a synopsis of the various heroes, villains, and other characters which have appeared in the world of Spider-Man
• It's a great introduction to these individuals for new readers, a refresher for seasoned veterans, and a solid launching point for the new year of Spider-Man
• Not being a story, this issue doesn't actually fall in any specific reading order per se, but referencing that Peter is married to Mary Jane, at least puts it after the events of The Amazing Spider-Man Annual 21, and Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual 7
• Personally, I think it's a great book, and works perfectly as the first issue to read to kick off 1988, following the events of the Mad Dog Ward
  

Low Points

• None

Oddities

• None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Comics Corner: Web Of Spider-Man Annual 2

     

Title: Web Of Spider-Man Annual
Issue Number: 2
Release Date: September 1986

Highlights

• First appearance of Karl Weber, Reni Weber, and the ASPCA
• At Xavier's mansion, Warlock wakes all the New Mutants up with his multiple televisions he's watching all at once
• Moonstar tells him that since he can't dream, the best place for Warlock to go is New York, but then immediately tells him not to go there
• As the New Mutants go back to bed, Warlock does just that, and heads to New York
• Warlock transforms his alien craft into Speed Racer's Mach 5 to blend in as "normal"
• To blend in, Warlock takes on the appearance of David Letterman, resulting in the opposite effect of him drawing nothing but attention to him
• Warlock heads to a toy store, and is noticed by Dr. Karl Weber, and Dr. Reni Weber, who take him home
• Karl tests his Karlotro Meter MX-6 machine on Warlock, but the energy expelled from it over juices him
• Warlock turns into a giant walking energy lizard, resembling Godzilla, and even calling himself Warlodizilla, which Spider-Man runs into on the streets
• Warlock pleads with Spider-Man to stop talking to him, or it will break his concentration, and he'll explode
• Warlock changes into another classic movie monster, resembling King Kong, but calling himself King Konglock
• Warlock turns into a rocket, and launches into the sky, exploding to save everyone else, reforming on the ground
• Seeing Spider-Man professed to be a terrorist by a newscaster, Warlock states he'll never watch television again
• Backup story featuring Hobgoblin, Kingpin, Black Fox, and even the symbiote, but it's all just a nightmare in Peter's sleeping mind

Low Points

• None

Oddities

• None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Comics Corner: Web Of Spider-Man Annual 1

   

Title: Web Of Spider-Man Annual
Issue Number: 1
Release Date: September 1985

Highlights

• First appearance of Future Max, AKA Max, Beatrice, Alexis Sharp, Spike, Chester, and Tanner
• Spider-Man goes toe to toe with a robot that almost defeats him with sonic sound waves, and gas, but mustering all his strength, Spider-Man kicks its head off, taking it for later to study
• Spider-Man confesses to himself that he's long since forgotten a lot of Peter Parker's dreams
• As crippled boy, Max, throws away his sports equipment, a bunch of bullies sneak up, and tie strings of tin cans to his leg braces
• Max has a female friend, Beatrice, but he only knows her by talking to her through the wall
• Max tells her he was playing sports with Spike and his gang, and Beatrice says she doesn't like them, and saw them picking on a handicap boy - Max immediately gets disheartened knowing he was that boy, and sad that she referred to him as handicapped
• Beatrice pops one of the bricks out, and tells Max they can now see each other face to face, but this just serves to make Max panic, and he fumbles with the brick, jamming it back into place
• Max makes reference that he reached out to Reed Richards to help him with his disabilities, but that he was declined
• The robot which Spider-Man fought earlier fumbles into Max's home, still headless from when Spider-Man took it
• Alexis Sharp walks the street trying to con anyone he can, when he sees an ad for a science fair, and decides to try his luck there
• Max has entered the fair, where he meets not only Peter Parker, but Alexis, who convinces him he knows Reed Richards, and gets Max to agree to build him a strength enhancement suit
• After seeing the science fair, and then returning home to inspect the robot head, Peter deduces that Max created the robot he fought
• Alexis puts on the suit that Max built, but just then, Spider-Man shows up
• Spider-Man see's through Alexis' dupe that he knows Reed, and it sends the conman into attack mode
• Spider-Man leads Alexis to a series of buildings designated for demolition, and proceeds to destroy them while the battle rages
• Alexis keeps talking like he's in various movies, bouncing from genre to genre
• Max works up the nerve to go on a date with Beatrice, and the two hit it off immediately

Low Points

• Too long, too boring, and took me two days to get through
• Still really disappointed with the generic nature that Spider-Man issues have become in 1985
• Where are the classic villains, the deep story threads, and continuity from issue to issue?

Oddities

• None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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