The Toy Box: Comics Corner: The Spectacular Spider-Man 144

Title: The Spectacular Spider-Man
Issue Number: 144
Release Date: November 1988

Highlights

First appearance of Louise Baxter III, Tama Janowitz, Ruth, Mr. Lily, and Ed
First appearance and death of Artie Crippen
Louise Baxter III is appearing on the show, Hello There, San Diego talking about his love for boating, and his disdain for his fortune

Peter Parker is also appearing on the show, another promotion for his book, Webs, along with another writer, Tmam Janowitz

Baxter informs the host that in a few days, his boat, "the Champion" will go up against Melbourne tycoon, Artie Crippen for the North American Cup

When it's Peter's turn to talk about his book, and Spider-Man, Boomerang, who is watching on television, destroys it in anger
Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man 281
The television belonged to Mr. Lily, who goes through the plan with Boomerang, and it all involves the marina where the racing boats are stored
After the interview, Baxter catches up with Peter and Tama, and offers him some advice on making all interviews about himself with self absorption
After a rough day, Peter has a well needed call with Mary Jane, and when he hangs up, realizes his bad day is more so because he misses her, and swinging around the city as Spider-Man, the latter he rectifies by suiting up, and heading out into the night
Though he tries to ignore an explosion at the marina, not wanting to get involved, Spider-Man finds himself eves dropping on the security guard, learning about a found boomerang, and seeing a shadowy figure on the rooftops

Back in New York, Robbie Robertson returns to the Daily Bugle, greeted by a standing ovation from everyone there

The warm welcome is cut short when a couple of Federal Marshalls show up to arrest Robbie Robertson as an accessory to Tombstone's murders

Peter steps away from signing books to have lunch with Baxter, but his warnings about Boomerang fall on deaf ears

Lunch is interrupted by an angry Artie Crippen who shouts at Baxter for trying to get him blocked from the race through various means

Peter's spidey senses warn him of danger, and he sees Boomerang fling a boomerang at Baxter

Peter knocks Baxter out of the way, but the projectile strikes Artie in the throat, killing him

Baxter is all broken up about it, leading Peter to conclude their feud was only for publicity

After a quick change, Spider-Man grabs hold of Boomerang, but the villain uses his rocket boots to no only take off, but then to flash Spider-Man, knocking him in the water
Baxter gets stopped by a reporter who asks about the rumors of he and Artie being rivals, to which Baxter said it was all to the contrary

However, we then cut to Baxter's office, and him stroking a check to Boomerang for Killing Artie

Low Points

Oddities

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

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