Comics Corner: The Spectacular Spider-Man 138

    

Title: The Spectacular Spider-Man
Issue Number: 138
Release Date: May 1988

Highlights

• Final appearance of Maggie Michaelson, Gullivar South, Elvira Corona, Luis Corona, and Emelita Corona
• Captain America and Tarantula go on the hunt for Spider-Man
• Tarantula tells Captain America that Spider-Man killed his predecessor, and is aiding known traitors
• He then gives a twisted retelling of the events from last issue involving Elvira Corona
• Captain America thinks all of the information he's receiving sounds odd, but he has his orders
• Peter and Mary Jane meet with Maggie Michaelson, and please for aid in amnesty for Elvira
• Robbie Robertson blows Kate Cushing off when she asks what's been wrong with him as of late
• She uses her report instincts to find a clue in an old newspaper article of Tombstone on his desk
• A guard is reading what looks like a book, but possibly a comic because he states, "This Claremont guy sure can write." A nod to Marvel writer, Chris Claremont
• Tarantula and Captain America break into the holding cells where Elvira is, and the villain questions her about Spider-Man, but in Spanish so that Captain America doesn't understand
• Tombstone goes to see Roland Rayburn, and tells him the Arranger wants him
• Mary Jane gets a call from Elvira pleading for help, and Spider-Man heads out on the mission, but knows it's a trap
• What he didn't expect was Captain America to be working alongside Tarantula, and they both attack
• Captain America disengages from the fight, questioning why he's there, and what he's doing
• Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man 236
• Tarantula stings Spider-Man with his poison tipped boot blade, and then proceeds to state out loud the terrible things he's going to do to him
• He doesn't get a chance, as Spider-Man deliver's a blow that breaks Tarantula's knee
• Hearing everything Tarantula said, Captain America walks away
• Captain America returns to Mr. South, and informs him he's aware that he's a rogue agent, and socks him one good in the face
• Peter and Mary Jane watch Elvira board a plane, being taken back to her country
• Tarantula is in cuffs, and also being returned home

Low Points

• I prefer my Spider-Man stories to stay out of politics, and real-world hot topics
• I read Spider-Man to escape from that stuff, not absorb it more

Oddities

• None

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

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Comics Corner: Marvel Team-Up 138

   

Title: Marvel Team-Up
Issue Number: 138
Release Date: February 1984

Highlights

• First appearance of Arranger, AKA Oswald P. Silkworth, Carlos Cassada, Roberto Cassada, Rosa Cassada, and Michael Cassada
• Reference is made to Marvel Two-In-One 86, The Amazing Spider-Man 19, 249, Marvel Tales 157, Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man, and Dazzler 8
• Sandman is really trying hard to live the straight and narrow path
• Spider-Man still doesn't have his spidey sense
• The Kingpin brings Montana, Fancy Dan, Ox, Hammer Harrison, and Snake Marston together to form The New Enforcers
• Under the guise of Sylvester Mann, Sandman rents an attic room at the home of the Cassada family, and heads to work at a produce warehouse
• Sandman finds that Mr. Cassada has been beaten up at his candy store for refusing to pay extortion money
• Spider-Man makes reference that Hobgoblin is still at large
• Sandman has a cathartic moment when he sees how acts of violence like he used to commit impact the every day people
• Sandman vows to deal with The (New) Enforcers for what they've done
• The New Enforcers defeat Spider-Man, and take him to their warehouse, where they proceed to continue kicking and beating him
• Sandman joins the fight, helping Spider-Man
• After the fight, Spider-Man confronts Sandman who tells him he's gone straight, but Spider-Man says he can't risk letting him go
• Sandman takes an explosion for Spider-Man, and the hero leaves wondering if Sandman truly has changed, or if he'll even recover from the explosion - He does, rather quickly

Low Points

• Ongoing continuity issues, which I'm trying to piece together - Stay tuned

Oddities

• Editor's Day Off: Fancy Dan says, "I managed to knock his his legs out from under him."

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

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 138

   

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 138
Release Date: November 1974

Highlights

• First appearance and origin of Mindworm
• Peter Parker moves in with Flash Thompson

Low Points

• Not a very good story, and not much action
• Mindworm is a throw away villain of the week

Oddities

• Peter Parker's landlord thinks that tearing up his lease and telling him to be out by tomorrow is sufficient for an eviction?

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

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.