Josh's Final Chapter

 In: Rave > 1998
 Posted: 1998
 Staff: Starving Writer

Personally, I thought that "Final Chapter" was the worst Spider-Man storyline ever published. Oh, sure, there's been plently of other stories that were even more pathetic than "Final Chapter" (Spider-Hulk anybody?) but ultimately, none of those stories had any impact on continuity. They stunk, but they didn't stink up continuity. Final Chapter, however, made a huge mess of continuity.

Where do I start? Oh, how about the simple fact that one of the most beautiful death scenes ever in comic book history was totally invalidated, thereby destroying what was arguably the best Spider-Man story of the 1990's? (Oh well, why not? The Spidey office also destroyed arguably the best Spidey story of the 1970's when they resurrected Norman Osborn in "Revelations." What's one more "best of the decade" story? Next they'll find a way to resurrect Kraven the Hunter and make it a clean sweep. But I digress.)

Not only was the resurrection of Aunt May one of the most contrivited resurrections ever (but not nearly as bad as the resurrection of Doctor Octopus), this whole storyline was also sloppy and poorly done, filled with cliches and more cliches, horrible characterization, putrid purple prose, phantom scenes, and situtations requiring me to suspense a hefty portion of my disbelief.

Oh, yeah, where were those loose plot threads that were supposed to be tied up? I didn't see any. Heck, "Final Chapter" actually left us with MORE plot threads to be tied up later on.

All in all, I rate "Final Chapter" a very disappointing 1 (out of 5), and believe the title to be appropriate. "Final Chapter" was my final Spider-Man issue. I'm jumping off.

 In: Rave > 1998
 Posted: 1998
 Staff: Starving Writer