Spectacular Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #90

Background

Okay, hopefully everyone knows Secret Wars? Good, so wierd thing with Secret Wars that was even though #1 of Secret Wars was published in May '84, all the other Marvel titles were acting as though the heroes were just returning (usually at the end of the May issue). So instead of cancelling their titles for a year Marvel just confused everyone! ("Hey, why is Spidey wearing that black costume? Did i miss the last issue of Spectacular or something?") Anyway, onto the story...

Story 'Where, Oh Where has my Spider-Man Gone...?'

We start off with The Black Cat thinking about whether she should have got super-powers off the Kingpin or not. And then she wonders what her lovely Spider-Man will think (the beginning of a series of irritating thoughts by the Black Cat). She has a 4-Page encounter with some street thugs where she tests out her new powers a bit. A bit more pathetic thoughts then she decides she won't tell Spidey at all about her powers! (Yeh, because he won't ask where she got powers!) She then starts a quest to find Spider (her name for Spider-Man) and tell him that he doesn't ever need to fear for her safety again! So begins the main plot if this issue...(yeh, i REALLY can't wait)

I might do this in numbers because this plot may be dragged out but it can be seperated just that easily:

1. Black Cat Visits Peter's apartment: he's not there.
2. Brief encounter with Peter's landlord. (I don't mean fighting by the way)
3. Visits Captain Jean DeWolff but still gets no answers.
4. Visits The Daily Bugle, gets questioned (because she asks for Peter Parker! then leaves with no answers still.
5. Visits Avengers Mansion to see if they know where Spidey is. They don't know.
6. Gets asked to join Avengers but declines.
7. Final stop on the train of boredom: Aunt May's house. Makes up and excuse about a fancy dress party then leaves.

But then, when she's outside on a tree, Spider-Man in his new black threads swings down! Asks her why she's sneaking around his Aunt's house and Cat replied (in small letters): because i missed you... Of couse this will be continues next issue.

General Comments

This story really didn't impress me. It was boring and irritating. How can Al Milgrom spend an entire issue of practically just Black Cat swinging around the city and asking where her beloved Spider is? And to go along with that, when she was thinking she sounded so fake and annoying! Oh where is my Spider What will Spider think when he finds out i have powers? Oh dear...Oh dear!

Phew! Well, at least the art was good. Some nice facial expressions and body language stop this issue from being a total mess. (Maybe i'm being a little too harsh?) Al Milgrom may not be able to write the best story but he and Jim Mooney certainly can draw!

Overall Rating

Boring. Irritating. They're not good on their own and they're even worse together. And that's what this story is: boring and irritating put together! The nice art is what gave this issue the one web. Let's just hope next issues 'The Blob' story will be better!