Mysterio returns!
POINTLESS TRIVIA
BEN: Villain appearance count:
- Doctor Octopus: 9
- Green Goblin: 8
- The Vulture: 7
- The Kingpin: 6
- Mysterio: 5
- Kraven the Hunter: 5
- Sandman: 4
- The Enforcers: 3
- The Rhino: 3
- The Lizard: 3
- Professor Smythe/Spider Slayer: 3
- The Chameleon: 2
- Electro: 2
- The Ringmaster: 2
- Scorpion: 2
- Molten Man: 2
BEN: “Gwen Stacy cries” consecutive issue count: 7
DUY: Peter sells his moped, and there's a cameo of Norman as the Green Goblin. We don't count that as an appearance. Don Heck and Mick Demeo ink Romita on this. Based on how much better this looks than the Heck-only issues, I'm going to bet Mick Demeo is the reason it looks fine here. Who's Mick Demeo? Apparently Mick Demeo was the former name of Mike Esposito, who will go on to ink Spider-Man for quite a while.
BEN: I don't know if it's the art or what, but this issue was much better than the previous ones.
PETER: Peter once again doesn't go after a criminal (Mysterio in this case) because of self-pity. He'll fight him if he's there, but won't knock himself out to find him, because the police can handle it. This is the kind of decision that almost always backfires on Peter.
WHAT'S AGED THE BEST?
BEN: I love Captain Stacy and Robbie hanging out.
DUY: Robbie and George working together has all the makings of a crime book, the kind of thing that works better in Daredevil, or in the 80s onwards. Spider-Man was Marvel's original crime book, even if it's not exactly the right spot for the genre.
BEN: Is this the first time he’s referred to as Joe Robertson? Is this another mistake that has to get fixed?
DUY: I'm fairly certain his name was never officially "Robert Robertson," so Robbie must have been a nickname from his last name. And I will say, the visual of fighting over a tiny amusement park or city or whatever never gets old. It's such an effective visual for implying scope but reminding you there isn't really any.
BEN: I've always loved miniatures.
DUY: Must... resist.... easy joke.
WHAT'S AGED THE WORST?
BEN: Mysterio hiding under the grate made me laugh. I love Mysterio.
NITPICKS
BEN: What about Aunt May’s shattered door frame?
DUY: Damn it, Peter.
FAVORITE PANEL
BEN: I’m trying not to cheat by picking the last page splash.
DUY: Screw it, I will pick the last page splash.
WHO WON THE COMIC?
DUY: John Romita Sr, who gave us so much good stuff to look at.
DUY: Provided he had the right inker, apparently. Which, isn't Don Heck a legend in this business?
BEN: I don’t want to keep killing him, but I feel like if he’s known, it’s as the “other artist” in those early days. And in all fairness, most artists would be the “other” guy in a room with Kirby, Ditko, and Romita.
DUY: That's it for Spider-Rama this week.
BEN: Thank you, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko—
DUY: —for telling us we aren't the only ones.
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