Spidey's Zoo: The Kangaroo!

This is the 200th comic book reviewed on the Bronze Age Babies

Amazing Spider-Man #126 (November 1973)
"The Kangaroo Bounces Back!"
Gerry Conway-Ross Andru/Jim Mooney

Doug: Hey, kids -- back for our third installment in our Spidey's Zoo series. The past two weeks we saw poor Martin Blank as the Gibbon, a seemingly good guy gone bad. Today we'll see the second appearance of that Australian super-baddie, the Kangaroo! I have to confess that as I read this I heard Paul Hogan every time the Kangaroo spoke!

Karen: Well, the words "mate" and "bloody" appear frequently, so I guess we should realize he's Australian....
Doug: The first thing you'll probably notice is the change in art from our first two weeks to now. Johnny Romita had held it together before, but now we're into the Ross Andru era. I'll always stand by Ross, as he was my guy when I started reading ASM and Marvel Team-Up. The inks, as you saw above in the credits, are by Jim Mooney -- he of the distinctive eyes. You can spot Mooney from a mile away by looking at the eyes. Andru's storytelling is really solid -- call him quirky, but the man can convey emotion. OK, maybe it's a strained sort of emotion at times, but the point gets across. No one can argue that.

Karen: Since I started my comic obsession about a year or two before you, to me, going from Romita to Andru was difficult. It's not that Andru was terrible or anything like that. But Romita was such a perfect fit for Spidey. However, I do think that a lot of the time our favorite artist on a character is determined by whose art we saw first.
Doug: I wholeheartedly agree, and I should state that I do believe John Romita is the consummate Spider-Man artist. His Silver- and early Bronze Age work is the pinnacle in my opinion.

Doug: We pick it up right after the Man-Wolf fight that was in ASM 124-125. Spidey is doing a little web-swinging when he's approached by a couple of slick salesmen. They want Spidey to endorse a new environmentally-safe auto engine by starring in a series of ads with the Spider-Mobile. Our Webhead says thanks, but no, and swings off. We, however, are privy to the sight of a figure hiding in the shadows. Upon closer inspection, he's revealed to be the Kangaroo (who last appeared back in ASM #81). But soon thereafter, another figure enters the picture -- Jonas Harrow. Say, anyone else think this chap looks an awful lot like DC's Hugo Strange?

Karen: You know, I didn't pick up on that, but I did wonder if the two businessmen were supposed to be caricatures of Stan Lee and Roy Thomas!
Doug: I certainly saw the resemblance to Roy...

Doug: The next two pages are classic Spider-Man soap opera: Pete skipping class, being admonished by Professor Warren, being asked out by Mary Jane and Flash and giving them the cold shoulder, finding out he and Harry are about to be evicted, and talking on the phone to Aunt May -- who offers to comfort him after the death of Gwen. Conway nails all of this. Karen, you remarked in our last review (ASM #111), which was Conway's first script on the book, that Gerry would very soon put his stamp on the magazine. Certainly by now that's quite evident, as the characterization is all pretty seamless going back to Stan's days.

Karen: I really think one of Gerry's strengths was handling a large cast. He was able to move people in and out effortlessly. I'm reading his Thor run right now and one of the first things I noticed was how he expanded and emphasized the supporting cast.
Doug: It's just good storytelling. Adding layers gives us a reason to care on a personal level. It's not just one longjohn slugfest after another -- that gets boring. I agree that we need that background stuff.

Doug: The Kangaroo is one weird dude. Guy's never met this Jonas Harrow before, yet concedes to massive surgery. Harrow cuts this guy left/right, up/down and implants all sorts of power-enhancing electronics, wiring junk to his nerves and ultimately his brain. Crazy stuff! But, upon coming out of the ether (no puking allowed in this recovery room!), the Kangaroo is immediately able to jump all over the place, flex his muscles, and put a one-shot whuppin' on the bad doctor.

Karen: I'm not really sure why surgery was necessary; he mainly outfits him with some sort of fancy hydraulics. It does say they are hooked up to Kangaroo's brain, but still -ah, whatever. Let's roll with it. He certainly is an ungrateful sort.
Doug: After deciding he needs to pay the rent to save Harry the stress, Spidey goes to the advertising agency to take the gig endorsing the car. Trouble is, the slimedogs want him to not only promote the car but build it as well! But on the way to pitch the idea to his prospective partner, Spidey's attacked by the new-and-improved Kangaroo. It doesn't last long. Even a juiced-up marsupial is still... well, whatever. Actually, ol' boy gets a splitting headache and high-tails it out of there.

Karen: Oh yes, we're seeing the beginning of the Amazing Spider-Mobile! Poor Gerry. This was also forced upon him, so he did the best thing he could with it: he made fun of the whole idea!
Doug: Spidey continues to his original destination -- the Baxter Building, and Johnny Storm. The Torch says he'll help, and then we get a weird 3-panel interlude of JJJ in the emergency room while John Jameson awaits a total blood transfusion. Then we find out it's at a free clinic! What the?!? But that's Jonah, isn't it?

Karen: I know -his son's near death and he goes to the free clinic to "save a little money"! There were times when JJJ was shown perhaps a little too extreme.
Doug: The Kangaroo has been charged with stealing some radioactive isotopes. While Spidey and Johnny discuss the car, they hear a police bulletin about the break-in. Hearing the description of the perp, Spidey takes his leave and intercepts the Kangaroo. A major tussle ensues, and ends with the Kangaroo being exposed to the full force of some gamma radiation. Spidey manages to contain it behind a lead door, survive a tear gas attack from New York's Finest, and get out safely.

Karen: Boy, the Kangaroo was just born to lose! Lame name, dumb as a rock, and then -incinerated by radiation. The panels showing him burning up were pretty effective, I have to say.
Doug: The last scene is pretty powerful, and certainly foreshadows events to come. MJ stops by Harry and Peter's apartment, looking for Harry. He's inside, but makes no noise. Exasperated, she leaves, letting him know that she's not happy, and probably won't be back. Andru takes us inside the darkened dwelling, where a crazed, sweaty Harry Osborn cradles the costume of the Green Goblin and announces to himself that he is the new Green Goblin!

Ray Harryhausen Documentary

Karen: I thought I would share with all of you this trailer for what looks like an excellent documentary on the amazing Ray Harryhausen. Sounds like it probably won't be out until next year though.

This certainly looks promising. They assembled a lot of well-known folks to sing the praises of Harryhausen -and rightfully so! His films have a beauty that the more realistic effects of today cannot touch. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good CGI-laden flick as much as anyone, but Harryhausen's creations had personality and a uniqueness that you just don't see today. His movies transported me to far off magical realms and fired my imagination like no others. He's truly one of a kind.

The Senses-Shattering Return of... the Do-It-Yourself Open Forum!

Doug: Hey, we're going to give the Do-It-Yourself Open Forum another whirl. A few weeks ago we tried this for the first time, and Terence Stewart queried "What is Your All-Time Favorite Bronze Age Marvel Cover?" Many stopped by to check it out, and 19 comments were left -- a good discussion ensued, and we'd venture to say that a swell time was had by all!

So, here we go again, and you'll remember the rules: Whoever is the first to comment can post a question, posit, or general gibberish in the hopes of starting a conversation. Everyone who piles on later -- that's what we're talking about today! So, if you are reading this and no one else has commented, then it's all you! If you're coming along later and the comments are rolling in, please don't hijack the thread.

See if you can come up with a topic that would even give the Dark Knight Detective pause... Have fun!

Battle of the Sci-Fi Flicks: the 50s

Karen: The 1950s gave birth to a ton of science fiction films, and some of these are among the finest ever made. Most of the films, good or bad, reflect the concerns of that era: fear of "the Bomb", paranoia over communism, and wonder at new scientific and technological achievements. But the best of them takes these concepts and make something special out of them.

I'd like to name my contenders for the cream of the crop from the 50s. This is in no particular order:

The Thing From Another World (1951): Howard Hawks produced (and some say directed) this suspenseful film about military men and scientists dealing with an alien invader at an Arctic base. What could have been a run of the mill monster movie is turned into an outstanding one by the excellent cast -I love the way they talk all over each other, just like real people do -and intelligent writing. The shot of the flying saucer frozen below the ice and the men forming a circle above it is still inspired. The blood bags hanging up, feeding the alien plants/fetuses, and their cries (even though unheard) always make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Keep watching the skies!



The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951): How can you not love a movie with a gleaming UFO and a giant robot equipped with a disintegration ray ? But that's really just the superficial part of this film; the beauty of it lies in the character of Klaatu, the undercover alien played wonderfully by Michael Rennie, and his relationships with the different humans he meets. Klaatu allows us to ourselves from a new point of view, and with that we see both the best and worst of our natures. Yes, the Christ-like overtones may sometimes be less than subtle; still, I find myself riveted to this film whenever it is on. Am I the only one who thinks that the Destroyer of Thor fame looks something like Gort?



Them! (1954): Yes, it's a giant bug picture, but it's the best giant bug picture ever made. Just like the Thing, it has a great cast and a solid story which elevates it above standard monster fare. The movie actually feels very much like a police procedural, with a policeman (James Whitmore) and an FBI agent (James Arness, who also played The Thing) investigating a series of mysterious disappearances and break-ins. We soon find out it's all due to ants who have been mutated to gigantic size thanks to atomic testing in the desert. Edmund O'Brien is delightful as an ant expert, and his daughter, played by Joan Weldon, is presented as beautiful but brainy too. Sure, the ants themselves may look a bit hokey today, but they were effective. I can still hear that strange high pitched racket they made!



Forbidden Planet (1956): One of the few color sci fi films of the era, Forbidden Planet has a lush design and is wonderful eye candy. Like Day the Earth Stood Still, we get an impressive spacecraft and an amazing robot. But that's where the similarities end. Set on the planet Altair IV, whose sole surviving occupants are Dr. Edward Morbius and his lovely daughter, Altaira, this movie is much more of a psychological drama. It's a bit odd seeing Leslie Nielson in a serious role, after so many years of Airplane and Naked Gun movies, but he does a good job as the square-jawed ship's captain. Beware the monsters from the Id!


War of the Worlds (1953): Another color-rich extravaganza, with super-cool Martian death ships, atom bombs, and the Flying Wing! We've also got Gene Barry as one of the roughest, toughest scientist-heroes ever, Dr. Clayton Forester. The design of the Martian ship is one of the most unique in all of science fiction films, with the sleek, curvy main body and cobra-like neck extension. The utter destruction wreaked in this movie must be seen to be believed. No landmark is left standing! The ending is a bit hokey but all in all a classic.

So that's my choice for the best of the 50s. Some obvious films left off the list: This Island Earth, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I like them but I just don't think they quite make the top tier. One of my personal favorites is It! Terror from Beyond Space, but I can't honestly argue that it is one of the best films of the decade -I just like it a lot.

OK, batter up: what are your contenders for best sci fi films of the 50s?

St. Patrick's Day: Leprechauns Revisited!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

In honor of St. Patty's Day, we are re-running the only Leprechaun story in the history of BAB reviews. Enjoy! Or... re-enjoy! Doug and Karen

This post originally ran September 27 2010
X-Men #103 (February 1977)
"The Fall of the Tower"
Chris Claremont-Dave Cockrum/Sam Grainger


Karen: We're back with the next part of our X-Men review. Last issue, Juggernaut and Black Tom had rather handily defeated the all new, all different X-Men (minus Cyclops). All of the team except Nightcrawler were captured. Kurt was whisked away by- wait for it - leprechauns. I don't know why, but I still find myself irritated by the leprechauns. They just seem sort of unnecessary and kitchen sink-like.

Doug: Yeah, I know we commented on the little fellows last issue. And I'm like you -- trolls and elves in the pages of The Mighty Thor, all sorts of Inhumans, aliens, etc. But my first impression when I read last issue was "What the...??"

Karen: Kurt meets Eamon O'Donnell, the caretaker of the castle. He explains that Juggernaut and Black Tom are holding the rest of the little people captive, and he's been unable to act against them. In the meantime, Black Tom has taken the other X-Men to the laboratory (do all castles have one?) and is about to torture them.

Doug: Laboratories, yes -- but I did not, however, notice any spying-eyes portraits like ol' Doc Doom has!

Karen: Nightcrawler gets a chance to shine here, as he uses his "image inducer" to appear as Xavier and strike out at the villains. I think it's pretty well known that Nightcrawler was Cockrum's favorite X-Man -and later artist Byrne's least-liked character. I often wonder how popular Nightcrawler might have become if Cockrum had stayed on the title, and what would have become of Wolverine?

Doug: It's a great "what if?", isn't it? The Cockrum issues really showcased Nightcrawler, Storm, and Colossus. Wolverine was a player, but certainly took a backseat to the other three new heroes. I always thought the image inducer was a great tool for Kurt, and really helped to humanize him lookswise. The situation was somewhat akin to what Ben Grimm was experiencing at about the same time with his exo-skeleton. He was able to be human, yet do his thing when necessary. I wish, in both cases, those particular plotlines had been continued longer.

Karen: Kurt has a good go but eventually the two bad guys figure out what's going on. However, the fracas does create a hole in the castle walls, which brings Storm out of her claustrophobic funk. She summons a tremendous hurricane and breaks free. This also frees up Colossus and Wolverine, who are still bickering with each other. However, Black Tom and Juggy escape to one of the castle ramparts and take Banshee with them.

Doug: Storm's powers and power levels were really being explored in these early issues, weren't they? Had Phoenix not come along, it's interesting to think about just how much more status she'd have been given.

Karen: I think Storm was probably the most powerful heroine at Marvel at that time. Claremont certainly made it clear that she was a force to be reckoned with! We get a couple of nice pages of the team trying to get to the villains -I especially liked when Colossus threw Wolverine up to the top of the tower! When he lands, he runs into one of the leprechauns. There's an interesting exchange here, where the leprechaun tells Wolverine he "doesn't believe in talking Wolverines" - while it could be a joke, I wonder if Claremont and Cockrum were still thinking that our lovable psycho was actually an evolved, mutated wolverine? I've read in several different interviews that this was one of the original concepts for Wolverine's origin.

Doug: Didn't you love the exchange, after Storm had dumped Wolverine and Peter on their heads, when Wolverine referred to her as a broad and Colossus threatened him to never use that term again... and then called Wolverine "shorty"?? I also thought it was a nice touch, and one Claremont and Byrne would touch on later, to show Storm's lockpicking abilities. A couple of questions, and I'm asking simply because I don't have my X-Mens in front of me: Was that the first instance of a "fastball special" (the first time we ran this post, commenter Robert McKinney reported: There was an earlier Fastball Special in # 100.), and also -- was it the first time we learned that Wolverine's real name was Logan? Oh, and one more thing about Wolverine's encounter with ol' Paddy the leprechaun -- just an observation about the "mutated wolverine" idea: Byrne tended to draw Logan with much hairier arms than Cockrum ever did.

Karen: That might have been the first fastball special, although it was a vertical one! I'm pretty sure it was the first time the name "Logan" was used with Wolverine. I loved how Claremont just kept feeding the readers little bits of info, issue after issue. This is how you write a team book! Back to the story -Banshee is freed, Nightcrawler makes it to the top of the castle, and we have a splendid free for all going. But when Banshee knocks Tom over the castle wall and into the sea far below, Juggernaut freaks out and jumps over the castle wall to try to save his friend. As the raging sea swallows them both, it appears that things will get back to normal -whatever that is for the X-Men! However, the last panel shows that all of these events are being watched by a mystery figure, one who promises to bring the X-Men's "oldest, deadliest foe" back into the picture. Can you say...Magneto?!

Marvel and DC: Side-by-Side in 1976

1976

Doug: It's 1976, America's Bicentennial birthday -- celebrating the Declaration of Independence that was signed on July 4, 1776. It was a big year in the music industry, as the Ramones released their first album. But some other fellas in Dublin got a little act together and called it "U2". I seem to have heard of them... A platter by the name of Hotel California was released by the California band The Eagles -- loved that disc! And in politics and business, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded Apple Computer, Inc. and the first commercial flight of the Concorde took off. At the movies, it was quite a year: Rocky, Taxi Driver, and All the President's Men... wow! The Olympic Summer Games were held in Montreal and featured stars Bruce Jenner and Nadia Comaneci, and at DC Comics, former children's publisher Jeanette Kahn replaced Carmine Infantino. But what of our four-color fun?

Doug: I'll go on record right away and say that as much as I bashed DC for a ho-hum 1975, this year looks to be a bit more fun (and lasting). Starting off the first quarter was yet another #1 issue (man, did any of these really last? I think not...), Man-Bat by Gerry Conway and Steve Ditko. And no, this one didn't last past its second issue -- too bad the mini-series hadn't been invented yet. Lady Shiva was introduced in Richard Dragon Kung-fu Fighter #5. Yeah, so? February and March were better, though. One of my favorite series as a kid began in the pages of the revived All-Star Comics #58, with the debut of the Super Squad: Star-Spangled Kid, Robin, and Power Girl. Set on Earth-2, this was somewhat of a precursor to Infinity, Inc. The first issue was brought to you by Conway and Ric Estrada. The Warlord #1 hit, by creator Mike Grell, and in March Wonder Woman rejoined the JLA in issue #128 after having been reinstated in Wonder Woman #222.

Karen: All-Star and Warlord make this a pretty decent quarter for DC. Warlord is one of those books I never read as a kid, but might have to go back and check out now, as I've heard good things about it.

Doug: Me, too, on Warlord. I would think that I would like it -- just have to pull the trigger sometime.

Doug: Marvel's first quarter looked like this -- Howard the Duck #1 by Steve Gerber and Val Mayerick waddled into our world. I've said before that I was never interested in Howard when I was a youth, but so many of our commenters have recommended it that I'm about to break down and give it a try. In the pages of The Avengers #144 Patsy Walker became the Hellcat, and the Guardians of the Galaxy got their own series beginning in Marvel Presents #3. Bullseye made his bow in Daredevil #131 -- who knew then what an important character he'd become in the hands of Frank Miller a few years later? Omega the Unknown #1 was cover-dated March, but the biggest news of the first part of '76 was certainly the return of the King, as Jack Kirby took over the writing and artwork on his most well-known creation, Captain America in CA and the Falcon #194.

Karen: I was so disappointed when Kirby came on Cap. We'd had such intelligent stories and character development under Englehart, and then suddenly we got a Cap who was perpetually screaming at us, in a bunch of nonsensical stories. Of the two Gerber books above, I preferred the Guardians. Just as weird as Howard, but it was superheroes in outer space -always a great combination.

Doug: The spring brought more great fun from DC, and some treasured kidhood memories! In April, DC and Marvel collaborated to release Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man, by Conway (jeez, this dude wrote everything for DC!), Ross Andru, and company (see the link to read more about this -- other sources concerning the artists controversy are readily available on the web). The Legion's Karate Kid got his own mag in the same month, as did the Secret Society of Super-Villains in a fun magazine that showcased Captain Comet and Kid Flash (among other heroes) against a ragtag band of some of DC's fun super-baddies. The Secret Society was one DC mag I always tried to get my grubby little mitts on. At the House of Ideas, one of my favorite storylines was on the shelves as the Invaders were pitted against the Liberty Legion, some of Marvel's lesser-known heroes from World War II -- part 2 of the story was in Marvel Premiere #29. And in a "strange" sort of crossover, Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan told a 2-parter that had Dr. Strange and Count Dracula squaring off in Doctor Strange #14 and Tomb of Dracula #44.

Karen: Good stuff from both companies. I only had a couple of issues of Secret Society of Super-Villains, but always thought it was pretty cool -offbeat for DC. I'm looking forward to the TPB collection coming out later this year. As for Conway writing everything at DC, didn't he do the same thing when he was at Marvel? Seems like every other 70s comic I look at was written by him!

Doug: The summer months were pretty inconsequential story-wise at DC -- I'm sure something happened, but the only thing noted in my resource was that for the first time since 1947 Jerry Siegel's and Joe Shuster's names appeared as the creators of the Man of Steel. That is a big deal, and an issue that Marvel is currently in litigation with concerning the creations of Jack Kirby. Speaking again of the King, his most famous '70's creation at Marvel debuted in July with The Eternals #1. Also in the summer Jean Grey sacrificed her life (yeah, right...) to save the X-Men in X-Men #100. Kirby's treasury Captain America's Bicentennial Battles celebrated our nation's 200th birthday as Cap toured different eras of American history -- and by the way, in response to a comment Karen made above, this is the only Kirby 2nd wave of Cap that I owned.

Karen: As much as I disliked Kirby's return to Cap, I actually enjoyed The Eternals. It had all that great ancient astronauts stuff that was so prevalent in the early 70s.

Doug: The Eternals are a group I passed on back then. I am thinking, however, of giving them a try-out in the recently-released Thor tpbs that spotlight the epic that involved the Celestials. But as far as checking out the Kirby stuff -- I'm reluctant.

Doug: Autumn brought another first issue with the debut of Ragman #1, by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert and the Redondos: Nestor, Frank, and Quico. After four years off the shelves, Green Lantern and Green Arrow returned in Green Lantern/Green Arrow #90 by Denny O'Neil and Mike Grell. This was my GL/GA, and Mike Grell was my guy as I was a bit too young when O'Neil and Adams were doing their thing. Over at Marvel, another of my fave books debuted with The Man Called Nova #1, by Wolfman and John Buscema. Loved that book, until Carmine Infantino took over the art chores. Wonder Man returned from the dead in The Avengers #151, beginning a storyline that would provide fireworks for the Vision and Scarlet Witch well into the 21st century. The main part of the story occurred in October in The Avengers #152 .

Karen: You know, I've never read any of those Grell GA/GLs- another title to add to my want list. I agree with you whole-heartedly on Nova -loved it 'til I couldn't take the art any more. And of course Nova was essentially Marv Wolfman's version of Spidey with a Green Lantern flavor!

Doug: Closing out the year, DC offered some television tie-ins in November with another couple of #1's -- Super Friends by E. Nelson Bridwell and Estrada and Welcome Back, Kotter by Elliot S! Maggin and Jack Sparling. And also in November, the Teen Titans headlined their own magazine once again after a 3-year hiatus in Teen Titans #44 by Paul Levitz, Bob Rozakis and Pablo Marcos. Marvel had a bunch of fun stuff on the shelves as we headed into 1977. Spidey teamed up with Nightcrawler against the Punisher in Amazing Spider-Man #'s 161-162, and the Tarantula struck again in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #1 (Spidey's fourth ongoing title, alongside ASM, Marvel Team-Up, and Spidey Super Stories), by Conway and Sal Buscema. The FF had to deal with the Impossible Man running amok in the Marvel Bullpen in Fantastic Four #176, and Howard the Duck ran for president of the United States beginning in Howard the Duck #7. If you say so...

 

Ah, the Cute Little Furball...

Doug: Let's talk about our four-legged friends, who at times have played a role in a given plot heading one direction or another. Quite simply, of the pets, acquaintances, and even in some cases partners -- of the animal persuasion -- who do you like, dislike, or have fond or hateful memories of?

For a short list (because around here, we always manage to leave someone out), see right below:

• Lockjaw
• Krypto
• Lockheed
• Streaky, the Super Cat
  
• Ace, the Bat-hound
• Aragorn
• Beppo, the Super Monkey
• Proty (Chameleon Boy)
  
• Zabu
• Redwing
• Comet, the Super Horse

Spidey's Zoo: The Gibbon, part 2!

Amazing Spider-Man #111 (August 1972)
"To Stalk a Spider!"
Gerry Conway-John Romita/Tony Mortellaro/Romita

Doug: Today's post concludes our first of three stories taking a look at Spider-Man against some furry nemeses. First up is the Gibbon, a troubled youth who would certainly like to be a hero, but just can't seem to get past his inferiority complex. And Spider-Man certainly didn't help things last issue when he laughed at our new pal. So what's a fella to do? How about fall in with the wrong crowd?

Doug: As you see on the cover above, that "wrong crowd" came in the person of Kraven the Hunter. The Hunter watched from afar near the end of the previous issue, as Spidey had humiliated Martin Blank. Sensing an opportunity to harness the skills of the Gibbon and destroy his enemy at the same time, Kraven now made an offer. But first, the Hunter recounted his previous adventure opposed to Spider-Man, a tussle that had taken them to the Savage Land and had involved Ka-Zar. Kraven came out on the short end (as usual), and was actually believed to be dead.

Karen: Interesting how Kraven still has his arm in a sling from a fight that took place seven issues before! But I guess this is Marvel-time, so it might be only a few weeks. I have to say, I just love this John Romita art. I know some people consider it cartoony, but it's so sleek and powerful.
Doug: In the meantime, Spidey rushes away from his encounter with the Gibbon to light at Aunt May's apartment. Not any too cautious about being seen, Spidey enters through an unlocked window to find a note addressed to Peter. Aunt May had written it to inform Peter that she had left, to an undisclosed location. Spidey, with no idea where Aunt May could have gone, fears the worst. And then the cops pounded on the door... Spidey of course gets away, and after some self-beating heads to the Daily Bugle to see his friend Joe Robertson. If anyone might be able to sniff gold from a tip, it's Robertson. That's not what Spider-Man is after, though -- no, instead he's buying time. As the police arrived, a bulletin went out and finding no May Parker at home, the boys in blue jumped to the conclusion that she'd been kidnapped. By our hero. But of course, in the middle of the conversation with Robbie, JJJ butts in. Robbie shows him the note from May to Peter Parker, which clearly demonstrates that Spidey didn't kidnap her, and Jonah faces another heavy helping of egg on his face.

Karen: Peter's not trying too hard to protect his identity, what with climbing into Aunt May's apartment in full daylight. I do love the way Romita draws him just exploding out the window as he escapes the police. I've always liked Robbie, the cool voice of reason (is he even in the current book?). I always suspected that he, much like Capt. Stacy, had figured out who was behind the web-head's mask.
Doug: I wholeheartedly agree with you -- this is a supposition I've also had for many, many years. See, it's an unexplored area we were never treated to. How much mileage could be gotten out of subplots and storylines involving Robbie with privileged information, but trying his best to protect Peter?

Doug: Back to our evil villains du jour (well, maybe one of them is evil; I prefer to see Kraven as more of a deranged sportsman). Kraven has been giving Martin a bunch of his home remedies. Martin's strength and quickness have increased, and Kraven wants him to take one last potion to "finish the process". Martin tried to deny him, sensing that Kraven was merely viewing him as an animal as have all the others. But as he gave in and drank the final concoction his head began to feel like exploding. Rage overcame Martin Blank, and he attacked the Hunter. After a spirited scrap where master won with guile over creation, the new-and-improved Gibbon was given his orders: go, with Kraven directing his mind, and triumph over Spider-Man.

Karen: This was an exciting sequence, that built in tension panel after panel. I do love how Kraven has decked out his hideaway with a groovy jungle motif!
Doug: Maybe Elvis was his interior decorator! Check out the pic of the "Jungle Room" at Graceland...

Doug: While Pete mopes in his apartment, Gwen calls to check on him. She's alarmed that May has left, and of course blames herself. Peter really blows her off -- I thought this was strange, given how paranoid he was last issue that Gwen would somehow wind up with Flash Thompson. Pete gets rid of Gwen, and then heads outside for some web-swinging, and who do you suppose he meets? One guess and you got it right! The Gibbon attacks with ferocity, totally catching Spidey unaware. But even as he reels, Spidey feels that all is not right, that there is somehow another presence controlling Martin Blank. And as the Gibbon jumps on Spider-Man and encloses his strong fingers about the Web-slinger's neck. While Kraven urges him to choke, Spider-Man screams for Martin to break the control. Martin's innate goodness wins, he hesitates, and Spider-Man is able to kick him off and over the rooftop's edge. A simple webline down and Spidey catches the now unconscious Gibbon. And somewhere far away, Kraven the Hunter exploded in anger.

Karen: It was a little odd of Peter to brush Gwen off like that, but he was also completely pre-occupied with Aunt May's disappearance, and exhausted on top of that. Maybe he was also still stinging from his perception that Gwen was falling into Flash Thompson's arms too? In any case, I don't see his behavior as completely out of character. The fight sequence here was not as exciting as the fight between Martin and Kraven, but then again, Spidey could sense that Martin was being controlled, and so he was not fighting back that hard. I thought that was a novel use of spider-senses: Pete could actually tell that someone was directing Martin's actions. I can't recall that being used any other time, can you?
Doug: This was Gerry Conway's first issue as scripter of Amazing Spider-Man, and despite a few holes here and there, I thought it was a good debut. For a guy thrown right into the middle of the story I thought he got out of it OK. Perhaps the ending was anti-climatic, but the character development that went on throughout the rest of the story was welcome. As we've said, that's what a Spidey mag is really all about!

Karen: I thought Gerry wrote this very much in Stan's voice. But Gerry would put his imprint on the title soon enough.

The Greatest Event in Sports

Doug: If you want my opinion, the third Thursday and Friday of March should be national holidays here in the good ol' U.S. of A. That's when the 1st round of the NCAA Basketball Championship tournament begins.

I've often read that nothing slows down business in America like office pools, and people sneaking a peek at the games on the Internet. I have been known (don't worry about ratting me out - the principal knows) to assign some seatwork on those two days so that the television can be on in the classroom. Yes, I am the idol of millions...

There really is no other event in American sports like the NCAA Tournament. This year 68 schools will vie for the chance to be a true champion -- three weeks of games at locations throughout the nation, and for the first time ever, all televised. While the Super Bowl gets more attention, I'm not sure another event captures the imagination of the nation as much as this, when at tip-off everyone's school has a chance to be The One. Upsets are common, and offer more excitement to this particular event than any of the one-day championships or even series that are played out in the professional sports. As we say at this time of year: Let the Madness begin!

What is your favorite sporting event? I'm sure since we have many international readers that we'll get a wide array of responses, so this should be fun.