READING THE CLASSICS: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #238

 

Published on March 1st, 1983

    Zeb Wells is writing The Amazing Spider-Man these days, and he just started a new arc featuring The Hobgoblin. John Romita, Jr. is drawing the book, and his dad was penciling the book when The Hobgoblin was first introduced in 1983. Currently, The Amazing Spider-Man is not good at all. It's kind of hard to even remember when it was last any good. Marvel and DC books are really in the doldrums these days, for whatever reason. Neither company is putting out a great, must-read book. You have to read something from Image or Boom for that. It wasn't always like this, though. I'm not sure what the reason is as to why they can't put out a great Spider-Man book. Is it because it's all been done? Maybe, although Marvel isn't doing any favors considering Norman Osbourne is still a main character in the current run even though he was killed off in 1973. Hobgoblin showed up in 1983. Did they actually go ten years without a Goblin nemesis? That's hard to fathom. I thought I'd read the original Hobgoblin story and see if it's actually as good as everyone says. The one thing that's obvious when reading old Marvel comics is that there's a ton of words in the books. They actually take a while to read and you actually feel like you get your money's worth. I can read a current issue of The Amazing Spider-Man in like two minutes. The Hobgoblin makes his debut in The Amazing Spider-Man #238. John Romita, Jr. did the pencils and Roger Stern wrote the script. The title page says that John Romita, Jr. and John Romita, Sr. did the art...so I'm guessing Jr. did the inking? It's crazy that Jr.'s still working at Marvel fifty years later and drawing their flagship book. How old is Jr.? 66. His dad was a better artist, although the artwork back then wasn't as dynamic or flashy as it is now. The art in TAS #238 is pretty by-the-numbers, though it's got that classic, comic book feel. The story isn't all that special, either, but it works. This is why I'm baffled why no one these days seems to be able to write a great Batman or Spider-Man run. It's not fucking rocket science! The great, classic issues, like #238, weren't even anything spectacular. The basic premise is that Spider-Man chases some robbers around NYC. One gets away in the sewers and ends up finding one of The Green Goblin's hideout labs in an underground bunker. The robber ends up selling the lab stuff to a mystery man that turns out to be...The Hobgoblin! The other stuff in the issue is basic Peter Parker stuff. He sells some pictures to The Daily Bugle. Aunt May is working at a homeless shelter or something...then goes to Florida on vacation where she runs into Mary Jane. I know not every back issue of TAS is a classic...but reading these old issues just makes you realize how bad the current issues are. It seems like the artwork has gotten better but the writing has gotten worse. And even that's not even accurate, as I kind of love the old, comic book style that's basic but doesn't feel rushed. Supposedly the mystery behind "who is The Hobgoblin?" was a big thing in this storyline. Since I'm not reading the whole run, I'm not sure if the guy revealed was even a major character or anything. And that last page...when The Hobgoblin is revealed in costume in full...fuck... it makes you realize how great comic books can be. ***1/2

DETECTIVE COMICS #1058

The Tower

Part 12 of 12

    Weird, but I didn't realize that everything pretty much ended in Part 11 last week and this issue is, sadly, just an epilogue of sorts. Everyone got out of Arkham Tower and the Bat people saved the day? I kind of barely remember that. There's not much in this issue. The last page has The Riddler talking on the radio which leads into the next issue. Batman dresses up like Psycho Pirate to trick The Penguin's thugs. The art, by the poor man's Greg Capullo, is actually pretty good in this issue. Granted, it just reminds me painfully how there hasn't been a great Bat book since Capullo was the artist and writer Scott Snyder was fucking killing it. This issue has an ad for the 3rd Batman series that Sean Murphy is writing/drawing. His first one was phenomenal, so there are, I suppose, good Batman books out there sometimes. It's just a bit rare, which is strange, because Batman and his rogues gallery are such compelling villains. There's also an ad for the next big Batman event, a 9 part, Joshua Williamson written mini-series that goes through a bunch of the Bat books. It's called "Shadow War." I really hope it's a lot better than this. I should also mention that in the backup, the kid is shot and killed by The Penguin. What an uplifting ending! And I should also mention that, as usual in this epic serial, the cover is atrocious. *

DETECTIVE COMICS #1057

The Tower

Part 11 of 12

    Sadly, this book never "got better." The first issue was great. Then when the action started the book got worse. The big climax in this issue, the penultimate one, has the mayor's wife putting on Psycho Pirate's mask. Yeah, that's the huge cliffhanger. Jesus Christ. At least Batman is in this issue. He was missing from parts 1 to 9. It makes sense to have Batman in a Batman book...especially since The Batman is in movie theaters right now so his presence should be, well, known. The artist on this issue is Amancay Nuhuelpan, who I've mentioned before being a poor man's Greg Capullo. While I think his art is actually pretty good, there is one panel that is God awful. Batman and his crew finally find Scarecrow to confront him. In the panel, Batman and his crew are standing literally inches away from Scarecrow. Like...fucking punch him or something! I get it...the artist wanted to fit everyone in the panel...but still, it looks ridiculous. The other things that go in this issue: Penguin sends in a bunch of his soldiers to Arkham Tower. Also Lady Clayface saves Harley Quinn. Lady Clayface is yet another character who has apparently been in the "trapped" building all along. Sigh. This book's a complete mess. 1/2*

DETECTIVE COMICS #1056

The Tower

Part 10 of 12

    The whole premise of this story is that the crazy patients of Arkham Tower have taken over and locked the outside world out so that it's mayhem inside. Okay, so why do new people keep showing up inside the tower? In the last issue it was Scarecrow. In this issue it's Harley Quinn. Batman even shows up in this issue, saving Nightwing when Scarecrow throws him out of the tower. Batman, in Batman, had left Gotham to solve a murder that involved Batman, Inc. and Lex Luthor. That's going on in the flagship title. He's not back in Gotham in the flagship title, which makes it weird that he was gone because of the story in Batman but now he's back even though he's not in Batman. There's no logic, idiots. I had earlier mentioned this book should fire its editor. That's not good if I have to mention it again. I just looked at the credits and this book has three editors; an editor, a group editor, and an associate editor. They're all to blame! I had kind of thought once the action heated up in this book it would become great like Die Hard...which is what this storyline is kind of like. But nope! The quality has kind of gotten worse. They still haven't explained how Scarecrow got in or why he's there. And the book opens with the Mayor of Gotham's wife talking to Psycho Pirate and it gives a short backstory of her. Since when was she ever in the tower? This is a weekly book and I've already forgotten what happened last week. I think that tells you something about the quality of this book. *1/2

DETECTIVE COMICS #1055

The Tower

Part 9 of 12

    Finally this book is heating up. Sadly, though, the action involves Mr. Freeze firing his freeze gun at Huntress and Nightwing. Mr. Freeze was a patient and now all of a sudden he's in his costume with his gun. They do explain this. Mr. Freeze says, "Huntress, look what I found. They kept all our equipment." Hmmm. That's not the only ridiculous plot point. The big climactic ending has Scarecrow showing up holding a tied up Nightwing in his grasp. How is Scarecrow in Arkham Tower? I mean...he could've been a patient and they just never mentioned that nugget or he snuck in for unknown reasons. The other big thing is Dr. Wear, who was the head of Arkham Tower, is thrown out a window and dies. This issue starts with him falling. Was he thrown out the window last issue? Funny, because I read the last issue last week and don't recall that. The other new thing in this issue is a new artist on board: Amancay Nahuelpan. Sounds like a Sherpa. Heh. The art is pretty good, though, actually. There are some panels that are fantastic. It kind of looks like a poor man's Greg Capullo. Although, that sounds like it's awful. It's good. In the backup, the "kid" (does he even have a name?) is...eh, who the fuck cares? This "House of Gotham" backup is terrible. It's shocking because the backup writer, Matthew Rosenberg, is also writing the best comic book out there right now, Image's What's the Furthest Place From Here? I don't understand it either. **

DETECTIVE COMICS #1054

The Tower

Part 8 of 12

    What a horrible cover. I actually really liked the last cover, the one with Penguin. This one is Batman's mask. Ugh. Whoever is editing this book needs to be fired. And, honestly, DC books have been pretty awful for awhile. There's so many Batman and Superman books that you'd think at least one of them would be awesome but you would be wrong. At least the storyline is heating up in this issue. Finally Arkham Tower gets locked down and the inmates take over. I had noted that Psycho Pirate was a bad villain because it's impossible for a hero to beat him. Nightwing literally beats up instantly when Psycho Pirate just can't mentally control Nightwing any longer. Literally he can only do it for like two pages. What the fuck? In the backup story, we get a scene with Azrael during the infamous "Knightfall" storyline. Honestly? That storyline might suck if I read it now...but when I was a kid I loved that storyline and remember it being a huge deal. I still have that issue of Batman where Bane breaks Batman's back. I wonder if it's worth anything? Probably not, as comics in the early 90's were the most popular they've ever been in history and thus there's so many copies of all of those books. I think one reason comic books started to become popular was because of Tim Burton's 1989 Batman film. Was that the catalyst? I'm still kind of surprised comic book stores still exist. No one ever talks about comic books. You never hear about comic books. They're like in the shadows. Weird. *

DETECTIVE COMICS #1053

The Tower

Part 7 of 12

    The climax of this issue has Nightwing sneaking into an off limits room at Arkham Tower only to find Psycho Pirate there. So of course Psycho Pirate freezes Nightwing with his words. Here's the thing about these mind-control villains (Marvel has one, The Purple Man); how the fuck are you supposed to beat them? You can't. I forget how Jessica Jones beat The Purple Man. Will power? Psycho Pirate was in Tom King's Batman run and I don't remember how he defeated him. I guess we'll find in next issue how Nightwing defeats him. Or we'll have to wait awhile, as this storyline is moving molasses slow and we still have 5 parts left. In other storyline bits, Dr. Wear gets a loan from The Penguin. And Dr. Wear also owes money to a group of super villains that end up attacking Oracle's Bat person hideout. It's kind of weird that Batman isn't a part of this storyline, right? I read Batman books all the time and have for years but barely know who half of these Bat people are. Who's Huntress? Why is there a Batwoman and a Batgirl? In the backup tale, the boy escapes Arkham thanks to Bane. The backup has just turned into a monotonous villain of the week serial. **