(2009 Cover Date Issues - Most current first)

November 26, 2008

Alternate universe Spider-Man appears in Marvel Adventures Super Heroes #5.

Story
"Shock" ending last issue when Gwen Stacy (or at least the "essence" of her consumed by the symbiote known as Carnage when she died), showed at at Peter's house. All this after Peter had a bad day at the school yard when confronted by Eddie Brock, who has threatened to tell the world that Peter is Spider-Man unless he helps him get back his Venom symbiote. Instead of a fight, Peter and "Gwen" talk for a couple of pages before Eddie Brock comes by ringing the doorbell. Peter's aunt does her best to calm down Eddie, but he is too much for her. Peter then punches Eddie into the front yard, and then promptly takes him to a tall building. Of course, there is Gwen/ Carnage coming up right behind them, and this gives Brock the opportunity to "feed" off her and gain his symbiote back (remember, it was Carnage that was the "spawn" of Venom's symbiote to begin with). A Carnage - Venom battle takes center stage for several pages before Venom somehow "consumes" Carnage, leaving Gwen Stacy behind alive and well. Iron Man and some SHIELD members show up, but Eddie escapes into the sewers. Gwen is now apparently a regular sixteen year old girl with no symbiote at all in her. As for Eddie Brock/ Venom, you will have to take a look at the last two pages for that, or at least the spoilers below.

Art
Very Good.
Best Page: The last full-page shot of the Beetle in flight.

Continuity Police
No tickets given.

Spoilers
Aunt May receives a couple of mysterious visitors after Peter takes Eddie away.
Eddie Brock/ Venom has been taken prisoner by the Beetle on the last page.
The Beetle is headed back to Latveria, home of Doctor Doom.

November 19, 2008

Spider-Man appears in Marvel Adventures The Avengers #30.
Spider-Man makes an appearance as a member of the New Avengers in Avengers/ Invaders #6.
Venom (Mac Gargan/ Scorpion), Norman Osborn, and other Spider-Man related characters appear in Thunderbolts #126.

Story
A two-part story by Mark Waid and Marcos Martin begins here very innocently as Peter finds someone's unused MetroCard (used for transportation in NYC) on a very rainy day in Manhattan. With only $2 remaining on the card, Peter uses it to take the subway home. He first passes a subway car with a dozen passengers protected by a couple of police officers, then he gains entrance into the car right next to it. Just as the train begins its way on the tracks, Peter's spider sense goes off like a fire alarm. Seconds later, the train comes off the tracks just after it is under a tunnel under the East River. Peter quietly changes into Spider-Man, and quickly saves some people's lives, just before some of the tunnel collapses above him. All the survivors gather round to try and figure out what has just happened. It turns out that the one car with a dozen passengers was used solely for the jury for the Giacomo trial, and it appears that someone has put out a hit on the entire jury, but who? Spider-Man learns just who when the survivors find a ladder and out of nowhere pops out Spider-Man's old foe the Shocker. It turns out that the Shocker is working as an enforcer for the mob who do not want any of the jurors leaving the subway alive. Spider-Man and the Shocker battle it out in a confined area of the tunnel, and Spider-Man eventually gains the upper hand and knocks out the Shocker as usual. As part one comes to an end, and Spider-Man regains his strength after his battle with the Shocker, he is greeted by one of the survivors. The man apologizes for his son, but who is this man?

Art
Very Good.
Best Page: The full page where Spider-Man is greeted by the Shocker.

Continuity Police
No tickets given.

Spoilers
The apologetic man turns out to be J. Jonah Jameson Senior.

November 12, 2008

Spider-Girl appears in Amazing Spider-Girl #26.
Spider-Man appears in Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #45.
Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson appear in Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane Season 2 #4.

Story
Time for a "double-sized" one-shot Spider-Man issue, and this one is a good old-fashioned Punisher team-up. It begins in upstate New York where a mysterious suitcase is being smuggled in by one of Moses Magnum's men. The Punisher shows up and takes the man and the suitcase with him. Scene changes to the streets of Manhattan, where Peter Parker is taking an overdue driving test. After receiving a tower of driving books, Peter walks amongst the crowd and just happens to bump into Frank Castle, better known as the Punisher. Of course, Peter begins to follow him, and ends up in Far Rockaway, Queens where the Punisher discovers that a small DVD is in the case. He plays the DVD, and discovers that Moses Magnum has created a superior alternative to the "cheap and diluted" MGH (Mutant Growth Hormone). Moses is asking for some big bucks on his new Gamma Irradiated MGH, but backs up his product by injecting it into a test subject, and the subject begins to quickly turn into a small but still very powerful "Hulk". Spider-Man oversees this video, and makes himself known to the Punisher. We learn that the Punisher has tracked down one of Magnum's sales teams and their supply chain led him to where they are now: Magnum's distribution center for all of North America. The Punisher is now waiting for Magnum to arrive, but Spider-Man wants to handle thing a lot less bloodier than is anticipated from how the Punisher is expected to handle things. The Punisher traps Spider-Man in a net and hangs him up so that he can freely pursue Magnum and his men. Moses Magnum finally shows up and the Punisher strangely takes one of Spider-Man's spider tracers and swallows it before leaving Spider-Man to hang and eventually fall into the waters.

After a little interlude (by Joe Kelly and Barry Kitson) with J. Jonah Jameson and the Bookie, we return to the main story where Spider-Man comes-to underwater. Spider-Man takes someone's boat out to where the Punisher is now being held by Moses Magnum. Spider-Man eventually gets on board the larger boat, just as the Punisher apparently injects himself with new Gamma Irradiated MGH (or did he?). All parties meet in one room, and Magnum is easily taken down by one punch from Spider-Man. The Punisher shoots Magnum in the stomach, and leaves Spider-Man to rush Magnum back to shore and to a hospital. A somewhat bland Spider-Man - Punisher team-up.

Art
Very Good.
Best Page: The page where Spider-Man punches out Moses Magnum.

Continuity Police
No tickets given.

Spoilers
The Bookie accuses J. Jonah Jameson of being the Spider Tracer Murderer.

November 5, 2008

Ultimate Spider-Man makes a guest appearance in Ultimatum #1.
Spider-Man makes a guest appearance in Invincible Iron Man #7.
Spider-Man villain Venom's origin is told in Venom: Dark Origin #4.
Spider-Man appears in a flashback story in X-Men And Spider-Man #1.

Story
One of Spider-Man's usually "lesser" villains Hammerhead was recently given new life from power broker Mister Negative, in the form of a powerful new skeleton in exchange for becoming Negative's top enforcer. Hammerhead has since been getting all the other gangs in New York to "join in" with Mister Negative, or end up dead. One gang in particular, the G.F.L. 2K gang in the South Bronx, has made a stand against Hammerhead, and he pays them a visit. At the same time, GFL2K member Harold Winslow draws the attention of Spider-Man, after Peter met his little brother Anthony. Anthony, much like Peter, is a science whiz, and the two bond. Just as Spider-Man is getting through to the Winslow brothers, Hammerhead shows up and of course Spider-Man takes him as a very light threat. Unfortunately for Spider-Man, he is much more than surprised to "discover" the new Hammerhead, and is beaten to a pulp. Part two (of two) begins with Spidey hanging from the roof bleeding away profusely. Gunshots suddenly ring out from the gun of the Winslow brothers, and this gives Spider-Man an opportunity to distract Hammerhead. After Spider-Man takes the two brothers and swings out of the building, Hammerhead returns to Mister Negative for some "repairs". Peter returns to the South Bronx as a photographer for the Front Line newspaper with reporter Norah Winters. They locate Harold Winslow, and discover that Hammerhead has taken his little brother Anthony. Seconds later, Peter makes a run for it and changes into Spider-Man, and searches for Anthony. At the Highbridge Train Yard, Spider-Man finds Anthony and a small gang of other children in a train car. It appears that Anthony his turned his allegiance over to Hammerhead in order to survive, and it only takes a moment for Hammerhead himself to show up. Round two between Spider-Man and Hammerhead begins, and it turns out much differently from the first go round. Excellent two-part story.

Art
Very Good.
Best Page: The splash page of Spider-Man hanging upside down.

Continuity Police
No tickets given.

Spoilers
Spider-Man defeats Hammerhead by dislocating his hip.

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