(2008 Cover Date Issues - Most current first)

August 27, 2008

Spider-Man appears in Marvel Adventures Super Heroes #2.
Spider-Man appears in Marvel Adventures The Avengers #27.
Venom (Mac Gargan/ Scorpion) and Norman Osborn appear in Thunderbolts #123.
Spider-Man makes a small two page appearance in Marvel Comics Presents V2 #12.
Several Spider-Man supporting characters in Secret Invasion: The Amazing Spider-Man #1.

Story
"New Ways To Die" began last issue that ended up with Peter Parker being met by his old friend Norman Osborn and his Thunderbolts back in Peter's apartment. Norman is looking for Spider-Man, who is considered an unregistered vigilante by many, and believes that Peter has some connections to his whereabouts since he is his "personal" photographer. Peter gives him no information, but the Thunderbolts rough him and his apartment up, just minutes before Peter's roommate Vin Gonzales comes back. Some supporting cast time follows. First, we then catch up with Eddie Brock at the FEAST homeless shelter, where we discover that he is fully cancer-free. Then we get to see a family reunion of sort, as Norman makes a visit to see his son Harry at the Coffee Bean, which Harry owns and operates. Things between father and son do not go too well, unfortunately mirroring the movies too much in that sense. A bit later, Norman sends the Thunderbolts out to find Spider-Man, but Spider-Man is much closer to Norman that he thought. Spider-Man breaks into the new Osborn residence, which is also the command post for the Thunderbolts in New York City. He confronts Osborn, but not much of importance really takes place. Spider-Man decides to make a run for it, when he hears that Venom has just broken into the FEAST center where Aunt May volunteers. Venom thinks that he has found his old host, but which one? The issue ends with Venom busting into the FEAST center, thinking that he has found Spider-Man. Instead he finds something very different.

Art
Very Good.
Best Page: The last (full) spoiler-page.

Continuity Police
No tickets given.

Spoilers
Norman Osborn does not remember that Peter Parker and Spider-Man are one and the same.
Venom locates Eddie Brock at the FEAST center on the final few pages.
Eddie turns into a new character called Anti-Venom.

Story
Eddie Brock and Venom has recently returned to the Ultimate universe, only to be taken down by Silver Sable and her Wild Pack, and taken away to a destination formerly unknown. As the first page to this issue is opened, that destination becomes quickly known: Bolivar Trask's Laboratories in midtown Manhattan. It turns out that Trask owns the Venom symbiote suit, as it was sold to him by Brock's father just prior to him dying. Trask also warns Eddie that the parasite will eventually turn on it's host to in order to "feed", if there is no other beings for it to consume. Back at Peter Parker's basement, Peter and Mary Jane have discussion about how Peter's father's DNA was used as a "template" for creating the symbiote, and that it is "part of him". Now back at Trask Labs, everyone is rudely greeted by the Beetle (introduced last issue), who flies in and quickly suspends the stasis field protecting everyone from Venom. After the Beetle gets a sample of tissue from Venom, he attempts to flee, but Venom catches up quickly to him. The two battle it out for a couple of pages before Spider-Man shows up in the scene. The issue ends with a somewhat predictable spoiler.

Art
Very Good.
Best Page: The last (full) spoiler-page.

Continuity Police
No tickets given.

Spoilers
The symbiote is attracted to Peter and adheres itself to him on the last page.

August 20, 2008

Story
A "double-sized" issue kicks off the long-waited "New Ways To Die" storyline right here, and it begins with Spider-Man battling the new goblin in town: Menace. The battles rages on for several pages before Menace creates an explosion and brings down a building full of sweat-shop workers. Peter takes a pic of the workers as they rush out from under the falling debris. Peter who has recently been blacklisted by DB owner Dexter Bennett, now attempts to sell the photos. He is directed to the offices of the relatively new newspaper "Front Line", published by former Daily Bugle writer Ben Urich. Elsewhere Bennett gives Betty Brant a job to do that involves uncovering some dirt on billionaire Martin Li (better known as Mister Negative). Li is one of Bill Hollister's biggest campaign supporters, and Bennett makes no covering up of the fact that his paper is a "Crowne Paper". Betty arrives at the FEAST center with reports that terminally ill people in Li's shelters are miraculously being healed. In just a matter of moments she discovers that none other than Eddie Brock is a member of the center. Brock has been recently dying of cancer, but is still somehow alive. Are the rumors of these magical healings really true? Well, Martin Li comes over to Eddie and places his hand on his shoulder. What results is either some super-healing power taking effect, or Li has a real big icy-blue cold-pack concealed under his sleeve. The issue ends with Peter arriving back home to his apartment with some unexpected visitors. This issue also includes a confusing little backup feature on how Eddie Brock really became cancer-free.

Art
Gorgeous.
Best Page: The almost-double-page splash page of Spider-Man fighting Menace.

Continuity Police
No tickets given.

Spoilers
Norman Osborn and Mayoral hopeful Randall Crowne have some sort of connections.
Norman Osborn and his Thunderbolts are awaiting Peter at his apartment on the final two-page spread.

August 13, 2008

Spider-Man makes an appearance in Secret Invasion #5.
Spider-Man makes an out of continuity appearance in Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #42.

Story
Peter Parker, outfitted in one of Matt Murdock's Daredevil costumes, was ready to pass-out from his battle with Vermin at the end of last issue. At the same time, Peter's roommate Vin Gonzales was kidnapped by yet another Kraven, this time a female version of the great hunter. Vin was ordered to don the Spider-Man costume by Kravenette when she mistook him for the real Spider-Man, and then she took him to some underground tunnels to have some hunting "fun". This last of a three part story begins with Spider-Man coming to (did anyone really think he was gonna black-out from battling Vermin?). Spider-Man then webs up Vermin, and gets the whereabouts of Spider-Man from him. Moments later, Spider-Man (the real one) arrives just in time as Lady Kraven is just about to give Vin a killing blow. The ferocious new Kraven is very strong, agile, and knows how to fight. It takes the combined might of Spider-Man and Vin to eventually knock out her, after several pages of battling. Unfortunately, to their surprise, Kravenette comes to, but this time she has to face the newly arrived Vermin and his hordes of rats. Spider-Man and Vin leave the underground tunnels, and Vin is taken to a hospital for his injuries. Nice last couple pages showing just where this new Kraven came from. Next issue is the long-awaited "New Ways To Die" with the return of Venom!

Art
Gorgeous.
Best Page: The last spoiler-related page.

Continuity Police
No tickets given.

Spoilers
Lady Kraven turns out to be Ana Tatiana Kravinoff, the daughter of the original Kraven.
Lady Kraven's mother, Sasha Aleksandra Nikolaevich, appears with her on the final page.
Kraven has defeated and tied up Vermin.

Story
Hoo boy! A lot is going on in Mayday Parker's world these days. The biggest news is that in Amazing Spider-Girl #20, Peter Parker and Normie Osborn discovered a clone of Mayday in an Osborn Industries lab, apparently the work of the original Green Goblin, Norman Osborn. Well, in this issue, the clone (or is it a clone) breaks free!

Peter has been exposed to the Goblin formula and is becoming increasingly paranoid and hostile. In this issue, he confronts Kaine, trying to force him to tell the secret of the "Brand New May." Kaine, however, knows nothing and Spider-Girl and Darkdevil have to break up the fight. However, the Goblin Queen appears to know quite a bit about the situation.

Also, we get some follow-up to the ongoing mutant storyline involving Mayday's classmate, Sara Hinkle. Sara, a mutant, is involved in a tug-of-war between the X-People and Magneta, a militant, anti-human, mutant. And the strained relationship between Mayday and boyfriend takes another turn.

Reviewed by Bruce Buchanan.

Art
The normal good job from the Frenz/Buscema team.

Best page:  The final spoiler-related page. Talk about a cliffhanger!

Continuity Police
No tickets given.

Spoilers
Simone learns that Gene is responsible for sabotaging Mayday's campaign for Student Boy President. She plans to use this information against Mayday.
On the final page, Mayday comes face-to-face with the "Brand New May" -- an identical clone of herself.

August 6, 2008

Spider-Man appears in Amazing Spider-Man Family #1.
Spider-Man makes a guest appearance in Avengers/ Invaders #4.
Spider-Man appears in King-Size Spider-Man Summer Special #1.
Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson appear in Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane Season 2 #1.
Spider-Man makes a guest appearance in the re-telling of Venom's origin in Venom: Dark Origin #1.

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