Spectacular Spider-Man (1976)

[MikeandRaph87]

I recently picked up both Spectacular Spider-Man vol. 1 and 2 in Essential format and post my thoughts for discussion. I had not read anything outside of Amazing Spider-Man before. I wanted something to read alongside Superior Spider-Man with an old school flavor. Conway and Goodwin share duties for the first 8 issues. I liked their combo better than the single writer who took over after his title was cancelled, Bill Mantelo. Mantelo used the title to finish off other title's lose ends such as The Champions which had Iceman and Angel also of The X-Men featured again Ramage, a villain of the former title. Its good to see one or two of the group opposed to the whole team to better focus on characterization and interaction with Spider-Man. The other title loose ends wrapped up was Deadly Hands of Kung Fu. The replacement lead White Tiger felt forced into the title. The first story made sense but shoehorning the character into an additional three to four seemed a bit much in order to resolve his story.

The initial arc was pretty good, The Lightmaster(sounds like a corny nobody Bat-Rogue) attempted to undermine the leadership of ESU hiring Trantula and later Kraven for the dirty work. Both fights with Rodriguez and Kravenoff were well done! Lightmaster was surprisingly interesting as well. The corrupt business with the warped beleif he can do better than TPTB at ESU. I can relate to that to an extent with corrupt business in education. He later returned as a being of light afer being electrecuted. He used Thee Enforcers to lure Spider-Man out but only outed White Tiger instead.

The second story was also a good read. Vulture is asked to work with a mob boss only for the mob boss to be humilated by Vulutre instead. The mobster retaliates by sending a costumed assassin called The Hitman to kill Spider-Man before the power uped Vulture could. It culminates into The hitman getting away and Vulture apprehended but a great scene afterward where Spider-Man trashes the mobster's hideout warning him not to go after him again. I don't think he ever did. haha.

A symbiotic interdimensional being called The Empathoid latches onto Morbius upon being transported to aviod hurting others after hirs second battle with Spider-Man. Apparently this being likes others to fight it out as to how it gets its kicks. Latching onto Spider-Man and a clever resolution of luring it to an NFL preason match up to confuse it and then take it to the FF for study. Weird concept but interesting.

Great oneshot Scorpion and Beetle stories. It revealed how Gargan was able to get out of the Scorpion suit. He decided to keep up the identity despite being free. The Beetle story was also interwined with a human story about a cop who's wife hates his line of work. It seemed unresolved unless its touched upon in a later issue.

The first of the two big storylines was The Hate Monger using Achmed Kobra as his #2 but confining him which brings Sha-Shan, Flash's love interest into an arranged marriage. Its set up was like a flower child-like cult called The Light that seemed dated by late 1977. I was half expecting Lightmaster to be involved somewhow. The characters were not all that interesting that were involved either. Razorback, a man dressed up with a warthog suit is a Arkasas native looking to free his kid sister from the spell of The Hate Monger. The warthog head is what made him not seem formible. Flash Thompson also in the battlefield due to his lvoe interest being interwined into The Hate Monger's plot. A plainclothes veteran working alongside Spider-Man with Peter not worried his friend will get injured or worse, not a panel of it, made it strange. Mantelo could not have picked a couple of lamer allies IMHO. When its resolved both Kobra and The Hate Monger go up in an explosion after Spider-Man and Razorback are able to get the hyponized out of the way and Sha Shan free to attend ESU and date Flash.

The other big storyline came out of a pretty good Moong Knight two parter. I think this is their first eno****er. I read Aazing Spider-Man#222 sometime ago which he also guest starred. This time MK is after Maggia and that successfully get a majority of the organization but Big M/ currently Masked Maurder evades them.Maggia's hit on Spider-Man continues as the plot widen to include the original clone of Professor Warren. Masked Mauder blinds Spider-Man and Daredevil helps Spider-Man recover. That was an interesting tale. A bit better than one I had seen with Batman and Raphael before I guess its becasue of the enhaced blind leading the remporary blind.MM is taken down by Carrion with small pox? I was al ittle confused by that. Also, it does not say how Carrion knew Peter Parker was Spider-Man. I can't remember what Miles Warren knew. This whole Carrion plot should have ended here instead of two others being infected with its virus as well as clones in general. I like three way battles so it kept my interest and appreciated an elaborate plot. If a new reader wanted to pick it up it would be confusing.

Mostly entertaining but a couple of storylines were longwinded and not too interesting. Like the focus on lesser players and supporting cast. I wish The White Tiger storlyine could have been finished with The Lgihtmaster's follow up tale and that would have been it. Best story? The first five issues, both The Lightmaster's original plot and The Vulture/Hitman story. Gargan and Beetle's stories were great too. The Hate Monger storyline could have been cut in half and moved on. Readers atleast didn't have to wait for that and could get another tale in Amazing to remedy that. Thoughts on any of the issues, or even those I have not got to yet?