Amazing Spider-Girl #7

Background

When Hobgoblin first graced the pages of Spider-Girl, he got the young heroine's attention by attacking her allies. His beating of one of the Ladyhawks was severe, and probably irreversible. Now her sister is out for revenge, and only Spider-Girl can stop her.

Story 'Revenge!'

The remaining Ladyhawk opens the issue by crashing the party at a local tavern. Literally crashing, as in driving her motorcycle through the front window (at least it wasn't Josie's.) She is looking for a man who has recently signed on with the Hobgoblin, and makes no bones about tearing through the rest of the crowd until she finds him. "Where is he, Fingers? Where do I find [the Hobgoblin]?"

Back at Casa de Parker, things are more than a little tense. After May's confession last issue, Peter isn't saying much and MJ is telling her just how devastated she would be if anything happened to her daughter. But when May gets a page from one of the Ladyhawks, she stuffs her costume in her bag and heads out nonetheless.

Upon arriving at the warehouse they use to train, Spider-Girl stumbles upon the Ladyhawk who was paralyzed by the Hobgoblin, whose name is Regina. Regina tells Spider-Girl that her sister Rosetta is out for blood, but is no match for the Hobgoblin. "Spider-Girl, I need your help to stop her before she's crippled or worse!"

The aforementioned villain is moving on with his plans to replace the Kingpin, calling Detective Drasco to inform him that he is meeting with a man named Morgan who controls the "Harlem rackets." What Hobby doesn't know is that Drasco has the disc he so desperately craves, the DVD that contains all of the deceased Kingpin's most precious information.

Back at Midtown High, May speaks to Heather regarding last issue's ordeal and has some kind words for Wes before being interrupted by Gene Thompson, who asks her to meet him at the coffee shop. After school is out, Spider-Girl (still out of web fluid) heads over to Daniel Kingsley's apartment to see if she can get him to roll on his brother. Kingsley is absent, but Rosetta is not. Spider-Girl asks her to stop, she refuses, and the two tussle briefly before Spidey gets her in a headlock and says that she wants to help her. Spider-Girl calls Detective Drasco, who tips her off to the Hobgoblin's meeting with Morgan. When she asks Rosetta if she knows Morgan. "Yes. I do..."

At the meeting place in East Harlem, Morgan's thugs are ready for anything... except Ladyhawk crashing through the window and taking them out one by one. Spider-Girl bounds into the room a minute later, torqued off that Ladyhawk didn't signal her like they had planned. The two of them clean up the thugs in short order and confront Morgan, who blows them off until learning that Hobgoblin crippled Regina.

Later, Spider-Girl and Rosetta are waiting at the meeting site Morgan gave them. Ladyhawk is ready to take on the Hobgoblin until Spider-Girl asks her what would happen to her sister if she died fighting. It soon becomes apparent that Morgan lied to them, and Ladyhawk swings off into the night determined to find Hobby. Across town, Morgan has his meeting with Hobgoblin... but with a slight change in plans. An army of Morgan's thugs surrounds him and Hobby is fortunate to escape with his life. Back at Daniel's apartment, his brother asks why Morgan backed out. "I can't imagine what changed his mind," Hobgoblin replies. Morgan, meanwhile, is sitting in his office staring at a family picture of himself, his wife, and his children. Twin girls.

Back home, May gives her mother the costume and promises to stop being Spider-Girl until MJ says otherwise.

General Comments

Pretty good issue, and it's nice to have a one-shot after a six issue story arc. The Ladyhawks have never really been fleshed out before now--and, to be honest, weren't exactly the strongest supporting characters in the book--but there is now a more interesting dynamic at play with one sister injured and the other out for revenge. Morgan's true identity was perhaps a tad contrived, but overall it works. What doesn't quite work is Regina wearing the Ladyhawk costume while sitting in a wheelchair; the thing can't be that comfortable. That wasn't the only artistic oddity, as Spider-Girl's head was drawn funny in several panels, particularly when she is speaking to Detective Drasco. Frenz and Buscema seem to have made a conscious choice to draw her with the smaller eyelets, but there are times in this issue where they look a little TOO small.

The obligatory Gene-Thompson-waiting-for-his-date scene was absent, and the book is better for it. Let's face it, we knew May would end up blowing him off as soon as the date was made, we don't need to see it happening. Besides, it looks as if Tom DeFalco is playing up the May-Wes angle anyway. Ah, what would high school be without a romantic triangle or two?

Solid issue that gives some depth to a couple of characters that really needed it.

Overall Rating

A couple of strange-looking panels knock the rating down a half point. Three-and-one-half webs.