Sensational Spider-Man (Vol. 2) #32

Background

After unmasking, Chameleon, Molten Man, Will'o The Wisp and Scarecrow targeted Aunt May, while Swarm went after MJ. After the shock of that, Peter is beginning to think he's made the wrong decision about unmasking.

Story 'The Husband Or The Spider'

Mary-Jane has been having recurring nightmares about her husband's villains gallery catching up with her now his

secret identity isn't so secret any longer. She has a heart-to-heart with May before going out.

After a nonsensical altercation with someone who calls her 'Mrs Spider-Man', she phones Sue Richards and they arrange

to meet at Madame Tussauds. Sue tells her that she needs to be strong and stand by Peter. She compares it to

Jessica's marriage to Luke Cage, or Storm's to the Black Panther's. MJ says he doesn't have super powers.

She walks back home thinking about how she fell in love with Peter but, as she gets in the door, Peter is in his red

and blue Spider-Man get-up, beaten to pieces with May sobbing over him.

General Comments

This is Aguirre-Sacasa's weakest issue yet. If it weren't for the last page shock reveal, there really wouldn't be

anything worth writing about. So here are a few questions:

• Why is Madame Web French? She never used to be! Has the 'Madame' part of her name confused the writing team?
• Why is MJ's dream sequence allowed to be given a third of the book?
• Why does her remembering why she fell for Peter (basically just a recap of old issues) given another four or five pages?
• Why would Sue Storm agree to meet MJ, then show up invisible - especially when she is then fully see-able in the cafe anyway? Why not just meet there? If it was a worry over privacy, why meet in a big tourist atraction?
• Why is MJ so annoyed that a stranger thinks her public persona (a model/ actress fully made-up) is more attractive than her dressed down with no make-up? Isn't that obvious? Why be annoyed that someone says you're prettier than, well, you?
• Why isn't the editor, Warren Simons, asking these questions when the script drops on his desk?

There's so little in here, it really isn't funny - especially if you're lumped down $3 for the privilege of reading it. The only redeeming fetures are the lovely Clayton Crain cover and the final page reveal.

Overall Rating

All-in-all, a very poor effort.