Spider-Man: Chapter One #4

Background

Someone at Marvel came up with the idea of revamping the first eighteen issues of the Amazing Spider-Man and gave the project to "Retcon" John Byrne to play with. Don't ask me why.

Story 'Doubt'

Peter's suffering from a slight lack of confidence after his last defeat, which causes him to get into a scuffle with Spidey's number-one fan, Flash Thompson, in which he breaks his glasses. Flash is never one to take anything lying down, so he purchases a Spider-Man costume in an effort to scare him and manages to get Spidey-napped by Doctor Doom and his fancy airship. Peter, meanwhile, attends a lecture that the Human Torch is giving at Midtown High that gives him the confidence to attack Doc Ock again. He tackles him at the industrial complex and whips up a chemical that fuses two of his arms together. Then, with a small spurt of webbing to the face, Spidey levels him with a left hook. After thanking the Human Torch for giving him his confidence back, Peter returns home only to see Doctor Doom's televised custody of Flash Thompson, still in his Spider-Man garb. The real Spider-Man goes to look for him and finally tracks down Doctor Doom's airship. However, he swings inside only to land on an electrified section of flooring. Could this be the end of Spider-Man????

General Comments

What a mess. How can we be only four issues in to this disaster? Surely it can't continue?

Overall Rating

Walk, don't run, away from this train crash.