Spider-Man Marvel Adventures #3

Background

This is not the Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man you remember, it is different, and probably will never go back to being that (which may or may not be a good thing). However, in either way, it’s the Marvel (Adventure) Universe with which you are currently stuck. It is (if you can pardon the expression), a Brand New Adventure.

And, as we’ve been saying, for reasons that (mostly) pass our understanding, Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man has been canceled and re-launched under this new title, Spider-Man Marvel Adventures. Yeah, yeah Spidey’s name does top off the header of the book, so we know that it is still contains stories about him as a teen that are set in the modern-day world, only (as stated) things are not quite as we remember them.

Story Details

The Blonde Phantom and contracted Spidey and Chat to spy on Wolverine for her client, Rebellious before they sign the harry mutant to a long-term contract supporting their brand of hair gel. For his part, Spidey will receive $5K to learn if Wolverine is too far outside the law to make for a proper spokesperson. The next morning at school, Peter and Sophia run into Carter and Gwen who want to start a Spidey appreciation club, and ask Pete and Sophia for their help.

Carter asks Sophia to run the web site as he can’t because of his family’s criminal connections. Sophia takes a pass as she already has a job with the Blonde Phantom. Gwen doesn’t believer her about the job and thinks Sophia is just blowing them off. Angry, Sophia tells them that she is a superhero and that Pete is Spidey. Of course they other kids don’t believe them and walk away, as Pete begins to scold Sophia. After school Spidey, Chat, and The Blonde Phantom are on a rooftop preparing to look for Wolverine. Rather than get caught up in a “who’s prettier” conversation with the girls, Spidey takes the better part of valor and heads off with Flapper, the Owl to search for Wolverine.

Spidey catches up with the mutant by the park and sees him talking to Storm and Kitty Pride (all three are in plain clothes), as they split up and each go their own way. Twenty minutes later, Wolverine faces off against some of Torino’s thugs, slashing up one of their cars in the process. Shortly afterwards, Wolverine meets up with Jean Grey before taking off once again and nearly ditching Spidey. Flapper and Spidey give chase only to have Wolverine get the jump on Spidey, and telling him that he knew he was being tailed.

Sometime later, Torino’s thugs meet up with Wolverine again, and want to get even with him for slicing up the car, so they attack, only Spidey shows up and sides with his mutant buddy against the gangsters. The two heroes make short work of them when Wolverine leaves. Just as he disappears, even more of Torino’s goons show up and manage to bean Spidey with a bat, knocking him out. At this point Bullseye shows up telling Spidey that he’s having too much fun to kill him now, but that he is going to go over Chat’s house to hurt her next.

As Bullsye leaves, Wolverine returns with Blonde Phantom. The pair decide to discuss the hair gel spot over dinner leaving Spidey Chat behind with a street full of unconscious Torino thugs.

General Comments

Once again, any continuity with MA Spidey’s past is totally gone (While it is clear that Spidey and Wolvie know each other, it is also fairly obvious that they never served together in the Avengers or (probably) ever had any of the previously-recorded MA adventures together.

This is bothersome from a company that (on the one hand) seems so intent on preserving its legacy and character continuity, as it is as caviler about tossing it out the window whenever it suits them. Still, since this isn’t “real” Spidey (and is so clearly being treated that way), it doesn’t seem to matter.

Overall Rating

While the story seems to work, I still can’t quite get past that so much of it is very different than I feel that it should be, and yeah, I realize that I’m just a grouchy old fan and this book is so obviously not for me, I’m just afraid that it isn’t for the audience that it is apparently targeting either.

Footnote

This book takes the place of Marvel Adventures Spider-Man, picking up with the same continuity as that series had at the end of its run.