Spider-Man Marvel Adventures #10

Background

This Spider-Man is a tad different than you might remember, this one is targeted towards kids, and has, a slightly different continuity and background to the hero we all remember. However, and the important thing here is that Spidey’s name tops the book’s header, so, in this fashion we know it’s still all about him — as a teen in the modern-day world.

Story Details

Spidey is tapped by the Blonde Phantom to mentor her former receptionist (Chili Storm) into the world of Superheroing, only problem is that Chili (AKA the Lynx), has no superpowers, nor any device to power her up. She is a normal person who wants to be a “superhero” for the associated publicity and to score a reality series. This is something that Spidey doesn’t realize at first, but comes to understand as he takes her out on his rounds. Lynx informs him that she isn’t interested in leaping from building to building, but wants to get to crime scenes in taxicabs. As they cruise around in a cap they learn of a fire so Spidey decides to go the rest of the way by web, and carries Lynx with him. Arriving on the scene, he heads to the top floor, leaving her at ground level. As he scales the outside of the building, He spots a man on an upper level floor, but cant reach him due to the flames, so he gets the Firemen to hose down the area and he rides in on the water spray.

As Spidey and the man attempt to exit through a lower floor they discover Lynx attempting to assist a very large woman, but unable to quite do so. Spidey lifts the woman the man, and Lynx and sings them all to safety, but not until he notices a stash of gas cans off to one side causing him to realize that the fire was started on purpose.

Two weeks later Peter and Chat are talking and Peter reveals that it had been the Scorpion starting the fires to distract police, fire, and rescue from the fact that he was committing crimes nearby. He also has learned that Lynx has sold a comic-book version of the event to Poser magazine. In her version she is the one who did all of the rescuing (including of Spidey) as Spidey was overcome by the flames. The next day Spidey scolds Lynx for not just her revisionist account but for wanting to be a hero solely for the glory of it all.

Across town Captain Stacy is lecturing Gwen about dating the Torino boy, because his grandfather is a heinous criminal. Meanwhile Spidey is in a brawl with Scorpion, only he is on the receiving end of a merciless beatdown, when Lynx shows up and distracts Scorpion long enough for Spidey to recover and knock Scorpion out. All of which is more accurately reflected in Puma’s new comic, giving Spidey the proper credit. Which Spidey reads back at home with Chat.

General Comments

At first it was odd reading the story when it was clear that Lynx had no powers, but as we got into the story, we realized what was going on which changed the tone of the story, turning it into more an After School Special, with an actual moral. Plus it was fun reading the cartoony segments that were rendered in a very different style, demonstrating that were from Lynx’s POV.

Overall Rating

While I’m still not so much in love of this series as I once was, it is still very entertaining, and it is growing on me. Paul Tobin’s style is infectious, and it is clear that he has a direction in which he is determinedly going.

Footnote

This issue includes a one-page promo for the Amazing Spider-Man You’re Hired Giveaway, as well as a 7-page preview of Iron Man 2.0 #1 staring War Machine.