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by Dave Scrimgeour & Kevin McCluskey   Cover Date- May 1988 Price- 50p Script- Gerry Conway Art- Sal Buscema Lettering- Rick Parker Colour- Bob Sharen Editor- Jim Salicrup Editor-In-Chief- Tom DeFalco Publisher- Marvel Comics synopsisNow back in the good ol' red 'n' blues, Peter gets drawn further into an immigration quagmire which puts him on a collision course with not only La Tarantula, but the Sentinel Of Liberty himself, Captain America. Meanwhile, Robbie Robertson's old high school nemesis, Tombstone, continues to make his presence felt as The Arranger's muscle. (K) Dave First and foremost, what’s your opinion of the cover? Kev It's alright. It sells you on what's going on inside, but I think it's more functional than inspired. You? Dave Yeah, I agree. It's about getting the reader to want to pick up this issue, but it is also a straight forward image that shows that Spidey has to face off against Tarantula and Captain America. Kev It was obviously enough to justify a 25c or 10p price hike, from last issue, depending on where you were living. Although, maybe it was the fact that Spidey was back in the ol' red 'n' blues that necessitated the increase in tariff. Dave I thought the first few pages were a nightmare Spidey was having, but it's actually an insight into the mind of the Tarantula. Kev It really is, isn't it? La Tarantula is losing focus here, developing an obsession with Spidey and therefore, becoming distracted. I like the splash page and I love how the first page of this issue follows directly on from the last page of the previous one. It’s like ‘The Karate Kid pt.2’ running straight on after ‘The Karate Kid pt.1.’ Dave Yeah. Plus, Tarantula has a mega sweat on, in the last panel of his fantasy sequence.  La Tarantula sweating THROUGH the do-rag. Kev Totally. His obsession with Spidey is driving him to become absolutely manic. Dave It is too. Kev I also like La Tarantula’s version of events from last issue. I’m a sucker for an unreliable narrator. Or a complete liar, depending on your point of view. Dave This is a different Cap as well, which is later revealed in one of his thought bubbles. Kev Yep. This is John Walker in the role of Captain America here. The man who would go on to become the US Agent. I really like that he disrespects South by not addressing him by his proper title & rank, as well as giving him the old vice-like grip handshake treatment. Dave Yeah, I do like that panel where Colonel South says, "Quite a grip you've got there," and Cap’s answer is just, "I know."  The Sentinel Of Liberty. Mexican border wall. Corrupt government officials. Kev Ha, ha! Yeh, it's great. That's Cap letting him know that he thinks South is a complete and utter tool, right there. Dave This Cap is very distrusting and also shows a hint of self doubt too. Kev Definitely. He knows he's being played by La Tarantula, as well as The Commission here and as far as the self doubt is concerned, Steve Rogers's are some big boots to fill though, I suppose. Dave That's true. Peter’s well into the 80’s fashion with that bright red coat and jumper in the Amnistia Office. Kev Right enough. Maybe he's just hammering home the point that he's back in his traditional costume, even in his civvies. Despite his doubts over La Tarantula’s reliability and the trustworthiness of 'The Commission,' Cap is just like Dunphy from last issue. “But like it or not, I’ve got my orders.” Also, Gerry Conway certainly isn’t hiding his true feelings about the US government's treatment of immigrants here. It’s far from subtle. Then again, we often do not live in subtle times. Dave Yeah. Again, this issue is still dealing with the red tape involved in illegal immigration and the ongoing problems that lie therein, as we previously discussed in our review of last issue, and how it still doesn't seem to have moved any further forward. Even in this present day. Kev Nope. Not one bit. Not with everything that's going on with ICE in America at the moment and things like the "Windrush crisis" over here too. I like how Robbie puts an end to Kate Cushing’s attempts at drawing his story out of him. “Private and personal.” I'm also digging Robbie’s style, with the pipe. It’s a good look on him. Dave That’s a good line by Peter when he and MJ are walking along the road, looking at a young couple hugging, "But all my power couldn't rescue her from the wheels of justice." It's a great reminder of just how human Spidey stories can be. Kev Indeed. Even with his powers, Peter is still powerless to cut through the judicial red tape. Which is something that everyone can relate to. Dave And he also quoted part of the inscription on the statue of liberty, which is supposed to represent freedom for all. I also like the follow-up line to it, "but only if they've been here since 1981."  GI Joe, sorry, Captain America with the kung-fu grip. Kev Yeh. That really conveys a sense of bitterness within Peter, as well as his frustration with the system. I love how Cap’s grip is so strong it's like he's killing La Tarantula just by putting his hand on his shoulder to stop him potentially murdering the guard. He’s like Harley Race. Cap finds himself in a moral quandry at the prison, not only with La Tarantua’s methods, but with how America itself, and him as the ultimate representation of it, are both perceived by those immigrants who have been detained. “The way these illegals stare at me--at the flag I wear--with such fear and hatred... it makes my skin crawl.” Plus, La Tarantula is working an angle on Cap, which Cap seems completely oblivious to, due to him not speaking Spanish. Should’ve paid attention in Spanish class, Cap. Dave Yeah. Cap is so reluctant to be in this situation, his instincts are telling him something is way off. Kev Yeh. Walker may not be any Steve Rogers, but he's no moron either. He can smell the rat alright.  "Jailbirds. Feels like a prison cell. Yikes! We're wearing stripes! Dave Those last two panels on page 14 are a great example of Sal Buscema visual storytelling. Like you pointed-out with a similar example last issue, there’s no dialogue required here, it’s all in the art. We also have another brief appearance by the man himself, Tombstone, and yet it again it shows how much of an imposing physical force he is. Kev Yeh, man. That scene with Tombstone shaking down Roland is really well done. It's so well written. It’s simple, yet effective and it succeeds in quickly making Tombstone feel like a genuine threat and a worthy adversary to Spidey. Plus, his coercion of Rayburn and his intimidation of Robbie ties into the bullying of the immigrants by the state. It's all just abuse of power. All power, with none of the responsibility. And we don't really need to go into the relationship between power and responsibility in a Spidey context, it's been done to death. Dave Yeah. I like that panel where Tombstone just drops Rayburn and then two panels later you see him towering over him.
Kev Yep. Tomestone loves using his height advantage over people to lift them up, then just drop them like a bad habit. Dave The next panel, where Pete awakes from his nightmare, he is slightly freaky looking.  Perhaps the cheese board wasn't the best choice for desert, Pete.  "Ah, ha, ha, ha,….." Kev Those pupils are tiny, alright. Buscema really nails how vivid Peter's nightmare must have been and MJ looks terrified by his reaction to it as well. Peter waxing lyrical about how he relates to the immigrants in this scene feels like a bit of a stretch to me though. I get what Conway is going for, he wants the immigrants to get the sympathy rub from the readers relating to Peter, but I’m not sure it’s as easily earned as that. In saying that, I do like that Conway has Peter use his position as Spider-Man to make even the smallest of differences, to take as much control of the situation, as little as it may be, so as to not feel completely overwhelmed or completely powerless in the face of bureaucracy. There's perhaps a lesson in there for us all. Dave Yeah. It certainly is making the point about how strong an issue immigration is, that's true. Changing the subject completely, when Peter is putting on his costume with his right arm sticking up, I’m thinking he's dancing to ‘Staying Alive.’ Kev Ha, ha! Now I can't look at that panel without hearing the Bee Gees in my head. I do like seeing the web-pits on the costume when he's taking it out of the box. That's a nice, old school touch. Dave That’s a good panel where he swings in to the rail yard. It’s really well drawn. Another sterling piece of artwork by Buscema.  "…..and all the lost souls congregate by the train tracks." Kev Yeh. Sal's work is superb here. It's a pity that he got so overshadowed by McFarlane-mania at this point. Dave Yeah, Todd McFarlane quickly rocketed to prominence with his interpretation of Spider-Man, which was a more offbeat look when compared to Buscema’s more traditional approach. Kev Yeh. We'll see McFarlane's influence crossover into Spec shortly, as Sal has to change his Spidey and move away somewhat from his own interpretation, as McFarlane's take becomes the new "model" for how the character should look. Dave That panel where his spider sense is going off very much puts me in mind of the cartoons from the 80's, and even the 60's one as well.  Exactly how does this "Spider-Sense" of mine work again? Kev It certainly does. Although, I have to admit that I re-watched 'Amazing Friends' again quite recently and it did not stand-up for me at all. My childhood recollections of it made it seem much better than I actually found it to be when viewed through middle-aged eyes. Dave I know, yet it lasted longer than the 80's solo cartoon, which I preferred as a kid. Kev I've not seen that one in years. I preferred 'Amazing Friends' at the time, shows you what I knew back then, so I'll need to go back and watch the solo one as well. Peter is far from dumb. He knows he’s being set up and that this is a trap, but he also doesn’t want to worry MJ by revealing this to her. I like that Conway writes Peter as someone who is intelligent and capable, and not someone who is completely stupid. Dave Yeah, but he's certainly outnumbered by Cap and Tarantula and he takes a good beating those lasts six pages. Kev I like that panel of Spidey being knocked off the train carriage by Cap catching him with that left cross. You can totally feel the impact of the shield in that one.  Hud that! Dave Yeah, that’s a great panel, that one. Kev Panels 4 & 5 on page 20 are a bit Basil Expositiony. Telling us what’s happening, rather than showing us. We are getting a bit pushed for time to wrap things up in this issue though, to be fair. Dave Yeah, but that’s often the case in issues with multiple storylines going on. Kev True. Dave Tarantula is, again, using his own initiative and keeping Cap out of the loop as to what his real agenda is. Kev Yeh. He's using Cap to have immunity on US soil, so that he can do whatever he pleases, and that would seem to include killing innocent people. Dave That’s another striking panel with Spidey and Tarantula clashing in mid-air with a bright yellow background.
Kev Sal loves those kinetic lines, alright. He maybe goes to that well too often actually. I love the boomerang nature of Cap’s shield and how he just stands with his arm outstretched, waiting for it to return to his hand. Cap’s crisis of conscience is well written here, particularly in that last panel on page 22. “Captain America...America itself...the enemy. I don’t like the way that feels. Not one bit. What am I doing here? Who am I trying to help.” This would be superb as a voice-over on a piece of music, similar to how Explosions In The Sky used dialogue from ‘Thin Red Line’ on their track ‘Have You Passed Through This Night?’ Dave I do like how resourceful Spidey can be in combat, even when he's in a weakened state and outnumbered, he can still find a way to come out on top. Or at least even. Kev Me too. That's one of the things I liked most about reading Spidey as a youngster. He was always the underdog. Not just in his everyday life as Peter Parker, but in the costume as Spidey as well, and yet he always found a way to survive and even win through his resourcefulness, his courage and his refusal to give up in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Both Conway & Buscema are knocking Cap’s crisis of conscience out of the park here with the close-ups on his face and the hazy purple sky in the background. I love how Cap, literally, just turns his back on La Tarantula and his mission and walks away from them. Cracking stuff.
Dave Yeah, Cap has finally clicked and knows this was just a ploy to kill Spidey. He turns away as if to say, “You are on your own. He's all yours Spidey.” Kev Yep. Cap leaves La Tarantula to Spidey and he's off to fry bigger fish, so to speak. I like Spidey's quip about La Tarantula's knee here. "Considering what you had planned for me, pal, that makes me feel just awful." Dave Plus, Colonel South gets what’s coming to him by Cap. Kev Yeh, man. This is a great scene. It’s immensely satisfying. Plus, it shows that whilst he's no Steve Rogers, John Walker might just make a decent enough Captain America afterall. Well, at this point anyway. Dave He's certainly a less experienced Captain America, but he's showing the potential to get better through time. Kev Definitely. Although, if my memory serves me correct, it all goes a bit pear-shaped with him, as he goes on to become the US Agent. Dave Yeah, your memory of this is much better than mine. Kev This is part of the reason I wanted Mike to be involved in these retrospectives, for stuff like this. He's like an encyclopedia for this sort of continuity stuff. It’s nicely tied-up when Spidey turns La Tarantula over to the immigration service as an illegal alien, although, La Tarantula’s knee looks okay. He’s recovered from that break pretty quickly, he has.  La Tarantula forgetting to sell the knee injury. Dave This issue ends, again, on a grey note. While some good came out of it, there is still so much uncertainty surrounding the outcomes for so many of the people involved here. Kev Definitely. It’s a much more even keeled ending than last issue though. There’s a glimmer of hope here as opposed to the sheer bleakness that was prevalent at the end of #137. “It’s not much, but sometimes you have to settle for small victories.” “I know. But it’s the small defeats that break my heart...” And ultimately this issue ends with the inscription on the Statue Of Liberty. Which seems to ring hollow when put into a present day context. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” Dave It does indeed. My god, that plane flying off causes some pollution. Kev Chemtrails, man. They're a killer.  A re-imagining of the airport scene from 'Captain America: Civil War,' but with Spidey doing the giant Ant-Man bit. Dave Do you get the impression that this issue was a bit disjointed and that it didn't really all gel together as well as the previous issue? Kev Yeh, I think it all knits together pretty well by the end, but, yes, overall it certainly feels more disjointed. Perhaps, as you alluded to earlier, there were too many plot threads running concurrently, hence all the interludes and epilogues. Dave Well, this particular storyline is finished off now, allowing the real beginning of the Tombstone saga to commence from the next issue. Kev Yes, these two issues have, more or less, been a prologue to the Tombstone arc, certainly for us anyway, because that's the reason we're writing these reviews. Although, to be fair, because of the way Conway has woven these plot threads into each other, it would have been remiss of us to exclude these two issues. Not that I would have wanted to anyhow, and I’m glad we didn’t, because I’ve really enjoyed them. This has felt like revisiting something old and experiencing something new all at once, as I hadn’t read these particular issues the first time round back in ’88. Dave Yeah, with the build-up out of the way, it can now get into the main story and not cram too much into the one issue. This is good writing. By slowly introducing the reader to this story in snippets, it draws us in and creates a greater sense of investment in each of the plot threads as they unfold. Kev Definitely. Conway is a total pro, man. He always has one at least one storyline crossing over into the next in order to keep the arcs progressing, like a DJ mixing records in a club, always keeping that dancefloor moving. Dave This two part story feels like it was written to purposely give the Tombstone story a bit of breathing room to unfold before we get into the thick of it. Kev It was definitely threaded into this one as a subplot, before taking centre stage in forthcoming issues as the main plot, yeh. Dave Well, onto the next issue! Tombstone is a great Spidey villain, which is why we chose this set of issues to review. Kev He sure is. Onto the next issue indeed. (D) & (K) Next: "Grave Memory." 
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