The Spectacular Spider-Man #144 Retrospective- 'An Ill Wind.'

by Dave Scrimgeour & Kevin McCluskey

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​Cover Date- November 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

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synopsis

As part of the promotional tour for his newly published book of Spider-Man photographs, 'Webs,' Peter travels west to San Diego, where (against his better judgement) he finds himself at odds with Antipodean mercenary, Boomerang and caught in the middle of a conspiracy to fix a boat race.  Meanwhile, Robbie Robertson makes a welcome return to the offices of the Daily Bugle, but the spectre of Tombstone still looms large, as he is immediately taken into custody by federal marshals on charges of "obstruction of justice and accessory to murder after the fact."  (K)

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Kev
The Spectacular Spider-Man #144- "An Ill Wind."  What's your opinion of the cover?


Dave
It's an okay cover.  I like the background scenery more than the fight between Spidey and Boomerang.


Kev
Yeh.  It's okay.  It's more of a functional, rather than an inspired, Buscema effort.


Dave  
I found this issue to be a refreshing and really enjoyable read for me.  It’s just a straight forward Spidey story, with none of this other worldly cosmic stuff.


Kev
Me too.  I was actually really surprised by how much I enjoyed this.  It’s almost like a palate cleanser between the first arc of the Tombstone story and the 'Inferno' crossover.  Like a perfectly self-contained episode of a good procedural TV programme.


Dave
Yeah, it’s quite an interesting story and it’s very well written.


Kev
Definitely.  It's very skilfully written by Mr. Conway.  I've always had a bit of a soft spot for Boomerang.  He was part of a run I loved by DeFalco and Frenz that I read in 'Spider-Man & Zoids' which Mike loaned to me back in the day.


Dave
Plus, this is going back to more of a solo Spidey story instead of various guest-stars, which is always good, but it’s nice to get a story back on his own again.


Kev
It's certainly nice to see Spidey back to being the star of his own story in his own book again, yeh.  Boomerang's kind-of a B-list Spidey villain who's very much of his time, right down to the costume design.  Through sophisticated 2018 eyes he appears hokey and a bit comical.  He's also perhaps in major need of a redesign, but his gimmick is exactly what makes this tricky to pull off.  He's not blessed with an iconic costume and the main element of it is what makes it hokey in the first place.  Plus, his colour scheme isn't great either.  This is something he shares with many of his contemporaries, such as the Scorpion.  Although I'm sure they all went through major, tech and mech redesigns during the '90s.


Dave
Yep it is very 80's, almost like a warm-up wrestler fighting a big name at a major wrestling event, like a SummerSlam, if you catch my drift.  I think that's what made me a bit unsure about this issue,  I almost had a preconception that it wasn't going to be a good issue.  I’m glad I was wrong.  However, Boomerang does not really take prominence in this story, it’s Louis Baxter the 3rd who does.  He makes for a good, scheming villain.  Boomerang is merely the tool he uses.


Kev
Ha, ha!  That's a great wrestling analogy, man.  And you know I’m a sucker for a wrestling analogy.  There’s nothing that can’t be related back to professional wrestling, in my book.  Spidey Vs Boomerang as a squash match and Boomerang as a glorified "jobber."  Very good.  Like I said, I wasn't looking forward to it much either, but ended-up being pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed it.  Louis Baxter III is definitely the brains here and Boomerang is the brawn, yeh.  The opening scene on the chat show is very amusing.  Notice how McFarlane's style is creeping ever further into this title?  Spidey's pose on the cover of 'Webs' is very McFarlane-esque.  Not to mention, even the webbing itself on the book has that distinctive McFarlane webbing look.  To be honest though, I'm not entirely sure this is a good thing.  Nothing against McFarlane, I loved his work on 'Amazing' back in the day and still do to this day, but Sal's style is so good in its own right.  It's a shame to see it being somewhat compromised here as Todd's style becomes the new model for the character.  McFarlane was the superstar at this point though, I suppose.  He was the one with all the buzz and he was the one shifting the units.

"It was a good bit in the 80s, and it's still relevant today."

Also available for Amazon Kindle.

​Dave
Right enough.  The contortionist Spidey on the cover, is a good spot.  I never noticed that.  The panel where Pete bursts into a laugh on live TV is a cracker.  I didn't realise a hearty laugh can make your face grow big.


Kev
Ha, ha!  Yeh.  He must be completely doubled over and leaning forward.  Todd's contortionist Spidey, I like that as a description.


Dave
Yeah, I always thought Todd Macfarlane had this way of making Spidey look a bit like that.


Kev
Oh, definitely, yeh.


Dave
I do like the locations and scenery in this issue.  It’s a great change of scene from New York, being in San Diego here.

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When mum & dad tell you you're not getting ice-cream.

​Kev
Me too, man.  It gives the issue a bit of a different flavour.  A change is as good as a rest, as they say.  I actually quite like the idea of Pete going out on a book tour.  The book in itself makes logical sense for a publisher to ask him to do and it opens up a wealth of storytelling possibilities.  It also makes it extra special when he returns home to New York.


Dave
Also, when Pete, Tama and Baxter are leaving KBOP studios, the speech by Baxter about total self-absorption being the key to self-promotion is quite insightful writing by Conway.  I wonder who he was really referencing when he wrote that.


Kev
Yeh.  I wonder if anyone had actually said that to Conway.  Peter's face in that middle panel on page 6 is priceless, he looks like a huffy toddler.  He just doesn't have any time whatsoever for Louis Baxter III.  Plus, the "self-absorption" advice is the polar opposite of how Peter lives his life.  It's the absolute antithesis of his Uncle Ben’s, "With great power comes great responsibility."  Nice villain smashing the TV trope here by Boomerang as well.


Dave
That's true.  It’s probably why Peter doesn't like the guy.  MJ is given a very brief appearance in this issue.  She just lets Peter rant on, then manages to stop him in his tracks suddenly by changing his mood.  Then the next, full page panel is another Sal Buscema classic of Spidey.

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"Up, up and aw....." Sorry. Wrong guy.

​Kev
That full page is gorgeous, isn't it?  MJ’s just hanging around the apartment in her underwear, as per usual.  Then again, Peter's just in his boxers in his hotel room as well.  Equal opportunity voyeurism.  It's a good little back-and-forth between the two of them and it illustrates how their relationship works.  The give and take of their marriage.  Mr. Lily reminds me of Mr. White from 'Spider-Man Strikes Back.'  


Dave
Yeah, he does look a bit like Mr White.  He also looks like the actor, L. Q. Jones.


Kev
Jeez.  You're not wrong there, Sir.  He really does look like him.  "Your book, "Slaves Of New York," is the best post-post modern fiction I've ever read--"  Oh, so Peter's a literary critic as well now?!?!  And when exactly does he have time to devour all these great works of "post-post modern fiction?"


Dave
Haha.  What are you on about, Parker?  You can't even make it on time to meet your wife for lunch.


Kev
Ha, ha!  Yeh, I reckon that's Conway speaking rather than Peter there.  Although, Peter has always been written as a smart cookie.  I do like Tama Janowitz though.  I like her interactions with Peter here.  They're friendly, possibly even flirtatious, but without being sleazy or inappropriate for a married man to be having with a woman who is not his wife.


Dave
Peter has certainly changed over the years and is more comfortable in the company of women.  He’s much more relaxed.


Kev
For sure.  He's certainly not that shy, retiring, wallflower he was back in high school anymore.  I love those three widescreen panels on page 13 with the red and blues popping off that jet black sky.  Excellent stuff by Buscema and Sharen once more.

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What's your beef with The Kinks, Pete?

No seriously, what's your beef with The Kinks?

"I'm 5,000 (3,000) miles west of my future. Where's my floating car, my utopia?"

​Dave
He is relishing getting involved in the situation with the explosion as Spidey, yet he’s trying to tell himself he will leave it to the cops.  He knows he can't resist it though.


Kev
Oh, definitely.  Peter's talking himself INTO a situation here.  Although, maybe he should reign it in.  Peter Parker is in San Diego to promote his Spider-Man book and then, all of a sudden, Spidey shows-up in the city too.  It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to piece it together.  Batman, maybe, but not Sherlock.


Dave
Yep, not a good cover story at all.


Kev
Ha, ha!  Nope.


Dave
There are a lot of good aerial shots used in this first battle with Boomerang.


Kev
Yeh man, there's some really good panels in that first skirmish.   That last panel on page 15 of Spidey leaping towards Boomerang as he prepares to throw one of his weapons is really dynamic.  Spidey's pose is very 'Web Of Spider-Man,' era Alex Saviuk actually.  I love the blood-orange moon too.  Bob Sharen's work is outstanding here.  Cracking stuff by everyone involved.

Ah, Captain Boomera...... Sorry. Wrong guy. Again.

​Dave
Yep.  Once again the colours are terrific.  It’s a great mixture of them.  Spidey seems to have developed this blue aura around him during this scene.


Kev
So he has.  It's like the outline on a graffiti piece.  Spidey web-swinging through the palm trees of San Diego instead of the concrete jungle of New York amuses me.

Excellent outline and can-control from Buscema. No drips.

Dave
Haha!  Yeah, that's good.  It’s not what you would normally see him doing in a New York set issue.  There’s plenty of action in these five pages.


Kev
It's a nice little burst of action, yeh.


Dave
Ticks all the boxes for me so far, this issue.  


Kev
Definitely.  Me too.


Dave
The 2nd panel when Robbie arrives back in the Bugle amuses me.  It’s the woman’s face on the right.  She reminds me of the actress who plays the mum in ‘Home Alone,’ Catherine O'Hara.

Slow. Hand. Clap. Clap.

​Kev
She does a bit, actually yeh.  I love Catherine O'Hara, she's great.  I hadn't noticed her cheesy grin before.


Dave
Come to think of it, L. Q. Jones has made a brief cameo on the left side of that panel as well.


Kev
Ha, ha!  He's all over this issue, he is.  I like Jonah's comment as Robbie returns to work, "Time is money Robertson.  We've wasted enough of it on sentiment."  Even if he's only joking.  In another wrestling comparison; Vince McMahon reminds me a lot of Jonah Jameson.


Dave
Vince McMahon with a Hitler moustache.


Kev
Don't give Vince any ideas, Dave.  I'm also really starting to warm to this Louis Baxter III character.  He's absurdly hilarious.


Dave
He does make for a good villain, and a very manipulative one as well.  I see the New York set pieces are kept to a bare minimum, with Robbie’s troubles, which are about to restart, being kept to just a few pages.  These are developed further in future issues of course.


Kev
Yeh.  We're essentially just checking-in with the New York crowd here to keep the sub-plots moving along in the background.  I love that panel of Peter lunging across the table to save Louis Baxter III from the boomerang.  There's lots of energy and motion in that panel.

Spear!!!!!

​Dave
That’s also a great panel of the marina where Pete and Baxter are having lunch.  Baxter is a genuinely clever villain, putting on that great display of fake emotion.  It’s enough to fool Peter.

'Champion' the wonder..... sailboat!?!? This is getting ridiculous.

​Kev
Louis Baxter III is nothing if not a good actor, alright.  The first panel on page 25 is great too.  The depth of field in it is amazing.  And Peter changing into Spidey in the restaurant's kitchen is something you just couldn't get away with these days, as there are camera's everywhere.

And the Oscar goes to..... Louis Baxter III for his performance in, 'I Didn't Have This Guy Killed, Honest.'

​Dave
That’s true.  Plus, he would be straight onto somebody’s Facebook page.


Kev
Ha, ha!  He'd be an exposed, viral meme within seconds.  #nosecretindentity


Dave
Yeah, he would end up on a TV show, 'Superheroes Caught on Camera.'


Kev
Ha, ha!  Man, that's brilliant.  That's exactly the sort of show that would be on TV every night if superheroes actually existed.


Dave
Boomerang, to be fair, can make quite a dangerous opponent, killing Artie with a crushing hit to the throat with his chosen weapon.  Plus, he has some nifty gadgets built into his outfit.


Kev
Yeh.  He's B-list at best, but he's still pretty dangerous.  I'd like to know why Spidey is hiding under the water waiting to pounce on Boomerang though and how long he had been holding his breath under there, just waiting for Boomerang to fly over him.
​

'What Lies Beneath?'

​Dave
Well, two minutes according to the caption box.  Good point actually.  It doesn't really make much sense how he knew he would be flying over that exact bit of water in a large ocean or river.


Kev
Oh, yeh.  Right enough.  Two minutes.  I honestly thought I'd skipped a page or something.  I mean, it's a nice little set-piece, it just doesn't really make sense within the rest of the story.  Quality observation by Boomerang about the skyline at the San Diego marina not being conducive to web-swinging though.  I was thinking that myself actually.


Dave
That's a good foil by Boomerang.  Or "Boomie" as Spidey is calling him.


Kev
Ha, ha!  "Boomie."


Dave
Still keeping the humour in this issue.


Kev
Conway has been excellent at maintaining a certain lighthearted tone throughout these issues, in much the same way that the MCU has done over the years, and that's a huge part of what has made those movies as successful as they are.  Again, look at the composition on that first panel on page 29.  It's absolutely outstanding.  Buscema is just soooo good.

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"It's not a lie... if YOU believe it."

​Dave
Yeah, that is a great panel.  Very cinematic in its composition.  Even the next page at Baxter’s house, the first panel, is a great long distance shot of his mansion.

That's how the rich get rich, and STAY rich.

​Kev
Good call, man.  Buscema's establishing shot game is on-point in this issue.  That's a nice pun by Peter about the silliness of the Spidey costume.  "Mr. Take-Me-Serious?  With an outfit like mine would I jo--"  I also like the panel where Spidey is wringing out his gloves after being dunked in the water by Boomerang.  Very humbling for Peter.  Nice touch.


Dave
The final battle is quite quick, but I suppose it is building up to a climax in the next issue.


Kev
Yeh, definitely.  The two meetings in this issue have just been little scraps to whet our appetite for the proper slug-fest next issue.


Dave
I do like the last panel, where Mr Lily says, "Just once I wish you would not break the furniture..." to Boomerang.


Kev
Ha, ha!  Yeh.  We have the big reveal at the end.  Louis Baxter III is a mastermind heel and Mr. Lily is probably taking the cost of that table out of Boomerang's $300,000 cheque.


Dave
I get the feeling Boomerang may be of his more expensive clients.


Kev
Yeh.  TVs, tables, books, he'll be lucky if he has any wages left by the end of this contract.


Dave
So, in general, would you agree that this issue was a nice little surprise?  Especially after having to endure that 64 page annual issue?


Kev
Yes!  I would completely agree with that.  It’s like a breath of fresh air.  It was the first part in a nice, simple little Spidey tale that had lots of classic Spidey elements to it, combined with a bit of uniqueness due to the San Diego setting.


Dave
I think you summed it up pretty well earlier.  It’s a good, self-contained story.  I really enjoyed it.  It reminded me of how good a comic 'The Spectacular Spider-Man' could be.

(D) & (K)

Next: 'The Boomerang Return.'