POBB June 26, 2025

Pick of the Brown Bag

June 26, 2025

by

Ray Tate

Welcome.  You found us, either by choice or by accident.  The Pick of the Brown Bag is a comic book review blog created, written and organized by yours truly, Ray Tate.  This week, I look at the newest issue of Amazing Spider-Man.

Spider-Man exposure used to be prevalent in my youth.  He had a syndicated cartoon based on the comic book.

He stopped by the Electric Company every once and awhile.  He tried out a new live-action television series.

As I grew, Spider-Man branched out.  He found Amazing Friends; narrated by Stan the Man himself.  "Excelsior!"  Spidey later had his own solo syndicated cartoon show right before Silverhawks or Thundercats. 

And that's where my youthful comprehension of Spider-Man ended.  Within that span, I bought issues of the Amazing Spider-Man, Spider-Man vs Superman and my favorite Marvel Team-Up.

In the eighties I subscribed to Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man through Marvel via post office delivery.  So, yeah.  I like Spider-Man as a character.

After Marvel stopped taking subscriptions by mail, I lost interest in the Spider-Man books and fell out of synch with Spider-Man's continuity.  

It wasn't until Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson finally became a solid couple that I became interested again.  I also read the superb comic-strip and I rooted for their marriage.

Alas...Well, I still had the comic strip...Oh.  Okay.

Because of the consequences of "One More Day," and the varying degree of talent associated with Spider-Man's titles, I really cannot count myself as a Spider-Man reader.  

I still like Spider-Man.  Just not necessarily his books.  Let's see.  The last time I picked up a Spider-Man book was...oof...three years ago.

I bought that series of books precisely why I bought this issue.  The guest-star.  I'm way more interested in the Black Cat than Spider-Man.

Is it because she's a sexy cat burglar, and sexy cat burglars are kind of my thing? That's certainly part of it, but it's really due to Jed McCay's rehabilitation of the character that renewed my interest in the Black Cat.  

Jed McCay wrote/writes the Black Cat how I always wanted/want her to be written.  

Marvel's Black Cat, the original version, was a sorrowful, pitiable, psychiatrically damaged character.   I mean co-created by Marv Wolfman.  "Nuff said."  

Black Cat for example saw Spider-Man and Peter Parker as separate people, even after he revealed his secret identity.  Not so the modern Felicia Hardy.

When it looks like the Cat's getting better and turning hero, she kills herself.  Minutes before Captain Jean DeWolff pulls a favor for Spidey and gets the governor to pardon Black Cat for her past crimes.  

I haven't a clue how or when the Black Cat returned.  I just knew that the Black Cat was a good concept done poorly.  Then Kevin Smith compounded the Black Cat's traumatic past with a retroactive rape on her high school menu.  This is why we here at the POBB refer to Kevin Smith as The Master of Poop.  Good-bye.

Jed McCay brought the Black Cat back in style.  And there's plenty more issues of Jed McCay's version of Black Cat to precede and follow the bang-up annual.  In fact, if you're a Black Cat fan, and the book with Black Cat states written by Jed McCay.  Just buy it.  You won't be disappointed.  You'll instead be delighted.

Jed McCay is not writing this issue of Amazing Spider-Man.  That being said.  Most writers tend to respect another writer's status quo.  So, how well does Joe Kelly do with the Black Cat.  Actually.  Not bad.  

She's not as smart or funny as Jed McCay makes her out to be, but Kelly doesn't embarrass himself.  She seems mostly in character, particularly when trying to talk Spidey into letting her steal something.

The only real downside is that we don't get her point of view.  That however is understandable given that Amazing Spider-Man isn't her book.  

As a Spider-Man book Amazing Spider-Man is...schizophrenic.  I actually feel like the old Black Cat here.  The Spider-Man stuff is entertaining.

Kelly opens the book with Spidey smacking around a wannabe kidnapper.

The next we see Spider-Man, he's performing a stakeout, where the Black Cat happens by.  

All the best moments occur with the Black Cat in them.  Coincidence?  

In a flashback, Spidey visits Norman Osborn, who's sane for some reason.

I think Norman Osborn predates Winter Soldier as a character who is really, really, really dead that returns whole and hearty.  Okay.  Winter Soldier wasn't exactly whole.  Nevertheless.  You get my point.

Given what we learned about Norman Osborn over the years.  His being a hideous, abusive father to his son Harry Osborn.  A psychological torture that drove Harry to first become addicted to drugs then facilitated his transformation into the second Green Goblin.  It's really difficult for me to give a rat's ass about this criminal psychopath's mental health.  I won't mention his insidious breeding with Gwen Stacy.  Ooops.  Too late, nor his tossing Gwen off the Brooklyn Bridge.  Given the chumminess, I guess Spidey forgot about all that.

I'm having a coffee chat with the guy who fathered my ex's babies and threw that ex off the George Washington Bridge.  Or was it the Brooklyn Bridge? Who Cares! It's water under the bridge.  Life is good!

Kelly ends the book on a pretty out there cliffhanger for Spidey and the Black Cat, but that note did get me interested for what happens next.

I dunno.  Garth, Heimdal's evil twin brother?

As to the life of Peter Parker, it's about what I expected.  Part of "One New Day's" purpose was to, believe it or not, make Peter Parker a swinger again.  Or strike out king if you prefer.  Nah.  He can't be a strike out king if his dates, to be chaste, included Gwen Stacy R.I.P, Mary Jane Watson and the Black Cat.  No.  Seriously.  Spidey is supposed to be relatable, and he can't be relatable when married to Mary Jane Watson, or the Black Cat for that matter.  Dating super-models and sexy cat burglars? Okay.  Married.  No.  I can so relate.

This week, he's dating a nurse.  Gosh.  Call me enthralled.  Well, hey now, Peter's got a new job at Rand Enterprises.

Thrilling.  Positively thrilling.  You know what.  I find it more interesting that Kelly remembers that Danny Rand, the once and future Iron Fist, is filthy rich but also keen to make the world a better place.  So, yeah.  He would have a Rand Enterprises in a mirror to Wayne Enterprises to make tech.

Well, hey.  Peter's made a new friend.

Um...He does nothing for me.

What about Aunt May?

What is she now eighty-ninety or seventy-eighty?  I did like it when she stuck up for her nephew/ward.

Peter's life is boring.  Why do we readers need to endure it?  Yeah.  I know.  We're supposed find it relatable.  You know what.  I think I've discovered what separates a DC fan from a Make Mine Marvel crowd.  A DC reader is invested in comic books for the uniforms and the derring do.  We're escapists.  We want to read about Supergirl stopping a comet from slamming into the earth.  Sure.  Our heroes can have faults and drama, but that's supplemental.  Marvel fans like this soap opera crap fused with their threads.  They actually care about the nurse, Peter making new friends and Peter's job growth.

The one thing I cannot fault is John Romita Jr.'s artwork.  Every page looks like a Spider-Man book everlasting.

I mean.  Romita is one of the Spider-Man artists, and what he does for the Black Cat is scrumptious.

In summary.  If you like John Romita, Jr's art, the Black Cat or Spidey action, you'll want to add this to your personal, brown bag.  Even with the tedium of Peter Parker's so-called life.