Spectacular Spider-Man 69

Spectacular Spider-Man 69

Peter Returns Home - Plus Cloak and Dagger!

Cloak and Dagger first appeared in issue 64, an extremely good issue. This issue is almost as good. To this day, Cloak and Dagger continue to be an active part of the Marvel Universe, I remember them in the Civil War event, with Cloak being particularly prominent as one of Captain America's teleporters. I can't help but credit their success with how well they have been handled early on by Mantlo and Hannigan Characterization is interesting and three dimensional; Hannigan's Dagger is seductively drawn while Cloak melts into the panel backgrounds. Very nice.

This issue is part of a two-issue story arc ending with the next issue - no. 70. But that issue loses a lot of the quality of this one. As you read through issue 69 you'll notice something happening to the art - it gets progressively worst as we near the last page. The deterioration continues on to issue 70, making that issue a bad read. My theory, unfounded theory, a guess, really, is that Hannigan got caught with the deadline and was forced to rush the art. Thankfully, a lot of issue 69 features solid Hannigan artwork. Like this panel here:

One other thing that I like is when Spider-Man goes back to the old house in Forest Hills. This is where Peter grew up and discovered he had spider powers. All boarded up now and abandoned, Peter sneaks in and comments on how small his room feels like - exactly what I felt like when I went back to my old home. This quiet series of panels is deftly handled making the issue all the more special.

By the way, if you look at the cover again - I have it below - Spider-Man is rendered in such a way as to make it appear that he is walking on top of the cover. Neat huh?

Posted by Pete Albano - July 21, 2011

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