The cover to #555 is probably the one that sells this arc. But the cover and content of issue #556 are what is extraordinary.
Spider-Man and Wolverine fight some ninjas in a blizzard of unknown mystical origin.
They save a doctor who was targeted by the assassins, and then Spider-Man sets out alone to save a few other docs. But none of that matters at all.
I mean, it’s fun and all but issue #556, where Spider-Man has to get across town in a snow storm, is just, well, amazing.
It’s got everything you’d want. In the background, there’s some J. Jonah stuff and some stories from the Bugle (now owned by millionaire Dexter Bennet) about how bad Spidey is. But mostly, Spider-Man lost his jacket so he’s cold. He interacts with a homeless man who thinks stole his jacket but it wasn’t his after all, so Spidey gives it back to the man. Then he stuffs his costume with newspapers to keep warm, making him look fat for the rest of the story. He then moves across town with the civilian, protecting him from demons in the mystical blizzard.
After that, it’s back to the main story.
It turns out that the doctor is actually the bad guy who conjured the snow and the monster within it. The ninjas were trying to stop him from doing something awful. Spidey saves the day.
The main story is simple and mostly untethered (and not bogged down) by continuity. But the central concept of Spider-Man heroically working through the challenges of the elements to protect a homeless guy is about as true-to-character as it gets.
Great story. Genuine humor. Some of the best Bachalo art I’ve seen.
English (US) · 