Cover Date: January 1993; On Sale Date: November 1992
Writer: Howard Mackie; Artist: Alex Saviuk; Inker: Joe Rubinstein & Dan Panosian; Letterer: Dave Sharpe; Colorist: Bob Sharen; Editor: Danny Fingeroth; Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco; Cover Artist: Mark Texeira
In the sewers beneath Manhattan, Spider-Man and Father Martin are being overwhelmed by the Deathspawn. Spider-Man is able to escape by breaking open a water main, which washes the Deathspawn away. Elsewhere in the tunnels, Venom is searching for Spider-Man and stumbles upon Demogoblin and Doppelganger, who are torturing Hobgoblin. Doppelganger and Venom fight while Demogoblin prepares to kill Hobgoblin.
Meanwhile, Ghost Rider and Blaze fight off the Deathspawn and are able to capture one. When Ghost Rider attempts to use the Penance Stare to learn the location of the captured innocent people, the Deathspawn dissolves. Spider-Man and Father Martin find Ghost Rider and Blaze, who are rescuing the kidnapped people from the Deathspawn. When they start to lead the people up to the surface, Spider-Man hears Hobgoblin’s screams and rushes off to save him. Spider-Man arrives in time to defeat Demogoblin, stopping him from killing Hobgoblin, and Demogoblin is dragged under the water by the Deathspawn. Venom attacks Spider-Man but is restrained by Ghost Rider’s chain. Ghost Rider tells Spider-Man to join the others on the surface while he deals with the enraged Venom.
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| It ain't a party without some Deathspawn! |
THE ROADMAP
This issue is the third chapter of "Spirits of Venom" and continues from the events in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 5. The crossover concludes in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance (1992) # 6.
Demogoblin was separated from the Hobgoblin in Web of Spider-Man (1985) # 86 and paired up with the Spider-Man Doppelganger in Spider-Man (1990) # 24. Ghost Rider next encounters the Demogoblin in Ghost Rider (1990) # 40.
CHAIN REACTION
Mackie and Saviuk wrap up the Spider-Man portion of “Spirits of Venom” in an effective manner that doesn’t forget which book this chapter is in.
“Spirits of Venom” is a really fascinatingly structured crossover in that neither title loses its identity in service of the crossover’s plot. All too often, one title dominates the story even in the other comics involved in the crossover. Here, both titles came into this story from different directions and their own agendas that just happen to dovetail together into one bad night for the heroes. In Spirits of Vengeance, Demogoblin and Hobgoblin are afterthoughts, the Deathspawn are the real threat of those chapters. Here in Web of Spider-Man the Deathspawn are ancillary to the resolution of the Demogoblin plot that started last issue. Mackie allows both sets of plots and characters to have the appropriate amount of breathing room with Venom as the element bridging the two titles.
It’s amazing that a story hanging together so haphazardly on “coincidental plotting” is so effective at what it’s trying to do. Just like with the last issue, Mackie sets up a situation where Spider-Man easily, and with full justification for his actions, could have walked away without putting himself in further danger. Blaze chastises him for leaving the group to save Hobgoblin, not understanding that that’s exactly what Spider-Man does, he puts his own life on the line to save everyone, even the villains. I’m not sure if the crisis of conscience that Spider-Man seems to be going through in this story is an ongoing concern in the series, but it’s very effective here.
What’s not so effective is the presence of Venom, who so far in the series seems ancillary to the rest of the characters and plot. The Ghost Rider/Blaze characters have reasons to be there, as do Spider-Man and the goblin adjacent villains, but Venom’s presence seems to boil down to just two details: “Spirits of Venom” is a fantastic play on words and Venom sells lots of comics. Even though he’s in the title of the story, Venom is easily the least interesting part of it.
Alex Saviuk, this time paired with finisher Dan Panosian, turns in yet another serviceable job on the art. Panosian’s inks give the work a flashier sheen than Joe Rubinstein’s, making things look crisper by sacrificing a lot of the mood. All shadow play and use of heavy blacks disappear in Panosian’s sections, which is a shame given the setting and subject matter of the story, but you can’t deny that the duo produces a pretty sweet looking Venom.
“Spirits of Venom” continues to succeed by making each individual chapter a satisfying read outside of being just another chapter of a crossover. The resolution to the Demogoblin section of the story succeeds on every level and leaves Spider-Man free to take a backseat during the conclusion. |
| Walking Venom like a dog on a leash |
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