OK, so two issues before this one, Spider-Man battled Kraven, but Kraven got away. The following issue, he fought the new Vulture, but he had a cold, and the Vulture got away. It only makes sense that Spider-Man might have to take on them and his most dangerous foe yet.
Aunt May’s good intentions!
Issue:  The Amazing Spider-Man #49, June 1967
Writer:Â Â Stan Lee
Artist:Â John Romita Sr
The Plot:Â Â Spider-Man battles two foes at once while Peter Parker battles Aunt May’s attentiveness.
Commentary:  I love deceptive covers sometime. This one shows Kraven and the new Vulture double-teaming Spider-Man to take him down. That is a total lie. A good chunk of this issue is Kraven taking offense that the Vulture took out Spider-Man, someone Kraven decided was his personal prey. As such, he figures he needs to take down the Vulture. Since this Vulture would rather just rob people and brag about how unstoppable a man with wings is, it was kinda nice to see Kraven bring the guy down to Earth in the most literal way possible despite Kraven’s inability to fly or even stick to walls on tall buildings like some title characters do.
All that means is when Spider-Man finally shows up, it takes those two idiots a while to realize they might do better to set their differences aside and tackle Spider-Man as a team, but that was just the Vulture. Kraven doesn’t play well with others. That’s why he’s a member in good standing with the Sinister Six.
So, Peter must have swung in and took those guys out right away, right? Nah! He had to get away from the vigilance of a much worse enemy first: Aunt May.
Yes, Aunt May is still coming by because she thinks Peter is fragile, and since he has a cold, she called the family doctor. He can’t show up right away because he’s in surgery and…wait, what kind of doctor is this guy? Most family doctors and internalists don’t practice surgery. For that, you need a surgeon. Doctors specialize an all. In fact, Aunt May and Peter should maybe be seeing separate doctors because the guy keeping that old lady alive might specialize in, you know, keeping old women alive.
Regardless, it means Peter has to hide in bed, the covers pulled over his Spider-Man costume, and wait for a moment when he can slip away and easily take out two idiot bad guys who individually made him look like a chump.
You know, for all Peter seems to get sick a lot, what with those May snowstorms and all, but he likewise heals up pretty fast too. Is that something spiders can do? Somehow I don’t think so.
Eh, science is not Stan Lee’s thing, and even he admitted as much.
Grade:Â A
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