Welcome back Crawlspacers! So Nick Lowe said these BEY issues are not important to the Beyond story. Then he made a complete 180 and said that they were very important to the Beyond story. So how does this one measure up? The Slingers are back, remember those guys? Let’s see what going down, right here on the Spider-Man Crawlspace!
(Beyond Trust) Patrick Gleason, Zeb Wells, Saladin Ahmed, Cody Ziglar, & Kelly Thompson
(Writer) Geoffrey Thorne
(Artist) Jan Bazaldua/Jim Towe
(Colorist) Jim Campbell
(Letterer) VC’s Joe Caramagna
(Editor) Nick Lowe
(EIC) C.B. Cebulski
Date Released 2/9/2022
Issue Number #88.BEY LGY N/A
Price Tag: $4.99
For a different perspective:
Alford’s Notes and Read’s Reads
Story: Hobie Brown is the new Hornet and saved some people during the King in Black event. He then realized while saving people he needed think about the people in the aftermath so he created a crowdfunding platform called Fairgray. He wants to do more by creating inventions to the people whose lives have been damaged or turned upside down. His gf/lawyer Mindy is all for it, but his company gets bought by Beyond. Not just bought, but overly bought. FairGray was worth 70 mil, but Beyond bought it for 200 mil and Mindy wants to know WHY. Hornet gets that info for his gal pal at Beyond, when Cassie St. Commonst aka Dust sees him. She catches up to Hobie and explains that she was at Beyond looking for Johnny, aka Ricochet who see senses he’s in trouble. She can feel it, like the force. Hobie and Dusk infiltrate a Beyond sight to find Johnny working for Beyond and cleaning up a alien gateway mess. Hornet and Dusk help Ricochet clean up the mess and Beyond dude, Dr. Eliot Swednsen offers Hornet a job. The end.
What the..?: No Breakdown. Just a thought and a grade. I read this comic so you wouldn’t have to. This story has nothing to do with the recent events happening in ASM. Maybe down the line, 3/4 of the Slingers will show up and help Peter take down Ben. Or help Beyond take down Queen Goblin. Who knows, but honestly who cares!? This seems like a an attempt to resurrect the Slingers comic series. If you are looking for Spider-Man in this book, they do reference Peter, by name, THAT’S IT. This is a filler. The story is decent and I like the art, but this comic has nothing to do with Spider-Man.
Let’s do recap on these Bey issues.
ASM 78 Bey: Daughters of Dragon Story. Monica Rambeau subplot. Nope.
ASM 80 Bey: Doc Ock/Aunt May Story. Cure for Peter, so Yes.
Mary Jane/Black Cat One Shot: Not really, however… BUY THIS BOOK! Storytelling, Art, and characterization on MJ and Felicia are TOP NOTCH! You won’t regret it.
ASM: 88 Bey: 3/4 of the Slingers are back and hired by Beyond. NOPE.
So that’s 3 out of 4 that barely has anything to do with the main story and this one is a HARD PASS.
Grade: D. It passed because of the story and art, but barely. I read this book so you wouldn’t have to. Don’t waste your time or money. You are not missing anything. I know that sounds harsh, sorry “Emperor Spidey Editor Nick Lowe” but I tell it how it is. Spidey fans don’t want to read this, however I could be wrong. As assistant editor Danny Khazem has pointed out at the end of this book (for real, it’s there in print) if you fans want to see more of Hobie and the Slingers, let them know at spideyoffice@mavel.com.
Don’t fret Crawlspacers, Dark Mark will be back to review a book that you’ll actually WANT to know about. Maybe…you never know these days.
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While I understand your criticism, I think you went a bit hard with that grade. The story isn’t that bad, albeit it ends in medias res, and the art is pretty decent. Technically, the Slingers and Hobie Brown are part of Spider-man supporting cast.
You’re right on this: they should have called it just Slingers.
Also, I may be mistaken, but I think Fairgray was actually founded before King in Black.
@Mark
Eh, I thought exactly the same, it felt like a backside story they should have had split into multiple issues.
Chi-Town
Oh no, you were very kind in the review, I’m trying to be kind with mine I mean, especially as a Slingers Fan.
They should rename these issues .BEY-t and switch
@Evan: You know, it’s what we do. 😉
@Geiseric: See? Looks like I’m not the only one who reads between the lines!
@Ryan: Are you saying I’m not “kind”? I resent that! I did admit my review was harsh, but I’m not going to candy coat this issue. Spider-Man fans don’t want to see this. The Slingers aren’t even helping Spidey in this issue, it’s a stand alone that has Beyond mixed into it. The Title does say Amazing Spider-Man and only one BEY issue with Doc Ock and Aunt May actually stand out as part of the ASM run. I can’t get mad, nor will I, about the one shot MJ/BC issue, because the title does say Mary Jane/Black Cat, it’s about them, not Peter, not to mention the story/art was great. Now if this comic was called The Slingers 2.0 or something, then I know what to expect. However, this title says The Amazing Spider-Man, I’m expecting Spider-Man or his supporting cast and that didn’t happen. Look at it from this prospective. I walk into McDonalds, order a Big Mac and instead I get Whooper! Like someone took my money, ran to Burger King, came back and said “Here you go!”.
@Mark: Isn’t it “Walloping Websnappers”? I don’t read Moonknight, but it’s sad when they take a page out of this issue’s playbook. You may have it the nail on the head about Beyond. The evil corporations that everyone needs to take down. Maybe that’s what happens in Volume 6 and why “everyone hates Peter”. Who knows.
Walloping Web Shooters! So this week I got two comics in my Comixology subscription. This Spider-Man comic which has no Spider-Man, no Spider-Man knock off, and not much to do with anything related to the Spider-Man story. Then I got Moon Knight – which had no Moon Knight, but at least a Moon Knight knock off. Bad week for comics.
This story would have been better if they cut it in half (or more) and shoved it in as an extra back up story in the regular book.
The only take away from this for me is that maybe Beyond will continue as an entity in the Marvel Universe after the Ben and Peter story. A sort of Roxxon type company to cause bad things. I would be curious to know if Beyond is making appearances in other comics across the Marvel landscape, or is it just regulated to Spider-Man titles?
It really didn’t have anything to do outside trying to do more with what Beyond is doing in the main series. I am a fan of the Slingers and talked with Joe Harris the original writer a few times off and on over the years. I’ll be a bit kinder, but really, nothing to add to this book.
They 180 because they released no one will buy the bey issues as standalone stories.
Because why would you
Oof. Thank you for reading that so I don’t have to, Chi-Town. I guess Beyond (as a fictional entity) is now being used as a way to market different characters. I guess if the Slingers were to appear out of nowhere in the next Amazing Spider-man issue, I guess this little bit of back story would be sort of helpful, but in said backstory itself there should at least be something more related to Spider-man than just a name drop.