Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man # 112
Writer: Peter David
Penciller: Mark Beachum
Inker: Pat Redding
Letterer: Rick Parker
Colorists: Nel Yomtov/George Roussos
Cover Date: March 1985
Rating: 
Now that the holiday season is in full effect (Still waiting for Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas” to rear its ugly head) this week I’ll look at “Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man # 112; This issue features A department store Santa with visions of theft on his mind makes the mistake of trying to rob Spider-Man’s neighbors on Christmas Eve so this is the big payoff of this particular subplot that PAD had running throughout past issues of this title, but what I thought is interesting about this issue is how David manages to show how bleak the holiday season is for some people, particularly Peter Parker who finds himself home alone with his costume as company (It does come off as sad but PAD finds a way to make it entertaining while making sure the reader feel sympathetic for Peter and his situation); The tone for this series still invokes the grim and gritty factor that most comics (Marvel in particular) had in the mid-80s but in a way, this issue manages to squeeze in some fun aspects that doesn’t feel like filler material but at the time, this was Peter David finding his footing on this title as well as sharping his writing skills that pays off due to the popularity he endured through the late ’80s throughout the 2000s/2010s.
Without a doubt, this is one of the more enjoyable Spider-Man stories with a Christmas theme that shines throughout the entire issue since PAD makes good use of a Christmas poem by J. Morris Jones entitled “On Christmas Day” and we even get The Black Cat spreading Christmas cheer in her own Robin Hook-esque way. This issue shows how great Marvel was in the 1980s and is a perfect way to ring in the holidays (You got to LOVE that Kyle Baker cover!); Add this issue to your collection, and you won’t be sorry.
Well, that’s it for me this week. I’ll be back with another Christmas issue to look at. Thanks for sticking around and I will see you all next time.
About Author
