Another annual from Chris Claremont: from 2000, Peter Parker, Spider-Man 2000, "No Sleep 'til Brooklyn!" Plot by Chris Claremont, script by Bill Rosemann, pencils by Joe Bennett, inks by Mark Pennington.
Pete's having a fun night, covering as bartender for his roommate; but worries he may have overserved the somewhat aggressive seven-foot-tall brunette at the end of the bar. Trying to cut her off may have been a worse idea, as she throws Pete across the building. He recognizes her as Bounty, who had recently tangled with the Fantastic Four: I know I've read those issues but have no recollection of her at all. I had the impression that she wasn't from earth, but she may have just been well-travelled. (She does refer to earth booze as weak, but doesn't seem as out of place as the average alien visitor.) She was a bounty hunter, so I don't know if that name really works: it's like if your barber's name was 'Hair.' And like Tigra and Thundra before her, she was smitten with the Thing, but got shot down since his on-again-off-again (to the nth power...) relationship with Alicia Masters was on again.
After the requisite scuffle, Bounty is mildly annoyed with Pete's hopping about, and calls him "Rabbit," but is grateful for the sport and the care. If the rest of the issue had been them hanging out and commiserating over love problems (for instance, I don't think Mary Jane is mentioned this issue...) that would've been more than fine, but then the plot kicks in: a Romeo & Juliet riff with lovers from rival gangs. One gang's a generic Triad rip-off, the other is the Bacchae, an all-girl gang in silver armor with a possible connection to Greek mythology. They're terrible, yet I think I have every single one of their maybe three appearances; and they're basically girl versions of the thugs you beat up on maybe the first level of any fighting game. I'm lying, they're not even that interesting. But the role they play in the plot, the Bacchae don't really have to be; but trying to make them less generic only makes them distracting.
Also this issue: a Black Cat story, "From the Rich to the Poor" Written by Gregory Wright, pencils by Joe Bennett, inks by Mark Pennington. Spidey thinks the Cat is going back to her old stealing ways, but she's Robin Hood-ing a thug, which leads to a fight with Hydro-Man. Cat's having fun, and has a couple decent lines here.
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