Ooh, silent Spidey panels. That's when you know it's about to get real.

I tried searching the blog, but "Web" and "Spider-Man" doesn't narrow things down a ton. I know I read the first issue, and a couple of the crossover issues like "Where is Spider-Man?" or Kraven's Last Hunt; but otherwise like a lot of readers I may have resented Web for replacing Marvel Team-Up. Still, let's check out this one: From 1986, Web of Spider-Man #14, "All That Glitters..." Written by David Michelinie, pencils by Mike Harris, inks by Kyle Baker.

Is Peter's luck any worse here than any of the other Spidey titles? It feels like it, although that could just be because it's handy, or because some of these plot points went on for ever. His landlord Mrs. Muggins--a sympathetic figure on some occasions--is a hardass today, giving Peter two days to repair the damage to his apartment from when it was firebombed. (She notes he didn't press charges, and while I don't have that issue, seriously Peter? Firebombing gets a pass?) Although broke as hell and eating an extra helping of guilt over Aunt May's boyfriend Nathan catching a beating Spidey didn't save him from; Peter does have one card to play: the gold notebook he took from the garbage of the building the Beyonder turned into gold--eight issues back? He feels like he "technically" stole it, but c'mon.

Meanwhile, as Peter is late for visiting Nathan in the hospital, aging cat burglar/shifty bastard the Black Fox visits his fence, who just beat the rap but was left unable to move any stolen goods right now. The Fox wonders how he can convince him to take the score he has coming. (The Fox was always one job away from retirement, and while he wasn't given a ton of characterization other than 'pity me, I'm an old' it's kind of apparent he would always be one job away from retirement. There'd always be something...) Peter visits the Bugle, which is of course an exercise in frustration, and wonders even if he could live with selling the gold notebook, how would he accomplish it? Later that night, as he swings around looking for crime to stop-slash-photograph for cash, he spies Black Fox mid-jewel heist. Spidey realizes the Fox played him for a chump previously, but finds himself defending the geezer from getting shot by security guards. Although he gets out without being seen, he realizes he can't use any photos from that. Before nabbing the Fox, he hears him grandiosely proclaim his fence would have to take this...and Spidey hesitates, realizing maybe he could sell the notebook. But, following the Fox with a Spider-tracer, he instead finds the fence--dead!

The cover proclaims "All Action Issue!" and...no, not at all? I know there's absolutely no goddamn way Spidey saw dime one for that notebook, but I don't think that was going to be resolved soon: I feel like the gold notebook was in like 200 different comics spread across three titles, then it was wrapped up and never spoken of again. I'm positive Mary Jane would see it one issue, and Peter would lie straight to her face that it was a novelty item; and I'm fairly sure the Black Cat stole it much later. (I'm thinking really hard now because there was some similar plot item from some other title that went the same way...) Spidey was traditionally kept poor, even when he was married to a supermodel, I think because it was supposed to be more relatable. But it always made me feel like if Spidey couldn't make it in New York, how could anybody? Also, Peter was working the gig economy freelancer life before it was widely recognized as such, or as suck, since it was never ever secure or even lucrative. I'm also going to put this towards Kyle Baker's influence, but I think he might've helped make Peter slightly more fashionable than usual. Even though his pants are...magenta? Off-purple? Maybe that was in, in 1986 New York, I don't know...