Posted - June 30, 2014 | Updated : August 26, 2015


Amazing Spider-Man 321




This comic has Spider-Man, Paladin and Silver Sable but you'll barely see Silver Sable in this breakdown because, sadly, Todd McFarlane can't draw a sexy Silver Sable - at least not yet. That said, and not to sound patronizing, but, Todd's art has gotten better significantly since he first started Spider-Man; I'm beginning to see glimpses of the awesome art to come from issues of Spider-Man and Spawn.

Here's Spidey and Paladin.


spider-man and paladin

I've always known paladin was a gun-for-hire, it's a pragmatism that I've always respected about him. What I didn't know was this.


paladin super strength

He has super-strength!

In a hunt for some important data, Paladin does some good old fashioned ransacking.


paladins handling floppy disks

5.25" floppy disks. It just tickles me that there are some people who don't know what 5.25" floppy disks are. If you don't, don't worry about it, it's not important.

And here's the basic difference between Spider-Man and Paladin.


spider-man swinging away
					from paladin

Hey, Mr. Spider-Man, money in exchange for value added is the cornerstone of capitalism - still the best system for getting people out of misery. I'm firmly on Paladin's side here so I'm wondering why there are so few mercenary heroes. Even Luke Cage drank the Avenger's Kool-Aid. Wait a minute, the Avengers have an allowance from Stark.

I'm sure MJ and Peter are talking about something important but I'm having a hard time paying attention what with MJ in that nightie .


MJ in a nightie

I finally know what SOHO means!


meaning of soho

The next day everybody helps Liz and Harry move into their new place. After the move everybody's pooped.


peter's gang tired after the move

This is great acting by Peter. I know he has to maintain his secret identity but out of sheer consideration he should have targeted the bigger, heavier, items. One way is to have MJ, and only MJ help him, say with the fridge, but MJ just has to touch the appliance while Peter makes a show of moving.

Here' another somewhat dubious panel.


peter talking to silver sable

So Peter calls Silver Sable, identifying himself as Spider-Man, but he's not wearing a mask! When Peter has that mask his voice changes a bit - it becomes Spider-Man's voice. Maybe the line wasn't so good so Silver Sable can't tell. By the way, welcome to 1989, when cellphones weren't that common yet.

I'm starting to notice that McFarlane has an inordinate amount of panels were the protagonists have their back turned to the reader. In spite of that, this panel is pretty good anyway.


spider-man, paladin, silver sable

So is this panel, showing Paladin take a big hit!


paladin is hit

Ah, Mr. Parker you have been listening to me about money.


spider-man goes for the payday

Not a bad issue (borderline bad?). The failure to draw a sexy Silver Sable is a definite miss though. We'll have to be satisfied with this .

Get your copy here .