Because publishers want you to buy their product every month, comics are typically serial in nature. However, occasionally (and more often nowadays than ever before) publishers launch a comic title that is only meant to last for one issue. While ongoing series often have multiple chances to hook in new readers, the comics highlighted in this ongoing investigations only had One-Shot At Greatness!
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Date: March 2009
Cover Price: $3.99
Writer: Stuart Moore
Artist: Joe Suitor
Spider-Man ventures down to the Florida Everglades to put a stop to the Man-Thing‘s rampage. In the process, he gets infected by the muck-monster’s strange mix of supernatural vegetation and Super-Soldier Serum. Months later, the mix of the Man-Thing’s residue and radioactive spider-powers begin to transform Spider-Man into a floral being. Doctor Connors halts the process by giving Spidey injections of his lizard serum but, the only true cure lies at the source of the infection: the Man-Thing himself!
The Bad: There’s no real explanation of why the Man-Thing is going on a rampage. Something he’s not normally prone to do.
the Good: Something about this muck-monster just appeals to me. I’m always a sucker for a book with him as a prominent force. Suitor draws some very cool-looking monsters (the Lizard and the Man-Thing) but the cover by Mico Suayan takes the prize. Man-Thing has rarely looked more detailed!
The Verdict: It’s a fast read that offers very little actual sense of danger. I mean, c’mon! There’s no way Marvel would allow Spidey to come out of this story part plant-monster! But, the resolution is handled in a neat way and ends with a little nugget of wisdom from Aunt May.
On Ebay: Spider-Man | Man-Thing