The All New, All Daring Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #114: The Key

Script: Len Kaminski
Pencils: Joe Brozowsky
Inkers: Keith Williams, Del Barras

If you were asked to write just one issue of Marvel's Spider-Man, what would you do?

You'd write the most awesome mould-breaking Spider-tale imaginable wouldn't you?

Ah, no, you wouldn't. They would never let you rock the boat like that. Your best bet would be to figure out what passes for a normal strip, and then try to write one of those, but really really well.

But how exactly does one go about doing that? Ask Len Kaminski.

This isolated story is, for me, quite an unmemorable one, yet somehow it has a warmth, charm and rightness about it that isn't always there in the excellent regular issues.

Peter Parker's flat is broken into, and all his spare Spidey-gear gets stolen.

Before long, he also becomes a victim of identity-theft.

Parker is understandably mad, but upon learning the motivation for the teen's mixed-up behaviour (trying to support his hard-up pops since ma passed away), seeks to set him back on the right track.

By the end of the issue, the kid has found a better way to deal with his problems and is turning his life around. That may sound crass out-of-context, but the story wisely allows several weeks to pass for this change to convincingly take place.

The only disappointment really is that this self-contained adventure was published right in the middle of the series' other ongoing storylines. As a result, despite containing all the right ingredients, this would have struggled to deliver on the regular reader's expectations.

A shame it didn't get a better chance.