Spider-Man, Fire-Star and Iceman at the Dallas Ballet Nutcracker
Published and © by Marvel, 1983
Title: “Spider-Man, Fire-Star and Iceman at the Dallas Ballet Nutcracker”
Synopsis: The Amazing Spider-Friends thwart a disgruntled ballet-wannabe-turned-supervillain, then take in a production of the Dallas Ballet Nutcracker.
Writer: Jim Salicrup
Penciler: Jim Mooney
Inker: John Tartaglione (as John Tartag)
Review: Wow, this is one odd Christmas comic. In this sequel of sorts to Spider-Man: Christmas in Dallas (see review), Peter Parker returns to Texas to meet up with his famous friends from Saturday-morning cartoonland. They battle Daddy Longlegs – a silly villain with just a touch of creepy potential – over some not-so-witty banter. Then they settle in for “The Nutcracker,” which gets a hurried, 8-1/2-page retelling here. The book is rounded out with puzzle pages that could be right out of Fun & Games. The writing and art is just adequate, but the whole package is actually kind of enjoyable.
Grade: C
Cool factor: It’s Saturday morning’s Amazing Spider-Friends in comic-book form!
Not-so-cool factor: It’s Saturday morning’s Amazing Spider-Friends in comic-book form!
Notable: This issue includes local advertising for the Dallas market. … Additional editorial content includes puzzle pages and a “Bullpen Bulletins” from Jim Shooter.
Collector’s note: Listed in The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide as The Amazing Spider-Man, Fire-Star and Ice-Man at the Dallas Ballet Nutcracker. … According to MyComicShop.com, this was the fifth of five promotional Spider-Man comics issued by the Dallas Times Herald.
Character quotable: “Spider-Friends, go for it!” – Spider-Man, Fire-Star and Iceman (not quite “Avengers Assemble,” is it?)
Editor’s note: This review was originally published by Comics Bronze Age on Dec. 12, 2012.
