Review by Frank Plowright

Although Doctor Doom featured among the earliest villains Spider-Man faced, the power gap was rapidly deemed too great, and while there have been reprises, they’ve been few and far between. It was a brave move on David Michelinie’s part in 1991 to opt for a rematch. This slim volume reprints a mere two issues, albeit one of them with an extended page count, and only one of them features Doom.

The set up is neat. Spider-Man’s had several encounters with an elderly burglar called the Black Fox. He’s extremely competent, but when cornered by the web-slinger plays on his age, returns his swag and thanks Spider-Man for letting him go. Even Spidey himself can’t figure out why he falls for that ploy, and it turns out the Black Fox is smarter than he’s given credit for. Except perhaps he’s been a bit too smart, as it’s not only Spider-Man who’s been tracking him, but Doctor Doom also, less inclined to offer mercy, meaning it becomes a battle for Spidey to save the Black Fox.

Erik Larsen’s art is very much of its 1990s era. Larsen knows how to break down the action for the greatest dynamism, but it’s surface deep, and after a while the impossibly distorted poses Spider-Man is twisted into attract the eye more than they should, and his Mary Jane is appallingly objectified. Doom, though, has the arrogance, power and presence needed.

It’s a clever plot overall, with Spider-Man obviously outclassed, and the Black Fox a complete opportunist using the distraction of the surrounding battle to make his escape. Michelinie centres the story around him, and the focussing on the villain allows for novel scenes, but readers might expect more Doom from what’s titled Spider-Man vs. Doctor Doom.