Costa delivers an OK -- if inconsistent -- ending to this series.
The Web Warriors discover that the Siege Perilous is a device created to channel their powers into the user (i.e., Norman). Correspondingly, the Thor is there to destroy it -- and them -- since they all represent a threat to Doom. (In an example of pet peeve #1, the intro page provided us this information about the chair before Costa did.) The Warriors try to destroy the chair, but doing so somehow creates a feedback loop that knocks everyone in the room (including the Thor) unconscious. Meanwhile, Peter confronts the Goblin at the Brooklyn Bridge. Without his powers, Peter is mostly just distracting him, something that he eventually admits to the Goblin when he eventually captures him. (I didn't get this part. First, the Goblin says that he wants to kill Peter, but he doesn't actually do so. Why not kill Peter once he captures him and then return to the tower to take out the Warriors? Also, why would Peter admit that he was just trying to distract the Goblin? Was he trying to save his own skin by selling out the Warriors? It feels un-Peter-ish.) Norman eventually returns to the tower (with a kidnapped Peter in tow) and claims the Siege Perilous. However, the Warriors unplug it while he's using it, rendering him brain dead. They then decide to stay in this domain to help its people. End scene.
Again, this issue is OK, but I still can't give it three stars. Norman not killing Peter, Costa not explaining how Peter lost his powers, the Warriors defeating Norman so easily: it still left a lot to be desired. Fairly or not, one of the challenges that Costa had was setting up the series that we already know will take place after "Secret Wars." But, I'm not really sure if he accomplishes that here. Sure, some people within the group have some affection for each other -- Anya and Spider-Ham, Spider-UK and Indian Spider-Man -- but it's hard to say that they coalesced into a team. For example, I have no idea why Spider-Man Noir or Spider-Gwen would stay. But, I'll leave that part to Costa in the new series. For this series, I'd really only recommend it for someone that loved the "Web Warriors" TV show. Everyone else should probably stick to "Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows" for your "Secret Wars" Spider-Man story.
** (two of five stars)
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