When I saw the Spider-Mobile on the cover, I pretty much knew what I was getting into, and I was right. This is old school fun, with a tip of the hat (and more than a little gentle mockery) of the era in which the story is set. However, it's also one of the strongest stories in the Spider-Man/Human Torch series so far, making use of both goofy villains and elements of '70s comics as well as some of the more serious elements that made their way into Spidey's series at this point. In addition to the pure fun of the Spider-Mobile and Red Ghost and his Super-Apes, Spider-Man/Human Torch #3 also offers up a little bit of insight into why the friendship of Spider-Man and Human Torch is important, and what it has meant to both men as they grew older in the superhero game at the same time.
This story takes place just after Peter Parker has lost Gwen Stacy, and Slott doesn't steer away from the serious repercussions of that story in order to go for cheap laughs. Instead, he shows us a shaken Peter Parker, who hasn't entirely lost his confidence but who needs someone to talk to, and can most easily find it in another hero who understands "the life." As with the first two issues of the miniseries, Slott also finds a good reason to bring Spidey and the Torch together, and having the Torch as one of the mechanics responsible for the Spider-Mobile is a nifty little idea, just as the notion of how the vehicle crawled on walls makes for a funny Fantastic Four tie-in as well.
While the story is about Peter Parker dealing with the loss of Gwen, it's also about some of the other things that happened to him in the '70s. That includes the Spider-Mobile, a frame-up for murder and, in a surprising and hilarious twist, Hostess Fruit Pie ads. At first, I thought Slott was just being cute, giving a sly wink to all of us who grew up reading those ads, but he actually incorporates it into the story in what can more be described as a huge wink to those of us who remember the ads. It's no more or less goofy than the Spider-Mobile, and it works in the context of the story, not just as an easy gag. This is one of the many reasons why Slott is such a good comedy writer in comics, because he understands that comedy isn't easy and isn't just a matter of imitating something funny you once saw, that timing and context are important.
My complaints about the artwork haven't changed since the first issue, nor are they likely to, since it's an obvious stylistic choice on the part of either the artists or editorial. And to be fair, the Silver Age imitation that Templeton and his inkers are doing here is just dead on, with solid storytelling and timing and a look that makes the book feel like it could be inserted in the right place between issues of Amazing Spider-Man and work just fine, with only a few meta-comments notable that wouldn't have been seen at the time. However, I also know the sharp, stylish work that Templeton is capable of, and I would rather have seen that look than seeing him aping other artists' styles, however effectively he does it and however well-suited it is to the story at hand.
Spider-Man/Human Torch #3 is full of a lot of laughs (Spidey's indignant rantings at the apes as they steal his car are as funny as the very notion of the Super-Apes stealing his car), but it also has a nice heart, and shows a deepening of the Spidey/Torch relationship into a friendship rather than just a mutual prankster association. This is a somewhat light and fun book, but it's an interesting look into a relationship that developed when Marvel's inter-universe continuity was a lot stronger and a lot more important. 8/10
