Five Spider-Man stories outside the continous story arc, in which Spider-Man plays a minor role, sometimes not even appearing. All the stories are good and have their special moments, focusing on the private lives of the "bad guys" in Spider-Man's world. But two of them are special: "Double Shots", set in a bar frequented openly by the costumed criminals, and featuring a boy's night out with the Vulture, Kraven's son, and a mysterious character whose identity we only learn at the end, when he tells them why Spider-Man doesn't make with the jokes and banter with him like he does his other opponents. The other gem is "The Last Shoot", about Crusher Hogan's effort to save the wrestling gym he works at by offering $10,000 to any contender who can beat him. Long-time Spidey fans know the outcome of this. But the story is actually a moving prequel, that unexpectedly shows Hogan as a man of integrity who refuses to sell out his friends for a shot at the big time, and is unfortunate enough to be on the wrong end of a budding hero who is trying to find himself. Powerful final page. The other stories are good, but mostly filler. ( )