Spider-Man: Master Plan #1 brings readers a done-in-one from the Spidey creative team and throws in a reprint of the first appearance of the Vulture from Amazing Spider-Man #2 for good measure.

The lead story, written by Robbie Thomson, drawn by Nathan Stockman, colored by Jim Campbell, and lettered by Travis Lanham slides right into the frequency this crew had established in the Spidey series. That makes the story easily approachable and Peter Parker instantly recognizable.

The story itself, however, would have been better served under a title of “The Ol’ Parker Luck” or some such, as this issue is driven by Peter’s duty to do the right thing and suffer the wrong consequences. Dubbing the story “Master Plan,” only makes sense for the antagonist of the piece – the Crime Master. The stumbling block, however, is that the Crime Master isn’t an instantly recognizable foe. And he’s not even tangentially related to the current film, the audience for which this issue is undoubtedly hoping to target, at least a little bit.

That doesn’t make Spider-Man: Master Plan #1 a bad story. It just makes the premise a disappointing one. Clearly, this is an inventory tale or a launching spot for another Spidey story arc. It’s just as fun as any issue of Spidey and just as enjoyable. Thompson’s Spider-Man is quick with a pun, and even quicker to do the right thing. He’s believable and human, and believably human.

That matches Stockman’s art nicely. The Spidey veteran has a nice blend of Todd Nauck and Steve Ditko in his style to make the masked wallcrawler just as expressive and fun as his unmasked civilian identity. Stockman’s page layout is conservative and smart, easy for readers of all levels of comic reading experience. Within those panels, Stockman makes commandingly smart use of the real estate, telling as much through each panel as he does from one panel to the next.

Campbell’s colors are every bit as bold as Spider-Man deserves. Reds are bright and blues are crisp. Everything looks like a Spider-Man comic should. Likewise with Lanham’s lettering choices. There really isn’t any reason for extreme deviation in the story, so Lanham does what needs to be done and does a fine job adding a solid coat of polish to the comic.

Personally, I was thrilled to find this book oversized due to the addition of Amazing Spider-Man #2. Yes, you can get that story in any number of ways, from Marvel Unlimited to untold archives and collections, but having it in hand, in a comic that I’m going to physically give to another reader while I keep the digital code just made me smile. Marvel should have at least put a tag on the cover mentioning the Vulture’s inclusion in this issue, as movie watchers will be more likely to pick up a Vulture comic following a visit to the cinema than a comic that has a character they don’t recognize. Want to take it an extra step? Add in Vulture’s Spidey appearances, or at least an add for the collections that include those spots.

All in all, Spider-Man: Master Plan #1 could have used a bit more of a marketing plan to hit the sweet spots, but taken on its own merit, it’s a decent, fun read that makes for a nice encore to the Spidey series.