There's an innate problem with a book like Spider-Man/Kingpin: To the Death. We know going in that Marvel isn't really going to off its most popular hero or one of its most enduring villains -- or, as the cover suggests, fellow hero Daredevil. Even if Marvel did such a thing, we also know that any deceased heroes and villains will be back fairly soon, because Marvel never lets anyone (except Spidey's Uncle Ben) rest in peace.

That said, it's not a bad book. It's also not anything special, which makes me wonder why it deserved the extra pages, high-grade paper and stiff cover. It probably should have been two issues of Spider-Man's ongoing series -- unless it's the direct involvement of Marvel wunderkinder Stan Lee (script), John Romita (pencils) and Tom DeFalco (plot).

It begins with an overused Spider-Man plot device -- someone dresses up in a Spider-suit and shoots a few bad guys, and immediately New York's compliment of police officers and superheroes are out gunning for the web-spinner's head. No one ever tries to talk first in these stories; they all just go for the killing shot. Spider-Man is, of course, innocent.

Daredevil is the one hero who bothers to ask Spider-Man before bashing him over the head. Using his hyper senses to confirm Spidey's innocence, they start busting heads in seedy bars, looking for clues about the person framing him. That leads them to the Kingpin and a strength-enhancing chemical that delivers madness and death in a few short hours. Yes, Daredevil is infected, and yes, Daredevil and Spider-Man end up duking it out after all.

End of story. As I said, it's not bad. If you're a Spider-Man or Daredevil completist, it should be in your collection.