Ever since last year’s “Swing Shift” special, the mystery of who “Jackpot” was has been percolating through the Spider-man series. Unfortunately for the annual that finally wraps the storyline up, it’s not been percolating very well. Sure, there’s been the odd hint here and there, but the assumption largely foisted on readers has been that Jackpot is, somehow, connected to Mary-Jane, and that the story’s going to tie in to her.

Well, apparently not. After severely underselling the mystery in the main spider-title, it falls to Marc Guggenheim to lay out the pieces of the puzzle for those that still care. As a story, it hangs together fine, and all the plot elements make sense. Undoubtedly, it’s a coherent read. Unfortunately, it’s not a satisfying one.  If the specific elements of this story had been drawn out over even a few issues, it would’ve given readers time to come up with their own theories. As it is, the two we do have – Jackpot’s “real” name and Sara’s fondness for MJ – are so old that it’s easy to forget that they even tie in to this story.

By revealing so many of the facts in the space of one issue, any chance for readers to connect the dots themselves is utterly gone, and the tale feels like little more than exposition as a result. Jackpot’s true identity was destined to be a controversial matter, whether it was or wasn’t MJ – but somehow, the final revelation manages to evoke no strong feelings at all. Reading the story, my main feeling is that Jackpot represents the worst sort of wasted opportunity. The character who should’ve been a supportive heroine and a decent addition to Spider-Man’s universe, whether she was MJ or not, is instead written out with nary an epilogue. Readers of the main title – where, let’s not forget, she’s appeared fairly prominently – might just as soon fail to notice that she’s gone at all. Even the cliffhanger, which suggests the return of Ehret, seems like a cop-out, replacing a now-familiar, slightly developed character with an unfamiliar and undeveloped one in an attempt to both have the cake and eat it.

There’s no doubt that this annual is a must-read for those following Amazing Spider-Man. Art and writing are completely competent. But if it’s a satisfying resolution to a long-running story you’re after, though, then you should probably lower your expectations before reading it.