I'm not giving grades as this is the first time I read most of these.
Ghost Rider Volume 2 #16-17: This two-parter from the Mackie/ Texeira Ghost Rider was the first time he wrote Spider-Man. It's not a memorable take although there are some clever decisions (it's set in the aftermath of a pivotal Ghost Rider story so it works as a way to keep new readers interested; Spider-Man's story is basically a sequel to a team-up with Ghost Rider in Todd McFarlane's run and pays off an earlier Hobgoblin appearance.) Nice art by Texeira.
Web of Spider-Man #84-89: Mackie's first Spider-Man story has some big ideas (Peter Parker is targeted by criminals due to a compromising photo attributed to him) but fails in the mystery, while telling a story (Kingpin starts as one of the big villains but then he's overthrown offscreen in Daredevil; it's set around the same time as The Child Within so Spider-Man is looking for Harry meaning it's not that exciting to see a less interesting Goblin.
It made a spiderfan list of the worst stories, and it's not a bad decision. This does highlight some of what we'll see in Mackie's run (generic 1990s thugs with their own superhero identities; multiple efforts to provide the Hobgoblin a new identity; a TPB length story with an unsatisfying conclusion.)
http://www.spiderfan.org/comics/revi...n_web/084.html
Marvel Fanfare #6: Nice art in a generic Spider-Man in a fantasy setting story.
Spider-Man/ Dr Strange: Way to Dusty Death This team-up has some inappropriate artistic decisions (a suicidal woman is presented as an object of desire) and uses graphic novel length to imitate a storyline that was done in earlier one-off stories. There's some interesting parts where he deals with his mortality but that's been done better elsewhere. Conway has a solid take on the hero, but doesn't do much with it.
There's a decent review of these stories, as well as the Lee/ Ditko annual and the Marvel Team-Up issue that set up the larger saga on the website Adventures In Poor Taste.
http://www.adventuresinpoortaste.com...-death-review/