Down These Mean Streets is a mass market paperback, authored by Keith R. A. DeCandido

Keith R. A. DeCandido

Keith Robert Andreassi DeCandido is an American science fiction and fantasy writer and musician, who works on comic books, novels, role-playing games and video games, including numerous media tie-in books for properties such as Star Trek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Doctor Who, Supernatural,...

 and starring Spider-Man

Spider-Man

Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...

. It is one of several paperbacks in the Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics

Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...

 line published by Pocket Star Books. If regarded in Earth-616 canon, the events in the novel take place roughly after Amazing Spider-Man #509.

Plot introduction

The story centers around a mysterious drug known as Triple X that has been giving its users superpowers as well as rendering them mentally and physically unstable. Spider-Man

Spider-Man

Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...

is forced to team with the police to not only protect people from the enhanced users but find the origin of the drug itself. They soon learn that one of Spider-Man's most prominent enemies might be behind the drug but for a grander scheme.