The Follow-Up Everyone's Been Waiting For...
Waaaaaayyyy back in 2023, I reviewed Amazing Fantasy #15. It was a good review... Well, the second time I reviewed it, anyway. Well, now it's time to look at the first 3 issues of The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1).
Spider-Man's first story was a huge success, everyone wanted to see more of this character, Marvel's then editor Martin Goodman entered Stan Lee's office saying "Stan! Don't you remember that Spider-Man character we both liked so much? Why don't we give him his own series!" Though true cool Spider-Man fans would know that Martin HATED the idea of Spider-Man, and he only started liking it after he started seeing cash from it.
Anyway, they had already made stories for Amazing Fantasy 16, 17, 18 and 19, but since the series was canceled, they reused them for issues 1 and 2 of a brand-new series titled... You know what it's called.
But before we get to the review, let's talk about the Marvel Method because I don't know when I'm gonna get the chance to talk about this... Well, first off, you'd have a writer (usually Stan Lee) who would write a synopsis or outline of the story that would be sent off to the artist (Usually Jack Kirby, John Romita, Steve Ditko, Gil Kane, John Buscema, everyone else) for them to draw. The synopsis would be either a full description of the comic, a paragraph or a sentence depending on how lazy Stan was feeling that day (Oh, and sometimes it wouldn't even be written, it would be just discussed). After the art was finished, it was sent off to Stan Lee to write a full script based on the art, which would then be sent to a letterer (usually Artie Simek) to write the text into the comic book pages. Not the most conventional way of making a comic book, but hey, if it works, it works. This is why I wouldn't really call Stan Lee a writer. The Marvel Method was the cause of the weird text bubble decisions in some comics. I mean, the Marvel Method was sorta justified because Stan would have to work on like 50 fucking titles back then, so I guess I'll cut him some slack. It was convenient for the writer, but not so much for the artist.
Another thing I wanna talk about is the people involved in the story. Stan Lee wanted to become a famous book writer at a cool editorial, so he entered a contest... That's just how jobs worked back then, and he got 7th place (He would have you believe that he got 1st place) and just got a job at Marvel, he just didn't know he was going to be writing comic books. After that, he became editor at Marvel, and he co-created the most famous superheroes of all time... Some shady stuff happened behind the scenes and sometimes the people working with him complained about how much they HATED working with him, but no one knew about this because Stan had turned himself into some sort of mascot that threw catchphrases like "Excelsior" or "'Nuff Said". The comics fandom believed he was Santa Claus for a while. Every once in a while, Marvel talks about him and how great he was... Sometimes lying a lot.
Steve Ditko was the penciller for Amazing Fantasy, Amazing Spider-Man, Hulk, and Strange Tales for a bit in the 1960's before he decided that he was fed up with Stan's bullshit and left Marvel after issue 39 of Amazing Spider-Man. He returned in the 1970's after they got new people in charge of the company, but he never drew Spider-Man again. Closest thing was Speedball stories featured in annual issues of Amazing Spider-Man, but Spidey never appeared in those. He left again in 1991 to make his own indie comics featuring his own political views. He pretty much hid himself from society because he hated Spider-Man fans and everyone that disagreed with him, which is what I'll be doing after I retire from this site. The guy didn't want to be interviewed, or pictured, or anything, he did not want fame. I believe it is still unknown and debated as to why Steve left Spider-Man, he never spoke up about it.
Believe me, the strangest thing as a comic book fan is looking through comics history in the 1960's. Let's move on with the review. This is issue 1 of the Amazing Spider-Man by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
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The issue opens with an awesome splash page showing Spider-Man being bashed by the media, calling him a menace and other stuff. The story itself begins with Peter Parker being mad at himself for letting Uncle Ben be killed in the events of AF#15. He recalls his origin for those that missed it, he gets bitten by a spider and gets powers, blah blah blah, read my review. Now that Uncle Ben is gone, they are struggling to pay bills, which means that Peter will have to work harder to pay the bills.
After the show that night, Peter gets paid, but not in cash, though, he needs a check... However, he is so persistent in keeping this a secret, that he says, "Just write the check to 'Spider-Man'". When it's time to finally cash in the check, the guy at the bank tells him to piss off. Really smart move, Peter. Couldn't he just tell the guy "Sure, I'll tell you my real name, but if you tell anybody, I will fold you like a lawn chair".
Meanwhile, some strange looking newspaper publisher named J. Jonah Jameson is at his desk, typing away in his trusty ol' typewriter. He's typing about how Spider-Man might be a menace to the people of NYC. Jameson holds a press meeting calling Spider-Man all sorts of things and the Spider-Man act on TV is promptly canceled as a result. Lol. The first part ends with Peter trying to find a job and failing.
Second part begins with... Wait a minute, this story is titled "SPIDER-MAN"... And the name of the story for AF15 was "Spiderman"... Doesn't that get a little confusing? I mean, I guess you could say that AF15 was titled "Along Came A Spider" but that is not mentioned anywhere in the book, and the earliest mention of that title relating to Spider-Man was probably an X-Men collab... Y'know what, let's just flow with the fact that Spider-Man's first 2 stories have the same title.
Peter is at the launch of a spaceship piloted by John Jameson (Not to be confused with his father, Jonah Jameson). Everyone is so excited about it... Though it seems like Spider-Man was the most interesting thing to happen in NY for the past week because one guy is like "I bet Spider-Man would think twice before piloting a ship like this"... Guy has not seen Spider-Man: Unlimited (Though, to be fair, he did get stuck in the counter-earth in the show). Jonah is like "Make your country proud of you" even though he's technically leaving the country- WHATEVER.
The capsule containing Jameson is failing, and only ONE person can save John Jameson, and that is SPIDER NO HYPHEN MAN! He's got to reach him FAST! Turns out the capsule had a loose piece, real professional there, guys. Luckily, Spider-Man is able to fix the loose piece and lead John to safety. I bet Jonah is gonna be really happy when he sees this, he might even become PRO-SPIDER-MAN! Oh, and this is the beginning of PART 3 of the same fucking story, interrupted by 1 entire page of advertisements. I should know, I am totally reading from a real physical copy and not using the Marvel Unlimited app on my smartphone.
The next day, Peter is surprised to find out that Jameson is now even MORE against him, JJ believes that Spider-Man was the one behind all of this, just to take away attention from John Jameson. The people of the ciry are now even MORE against Spider-Man. Gee, sucks to be him, a LOT. Imagine being hated by an entire city, that would be incredibly embarrassing.
Right now it's time for part 2 of the comic, Spider-Man vs. The CHAMELEON!
Stan tells us to look out for an extra-bonus extra, whatever that means. Stan must've definitely studied marketing because in every single comic that he asks Steve to make, he keeps telling us that this will be the greatest fucking story of all time, and that there shall be no story like this one. I've seen 90's commercials that are less enthusiastic than this.
Spider-Man has come up with a very smart way to get paid, break into someone's house and ask them for money! So he tries to go to the Baxter Building to convince the Fantastic Four to hire him. He tries and fails to enter through the elevator, so he uses his brain to enter as Spider-Man through the window. The FF obviously have plenty of security systems, and one just so happened to be a tube that traps whoever tries to enter through their window. Luckily for Spider-Man, he can use his super strength to escape and begin beating the absolute shit of the FF before asking them for a job.
Reed finally stops the brawl and asks Spidey what his deal is. Peter asks if he can join the team and get paid, to which they decline, because they do NOT get paid and the funding they get goes to scientific research and gadgets. So Spider-Man leaves. Susan then wonders if they should've helped him... To which Ben responds with "We've already got a shithead teenager to worry about" or something along those lines.
Meanwhile, the Chameleon is hiding with very clever disguises, stealing a bunch of stuff, no one suspects him. Though one might wonder how he was able to make specific replicas of every single human's face. At his secret base, he builds a very specific machine that can send messages to the Spider-Sense.
Obviously, this was all done in order to trick Spider-Man. Chameleon dressed up as him to steal a bunch of stuff and run away, just so the cops can be tricked into arresting the real Spider-Man. As the Chameleon is escaping, Spider-Man catches up to him and brings him to the police... Before he can run away and trick the police once again. Spider-Man decides to call it a day and leave, he thinks that everything went wrong, but it actually went right because they did catch the Chameleon. Spidey runs away crying. The next day, the Fantastic Four are still wondering what was up with that Spider-Dude... The issue ends.
This story is great, it has lots of action, plenty of drama, Steve Ditko's art is... I guess it's okay for this issue, and the cameo didn't look tacked in. I suppose I'll give it a 9/10. On with the next one.
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You may have noticed that little square in the corner that shows Spider-Man's face and a text box saying "Marvel Comics Group", well, that would be a corner box, a lost art featured in the pages of Marvel Comics. This is one of the earliest uses of the corner box art in a comic... EVER. Sure, there were custom DC logos in some comics but nothing like what Steve Ditko had invented. You wanna know why this exists? Because back in the stone age, comics were sold on newsstands and sometimes you could only see the upper left corner.
This tale is not, in fact, titled "Spider-Man" but instead, it is titled "Duel to Death with the Vulture", the splash page shows a similar scene to the one in the cover, but Spidey is actually fighting back.
New York City, the home of many people that carelessly carry important briefcases around... Though, to be fair, how often do you see men in Vulture costumes stealing stuff? Yeah, that's what I thought. It seems like everyone can identify this guy and everyone has seen him steal something at least once, so maybe it shouldn't be hard to catch this guy, but I guess the police in 1963 were not prepared to see a fucking bird guy.
Over at the Daily Bugle, aka J. Jonah Jameson Publishing, they decide to publish more stuff about Spider-Man and more stuff about this Vulture guy, but they can't seem to get a good picture of any of them... So, they make a contest, if anyone can get a cool picture of Spider-Man that doesn't look blurry as hell, they'll get a cash reward, and maybe... Just maybe... A freelance job.
Peter Parker hears about this at his high school, and he instantly decides to commit the illegal act of lying about the source of a photograph. Later that day, Vulture steals some money again, but this time Spider-Man has taken a picture of him! Vulture obviously does not want any incriminating evidence, so he promptly throws Spider-Man into a nearby water tower.... Uh... This story is kinda silly, you mind if I read Marvel Age: Spider-Man #1? No, it's still just as silly.
Spider-Man escapes the water tower and realizes that not only is he going to need to sell these pictures, but he's gonna need to stop this Vulture guy, and he's gonna figure out how he's able to fly... But first he's gonna have to develop the pictures (This was before the digital camera age) and build a new version of the web-shooters, these ones use web cartridges.
He takes the pictures to the Daily Bugle, and he sells them to JJ, though he proposes a deal where JJ cannot ask him how he gets them. This isn't legal in the slightest and it would make me suspicious and skeptic of this random kid that just showed up in my office, but I'm not actually JJ, who just takes the pictures anyway and gives Peter his money.
The next day, as school is ending, the students whose name I can't be bothered to remember all invite Peter to see the NYPD move diamonds from the park avenue jewelry exchange in order to catch a glimpse of the Vulture... Wooooow, that sounds like the most EXCITING thing in the fucking world, watch a balding old man trying to steal jewelry to make a living.
The NYPD has a bunch of helicopters hoping to catch the Vulture, but they didn't fucking expect him to show up through the fucking manhole, this is bullshit, fuck this guy. Peter quickly changes into his Spider-Man gear to once again try to stop the Vulture. He grabs him by the foot while he's flying away and puts an electromagnetic thingy that he developed to stop Vulture's electromagnetic wings that somehow work the way they do because comic book science.
The next day, Peter sells the pictures for just enough money to purchase new furniture for Aunt May. Vulture is at jail; he will swear revenge on Spider-Man. Revenge that we will not see until issue 7.
Now it's time for the TERRIBLE TINKERER, cousin of the Average Tinkerer and the Really Good Tinkerer. The splash page shows Spider-Man getting zapped to death.
Peter is at school once again and the same fucking crowd of kids keeps making fun of him. Whatever. One of his teachers shows up with some professor to talk to Peter for a bit. I'd be terrified if my teachers brought someone to talk to me specifically, but I suppose it's okay. Professor Cobbwell has tasked Peter with helping him with some research stuff, but first, he needs to pick up a radio from some kinda weird radio shop.
Hours later, Peter puts on his Spider-Man pajamas under his regular clothes just in case he might need them, and he goes to pick up the radio from a nice old man called... Just called the Tinkerer. Peter instantly thinks a remark about how this poor old dude looks like someone straight out of Grimm's Fairy Tales.
Tinkerer picks up the radio from some aliens from outer space, who have just installed a BOMB in this radio. Later, Peter is at Cobbwell's lab working and stuff, blah blah blah. He takes out the bomb before Cobbwell can go meet his maker, luckily. And now, Spider-Man is gonna take a look at whatever the hell was going on at the Tinkerer's shop. He enters the dungeon where the aliens were working. He tries to be stealthy, but an alien immediately spots him, and they begin to fight, with Spider-Man LOSING and getting trapped in... Whatever torture device they have.
It's a good thing Stan Lee added that diagram of how the web-shooters work, and it's just SO convenient how there was a small opening that pointed right at the open button. The building is set on fire (Not by Spider-Man), and he escapes, the Tinkerer is fucking dead.... Except the aliens' UFO shows up to save them from their doom.
Peter is back at the lab, with Cobbwell telling Peter that he just saw an unidentified flying object. But then he quickly thinks he must've imagined it or something. I suppose everyone was high in the 1960's. Oh, and it turns out the Tinkerer had a mask, and he was also an alien. The end.
It's similar to the last issue, the main story is... Actually, somehow less memorable than the Tinkerer story, but that doesn't make it bad. They were silly, and goofy, and stupid, but the premise is good, and Steve's art knocks it out of the park. 8/10. On with the next and FINAL review of the post.
This is issue number 3 of the Amazing Spider-Man, the first appearance of Doctor Octopus. Yes, I redid the review from the old site.
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The story is titled "Spider-Man vs. Doctor Octopus, the strangest foe of all time" I don't know, I think the balding old dude was stranger. Just like in issue 1, the comic takes time to PROMOTE SOMEONE ELSE. And it's a member of the FF.
The story begins with Spider-Man capturing criminals and bragging about how powerful he is and how no one has defeated him yet... Keyword is yet. Meanwhile, at the US Atomic Research Center, Doctor Otto Octavius is testing some mechanic arms so he can use them for his scientific experiments.
The experiment quickly blows up, yay. Over at the hospital, the doctors tell Otto that his arms are now somehow attached to his body and cannot be removed without surgery. Turns out that the blast also kinda messed with his head, he thinks he can now achieve whatever he wants with these metal arms, and that these doctors are trying to prevent him from doing so... I'm sure he's fine. He then kidnaps some scientist guy.
Over at the Daily Bugle, Peter is once again tasked with getting pictures of Otto Octavius, so he decides to suit up and go check whatever is going on at the hospital. Through the window, he sees Doc Ock holding a bunch of people hostage, so he decides to enter before Ock can harm one of the guys, what follows is an amazing fight scene with a small mistake where Ock calls Spidey "Super-Man", please, Ock, do not compare him with that HACK from the Distinguished Competition.
Ock bitch slaps Spidey and then throws him out of the window, which is also what I do with guests that I don't like. Spider-Man is sad about being defeated so easily while Ock escapes to break into the research center again. He takes off the shields that prevent radiation from getting everywhere because... He's insane.
Meanwhile, in a shocking turn of events, Peter considers quitting his Spider-Man routine. The next day, at school, the Human Torch is there to give a motivational talk where he pretty much just says to never give up. This is what motivates Peter to try again (Why didn't he consider it before?) and he somehow figures out Ock's whereabouts. He uses a bunch of chemicals in order to stop him, which is a very good way of showcasing Spider-Man's intellect.
He finally manages to knock out Ock and take him to the authorities. He goes to where the Human Torch's doctor's office and he tells Johnny that if not for him, Spider-Man would've been done.
The next day, Torch stops by Midtown High again, and everyone looks at how cool he is. Flash tells Peter that a real man would be a guy like the Torch or Spider-Man and not a loser wimp like Pete... Oh, the irony. The issue is over. Time for a "Special Bonus Spider-Man Pin-Up Page", didn't know he was so willing to show himself in a swimsuit so early in his career, but okay.
It is a damn classic, and it made history, it's just incredible, the art knocks it out of the park, just like the last issues, this was Spider-Man's first 20-something page full story, as opposed to 2 stories per issue. And it also introduced one of the most iconic comic book villains of all time. 10/10.
I suppose that's it. It is incredibly difficult to make a brief review of a silver age comic book because honestly, they're just magic, you always have something to say about every little thing. It's just amazing... See what I did there? I said amazing, isn't that Spectacular? OMG, I did it again.
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