I forgot to add this. Seriously, this guy eventually goes toe to toe with Firelord?
He is just a young kid getting used to his powers, and all the weight that comes with that. and remember, at the end of the first issue of the FL story, he almost runs away and hides in his secret identity cause he is scared, until his wallet falls out of his pocket(when he is in mid-change)and flips open to a pic of his Uncle Ben, reminding him of what happened before when he did not face up to his responsibilities.
edit: as for the comics...my first issues of the Ditko/Lee SM were in a little colour digest book, that had the issues from the second Vulture appearance to the 1st Mysterio, I used to read that book all the time, I was about 3yrs old when i got it. I got the UK weekly SM comic back then too, my 1st reg comic.
I borrowed a friends collection of Marvel Tales about 20plus yrs ago, and had a loan of them for about 5-7yrs, so I re-read all the Ditko issues many times, I only have around twenty Ditko reprints myself, in MT, Uk pocketbooks, Uk annuals etc.
I don't want to buy the Ditkos in Essential format, as I don't think his artwork lends itself to B&W printings so well, I want all of those classics in colour anyway, and plan on completing my collection of old MT reprints of Ditkos.
I sold ASM 38, but still own ASM annual no5, the one with Red Skull, and Spidey's parents history, from '68.
I have a few other early ones, no 45, 77, 96(the drug issue, a lucky buy by me when i was a kid at a convention), 103, 104, the Grizzly/Jackal issues, the first Willo the Wisp...as well as some other earlies in Marvel Tales reprints. I always wanted to read em all in colour one day, so held back buying the Essentials, but I eventually just bought em all(apart from the Ditkos) and tanked through them, so my Spidey reading goes from about 1-180 or so(whatever the essentials are up to), and then I have most of the original issues from about 230-297(with a couple here and there before that), then 304-333 or thereabouts.
I took a long break from sh comics at that point in time, and only came back in round about Civil War, so I bought all of those ASM's, up until they did the whole BND thing, and I stopped buying it, I got the anniversary issue with Doc Ock though, no600, which was pretty good.
If I have anything to say, I will chime in with any thoughts on issues as you come to them, some are indelibly printed on my living brain.