Comics Amazing from Beginning to End

[Themanofbat]

My first issue of ASM was #148... read a few here and there afterwards, but then bought them monthly from #183 onward until I stopped with ASM #421 (about 19+ years of monthly reading)...jumped back on board with ASM #471 (first JMS issue), so I went out and bought those missing 50 issues (those would be the only issues I haven't really read yet )... during that 19 year period, I managed to collect the prior 182 issues, so I have ASM #1 to current... I have all the other sister books, so the only Spidey comic I am missing is Amazing Fantasy #15...

 

[JewishHobbit]

I miss collections like that. At one time I had every X-Title publication date from Uncanny X-Men 117 to current (including New Mutants, X-Factor, Wolverine, mini's and oneshots, all the 90's comics, and almost every X-character guest appearance in other books during that time) and I was working my way backwards.

Then I had to sell all of it to pay bills and food I've bought back a good chunk of Uncanny but nothing like I used to have.

 

[Thebumwhowalks]

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.

 

[iloveclones]

^Most of my comments are pretty tongue in cheek. I just find it funny that they actually put "SOB" in the thought balloon. I guess I could have made a joke about John Boehner...

Definitely chime in. My real hope is that, as we go along, it prompts some people to go back and read what they haven't read before. Or re-read what they haven't in a while. Even if you think it's corny, and dated. Some of the stuff in those initial issues have stuck around for 40 years. So even if the delivery isn't always to your taste, the ideas were golden.

 

[Thebumwhowalks]

^Most of my comments are pretty tongue in cheek. I just find it funny that they actually put "SOB" in the thought balloon. I guess I could have made a joke about John Boehner...

Definitely chime in. My real hope is that, as we go along, it prompts some people to go back and read what they haven't read before. Or re-read what they haven't in a while. Even if you think it's corny, and dated. Some of the stuff in those initial issues have stuck around for 40 years. So even if the delivery isn't always to your taste, the ideas were golden.

Personally, I think the Lee/Ditko run is probably the best Spider-man I have read, sure , there are some issues that are less than genius, the 2nd Molten man for eg, 'a guy named joe'...I haven't read them from 1-38 for yrs and yrs, but I recall them well , and for the most part they are as good as regular sh comics get. I've never thought of those stories as dated, and I don't know, if he has a wee sob, then put in a SOB!, lol.
The other Spider-man run I think is up there with the best, that i have read, is the whole original Hobgoblin saga, esp the early Roger Stern issues.
But yeah, cheers, I will chime in if I have something to say about any issues coming up.

edit: oh, and that panel in your avatar, excellent choice, I had that two part story in a UK Annual I got for Christmas when i was about 8yrs old or so, I read that story over and over. They used to always pick Spidey stories that had snow in them for the Christmas annuals, they did 'The War of the Reptile Men' two parter as well for one.

 

[Spider-Gnome]

Sorry, I didn't respond sooner, 'clonesy! Great idea for a thread!

I first read these issues in some pocket digests that Marvel published at the time. There were three of them. I betcha I have them squirreled away somewhere, probably not in very good shape, as I read them multiple, multiple times.

It's scary how similar I am to you. Yes, I had those too! While I had read some stray reprints out there, a lot of those early stories I read first in those books.

Now I'm mad, because I don't know where they got to. I have them, but I can't find them (or my Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books).


This thread reminds me of a great column & thread I followed on re-watching the TV show LOST. It was a great column with great insight!

I look forward to this Amazing Spider-Man "rewatch!"

 

[iloveclones]

Personally, I think the Lee/Ditko run is probably the best Spider-man I have read, sure , there are some issues that are less than genius, the 2nd Molten man for eg, 'a guy named joe'...I haven't read them from 1-38 for yrs and yrs, but I recall them well , and for the most part they are as good as regular sh comics get. I've never thought of those stories as dated, and I don't know, if he has a wee sob, then put in a SOB!, lol.
The other Spider-man run I think is up there with the best, that i have read, is the whole original Hobgoblin saga, esp the early Roger Stern issues.
But yeah, cheers, I will chime in if I have something to say about any issues coming up.

edit: oh, and that panel in your avatar, excellent choice, I had that two part story in a UK Annual I got for Christmas when i was about 8yrs old or so, I read that story over and over. They used to always pick Spidey stories that had snow in them for the Christmas annuals, they did 'The War of the Reptile Men' two parter as well for one.

I actually had the thought to do this thread right before Christmas, but it took me a few weeks to implement it (I'm lazy....you'll see...). In the meantime, I was reading the issues on my phone. As I would come across a pic that I liked, I would change my avatar. I made it in my reading up to about issue 50 or so. Now that I've backed up a little, and am going a little slower, I'll probably do the same with my avatar. Sort of a subliminal advertising to other areas of the hype who might not be coming into our thread...

 

[iloveclones]

It's scary how similar I am to you. Yes, I had those too! While I had read some stray reprints out there, a lot of those early stories I read first in those books.

If you read them like I did, there's probably not much left to find. I must have read those things dozens of times.

 

[Spider-Gnome]

I read them, but didn't beat them in the ground. There around here some place...

 

[Themanofbat]

I think my Mom threw mine away...

 

[runawayboulder]

Spread the word, runawayboulder. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

I'm kind of curious, how many of you out there have read the entire (or majority) run of Amazing? I would say that I've read all but about 12 issues, right around Identity Crisis. and there might be a few others here or there. But there are some I haven't read since they were on the newstands. So I'm sure there are many characters, etc that I've forgotten.

I have not read the entire ASM run. I started to when I got the 40yrs of Spider-Man DVD but lost track. I think I made it to issue 32-33 or something. The longest span I ever read was #256-406 and pretty much all of the PPSSM and WOSM in between. It was kinda hard back then for a while with the secondary titles because my town didn't have a comic shop for a while and the 80's stuff I got off a deli newsstand (they always had ASM). I remember dropping Spider-Man after Spec #229 when Pete walked away and the books were relaunched/put on hiatus. I was pretty incensed about that for a while and didn't pick up a Spider-Man comic again for a loooooooooooong while. I'd say that I've read over 70% of ASM's run at some point though......

 

[iloveclones]

Amazing Spider-Man # 3
Capsule Review - The story starts with the standard “Spidey foiling some random thugs…” and lamenting how it’s becoming too easy for him. (Oh, Pete&#8230 Enter, Doctor Otto Octavius, Master of Radiation, who has even invented some mechanical arms to assist him in his experiments. When one of his experiments goes Kablooey (Some Master ), the mechanical arms get fused to his body making him a , wait for it, a human Octopus (which makes it really fortunate that his name wasn’t Matt Mackeral) Anyway, Spidey gets into a fight, loses, and loses badly. In the end, Ock is, really, just slapping him around. Demoralized, Spidey ponders hanging it all up, until a unintended pep talk from the Human Torch gets Rocky music playing in his head. Renewed, he tackles Ock again. This time not taking him so lightly, he manages to cobble up a chemical that fuses two of his arms together, and that, along with webbing over the glasses (bound to become a classic), gets him close enough to get one good punch in. And that’s all she wrote.


I have to admit, that the last 2 issues were pretty easy to make fun of. Don’t get me wrong, they’re classics, and I love them, but there are a lot of dated, cornball stuff in there.

This issue was definitely a turning point for the title. Doc Ock has one of those horror movie origins that’s part creepy, part tragic. I always felt Doc was more arrogant than evil. (Dude was obsessed with radiation, though…I mean, just patent the arms and you’re Bill Gates rich!) Lots of good villains in the first 20 or so issues, many of which will be mainstays in the Spidey- and wider Marvel- Universe. But Doc definitely took it up a notch.

Trivia from Sam Ruby: Doc Ock was visually based on Roy Orbison. Any Spideyophiles know if that’s the truth?


Links:
Sam Ruby:http://www.samruby.com/AmazingSpider-ManA/amazing_spiderman_003.htm




From the Be Careful What You Wish For Department….

Here’s some more examples of Ditko playing with light (long before that Jackass Kincaid)…

I always loved this sequence, which I thought was horror movie creepy….

That Doc, wasn’t he the sly one:

 

[iloveclones]

I have not read the entire ASM run. I started to when I got the 40yrs of Spider-Man DVD but lost track. I think I made it to issue 32-33 or something. The longest span I ever read was #256-406 and pretty much all of the PPSSM and WOSM in between. It was kinda hard back then for a while with the secondary titles because my town didn't have a comic shop for a while and the 80's stuff I got off a deli newsstand (they always had ASM). I remember dropping Spider-Man after Spec #229 when Pete walked away and the books were relaunched/put on hiatus. I was pretty incensed about that for a while and didn't pick up a Spider-Man comic again for a loooooooooooong while. I'd say that I've read over 70% of ASM's run at some point though......

So break out that DVD! I'd love to hear your comments with the comic fresh in your mind...

 

[runawayboulder]

So break out that DVD! I'd love to hear your comments with the comic fresh in your mind...

I'll try my best by this weekend. It's been hectic this week, new job and another damn snowstorm has had me preoccupied.

 

[runawayboulder]

All right Clones, since you buttered me up with your appreciation of my input I checked out ASM #3 again on the DVD.

2 things spring to mind:

First, DAMN, I miss the web armpits big time. Axel Alonso's first edict as EIC should be that all Spider-Man artists (not just on ASM) must draw Spidey with web pits. They are such a great touch to an already iconic costume.

And second, Clones of all the pics from this issue you forgot the most iconic panel ever. Doc Ock slapping Spider-Man while he's restrained by the arms. I think I've seen that panel recreated a hundred times throughout Spidey's history.

BTW, the "pipe" scene is very cool!

 

[iloveclones]

So, a few notes:

I'm actually avoiding the more "iconic" pics, because frankly, we've all seen them before. I thought I'd try to post maybe lesser known pics that I find cool or interesting. (And, I figured I'd give someone else a chance to post those kind of pics and give their thoughts on them.)

By all means, don't feel like you can't post pics. Or whole reviews for that matter. It's not like the internet is running out of space or anything. And that goes for any "inserted continuity" like Untold Tales, as long as we've gone past that point. Maybe someone who's familiar with it can give us an update on where the UToSM issues fit in as we go along.

Here's that pic of Doc *****-slapping Spidey:

EDIT: HaHa....I had originally named that pic *****slap in photoshop, but when the Hype's censor caught it, it didn't recognize it...so I had to change it to docslap.....learn something every day.

 

[Scarlettess]

I love this thread, some great stuff in here guys. I've read some of the early ASM issues when I was a kid,(the first issue was when Rhino first came onto the scene) but I didn't start collecting ASM since the Ezekial/Morbius run, then I wanted some more issues. I have a Ditko and John Romita SR book (as well as a Stan Lee one too) back at my parents house that have all the orginal coloured issues in them, never get tired of reading them.

Question, I have an andriod phone and an iTouch, are the andriod apps better than the iPhone/iTouch apps? i'd love to be able to carry around ASM in my pocket! can read it anywhere then :-D

edit: also does the App already come with a library, or do you buy the comics seperately?

 

[Themanofbat]

I love how the guys in the radiation suits are calling him "poor old doctor octopus" and feeling bad for the guy... if they only knew...

 

[iloveclones]

I love this thread, some great stuff in here guys. I've read some of the early ASM issues when I was a kid,(the first issue was when Rhino first came onto the scene) but I didn't start collecting ASM since the Ezekial/Morbius run, then I wanted some more issues. I have a Ditko and John Romita SR book (as well as a Stan Lee one too) back at my parents house that have all the orginal coloured issues in them, never get tired of reading them.

Question, I have an andriod phone and an iTouch, are the andriod apps better than the iPhone/iTouch apps? i'd love to be able to carry around ASM in my pocket! can read it anywhere then :-D

edit: also does the App already come with a library, or do you buy the comics seperately?

I PM'd you.

Yes, I love having them with me too. It's like having my entire childhood travelling around with me, to open up whenever I want....

 

[Scarlettess]

Thanks iloveclones. Now to Amazon to have a look for that DVD hehe

 

[iloveclones]

Try ebay also if you can't find it...

 

[iloveclones]

Amazing Spider-Man # 4 - Nothing Can Stop The Sandman

Capsule Review - The issue starts out with a great scene of Spidey nabbing some crooks before they rob a store. One of the crooks is prepared for the eventuality and begins calling for a cop. Since they really hadn’t done anything yet, Spidey is just harassing them??!? Spidey can just stand there dumbfounded, as the tables are turned on him. Priceless.

Ruminating about how JJJ is the root of all his problems, he decides to leave him a present, in a scene that will be replayed over and over in the Spidey mythos…The old “sticky webbing on Jonah’s chair” trick.

Leaving his office, he spies some police on the chase, and a suspicious character climbing the fire escape of a building. So begins his first encounter with the Sandman. It ends with Spidey’s mask ripped, and Pete, once again, pondering the fate of Aunt May if he ends up going to jail.

While Sandman continues robbing banks, Pete is at home sewing his costume (glamorous!) and pretending to be sick so Aunt May doesn’t see him in his costume. We also get to see how the Sandman became all Sandy (Nuclear explosion….Stan loved the nuclear explosion back in the day.)

In one of those cosmic convergence scenes that can only happen in comics, Sandman is on the run, and decides to hole up where? Pete’s school of course. And while he’s there, he wants a diploma, too! (I’m not kidding…)

They tussle around the school, and Pete finally comes up with a plan to defeat him, with a power drill and an industrial vacuum. (I mean, what do you do with sand other than sweep it up?)

Links:
Sam Ruby: http://www.samruby.com/AmazingSpider-ManA/amazing_spiderman_004.htm

Pics!!

Uh, you know they were robbing a bank, right!?

Get used to it, Jonah….It won’t be the last time….

Another in the classic series of “How Aunt May can start living on the street….:

I want a diploma, and they I wanna be Student Body President, and how about you throw in AV club, ‘cause I always thought those guys were cool….oh, oh a Lettermen’s Jacket. Gimme one of those too…

Helloooo..maybe you haven’t noticed, but my arm is in your thorax?

I’m including this pic ( other than for it’s absurdity), because it reminds me of a night when my house was broken into and I chased the ne’er-do-good out of my house with the first weapon that I spied….a squeegee…

The Mighty Sandman trembles before the power of the Hepa Filter…

Years ago, I bought a t-shirt with this picture on it using more modern coloring and shading techniques. It wasn't until I saw that, that I realized how much better Ditko was than I had previously thought.

 

[runawayboulder]

Aunt May selling shoe-laces for 10 cents, LOL. The part I really loved was JJJ standing there in his boxers the next day and Peter bringing him a new pair of pants. Classic stuff!

And honestly I never really thought too highly of Ditko when I first saw his stuff as a kid. Over the years I've come to appreciate it, his Sandman was awesome.

 

[The Bruce]

Something just works in these classic tales...I dare you to find another superhero whose first adventures are as readable as the Amazing Spider-man. They have aged better than any other book I know of.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Immature JewishHobbit is about to come out...

[blackout]Spidey and Sandman's junks are touching in that last picture, though that could be Sandman's elongated junk and scrotum pouring over Spidey's leg [/blackout]