Best Issue of Amazing Spider-Man?

[Spuzz]

In your opinions what is the best/your favorite issue of The Amazing Spider-Man and why? I'm going back and actually reading some of the essentials and would love to know everyone's favorites. Mods, if this is in the wrong section feel free to move it.

 

[Themanofbat]

ASM #192 & 200 are two of the BEST single issues of Amazing Spider-Man I've ever read...

 

[Themanofbat]

Though they read better if you read Marv Wolfman's entire run from issues 185 to 200...

 

[runawayboulder]

Best single issue of ASM.....just ASM? My personal favorite is "When Cometh...the Commuter" - ASM #267.

ASM #200 and #248 (The Kid who Collects Spider-Man) are right up there as well as #2 and 3.

 

[runawayboulder]

Mods, if this is in the wrong section feel free to move it.

And FYI, this probably will be moved to the comics section of the Spider-Man forums.

 

[Spider-Gnome]

Off the top of my head?

Issue 121.

It was the second issue of Amazing I ever read when it came out back in 1973.

The Night Gwen Stacy Died.

Nuff said.

 

[Spuzz]

Wow great recommendations! If anyone else has any, keep them coming!

Also, on the reverse, are there any truly filler issues I should avoid? I'm attempting to read them all in order but if there's any that are universally considered a waste of time I don't want to waste mine. :P

 

[Miz]

Off the top of my head?

Issue 121.

It was the second issue of Amazing I ever read when it came out back in 1973.

The Night Gwen Stacy Died.

Nuff said.

I 100% agree with this.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Definately some great ones listed above. The Night Gwen Stacy Died and the Kid Who Collects Spider-Man were two that came to mind.

My all time favorite issue of Amazing Spider-Man, however, will always be Amazing Spider-Man #400... the death of Aunt May. Now they retconned that story horribly but for what it was at the time it was just amazing.

Other runner ups I'd say:

361 (1st Carnage)
238 (I think that's the issue, 1st Hobgoblin)

 

[choskins]

121 & 122
238 and the other early Hobgoblin appearances leading up to 250
The gang wars issues in the 280s.
270 when he takes down firelord
The original clone saga issues (150-ish)
ASM 96-98 - the drug issues.
100 the original Morbius stories.
Also, the ASM run from 229 (Juggernaught) through 236 (Tarantula) is awesome and leads right into 238 Hobgoblin. Basically, that run from about 200 through 250 was pure gold.

Just off the top of my head!

 

[choskins]

My all time favorite issue of Amazing Spider-Man, however, will always be Amazing Spider-Man #400... the death of Aunt May. Now they retconned that story horribly but for what it was at the time it was just amazing.

Agreed!

 

[Themanofbat]

Issues #1 to 251...

 

[runawayboulder]

If the Clone Saga had a silver lining to it's cloud then it was def ASM #400.

 

[JewishHobbit]

The Clone Saga was pure awesomeness... but #400 was the peak of that awesomeness.

Honestly, the Clone Saga was just awesome without flaw up until the "reveal" of Peter being a clone. That's when it went downhill for a lot of people. Personally, I hated it at that moment but in hindsight I grew to love it all knowing that it was eventually proven wrong.

 

[runawayboulder]

I hated it. I actually quit Spider-Man for a short while but had a change of heart and came back. Luckily back issues were pretty cheap because of the bubble collapse and all...

 

[Spider - Man]

I hated it. I actually quit Spider-Man for a short while but had a change of heart and came back. Luckily back issues were pretty cheap because of the bubble collapse and all...

I did the exact same thing. Clone saga was wrong for so many reasons. But I digress...

I always hada fondness for the mid 100s issues because those were the first I ever bought and when I began collecting comics. I think 154 with Sandman and 155 with the 'Whodunnit' storyline were the first two. Pencilled by Sal Buscema, one of the great Spidey artists. Also all the issues on up thru roughly 185. Ross Andru was (well, not 'the Man, that was Stan) 'the' Spidey artist of the 70s. From that point I began collecting forwards AND backwards, obviously going more forwards than backwards (hey, those back issues were expensive for a tween kid without much money!) but I'm closing in on completing the collection all these years later (there were some lapses in there as I've said). ASM is about the only thing I buy new now just because nothing they put out does a thing for me. I think I'll just spend the remaining years trying to be a completist going backwards, try to read EVERYTHING Marvel from, say 1961 thru mid- to late-80s. That should keep me busy!

 

[Spuzz]

What are some of the best Mysterio-centric issues?

 

[runawayboulder]

When he faked Aunt May's death. It was in the issues TMoB was referring to earlier that led up to ASM #200.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Issues #1 to 251...

No love for the Black Costume Saga? The original Hobgoblin Saga (to it's original conclusion anyway)?

 

[runawayboulder]

No love for the Black Costume Saga? The original Hobgoblin Saga (to it's original conclusion anyway)?

He kinda started with the question of best issue, which means to me best single issue of ASM. The Black Costume was more of a storyline that spanned across 3 titles and several months. If we're talking best story lines, I'd definitely put it up on the list.

 

[JewishHobbit]

I was refering to TMoB's listing #1-#251... stopping just shy of the Black Costume saga and cutting the original Hobgoblin Saga short.

 

[Themanofbat]

No love for the Black Costume Saga? The original Hobgoblin Saga (to it's original conclusion anyway)?

Issues #252 to #300 were good... some of them very good, but I was not a fan of the costume change, which eventually became Venom, a character that lost all of his luster after his second appearance with all the overexposure and the Larson tongue, and the HobGoblin went from an awesome character (Kinglsey) to a wimpy *****ebag (Macendale)... ASM #289 was the lamest conclusion ever... almost contrived...

But DeFalco's books were very good... I could have stated ASM #1 to 300, but some of the issues between #252 & 300 were lame... and #251 seemed like a good endpoint to #1 up... coinciding with Stern's tenure on the book (3rd best ASM writer ever behind Stan Lee & Marv Wolfman)

 

[runawayboulder]

ASM struggled badly starting right around Spidey's 30th anniversary. I can pinpoint his parents coming back as a major point of frustration for me.

 

[Spider-Gnome]

ASM struggled badly starting right around Spidey's 30th anniversary. I can pinpoint his parents coming back as a major point of frustration for me.

BINGO!!!

Exactly for me! This lead to a lot that didn't work for me I Am the Spider/Pete No More, Max Carnage, Clone Saga reveal as "Pete as Clone," "reboot," blowing up MJ, seperating with MJ, etc.

As far as TMOB's #1-251, I'd go #1-350.

 

[runawayboulder]

There was also MJ taking up smoking out of the blue. It was kinda small beans at the time but when lumped in with all the rest of the negative stuff at the time it was certainly an annoyance. It also was the first inkling of editorial using the "MJ's not good enough for Peter" tact.