Comics The Amazing Spider-Man 616 general discussion

[Picard Sisko]

This thread is for everyone to discuss anything Spider-Man in terms of the 616 universe, from Amazing Fantasy #15 to Superior Spider-Man.

 

[runawayboulder]

I'm gonna go 80's. It's when I started reading comics so it wins by default. I respect and love a lot of what was done in the 70's, the 90's were awful for Spider-Man. The 00's were half good and half bad. Probably more bad than good because of stories like OMD and The Other. As for the 60's, some of it was so campy and dated that it's hard for me to get into but I get how it's the infancy years of the character and it's important therein.

In the 80's I loved the work Roger Stern did, how DeFalco followed it up and the dawn of Web of Spider-Man. My favorite stories were by Peter David though. The structure and design of PPTSSM during his run was beautiful. I loved how the stories were mostly single shots and they ended with a black credit box. The endings were the endings whether they ended on a high note or not, take it or leave it. Those little credit boxes were the same as how some TV shows end, like The Sopranos or Boardwalk Empire. Very ahead of it's time.

 

[KaineMorrison]

I voted the '90's, but it's tied with the 1980's as well....
ok, well...
lets say early/mid '80's to mid '90's.
2000-2010 was mostly terrible.
'60's & ''70's were also great but there's just something "magical" about the '80's-'96/'97 run...

 

[Picard Sisko]

I find the 60s to be quite magical. There were a lot of ups and downs with the 70s after Gwen died, especially with the introduction to some really lame villains (i.e. The Grizzly, White Dragon). The 80s had some great stuff with Venom, and even into the early 90s as well. The part that dragged that decade down for me was the Clone Saga that just went on for far too long. Though the relaunch in the late 90s into the early 2000s was really good IMO. I liked most of the stories up until One More Day happened. *shivers*

The best part of the 2000s was not part of the 616, and it was USM. But that's a discussion for another thread.

 

[THUNDERSTRIKE]

I'm tired, it's gettin' late and I'm off to bed in a few, but I'm gonna put my two cents worth in without gettin' into a whole explanation except to say that the 60's gets MY vote... it was a period of growth and development for Spidey, his cast and the rest of the Marvel Universe that just can't be denied or ignored... those are the years that set the foundation for all the Marvel characters, as well as all the writers and artists... and it was also a time where continuity and it's growing history MEANT something where it wasn't occasionally ret-conned, altered, tampered with or forgotten as if certain events never happened just to suit certain editors or writers whims...

magical times back then?... hellzyeah... magical times today?... not EVEN...

and with THAT, I'm off to bed... good night...

 

[Picard Sisko]

I don't think there is any magic left in most comic books at this point. I can re-read the 60s comic books over and over again, and I still feel that "spark."

 

[KaineMorrison]

I find the 60s to be quite magical. There were a lot of ups and downs with the 70s after Gwen died, especially with the introduction to some really lame villains (i.e. The Grizzly, White Dragon). The 80s had some great stuff with Venom, and even into the early 90s as well. The part that dragged that decade down for me was the Clone Saga that just went on for far too long. Though the relaunch in the late 90s into the early 2000s was really good IMO. I liked most of the stories up until One More Day happened. *shivers*

The best part of the 2000s was not part of the 616, and it was USM. But that's a discussion for another thread.

I hated the Relaunch.
Especially since they made Year One canon/in continuity!

 

[The Joker]

The 60's for sure. Golden era for Spidey.

 

[Picard Sisko]

I hated the Relaunch.
Especially since they made Year One canon/in continuity!

I mean after the "Chapter One" (or Year One) arc ended, where we get John Romita Jr.'s artwork.

 

[THUNDERSTRIKE]

I don't think there is any magic left in most comic books at this point. I can re-read the 60s comic books over and over again, and I still feel that "spark."

I'd rather read a good Masterworks or an Omnibus with characters and stories set in the 60's where I can STILL truly enjoy it, instead of some of the useless drivel and pap that's cranked out THESE days that just makes me roll my eyes for the most part and go "meh" or "ugh"...

 

[Themanofbat]

I'm tired, it's gettin' late and I'm off to bed in a few, but I'm gonna put my two cents worth in without gettin' into a whole explanation except to say that the 60's gets MY vote... it was a period of growth and development for Spidey, his cast and the rest of the Marvel Universe that just can't be denied or ignored... those are the years that set the foundation for all the Marvel characters, as well as all the writers and artists... and it was also a time where continuity and it's growing history MEANT something where it wasn't occasionally ret-conned, altered, tampered with or forgotten as if certain events never happened just to suit certain editors or writers whims...

magical times back then?... hellzyeah... magical times today?... not EVEN...

and with THAT, I'm off to bed... good night...

I agree wholeheartedly with EVERYTHING that you say...

However, I voted the 70's because I was first introduced to Spider-Man in 1972 when I was 5 years old (via the 60's cartoon in syndication)... and my first Spider-Man comics came in 1975... those Len Wein stories may have been "hokey", but I loved them, and it paved the way for when I was 11 for Marv Wolfman's epic run to ASM #200. To this day, ASM #200 could have been the last issue of Spider-Man, and his story would have come full cirlce. Also in the 70's, I had the pleasure of reading 60's spidey tales via Marvel Tales, so I had the best of both worlds in one decade.

 

[THUNDERSTRIKE]

I agree wholeheartedly with EVERYTHING that you say...

However, I voted the 70's because I was first introduced to Spider-Man in 1972 when I was 5 years old (via the 60's cartoon in syndication)... and my first Spider-Man comics came in 1975... those Len Wein stories may have been "hokey", but I loved them, and it paved the way for when I was 11 for Marv Wolfman's epic run to ASM #200. To this day, ASM #200 could have been the last issue of Spider-Man, and his story would have come full cirlce. Also in the 70's, I had the pleasure of reading 60's spidey tales via Marvel Tales, so I had the best of both worlds in one decade.

I guess when it comes right down to it where comics are concerned, it's what a person grows up with and reads that's always going to be that person's favorite and magical time... what he's used to is always going to belong close to him and everything else afterwards is never QUITE going to achieve or attain the same magic that he experienced growing up... with every decade that goes by, I just see that magic of comics just fading away more and more...

that magic may be there for those new readers that are growing up with today's stories, because it's what THEY'RE growing up with, but it's just a different feeling for every decade's readers, I think, as time and stories and writers and characters go on...

for me, the 70's stories weren't bad, but growing up with what I read in the 60's, those later issues in the 70's will never quite make it for ME...

so ya see what I mean?... t:

 

[Picard Sisko]

Is it worth reading, "Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man?" I bought the first three volumes of the Essential collection. How about "Web of Spider-Man?"

I really want to get into "Marvel Team-Up." Its pretty much Spider-Man teaming up with other superheroes, right?

 

[THUNDERSTRIKE]

Parker Spectacular had some good and enjoyable stories, but I always despised Web... I think a majority of the stories really sucked thruout it's long run... as for Team-Up, there's some good stuffs as well as bad, depending on the teamup...

 

[Picard Sisko]

Is Web of Spider-Man that bad?

 

[THUNDERSTRIKE]

Is Web of Spider-Man that bad?

it's bad... iMho...

 

[runawayboulder]

I think most people hate Web because Marvel Team Up was cancelled in favor of it. Truth be told, the early days of Web had a lot of good one and done stories. The closer it got to issue 100, the worse it got. It was the red headed step child of the Spidey books. They stopped putting any effort into it.

 

[Picard Sisko]

Hmm. Was "Web of Spider-Man" a team up series as well?

 

[The Joker]

No, it just had a lot of terrible stories.

 

[runawayboulder]

No. It was more suspense driven stories that took Spider-Man out of NYC. JJJ created a spin off of the Bugle called NOW magazine that sent Peter out on the road a lot covering stories with Joy Mercado.

 

[Themanofbat]

Is it worth reading, "Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man?" I bought the first three volumes of the Essential collection. How about "Web of Spider-Man?"

I really want to get into "Marvel Team-Up." Its pretty much Spider-Man teaming up with other superheroes, right?

If you bought them, then you should read them... I always found those books to be lacking compared to ASM, but there's some good stories in the early issues, especially once we hit the early 20's... and then Roger Stern took over around #42... more good stuff follows... then we get Cloak & Dagger, and arguably the BEST Doc Ock storyline ever with SSM #72 to 79...

Marvel Team-Up, especially the early issues, were fantastic... some were duds, if it was a bad team-up, but the stories were good... best Amazing Spider-Man sister book ever.

 

[runawayboulder]

Yeah, those Bill Mantlo stories were something great. What happened to him is probably one of the biggest tragedies in all of comics.

 

[Airnick]

Ordered amazing spider-man 42 today, Pretty excited about that.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

Web of Spider-Man issues written by Peter David and Gerry Conway are good

A few Marvel Team-Up issues don't have Spider-Man in them, I count annuals too

 

[Nicko-Ray]

Oldest issue I own is 37? First Norman Osborn. Okay condition. Also briefly teases his insanity. Which is cool. Right from the bat.