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Post by crazyoldhermit on Mar 1, 2015 15:27:14 GMT
And so the world was introduced to Spider-Man, who in my opinion is not only Marvel's greatest hero but is the greatest superhero of all time. As a kid Spider-Man was my absolute favorite, save for when Batman temporarily overtook my life when I was seven. Even as a kid I could see that there was something different about Spidey. He felt more human and more dramatic while at the same time boasting a ridiculous amount of cool ideas and visuals (being raised during the initial airing of the 90s animated series I was particularly enamoured by his six-armed form and the Goblin villains). As an adult I look over the character's history and see something unique: The life story of one man (except when when it was two) told continuously over 50 years chronicling his development from boy to manhood (save for one unfortunate interruption...). I began this thread on another board and the great King Ozymandias suggested I post it here as well. Some of this material I've read but I'll be reading most of it for the first time. I don't know how far I'll get and I don't know how long it will take to get there but my primary goal is the 300th issue, with stories from other series mixed in when necessary. Milestones and HighlightsThe Lee/Ditko Era (1962-66)AF#15 - The origin of Spider-Man. First app. Peter Parker, Aunt May, Uncle Ben, Flash Thompson, Liz Allan and the Burglar. ASM#01 - Spidey faces his first supervillain and meets the Fantastic Four. First app. J. Jonah Jameson, John Jameson, The Chameleon and The Daily Bugle. ASM#02 - Peter takes photos for The Daily Bugle for the first time. First app. The Vulture. ASM#03 - Spider-Man is defeated for the first time. First app. Dr. Octopus, Spider-Signal. ASM#04 - Peter sells photos of Spider-Man for the first time. First app. Sandman, Betty Brant. ASM#06 - First app. The Lizard. ASM#08 - Peter stops wearing his glasses and fights Flash. ASM#09 - Betty becomes Peter's girlfriend and Aunt May falls ill. First app. Electro ASM#10 - First app. Frederick Foswell, The Enforcers. ASM#11 - Doc Ock returns to terrorize Betty in the first two parter. First app. Bennett Brant, spider-tracer. ASM#13 - Liz Allan develops a crush on Peter. First Mysterio. ASM#14 - Spidey meets the Hulk for the first time. First app. Green Goblin. ASM#15 - First app. Kraven the Hunter. ASMA#1 - First app. Sinister Six. ASM#16 - Spidey meets Daredevil for the first time. ASM#17 - The Green Goblin returns as Aunt May falls ill and Spidey is branded a coward. First three parter. ASM#18 - Peter quits being Spider-Man for the first time. First app. Ned Leeds. ASM#20 - First app. Scorpion. ASM#23 - First app. Norman Osborn (unofficial). ASM#25 - First app. Spencer Smythe. ASM#26 - The Green Goblin battles the Crime-Master. ASM#28 - Peter graduates from Midtown High and Liz Allan leaves the book. First app. Molten Man. ASMA#2 - Spider-Man meets Dr. Strange for the first time. ASM#31 - "If This Be My Destiny," the greatest story of the run. Also, Peter starts college! First app. Harry Osborn, Gwen Stacy, Miles Warren. ASM#34 - Betty Brant dumps Peter. ASM#37 - First app. Norman Osborn (official), Mendel Stromm. ASM#38 - Final Steve Ditko issue. The Lee/Romita Era (1966- )ASM#39 - Spider-Man and the Green Goblin learn each other's identities (two parter). ASM#41 - First app. Rhino. ASM#42 - First app. Mary Jane Watson. ASMA#3 - Spider-Man is invited to join the Avengers. ASM#46 - First app. Shocker ASM#47 - Flash joins the army. First major retcon. ASM#48 - First app. Vulture II (Blackie Drago), the first legacy character in the series. ASM#49 - Gwen adopts her classic look. ASM#50 - "Spider-Man No More!" Peter finally understands his great responsibility. One of the greatest Spider-Man stories of all time. First app. Kingpin ASM#51 - First app. Joe "Robbie" Robertson, the first minority character in the series. ASM#52 - The death of Frederick Foswell ASM#53 - Peter and Gwen's first date
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Post by crazyoldhermit on Mar 1, 2015 15:30:52 GMT
Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962) "Spiderman" Script: Stan Lee Art: Steve Ditko Letters: Uncredited Cover: Jack Kirby Summary: A group of teenagers at Midtown High need one more guy for the dance (which makes zero sense to me) and one fella suggests bringing Peter Parker. The other students scoff at the idea, Peter is a bookworm and a wallflower. Peter watches them dejectedly. His home life is a blend of sweet and humiliating. Peter is raised by his elderly aunt and uncle, who treat him like he's an infant and his Uncle Ben even comments that he can outwrestle Peter. At school Peter is an honor student with a gift for the sciences and his teacher promises a scholarship upon graduation. But socially, Peter stinks. A girl named Sally rejects him for Flash Thompson, one of the athletic boys who mocked him earlier. Peter asks if anyone would like to attend a demonstration on radiation with him but they brush him off. As they drive off Peter swears that they will be sorry for laughing at him. At the demonstration a spider gets dosed by the machine and bites Peter. Feeling ill, Peter excuses himself. A passing car almost hits him and he leaps up at a nearby building and sticks to the wall. He is able to scale the building in seconds and realizes he also has great strength and dexterity. A few days later he finds the perfect opportunity to take advantage of his powers: A wrestling exhibition promising a $100 prize (Almost $800 in today's money) to anyone who can stay in the ring with Crusher Hogan. Creating a costume and disguise to spare himself humiliation if he fails, Peter takes on Hogan and effortlessly trounces him. A TV producer witnesses the event and promises to make a star out of him. At home Peter designs a proper costume (keeping the mask for a mystery angle) and works up wrist-mounted devices to fire web lines (how he was able to create such a device is glossed over and the miracle webbing is completely unexplained). With the necessary equipment all set he figures Spiderman is a good enough name and is ready to put on a show. His debut on television is a massive success. Agents beg for photospreads and interviews and offer movie deals. Peter tells them to deal with his manager. At that moment a cap chases a crook through the corridor. Peter does nothing to stop him and the crook escapes in the elevator. He tells the cop he's done being pushed around and he is only looking out for himself. At home Uncle Ben and Aunt May surprise Peter with a new microscope (what bad timing, since Peter is currently making enough money to buy his own equipment without burdening them). Over the next few days Peter makes more appearances as Spiderman (making the front page of The Daily Chronicle, The Viewer and The Daily Voice) but one evening he comes home to find police parked in front of his house. Uncle Ben was shot and killed by a burglar, who is now holed up in the Acme warehouse. In tears Peter puts on his costume (which is really strange since he had been coming home from an appearance as Spider-Man, had previously remarked that he could wear his costume under his clothes and was not shown carrying the costume home) and heads over to the waterfront. He infiltrates the warehouse and beats the burglar but when he sees his face the burglar is the crook he could have stopped. He webs up the burglar (greatly confusing the police) and mediates on his folly: With great power there must also come great responsibility. Observations: What is there to say that hasn't been said already? What's most interesting about the story is how unconventional it is. Yes there is a man in tights and yes there is a fight at the end but Spiderman (as he is so named here) is hardly a costumed hero. From the outset Lee and Ditko were making a superhero who didn't follow the rules and conventions. The term "superhero" has a very loose definition and here that is stretched to its breaking point. Most notably, he isn't at all heroic or even noble. Superman is Superman because he was raised to do the right thing. Batman decided to be Batman when he was eight years old. Even the Fantastic Four, upon getting their powers, immediately decide that they should be superheroes. This is not the case with Spider-Man. The first thing he decides to do with his powers is make money, not even considering the possibility of helping people. And while he does have a pretty big chip on his shoulder he is by no means a bad guy, he's just imperfect. Another subversion is his powers. His powers suck. He has strength and can stick to walls and he has heightened reflexes (spider sense, which goes unnamed here) but he doesn't spin webs. Spider-Man can't spin webs! For years now Peter have said thats a flaw that needs to be fixed. I agree it's a flaw but no it shouldn't be fixed, it being a flaw is why it works. Spider-Man is an unconventional hero and what's more unconventional than a hero having to create his own powers to suit his gimmick? When you get down to it, this really isn't a superhero comic. At this point in the game Marvel's hero mags were still very rooted in the monster comics of the 50s and this one, featuring no monster, instead feels more like an EC-style twist ending parable. The "With great power..." element is the reason why this story remains possibly the most well-known origin story. If you strip the Spider-Man out of it the story still works. Spidey's "great power," in this particular situation, wasn't his superpowers. He didn't need super strength to beat up the burglar, he just needed to slow him down so the cop could catch him. Anybody could have done that (well, maybe not Aunt May). "Great power" doesn't have to be super strength or wealth or influence or anything like that, it can just be being in the right place at the right time. Great power is the ability to be good people and it is our responsibility to be so. Artwise, Ditko does a good job but the art is rough in places. Spidey is drawn in very angular, awkward, double jointed poses. It reminds me of the sort of thing Todd McFarlane would later get credit for. The costume is pretty much all there. The costume is red and black instead of red and blue and the spider on the back is colored blue. But aside from that and the inconsistent web pattern Spidey entered the world fully realized. Astonishing that it still stands to this day with only minor adjustment. The rest of the artwork is very moody and feels a little more cynical than the norm. 5/5, a perfect story. Other notes: - Spiderman is spelled without a hyphen for the first and (I believe) last time. - While he instinctively leaps from a passing car this power is not expanded upon or named. - First appearance of Peter Parker, Uncle Ben, Aunt May, Flash Thompson, Liz Allan (unnamed), Sally Avril (first name only) - This story is unique because most superhero stories are set in a metropolis. This one is set in a suburban area. - "Spectacular" is used for the first time in the series. Years from now it will be the title of the character's secondary book. - The Daily Bugle is conspicuously absent from the newspaper montage. - Steve Ditko drew a cover for this issue that went unused in favor of the Jack Kirby version. While the Kirby cover is iconic I don't believe it to be a particularly good drawing. The Ditko cover is much more dynamic and gives Spider-Man a more menacing aura. The cover was printed as a pin-up in Marvel Tales #137 and finally made it to the front of the book as a variant for the recent Superior Spider-Man series. - The cover to this issue was digitally painted by Dean White for the first Marvel Masterworks TPB and I think it captures Ditko's moodiness in a Jack Kirby image.
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Post by Ozymandias on Mar 1, 2015 19:29:22 GMT
I began this thread on another board and […] Ozymandias suggested I post it here as well. I notice you took into consideration, this forum's theme, and modified the thread's title logo to match the color palette. Looking at what Tony Lewis said about the OMU, specifically the part about its death, I'd have to disagree with you on "The life story of one man (except when when it was two) told continuously over 50 years chronicling his development from boy to manhood", maybe that would hold true for the first 30 years. While it's true, that some sort of biography can be constructed, even into the 90's and beyond, the character seems to get older or younger, depending on the writer's wishes or the editorial mandate.
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Post by crazyoldhermit on Mar 1, 2015 20:04:52 GMT
I began this thread on another board and […] Ozymandias suggested I post it here as well. I notice you took into consideration, this forum's theme, and modified the thread's title logo to match the color palette. Looking at what Tony Lewis said about the OMU, specifically the part about its death, I'd have to disagree with you on "The life story of one man (except when when it was two) told continuously over 50 years chronicling his development from boy to manhood", maybe that would hold true for the first 30 years. While it's true, that some sort of biography can be constructed, even into the 90's and beyond, the character seems to get older or younger, depending on the writer's wishes or the editorial mandate. While Marvel time causes things to get screwier and screwier with regards to age and the passage of time, theres also something to be said for the fact that Peter Parker has existed for almost 53 years and so far has experienced only one major partial reset, with the basic chronology of events going back to AF#1 still forming his personal history. The same can't be said for a character like Batman, who has four mainstream incarnations that follow four (or even five) different paths through life.
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Post by Ozymandias on Mar 1, 2015 20:16:41 GMT
While it's true, that some sort of biography can be constructed, even into the 90's and beyond, the character seems to get older or younger, depending on the writer's wishes or the editorial mandate. […] Peter Parker has existed for almost 53 years and so far has experienced only one major partial reset, with the basic chronology of events going back to AF#1 still forming his personal history. This Marvel's big bet, in regard to continuity. They sell their characters as being the same ones over time. In general, the concept works very well for them, sales wise, but the moment you pay attention to the details, it all comes crumbling down. On a positive note, recent events, namely ASM #1 (2014), formally establish Peter as being 28 years old. He should be older, by all accounts, but the last bit of in-story data, which could unequivocally anchor the character's age, was from 30 years ago!
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Post by crazyoldhermit on Mar 1, 2015 20:26:48 GMT
[…] Peter Parker has existed for almost 53 years and so far has experienced only one major partial reset, with the basic chronology of events going back to AF#1 still forming his personal history. This Marvel's big bet, in regard to continuity. They sell their characters as being the same ones over time. In general, the concept works very well for them, sales wise, but the moment you pay attention to the details, it all comes crumbling down. On a positive note, recent events, namely ASM #1 (2014), formally establish Peter as being 28 years old. He should be older, by all accounts, but the last bit of in-story data, which could unequivocally anchor the character's age, was from 30 years ago! I wonder where the point was where they stopped the count at 13 and started to compress the events that had already happened rather than adding them up to a 14th year.
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Post by Ozymandias on Mar 1, 2015 20:54:45 GMT
The "beauty" of the 13-year-rule, is that it wasn't written in the comics themselves. That way, they could play the plausible deniability card.
In any case, I think it's safe to assume, that after Civil War/OMD, there's a clear rip in the continuity's fabric. Peter Parker in particular, seemed to be younger (yet again), and only NOW should he be, in the growing path again: we have his age anchored again, has "played" general of the spider armies, and then there's all that fuzz about the Renew Your Vows and Secret Wars stuff.
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Post by crazyoldhermit on Mar 2, 2015 0:18:03 GMT
The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (March 1963) Script: Stan Lee Art: Steve Ditko Letters: Johnny Dee Cover: Steve Ditko Summary: "Spider-Man" "Freak! Public Menace!" Right off the bat Spidey's life takes a turn for the worse. Coming home after the events of Amazing Fantasy #15, Peter wants nothing more to do with Spider-Man. However, his thoughts change when he sees Aunt May begging the landlord for an extension on the rent. Peter wants to quit school and start working but Aunt May won't allow it. Peter briefly considers a life of crime but knows it would only break May's heart and makes the more sensible decision to perform again. At school the in-crowd invite Peter to attend Spidey's show. He of course declines and they take it as a snub. The show is a success and the promoter tells him he's gotta be put on the payroll and get a check. Peter refuses to divulge his identity (which at this juncture makes zero sense) and gets a check made out to Spider-Man, which he can't hope to cash. No matter, his career in showbiz is finished: J Jonah Jameson, publisher of the Daily Bugle, has written an editorial calling Spider-Man a menace. He leads a public speaking campaign to disparage the wall crawler as a bad influence and false hero for taking the law into his own hands (is Jameson referring to the burglar or does the story not directly follow AF#15?). He points out his own son, astronaut John Jameson, as a true hero. By the time JJJ is through the public despises Spider-Man and no one would support his live shows. With no other recourse Peter hits the bricks looking for a job but has no luck: They want a man, not a boy. To make things worse, Peter sees Aunt May pawning her jewelry. Not wanting to trouble the boy, she is keeping their financial woes a secret from him. Overcome with desperation and rage at JJJ Peter pounds at a brick wall and says Spider-Man will stalk the city by night if he must. The next day Peter is in the audience as John Jameson prepares to go into orbit. The launch is successful but theres a malfunction and the capsule goes out of control. Peter dons his costume and heads to mission control. He tells the man in charge that he will get the replacement part to the capsule. The air force officer relents despite JJJ's protests. Rushing to the airfield, Spidey webs up a guard and commandeers a plane. In the air Spidey is able to web over to the capsule and give Captain Jameson the part. Peter flees the scene feeling quite good about himself but the next day the Daily Bugle has a new editorial saying Spider-Man sabotaged the test to make himself look good. The public turns against Spidey completely and the FBI issues a reward for his capture. As Aunt May complains about that horrible Spider-Man, Peter struggles to understand his current predicament and wonders if he will have no choice but to become a menace. "Spider-Man vs. The Chameleon" Still suffering from money woes, Peter has the bright idea to join the Fantastic Four. After all, he'd be a natural fit on their team and get paid to be a superhero. A crowd of onlookers watches as he runs along a webline to the top of the Baxter Building (a photographer is in the audience and comments that he'll get a bonus for snapping a Spidey pic. Foreshadowing?). The FF are pretty confused by this (Reed's matter-of-fact "Why doesn't he just call and make an appointment" is hilarious and a great indicator of how odd the FF was) and are even more confused when Spidey drops in through the window and starts beating the team up! Reed is able to settle the scuffle and Spidey explains that it's been an audition. He wants to join and feels he deserves their top salary. The FF tell him that they're a non-profit organization and only keep enough money to cover their expenses, with the rest going into R&D (wouldn't Peter's rent be covered as an expense?). Furthermore, last they checked Spider-Man is an outlaw. Spidey is offended and takes off, promising to make them all look like small timers. Reed correctly assumes they will be hearing more about him in the future. Elsewhere, a masked criminal named The Chameleon has infiltrated a military complex. Using a series of disguises contained in a ridiculous "multi pocket disguise vest" he is able to steal US plans to sell to Communist countries (gotta love that Cold War). At his hideout he sees the news that Spider-Man tried to join the Fantastic Four. Realizing Spider-Man would make a perfect fall guy for his recent and upcoming theft, Chameleon sends a message to Spider-Man via his spider sense (the first time this power has been named) to meet him on top of a building at 10pm with promises of riches. Peter, ever the sap, heads there while The Chameleon robs the place disguised as Spider-Man. Chameleon takes off in a chopper as Spidey shows up and finds the cops waiting for them. Realizing he's been set up he webs up the cops and creates a web slingshot to fling himself skyward in the direction of the helicopter (detected using his spider sense), then makes a web parachute to descend to the harbor safely. A Commie sub has surfaced in the harbor (!!!) to pick up The Chameleon but Spider-Man commandeers a speedboat and webs up their conning tower, forcing them to submerge. Spidey webs up to the chopper and forces The Chameleon to pilot it back to the building. But Chameleon activates a smoke bomb and disguises himself as a cop. However, Spidey uses his spider sense to detect the crook and grabs him (as he had run out of web for the first time), tearing the front of his jacket off. Chameleon claims that Spider-Man is The Chameleon and in the ruckus Spidey says screw it and leaves, just as The Chameleon is identified. Not realizing he managed to save the day, Spider-Man runs down an alleyway wishing he'd never gotten his powers as the Fantastic Four express admiration for his powers and fear that he could turn rogue. Observations: The world of Spider-Man gets fleshed out as Peter still tries to figure himself out. J. Jonah Jameson proves to be a classic from his very first panel, a full-fledged character from the beginning. Is there any other civilian character in comic books as great as JJJ? Not an ally, not a villain, just a supporting character. I doubt it. JJJ's completely unfair and heavily biased campaign against Spidey is classic media watchdog behaviour. He claims it's for the children's protection but there is clearly a level of envy in the attention Spider-Man gets. Considering at this point Spider-Man is just a TV star the story takes on an interesting bent: JJJ hates that a phony celebrity gets more attention than real life heroes. Even if Jonah is a nasty piece of work, the sentiment is felt strong today (just look at the backlash against the Kardashian dames). Spider-Man's heroism is handled in an interesting way. His lesson about power and responsibility has clearly resonated with him, as he is reluctant to become a criminal and he leaps into action to save John Jameson and stop The Chameleon without hesitation, but at this point he also looks at being a superhero as another avenue to make money and there are no scenes of Spidey hunting down crooks. Peter is undergoing an identity crisis and the other characters are starting to wonder about him and that temper of his. Jonah has a point about the potential danger Spider-Man could present. This issue also establishes that Spider-Man lives in New York and not just any New York, the Marvel Comics version of New York! In fact, this is one of two issues that established that version of New York. Not only is this the first meeting between Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four, over in their mag they were meeting The Hulk. With these two issues the Marvel Universe was truly born. Spider-Man: 4/5, a fun introduction to the series Spider-Man vs The Chameleon: 3/5, very cheesy even by Silver Age standards but the scene with the Fantastic Four and the historical significance bump it up. Other notes: - First appearance of J. Jonah Jameson, John Jameson and The Chameleon - The Daily Bugle previously appeared in Fantastic Four #2 - This is the issue with the infamous "Peter Palmer" blooper - Ditko is starting to play with the possibilities of spider webbing, having Spidey create tools with it - Chameleon has no way to know about Peter's spider-sense. In fact, we barely knew about it: it was only present in one panel in AF#15. The power gets a pretty good introduction here, even if it comes off as a bit magical. - The Fantastic Four apparently know Spider-Man is a teenager. No explanation given.
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Post by Ozymandias on Mar 2, 2015 8:04:01 GMT
[…] at this point he also looks at being a superhero as another avenue to make money and there are no scenes of Spidey hunting down crooks. - Chameleon has no way to know about Peter's spider-sense. In fact, we barely knew about it: it was only present in one panel in AF#15. The power gets a pretty good introduction here, even if it comes off as a bit magical. Yes, his decision wasn't so much a done deal, as a process. I have my own theory about the spider-sense.
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Post by crazyoldhermit on Mar 2, 2015 15:39:13 GMT
The Amazing Spider-Man #2 (May 1963) Script: Stan Lee Art: Steve Ditko Letters: John Duffy Cover: Steve Ditko "Duel To The Death With The Vulture" On a busy New York street a man wearing a ridiculous green bird costume swoops down and steals a man's briefcase, which contains a fortune in financial papers. Over at Jameson Publications, the home of NOW Magazine, J. Jonah Jameson demands photographs of the Vulture but no photographers have been able to get a shot. In the science lab at Midtown High, Flash Thompson and his friends are reading the latest issue of NOW and comment on how valuable a photo of the vulture would be. Peter has the bright idea to use his spider powers to take the photos and make some money (he's so transfixed by the idea that he lets his experiment go haywire). At home Aunt May gives him Uncle Ben's miniature camera Meanwhile, the Vulture is plotting his next caper: The Park Avenue Jewelry Exchange is moving their diamond inventory across town. As he leaves his Staten Island hideout and flies into Manhattan he crosses paths with Spider-Man, who had been checking his camera on an apartment building. Unnoticed by the Vulture, Spidey is able to follow and photograph him as he sends messages announcing his impending theft to Jameson Publishing, the radio station and the Chief of Police. However, he gets too greedy and the Vulture notices him. The greenhorn webslinger is knocked out and thrown into a water tank while the Vulture makes his escape. His webshooters are empty and the walls are too slick to climb but he manages to leap out of the tank. Even luckier, he is able to find his camera and head home. In his room he has developed the photographs and does a little work to improve his costume. It was originally designed to look good on stage and on TV but now it has to be more practical. He builds extra web cartridges and fits them to a belt, which remains hidden under his costume. When he gets paid more he'll buy a miniature camera to clip on (doesn't he already have a miniature camera?). For good measure he also comes up with a plan to stop the Vulture, believing himself to have figured out how the Vulture flies. The next day Peter schedules an appointment with Jameson. Jameson loves the photos and wants to know how he took them. Peter refuses to say and asks that he not be credited for the photos. Jameson writes him a check and tells him he'd love to get some pictures of Spider-Man. Peter joins Flash and the gang are watching the diamonds be shipped. The place is heavily guarded by police. In case something does happen and he needs to change, Peter ducks out early to the teasings of Flash. But to the surprise of everybody, when the transfer begins the Vulture pops out of a manhole cover, steals the diamond briefcase and escapes through the sewers and subway tunnel. Peter changes into his costume and uses his spider sense to track down the Vulture. Spidey is able to catch his foot with his web and grab ahold of him. Activating his device, the Vulture loses his flight and the two begin to fall. Spidey saves himself with his web while the Vulture's wings slow himself enough to fall without injuring himself. The cops arrest him and Spidey snaps a couple picture. He reveals the genius of his plan: The Vulture was able to fly silently, which meant he had to fly using magnetic power. With an anti-magnetic inverter he was able to deactivate his powers! At Jameson Publishing JJJ is over the moon about the photos. Peter reminds him about their no-questions asked deal and Jonah is happy to oblige, even paying Peter a bonus. He tells Aunt May that he has paid the rent for an entire year and will be buying her new kitchen appliances while in a jail cell the Vulture swears vengeance against Spider-Man. "The Uncanny Threat of The Terrible Tinkerer" Peter's science teacher introduces him to Professor Cobbwell, who has asked for an assistant for the weekend. Peter is thrilled and agrees to pick up a radio from a repair shop on the way to Cobbwell's lab. Flash mocks Peter for preferring to spend his weekend in a lab rather than out with friends. The clerk at the radio repair shop introduces himself as The Tinkerer. Peter requests the radio and his spider sense acts up. He blames it on the shop equipment. The Tinkerer goes down to his basement and picks up the radio, which has been modified by a green alien for sinister purposes. Peter is shocked to discover the repairs only cost a dime (around 60 cents in today's money). At Cobbwell's lab Peter can't let up his suspicions about the Tinkerer. When the radio sets off his spider sense Peter resolves to go investigate and Cobbwell leaving for a lecture gives him the opportunity to do so. As Spider-Man he breaks into the shop the Tinkerer and his alien allies are collecting data being recorded by all of the radios they've "repaired," which are in the possession of scientists and military personnel. The data will be analyzed and used to formulate an attack plan for an alien invasion. But Spider-Man discovers the aliens and attacks them. Physically they're no match but a blast from their laser gun stuns the wallcrawler. They put him in a "resisto-glass" enclosure and suck the air from it to kill him. But Spider-Man is smarter than they are and realizes that if the air is being sucked out there needs to be holes for that to happen (!?!). He aims his webshooter at the hole and fires a webline right through and hits the control panel. Freed from the cage Spider-Man engages the aliens once more. The fight starts a fire and Spidey flees the building (as passerby blames Spidey for the fire, which is technically true). In a wooded area (Central Park?) the aliens fly off in their ship, believing that without the element of surprise they could never conquer Earth. They remotely destroy their spy devices and leave. At the lab Cobbwell returns. He swears he saw an alien spacecraft but without proof nobody would believe him. Peter smiles to himself. He's holding The Tinkerer's human mask but revealing the truth would risk his secret identity. Observations: The Vulture story illustrates Peter's continued lack of understanding of who he is. He goes after the Vulture not to stop him from robbing people but for the opportunity to make money. Both times he encounters the Vulture it is the Vulture who attacks him, first to test his own strength and later to do away with such a powerful foe. The irony is Spider-Man wasn't really a foe of the Vulture's to begin with. Sure he eventually defeats the Vulture but it's not a priority. It's also neat that rather than beat his foe with his spider powers he does it with his scientific mind. It's also interesting that even though Spider-Man is famous for taking photos of himself (which, in Civil War, prompts Jameson to sue Peter after Peter unmasks himself) in this first story Peter just uses his spider powers to take good photos and doesn't sell a single photo of Spider-Man despite Jameson's requests for such. The dynamic between the two characters isn't fully formed, with Jonah being more than gracious to Peter rather than the grouchy, unappreciative skinflint we'd come to know and love. To top it off, rather than sell photos to The Daily Bugle, Peter sells them to NOW magazine! If the Vulture story is about Peter not understanding himself then the Tinkerer story is about Stan and Steve not understanding their book. The twist ending alien story is way out of the realistic tone that had been established in the last four stories. It's interesting to see that this early in the Marvel Universe the existence of alien lifeforms was still not known to the public but this story really is a stinker. Thankfully Stan and Steve would stay away from hokey nonsense like this from here on out. Duel To The Death With The Vulture: 4/5, a good story but I've never been a particularly big fan of The Vulture The Uncanny Threat of The Terrible Tinkerer: 1/5, goofy and not in the fun way Other notes: - Jonah tells "Joe" to stop the presses. It could be a way early reference to Joe "Robbie" Robertson but I doubt it. - This is the first time New York is referred to by name and New York geography is mentioned repeatedly. - Wouldn't it have made more sense for the diamond shipment to be set in the Diamond District (on 47th street) rather than Park Avenue? - Why does Uncle Ben have a miniature camera? - This is the first time Peter snarks back at a bully, rather than just soak up the punishment. This is also the first appearance of Flash Thompson in "The Amazing Spider-Man," having been absent last issue. - The first time the half-Spidey mask appears when Peter's Spider-Sense buzzes - The famous logo has moved away from the triangular configuration of ASM#1 into the configuration it would stay as until the present day (barring a few interruptions where the logo isn't used). Like the costume, the logo has held up remarkably well. - This is the first issue to feature the iconic Marvel corner box
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Post by Ozymandias on Mar 2, 2015 16:44:54 GMT
Thankfully Stan and Steve would stay away from hokey nonsense like this from here on out. More thankfully yet, Stern would fix this fiasco, in PPSSM #51. He also explained the Vulture's strength, in PPSSM #45 (page 9, panel 4).
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Post by crazyoldhermit on Mar 3, 2015 0:18:54 GMT
The Amazing Spider-Man #3 (July 1963) "Spider-Man Vs. Doctor Octopus" Script: Stan Lee Art: Steve Ditko Letters: John Duffy Three schlubs breaking into a warehouse are interrupted by the spider signal being projected on the wall. Spidey himself leaps down to them and knocks them senseless, leaving them webbed up for the police. Spidey almost wishes he had a formidable foe to face for once (famous last words). Brilliant atomic scientist Dr Otto Octavius is working on a radiation experiment using the four mechanical arms attached to the harness he wears on his torso. The arms, operated by knobs on the harness (I've never figured out how he was able to manipulate an arm in 3D space with just one knob), allow him to work from a safe distance (which apparently is just a few feet away with only a man-sized piece of glass between him and radioactive material) and have earned him the nickname "Dr Octopus." Just then, the radiation meter goes wacky (!!) and the whole thing blows up. Guys in hazmat suits dig the still breathing Ock out of the rubble and comment that he was exposed to a large quantity of radiation. Doctors note that his brain was damaged by the radiation and when he wakes up he demands to get back to his work. His addled brain interprets the doctor's orders to rest as jealousy and a conspiracy to keep him from his work. He decides to go bananas and, using his new ability to control his arms telepathically, he vows to take over the hospital and then... THE WORLD! Peter has been summoned to Jameson's office. He wants "pix" of the bedridden Ock for the Daily Bugle (making Bugle the MU's answer to TMZ) and he suspects Peter is the only one who could pull it off. As Spider-Man he infiltrates the hospital only to find it's been taken over by Ock, who has ordered the staff to retrieve for him some lab equipment (how they got it and why they didn't escape is anybody's guess). Spidey is thrilled to have a real fight and leaps into action. Unfortunately for him it doesn't go so well and Ock's arms are able to out maneuver and overpower Spidey, even snapping his webs, and Ock delivers a bit of demoralizing gloating before slapping Peter upside his head and chucking him out the window like the contents of a medieval chamber pot. This humiliation throws Peter for a look and he wonders if Spider-Man is finished. As Peter drowns in self-doubt Ock decides to head back to his old lab. Hiding up on the ceiling and making his arms look like piping he is able to avoid detection and take over the plant without much fuss. At home, Peter calls Jameson to tell him he doesn't have pictures of Ock and that he won't be able to get pictures for him anymore. At school he learns the Human Torch has been called in to take care of Ock (the rest of the FF are dealing with another case) but due to overuse of his flame he's out of commission for a few days. He tells the crowd that even when the FF get beaten they always stay positive and don't get discourage. The speech shakes Peter out of his funk and he thanks Matchhead personally. He changes into his costume and heads over to the plant. Ock has rigged the place with boobytraps but thanks to his spider sense Spidey is able to dodge them. He finds the chem lab and sets up a trap of his own as Ock comes out to face him personally. He's mixed up a few vials of chemicals and has tied them to loops of rope. Get manages to get one around two of Ock's arms and the arms fuse together. This doesn't slow Ock down and he just uses the merged arms as a club. Ock pulls Spidey close and Spidey blinds him by shooting web at his sunglasses. While Ock sets his vision straight Spidey slugs him. One punch is all he needed, as the organic half of Ock's body was unpowered. He binds Ock and attracts the attention of some soldiers with the spider signal before taking care of one more piece of business. He heads to the Human Torch's hotel room, where a doctor has just given him a clean bill of health (they train doctors to do that!?), and lets him know that he's beaten Ock and couldn't have done it without his help. Torch has no idea what he means. As the Torch performs a demonstration of his powers for the Midtown High student body Flash asks Peter why he doesn't watch guys like the Torch or Spider-Man (who Torch wishes was around to join the show) to learn what a real man looks like. Peter smiles and promises to tell him someday. Observations: What a great issue. The first full length Spidey story is a real winner. Peter has finally settled into the role of a vigilante but his confidence is shaken by an early defeat. Our hero is still very green, even though it's been almost a year since his debut. It seems odd that this early on the hero would contemplate quitting but thats just what makes Spidey so magical. Teenagers are often emotionally volatile and experience mood swings and it spills into Peter's double life. Ock is the first villain to get an origin and while it doesn't provide any emotional depth it does give him something of a motivation. He's arrogant and determined and very formidable but despite the power of his arms he still has human vulnerability, his accident didn't provide him with super strength as the distinguished competition may have. Ditko's art improves quite a bit. It's moodier, more inventive (look at how he uses Ock's arms to create dramatic depth) and his drawing of Ock's accident shows you don't need a double page splash to draw a dynamic explosion, you can be just as effective with 1/6th of the page, some black ink and just one color. The bizarre design of Doc Ock, with the character's inexplicable fondness for wearing shades indoors, is a perfect fit for the series and more inventive than The Vulture and The Chameleon (third villain so far who is based on an animal by the way). 5/5, just all around gripping. Other notes: - This is the first time we've seen Peter actually go hunting for crime, rather than stumbling into a situation or go looking for a photo-op. - What happened to the other guys present when Ock's experiment went wacky? Ock was at ground zero, got a full blast and was on his feet a few days later. Did everyone else in the area go crazy as well or did they perish? - First time Spider-Man's web is broken - First use of the Spider-Signal. - First one-on-one interaction between Spider-Man and The Human Torch. Their friendship is one of the all-time best in comics and it's unfortunate that at this juncture it seems unlikely that we will ever see it on film - First time Flash Thompson praises Spider-Man, providing him with a glimmer of depth. - The cover contains the earliest example I've seen of a color hold, where linework that would normally be black is reproduced in color. This was a tricky process that was Hell on the color separators and didn't play well with the printing technology used at the time (Klaus Janson's innovative use of color holds in Daredevil made digital restoration of the issues difficult, as the film that carried the black lineart used in the restoration did not have the color holds, requiring them to be redrawn). In this case it's Ock's green balloon, a very strange choice. - In one of the most infamous lettering bloopers of the Silver Age, Doc Ock refers to Spidey as "Superman."
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Post by Ozymandias on Mar 3, 2015 8:24:08 GMT
- First time Flash Thompson praises Spider-Man, providing him with a glimmer of depth. They could've just worked on the bully angle, but playing with the main character's dual identity to complicate their relationship, provided for many gags throughout the 60's.
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Post by crazyoldhermit on Mar 3, 2015 15:54:10 GMT
The Amazing Spider-Man #4 (September 1963) "Nothing Can Stop The Sandman" Script: Stan Lee Art: Steve Ditko Cover: Steve Ditko Summary: Spidey sees a billboard for The Daily Bugle announcing the beginning of an editorial series denouncing Spider-Man (it says it starts today, which would ignore the previous smear campaign, but then again it could be an old billboard). He's distracted from the offending signage by three hoods casing out a jewelry store. Spidey webs them up but they claim that since they haven't actually done anything all he's done is assaulted them. They threaten to sue him and call for the police to help them. One even makes fun of his costume. When a cop does show up Spidey takes off. The cop doesn't care though. He says he would have attacked them himself, as they've got "larceny written all over [them]." Spidey blames Jameson's campaign for criminals not taking him seriously (should have been bitten by a radioactive bat). He heads over to Jonah's office to chew him out but finding him absent he leaves a little souvenir. Outside the building he spots a police chase and sees the culprit climbing up a fire escape. Spidey confronts the guy and he introduces himself as The Sandman, a notorious criminal wanted all across the United States. Spidey attacks him but Sandman is completely immune to his attacks: With a body made of sand he is able to soften and harden his body at will, stretch and contort like Mr Fantastic and even reduce himself to a pile of sand. In the scuffle Spidey's mask is torn and he considers what will happen if he does manage to capture Sandman: His identity will be revealed, he'll be run out of town (or worse) and Aunt May will be forced to support herself on the street (by selling shoelaces!). He can't risk it so he flees, allowing Sandman to rob the bank unopposed. At home Peter is sewing up his mask when he sees a television report on the Sandman. He was a violent criminal who escaped from an island prison and wound up on the beach near an atomic test site. Finding it to be safe from the police, he remained hidden there until a bomb was detonated. Caught in the explosion, the molecules in his body took on the properties of sand and he became indestructible. His sewing is interrupted by Aunt May bringing some milk and cookies. He covers himself with a robe and she thinks he's sick, which means he's got a whole night of Aunt May's smothering ahead of him while Sandman robs bank after bank. The next morning Aunt May finds Peter to be in perfect health and allows him to go to school. He tells her he'll be late coming home as he has to visit Mr. Jameson. Speaking of Chucklehead, he arrives to work to find the momento Spidey left him: A bunch of web that sticks his pants to his seat. He orders his secretary, Miss Brant, to bring him a new pair and she passes it off to Peter who is heading in to see him. Jameson asks if he's got any new pictures and tells him he wants pictures of Spider-Man. He asks why he came to see him and Peter asks for an advance on his check. Jameson tells him to get the Hell out of his office and Peter heads to school. At school Flash and Liz (who finally gets a name over a year after her first appearance) are arguing over Liz taking pity on Peter and agreeing to go on a date with him. But Peter has forgotten about it and, already having a date with Sandman, has to cancel using the excuse that he needs to study. Liz takes great offense and Peter wonders if the secret identity thing is worth it. Not far from the school the cops are chasing Sandman. He decides to hide in the school and busts in on Peter's class (Peter is off delivering empty bottles to the boiler room). Sandman demands the teacher give him a diploma but the teacher doesn't back down and tells him to earn it (impressing Flash). He tells the class to save themselves and escape while he holds off the villain when Spider-Man bursts in the door. Flash cheers Spidey on as Spidey throws Sandman through the door and into the hall. His first plan is to lure Sandman to the gym, where he has the space to maneuver and web him up. But his webbing is ineffective and Spidey flees the gym. Sandman follows, turns to sand and covers Spidey completely. Spidey curls into a ball and rolls him and Sandman down the stairs into the boiler room. Spidey pulls a drill and threatens to pump him full of holes so Sandman assumes his soft sand form. But it was a trick and Spidey can now suck him up in the industrial vacuum, safely containing the villain. As a final order of business, he sets up the timer on his camera, throws some sand in the air and leaps through it to forge a photograph. Outside, Jonah is arguing with the police stationed around the building. He wants them to charge in and take down both Sandman and Spider-Man before they escape. The cops tell him they aren't after Spider-Man and in fact appreciate his help despite the lies Jonah runs in his paper. Right on cue, Spidey delivers the bag containing Sandman and Jonah calls for his arrest. Peter changes inside the building and bumps into Jonah almost immediately. He gives him the undeveloped photos and Jonah docks the cost of development from his pay. Happy to have his Spider-Man business finished for the day, Peter finds Liz to tell her they can go on their date. But Liz shoots him down and Flash starts making fun of him for hiding during the Spider-Man fight. Peter gets angry and almost attacks Flash but thinks better of it and backs down, prompting Flash to mock him for being an even bigger coward than he suspected. The whole gang starts teasing him and one pretends to help Peter across the street. Grabbing his arm he feels the strong muscles Peter has but Flash and Liz brush it off. As they drive off Flash gives him some parting taunts but Liz tells him he's been cruel enough already. As Peter walks home he passes a newsstand where the public are heavily criticizing him for being a neurotic gloryhound and public menace. He wonders if he is in it for the adventure rather than helping people and if he should quit but knows that he has a responsibility to help people and must be Spider-Man. Observations: Another bang-up issue. Sandman offers a different challenge than Ock did. While Ock kept Spidey at a difference and attacked from all angles, Spidey was able to get up close and personal with Sandman but was ineffectual. His webbing proved to be completely useless in this battle and he only won due to more trickery rather than straightforward superheroics. Peter's classmates are coming into focus. Liz Allan has finally stepped out from the background and is revealed to be Peter's crush. Flash is meaner than ever but also has a respect for heroism, not just Spidey's but his teacher's, showing that he's not exactly a bad guy. Peter is growing a little more socially, having scored a date with Liz (only to blow it) and actually standing up to Flash while one of Flash's friends starts to realize this Peter Parker guy could be a problem if pushed too far. Spider-Man has settled into his role as vigilante but he's still very inexperienced. He acts too quickly in dispatching would-be burglars and as a result they are let free. The relationship between Peter and the Bugle is changing. After three issues of working for the Bugle Peter finally turns in some photos of Spider-Man. And while Jonah had been more than happy to provide Peter with a bonus for good photos, here he takes the first opportunity to dock Peter's pay. But with Peter using a camera timer for the first time we've finally reached the classic status quo, even though Peter technically staged the photos. Ditko's artwork remains strong. Like Doc Ock, Sandman is a villain that can be used in very imaginative and visually stunning ways. Ditko takes advantage of the character's body to draw all sorts of strange things, the strangest being a snake with a human head! He also renders the character with a very choppy line and rough hatching so even with a fairly low level of detail the character automatically feels rougher than the others, even when in human form. Ditko's layouts are extremely dense. I've drawn the layouts for all 21 pages in the issue, including the opening splash page: The tally is 160 panels. On six pages he uses the entire nine panel grid, on two additional pages he uses more than nine panels and on 15 pages he uses more than six panels (a six panel 3x2 grid being the meat and potatoes of Silver Age Marvel). A contemporary issue of Fantastic Four had around 140 panels and a modern issue of Amazing Spider-Man (picked at random) only had around 120 (keep in mind Dan Slott's run on Amazing, which I may very well get to years from now, is generally a little more compressed than standard modern comics as Slott works in the Marvel method). By any standard, Ditko packed this issue with a lot of story. Ditko's use of a nine panel grid in his stories, particularly Spider-Man, is famous and it is issues like this that prompted Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore to use the same grid in Watchmen. Even if it limits the amount of artwork visible in each panel (as the panels are tall and narrow) and slows the pace it is excellent for moving a story forward. In this issue Ditko also experiments three times with borderless panels, drawing vignettes rather than wholly bound panels. Overall, this issue is very fun to read despite its methodical pace and it feels much longer and meatier than its page count would indicate. 4/5- First appearance of Betty Brant - First use of the nickname "Puny Parker" - Liz Allan gets a (first) name - Peter has been protecting his identity since the beginning but it's only now that he's given a proper explanation for it. His primary concern is being unable to look after Aunt May. He doesn't yet consider the risk of reprisal from his enemies. Peter publicly revealing his identity is a turning point in Civil War and in the aftermath Aunt May is shot, leading to the much reviled "One More Day" event. - Sandman's origin is one of those magically wacky stories that almost immediately became dated. The last atmospheric nuclear tests in the United states took place in 1962. After that the tests moved underground to avoid those supermonster-creating accidents. In real world history, the Hulk could have been created no later than 1962 which throws the current sliding timeline (which states Banner became the Hulk in 2002) way out of whack. The same applies to Sandman, except in his case it's even worse because the oceanic nuclear tests occurred in the middle of the Pacific ocean, a rather long trip for an escaped prisoner to make. - The Daily Bugle/NOW magazine situation is cleared up. Jameson publishes both. - The FBI's warrant for Spider-Man introduced in ASM #1 seems to have been dropped, as law enforcement is supportive of Spider-Man. - The story ends with Flash Thompson driving. The given date is 1963 and Flash would have to be at least 16, so assuming he and Peter are the same age that means they were born in 1947. - This issue features a panel cover, which is very rare for the series. While subsequent issues will feature inset panels, as far as I know the only other issue with a cover composed entirely of sequential art is #89 - After three issues the Letterer credit has been dropped. No idea why. - This is the last bi-monthly issue. From here on out it's a monthly book. - Spider-Man is a year and one month old.
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Post by Ozymandias on Mar 3, 2015 16:33:27 GMT
His webbing proved to be completely useless in this battle and he only won due to more trickery rather than straightforward superheroics. […] Flash is meaner than ever but also has a respect for heroism, not just Spidey's but his teacher's, showing that he's not exactly a bad guy. Ditko's use of a nine panel grid in his stories, particularly Spider-Man, is famous and it is issues like this that prompted Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore to use the same grid in Watchmen. He beat him using his brain, again. His scientific mind was put to work much more, in the Ditko days. Flash was a bully, but also a Spider-Man fan. That posed the problem of the reader seeing himself in the story, portrayed by a bad guy. The solution was to make the character less of a bully and focus on the Spider-Man fan part, which ultimately won. I remember Dave Gibbons talking about the use of the nine panel grid, IIRC it was just a question of keeping the storytelling simple, given the complexity of the script. They could very well have been influenced by Ditko's Spidey, but I don't remember an explicit admission.
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