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Post by crazyoldhermit on Mar 25, 2015 14:10:44 GMT
Hi Crazyoldhermit, enjoying your thread here. ''should have been bitten by a radioactive bat'' lol now that would've been interesting. THank you, glad to have you aboard.
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Post by crazyoldhermit on Mar 25, 2015 14:11:59 GMT
The Amazing Spider-Man #45 (February 1967) “Spidey Smashes Out!” Script: Stan (The Man) Lee Art: John (Ring-A-Ding) Romita Letters: Sam Rosen Web Untangling: Irving Forbush Cover: John Romita Summary: Still wrapped up, Spidey busts up a truck hijacking. Even with one arm he can beat them handily (har har), although he knows the Lizard is a whole other challenge. He searches for the creature by running along weblines instead of swinging due to his arm. Martha Connors is awoken in bed by the Lizard breaking into Curt’s lab. Unaware that he himself is Curt Connors, he searches through his notes to try and figure out the lizard formula (with which to create an army of brilliant humanoid reptiles) but his reptilian brain can’t understand the science lingo. He decides to track Curt down and force the formula out of him. The ruckus wakes up Billy and Martha tells him it was the wind. At the Bugle Foswell is preparing to become Patch and track down Peter when Jameson assigns him to investigate a Lizard citing. Jameson yells at Ned and Betty, who are planning their wedding, for slacking but they’re both on coffee break. Slapping his head in frustration over the entitlement of youngsters, Jonah leaves them to their business. Betty tells Ned that they have to invite Peter. Peter is currently trying to figure out what to do with his busted arm. He tries to hide it by keeping his hand in his pocket but the pain is too much. He realizes there's no option but to wear a sling and hope nobody makes the connection to Spider-Man’s wounded arm. After all, he can justify it by saying he fell off his bike. At school Flash immediately asks if Peter is trying to make them think he’s Spidey but he’s just joking. Flash leaves to get coffee with Gwen, who is planning a farewell party for him. Gwen asked Harry to invite Peter to the party and Peter wonders why she didn’t invite him herself. Harry says it’s because he’s been seeing so much of Mary Jane that he hasn’t been around much. Harry also tells Peter that his father has offered him a part-time job at his plant. Peter has too much going on right now but he appreciates it. He thinks about Gwen and how Mary Jane always seems to pop up between them. On her vacation Aunt May reads the news about the Lizard’s return and isn’t worried, as Peter is a homebody. In reality he is out swinging and looking for the Lizard. After hours of searching he checks the zoo and sees a sign for a travelling reptile exhibit that is on its way to Philadelphia. He swings to the railyard. Sure enough, Lizard is there and they fight. Lizard wallops Spidey but Spidey won’t stay down so he tears open a train car to release a horde of reptiles. The fight is briefly interrupted by Mary Jane. She’s heading out to the Frenzy Ville A Go-Go and Mrs. Watson asks her if she wants to walk her over to Peter’s house, as she has a pot of vegetable soup for him. MJ doesn’t mind and Mrs. Watson says it’s nice that they’re friends. MJ admits that Peter is a little square but besides that she likes him quite a bit and she reckons he could be a real swinger if he let himself go. Peter, of course, isn’t home and Mrs. Watson worries a bit but MJ tells her that he walks and breathes so it’s perfectly normal for him to be out at night. Anyways, as Spidey fights them off (even using a croc as a whip!) the train starts moving and Lizard climbs aboard, wanting to take his pets back to the swampland so they can recruit more of his army. Spidey hops on after him and they fight on top of the train as Spidey figures out how to beat them. He finds the refrigerator car and lures Lizard inside. The cold-blooded villain slows down and eventually enters hibernation. Spidey webs him up in a cocoon, pulls the emergency brake line and catches a passing train back to New York. He takes the Lizard to Connors’ lab and works up an antidote using Connors’ notes. He forces the serum down the Lizard’s throat just as he starts to warm up and when Martha and Billy enter the room they find their beloved patriarch. Spidey leaves and their dialog balloons are left blank so the ever-so-talented readers can fill them in. He changes into his street clothes and is spotted by Harry and MJ, who were just driving by. They offer him a lift but he doesn’t have far to go. As they drive off he thinks about how little MJ seems to care about him. She’s as pretty as she is shallow and her constant upbeat attitude is starting to annoy him. He realizes that he never developed the last batch of Lizard pictures (even though he’d gone back and gotten his camera) and that by now they’re old news. The next payment for Aunt May’s vacation is coming up, he’s broke, he’s behind on his studies and he has to worry about what Aunt May will say when she sees his sprained arm. As he reaches his front door Mrs. Watson spots him. She brought him some food and asks about his arm. He tells her he sprained it on his bike and just has to rest. She reminds me that Aunt May worries about him and leaves. This upsets him so much that he doesn’t even eat his dinner. He angrily throws his costume across the room and says that all of his problems are caused by him being Spider-Man. If he was just a normal kid he could date MJ regularly, stay up to date on his studies and take a science job with Norman Osborn. He wonders if he remains Spider-Man out of a sense of superiority or if by this point it’s so much a part of him that he can never lose it. Back in Manhattan the Connors family wishes there was a way they could repay Spider-Man but the idea is silly, since he must have everything a man could wish for. Observations: I have to say, the Lizard was pretty poorly utilized this arc. He came back with the same scheme as last time except this time it takes twice as long to resolve and he is nowhere near as effective. In ASM #6 he really was on the verge of releasing his lizard formula in the swamp. This time he can’t even figure out how to make the serum and runs off on a snipe hunt. In his first appearance he was able to dominate Spider-Man with just a few alligators as back-up but here Spidey is able to hold his own with a bum arm. And since the Lizard is nothing more than a megalomaniac he isn’t at all interesting to watch. Martha and Billy’s worry feels real but it isn’t enough. The highlight of the issue is Spidey’s fight with him atop the train and defeating the Lizard by tricking him into a refrigerator car. Spidey beats his enemy with his brain. This is the second villain in a row bested this way and I hope the trend continues. The most fun parts of the Romita run so far have been the soap opera scenes with Peter and his peers but there's not much of that here. We just get an update on the three friends: Gwen is now dating Flash, Harry offers Peter a job with his Dad and Peter starts to get sick of MJ. But Gwen doesn’t even appear in this issue and the scene with Harry comes a little out of left field, since they’d been social acquaintances but they didn’t really seem like real friends. Of course, we never saw Peter and Betty officially get together either so there's that. The MJ scenes are the most interesting. So far she’s been nothing but fun, peppy, flirty, etc. and it’s beginning to bug Pete. It makes sense since Peter was mostly been a very reserved man with conservative manners and has only recently started to come out of his shell. MJ is something he has never experienced and after spending years with the timid and mousy Betty Brant she’s a little overwhelming for the poor guy. It also appears that MJ is firmly ingratiated into the ESU circle of friends, now socializing with Harry on her own without Peter. I heard that Stan was pretty against Peter hooking up with MJ, preferring Gwen, and this anti-MJ turn to the dialog follows that line of thinking. I also don’t buy the excuse that photos of the Lizard taken last issue wouldn’t sell, since so far there are no pictures of the Lizard and even Jonah would jump at them. When it comes to action scenes Romita is really starting to come into his own. He’s utilizing much larger panels in 2-4 panel layouts that open up the book visually and provide more eye candy than Ditko’s very dense work. Overall the issue isn’t great. It’s not bad, the fight scene makes it worth the 12 cents, but between the lackluster villain and the minimal presence of the supporting cast it’s strictly mediocre. 3/5Old plot updates: What is Norman Osborn scheming?Will Gwen and Peter hook up? - By this point Peter is seriously jonesing for Gwen but she seems to given up on him in favor of Flash. Is Peter's spider sense failing?Will Peter meet Mary Jane?Where is Betty?Who is the Green Goblin?Other notes: - At the end of last issue the left arm was ripped off of Spidey’s costume and left in the street. Here it’s restored, even though his injured arm would make sewing a new one almost impossible. If he has a spare it hasn’t been mentioned since Aunt May got rid of the last one. - Aunt May is said to have suffered a recent illness. This proves that real time is pretty much dead, since she last fell ill during the Master Planner saga over a year ago. - Connor has no way of knowing it but he has the solution to Spider-Man’s problem: The cure for Aunt May’s illness would remove Spidey’s powers. - Stan makes a couple bloopers here. The big one is referring to the Lizard as the Scorpion. Thats a really weird mistake not just because the Lizard is in the issue but because the Scorpion hasn’t featured for over a year, so why would he be on Stan’s mind? - Maybe Stan realized the Lizard wasn’t too hot this time around, since he doesn’t show up for two and a half years.
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Post by Ozymandias on Mar 25, 2015 14:40:17 GMT
Gwen is now dating Flash […] I heard that Stan was pretty against Peter hooking up with MJ, preferring Gwen, and this anti-MJ turn to the dialog follows that line of thinking. Gwen dating Flash? I know they were seen together, but as part of the jealousy game, nothing more. About Stan and MJ, I think MJ was more Romita than anything else, and it makes sense, because of the two female characters, MJ was the one he created from scratch. Gwen had some baggage he had to assimilate, to make her a character of his own. Lee probably wanted Gwen to be the girlfriend, but she wasn't ready at the beginning of the Romita run, so they used MJ in the interim. This is how I read it, at least. Whether they discussed the details, or Stan had to correct the course of the events trough the dialog, I don't know.
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Post by Ozymandias on Mar 25, 2015 15:12:03 GMT
Gwen dating Flash? I know they were seen together, but as part of the jealousy game, nothing more. About Stan and MJ, I think MJ was more Romita than anything else, and it makes sense, because of the two female characters, MJ was the one he created from scratch. Gwen had some baggage he had to assimilate, to make her a character of his own. Lee probably wanted Gwen to be the girlfriend, but she wasn't ready at the beginning of the Romita run, so they used MJ in the interim. This is how I read it, at least. Whether they discussed the details, or Stan had to correct the course of the events trough the dialog, I don't know. It's hard to say who is dating who because in Spidey's world commitment only seems to exist when theres a ring involved. But she spends time with Flash and his throwing him a party so I think it's safe to say they've got something going on, even if it's just casual. And I think Stan was just really hip on the love triangle dynamic. It was there with Betty and Liz but in that case it was all about miscommunication and a means for misery. Here it's played more as an Archie situation, with MJ having fun with Peter while Peter develops a major crush on Gwen, who remains aloof (even we aren't privvy to her thoughts). Gwen's development is starting to build some steam while MJ, who a few issues ago was a dream girl, is beginning to lose her charm after the initial shock of her reveal. The problem isn't so much about commitment, as it is about which relationships were real. The way I read it, Gwen-Harry and Gwen-Flash, weren't relationships of a romantic nature, at least not from her side. Harry would eventually establish a genuine relationship with MJ, but she just wasn't into that kind of thing (here, we could properly talk about commitment issues). The only real romance in the book, in the Lee era, was the one taking place between Peter and Gwen. I think this is also how Lee saw the whole deal, if you follow my Chameleonic Gwen thread, you'll see it's hardly a coincidence that Betty resurfaced in ASM #41, and not in #42. The introduction of MJ, as I mentioned, was to spice things up. Lee certainly enjoyed the triangle situation, but always with a final endgame in mind (Gwen). Anything in between wasn't more than a game. The comparison with the Peter, Betty and Liz situation isn't an exact fit, because what we had there was a square, with Flash as the fourth corner. That was more of a Ditko thing, while what we have here is something both Lee and Romita wanted to develop. The only clarification I'd like to make, is in regard to Romita's role in MJ's creation, he was the one responsible for the character becoming popular (probably more, than what Lee could feel comfortable with).
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Post by spiderman62 on Mar 25, 2015 15:31:27 GMT
''should have been bitten by a radioactive bat'' lol now that would've been interesting. I don't think that, "the proportional strength of a bat", has the same ring to it. No but it would be funny if someone did a parody story with that.
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Post by crazyoldhermit on Mar 26, 2015 2:13:21 GMT
The Amazing Spider-Man #46 (March 1967) “The Sinister Shocker” Script: Stan Lee Art: John Romita Letters: Sam Rosen Cover: John Romita Summary: A still-crippled Spider-Man is jostled from a wall by heavy vibrations. He sets up his camera and slips inside the building to investigate. He finds the Shocker, a criminal in a yellow quilted bodysuit with wrist mounted gadgets that fire heavy vibrations. He used these weapons to break into a safe and now he’s using them to kick Spidey’s ass. Spidey is unable to fight back because the gadgets also vibrate his body and deflect Spidey’s punches. He leaves Spidey banged up in a pile of rubble. Peter changes into his civvies and checks his arm. It’s almost healed but he wants to keep bandaged a little while longer. He starts walking to the Bugle to sell his new photos when Harry Osborn pulls up. He offers him a lift and also offers him an apartment. He’s finally convinced his Dad to get him an apartment in the city, all expenses paid, and it has a second bedroom. Peter would love to but he has to check with Aunt May first. As he drops Peter off he tells him they ought to take MJ and Gwen on a double date. This throws Peter for a bit of a loop and he wonders why he’s bothered by Harry seeing Gwen when he’s seeing MJ? Foswell spots him in the foyer and prepares to follow Peter when he leaves. Peter shows Jonah the photos of the Shocker and he loves them so much Peter is able to force him to write his check personally. When he leaves to meet Aunt May at Penn station Patch follows him. In his loft hideout Shocker remembers his origin: A safecracker and two-time loser, he got busted when guards heard him blow the lock off a safe. In the prison workshop he designed a vibration device that could silently open a safe door. He spent months building the weapons and used them to escape, although the feedback they produced as so strong it nearly killed him. He built a protective uniform and battery belt to make the device portable, becoming the Shocker. At the station Aunt May is alarmed by Peter’s injury but is more worried about her big news: She’s moving out with Anna Watson. It takes a moment for Peter to realize what she’s said but he’s delighted. He tells her he’ll move in with Harry Osborn and that the money from the house will let her live quite comfortably. Back at home Anna and MJ are waiting for them. They tell Anna the good news and Peter takes MJ out for a celebration at the Silver Spoon. Flash, Harry and Gwen are all there. Gwen is dancing up a storm (wearing very trendy clothes) and MJ isn’t particularly impressed. The preparations for Flash’s farewell party are done, they’re just waiting for his induction date. MJ loves a man in uniform and Peter wonders if she’d like a Spidey costume. One kid mentions Spidey getting beaten by the Shocker but Flash thinks the photos are fake (is Jameson still honoring his agreement to not credit Peter?). Pete asks MJ if she wants ice cream but she’s too busy dancing and Peter can’t join her with his busted arm. He tells Harry that he’s moving in and heads home to pack and look for Shocker. Peter wonders why he’s not satisfied with MJ and decides to do some web swinging to clear his head. He doesn’t notice Patch watching him from around the corner and heads into the alley to change, just out of sight. Once changed his spider sense starts tingling and he realizes Patch is following him. Foswell realizes that Peter IS Spider-Man but before he can do anything with that info he hears a conversation from down the alley. Spider-Man is telling Peter about his plans to fight the Shocker and confirms that he gets 50% of the photo money. Peter is able to disguise his voice with his mask to make it sound like two people. To finish the illusion he uses his web to pull his Spidey costume into the sky. Foswell buys it and is satisfied with having found out Peter’s secret. Peter changes back into his costume and finally removes his sling. He wonders where to start looking and sees a cop going to a call box to report an attack at the Federal Reserve, which is only a few blocks away. He finds Shocker there and they get into a fight that wrecks the place. Spidey is able to defeat him by webbing his thumbs back. Unable to activate his wrist blasters Shocker is easily beaten and restrained. He grabs his camera and leaves. The next morning he wakes up before his alarm goes off. He’s just too excited to finally move out. He packs his bags (all of his belongings apparently fit in two suitcases) and goes downstairs to find Aunt May weeping. He reassures her that they’re not saying goodbye, they’re just changing addresses. She reminds him to dress warm and stay away from roughnecks and gives every other bit of smotherly advice she has before Peter leaves. The new apartment turns out to be pretty slick. But when Harry leaves to run an errand he finds himself depressed. He wonders if being Spider-Man has cost him his capacity for happiness. Observations: Big improvement over the last issue. The second generation of villains gets a new addition in the Shocker. I’ve never been a big Shocker fan and he’s a bit of a joke but he works pretty well here. The design is quirky and his powers are unique, since the only other villains to utilize projectile weapons have been Electro (not seen in almost three years) and Green Goblin (retired… for now). He’s legitimately powerful and in a more interesting way than the Rhino and Colonel Jupiter’s generic super strength. The best moment of the issue is easily Peter leaving home. A major milestone in the character’s life, we should now be free of Aunt May’s smothering. Even though Aunt May hasn’t been a very good character (or even a character at all really, more like a walking plot device of terminal illness) it’s still touching to see their goodbye as she makes one last effort to nurture him. Peter moving out doesn’t just mean independence, it signifies Peter’s entire world changing. He’s now living in Manhattan and the swinging sixties are starting to move into full gear, with MJ’s way of speaking really starting to infect the entire cast. It kind of takes away part of what made MJ special but it’s some pretty funny stuff. And dig those goofy dance moves! Gwen is really starting to pull away from the Ditko interpretation, now wearing more modern fashion and having a more easygoing outlook. It’s also quite possible (and even likely) that she is trying to imitate MJ to impress Peter. The little plot with Foswell is resolved. Yes it’s silly that Foswell would be convinced by a costume hanging from a thread and yes Foswell should have made the immediate connection between Peter and Spidey’s busted arms and no Peter faking a conversation without himself shouldn’t fool anybody but I still like this scene. Overall we’ve got an inventive new villain, a major Peter Parker milestone and the coming of the sixties. Not revolutionary but a good, dependable Spider-Man comic. 4/5What is Norman Osborn scheming?Will Gwen and Peter hook up? - Peter is becoming even more infatuated with her but she’s now dating Harry, at least casually. Is Peter's spider sense failing?Will Peter meet Mary Jane?Where is Betty?Who is the Green Goblin?Other notes: - The four year old corner box featuring a very sloppily drawn Spidey head has been replaced by a much cleaner attempt from (I assume) John Romita. - After seven straight issues of multi-part stories this is the first standalone issue of the Romita run. - Jonah calls Peter a shylock when he asks for payment. Shylock was the villain Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” and entered the public lexicon as a term for a loan shark. Today it is seen as an anti-semitic slur but considering the time period, Stan’s idolization of Shakespeare and his own Jewish heritage I think it’s unlikely he meant it as such. - Peter is able to walk from the Daily Bugle to Penn Station. Penn Station was recently reopened as a completely subterranean station located under Madison Square Garden, which at this point was still under construction. Giving Peter 10 minutes to get from the Bugle to the station I’m going to put the Bugle south of 42nd street, north of 21st street, east of 10th avenue and west of Madison avenue. - Aunt May’s vacation was for a couple weeks so this issue doesn’t take place long after #44. - Foswell calls himself a jackass. I guess in 1967 this wasn’t considered profanity or else the CCA wouldn’t have printed it. - The Federal Reserve of New York is located in Lower Manhattan (specifically the Financial District) which means the Silver Spoon is also in the area, possibly in Greenwich Village. - After 45 issues Peter has ditched his classic outfit of blue suit, yellow sweater vest and red tie. He now favors a casual yellow jacket without the tie. - In the Spider’s Web Stan explains that the decision regarding Peter’s aging has been made: He and his peers will continue to age, as the public has demanded, but they will be aging at a slower rate. Think of it as hibernation in the month between issues.
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Post by Ozymandias on Mar 26, 2015 8:05:30 GMT
Big improvement over the last issue. The second generation of villains gets a new addition in the Shocker. I’ve never been a big Shocker fan and he’s a bit of a joke but he works pretty well here. The design is quirky and his powers are unique, since the only other villains to utilize projectile weapons have been Electro (not seen in almost three years) and Green Goblin (retired… for now). He’s legitimately powerful and in a more interesting way than the Rhino and Colonel Jupiter’s generic super strength. The best moment of the issue is easily Peter leaving home. A major milestone in the character’s life, we should now be free of Aunt May’s smothering. […] Gwen is really starting to pull away from the Ditko interpretation, now wearing more modern fashion and having a more easygoing outlook. It’s also quite possible (and even likely) that she is trying to imitate MJ to impress Peter. Peter is becoming even more infatuated with her but she’s now dating Harry, at least casually. - In the Spider’s Web Stan explains that the decision regarding Peter’s aging has been made: He and his peers will continue to age, as the public has demanded, but they will be aging at a slower rate. Think of it as hibernation in the month between issues. The only comic where I liked this character was in SFoS. My major beef with him, was that at this point in Marvel history, it looked like there were geniuses everywhere. At the same time, they all turned to crime, instead of just cashing in, on their inventions. For the Gwen stuff, just confer this issue's posting in her thread. Peter getting his own pad was huge at the time, another sign of change that differentiated the character further, from the one shown in AF #15. In just four years of publication, the same amount of time had elapsed in-story. The announcement you mention, would mark and end to this.
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Post by crazyoldhermit on Mar 26, 2015 14:41:39 GMT
The Amazing Spider-Man #47 (April 1967) “In The Hands Of The Hunter!” Script: Stan Lee Art: John Romita Letters: Sam Rosen Cover: John Romita Summary: The issue opens with a flashback to ASM #34. It’s revealed that the Green Goblin had offered to pay Kraven $20,000 to kill Spider-Man. During his battle with Spider-Man Kraven is distracted by the Goblin’s presence and Spidey escapes. The Goblin’s messenger meets with Kraven, who demands $10,000 up front. The messenger refuses and Kraven secretly follows him back to his home. He discovers that the “messenger” is Norman Osborn and is marvelled by the Goblin’s ability to have a millionaire as a flunky. When he faces Spider-Man again he is captured (as seen in #34) but now after months in jail he has served his sentence and is free. But he finds that the Goblin was killed in a fire and vows vengeance on Spider-Man for screwing up his business. He decides to collect his fee from Norman Osborn’s office before dealing with the webslinger for good. Elsewhere, Aunt May is getting settled in at Anna’s house and Mary Jane stops by to help. Unfortunately she has the attention span of a kitten and immediately starts dancing when she hears the radio. May calls Peter just as Norman stops by the apartment to see how they’re doing. Peter introduces himself and thanks him for the job offer. Norman offers some encouragement and tells Harry that he’s heading to the West Coast on business. Unbeknownst to him, Kraven is at his office terrifying his secretary. Since Norman is gone for the week Kraven tells her to let Norman know he’s after him and leaves to go test out his new weapon, a ridiculous set of laser beams that shoot out of the eyes on his lion tunic (aka his nipples). At ESU Gwen tells some boys about Flash’s party and that with him leaving she’ll be unspoken for. Harry points out that she was never with Flash and tells her to admit that she loves him instead. Peter tries to flirt but Gwen tells him that if he wants to invite MJ to Flash’s party he can. She asks if Harry will bring a date but he insists that would be like bringing a Chevy to GM. Peter makes one last desperate grasp at socialization and asks Gwen out for a soda but she’s busy prepping the party and tells him to bring MJ. After class Peter heads to the Bugle to sell his last Shocker pictures. He spots Betty and Ned and invites them to Flash’s party. Kraven busts down Norman Osborn’s door. The terrified butler tells him he’s on a business trip and Kraven’s senses detect no lies. He tells the butler to tell his master that he’s looking for him. The butler calls Norman to warn him. Peter and Harry are getting ready for Flash’s party. Harry comments that with their girlfriends both of them have got it made. Peter is annoyed that Harry considers Gwen his girlfriend and kicks himself for not going after her when she was interested. They pick the girls up (Johnny real does a number on them) and head over to the Silver Spoon. Soon after they arrive Flash shows up and the party really gets started. Peter and MJ start dancing (although Peter wishes he could talk to Flash) and Harry asks Gwen if she’ll let MJ hog the spotlight. Gwen is annoyed, since MJ was supposed to help hand out food, and when Harry comments that a girl who can dance like MJ would never waste time handing out food Gwen gets in on the action. All the men turn their attentions to Gwen and MJ gets a little huffy. Harry predicts they’re due to blow and sure enough there's an explosion as Kraven crashes through the wall. Kraven wants to use Harry as bait to lure Norman into a trap. Flash tries to fight Kraven but gets knocked aside. Peter runs off to “call the police” and as Spidey he invites Kraven to fight up on a half-finished building. Kraven drops his prey and Harry thanks Flash for trying to help while Ned tells Betty to get inside while he contacts the Bugle (we get a nostalgic little peak into Betty’s mind as she worries about Ned’s dangerous lifestyle). Hearing about his friend’s son being in trouble, Jonah takes Foswell with him to cover the story. Outside JFK airport Norman rushes to a cab and offers to double the fare if he can get to Westchester in an hour. The cabbie mentions Kraven causing trouble in Midtown and Norman offers triple fair if the cabbie can get him there. At the construction site Spider-Man has the upperhand on Kraven. But the nipple rays turn out to be quite effective and Spidey is incapacitated. Kraven is about to kill him when he sees Norman’s cab pull up (that cabbie must be something to get from JFK to Midtown so quickly). He lassos Norman up onto the building and demands his money. Norman has no idea how he is or what he’s talking about and Kraven can tell he isn’t lying. Believing Norman to be one of the Goblin’s stool pigeons Kraven declares him innocent and tosses him aside. Satisfied to have finally beaten Spider-Man, he escapes. Spidey starts to recover a bit and is about to chase Kraven when Norman tumbles off the building. Spidey swings down and saves him, leaving him safe in a web net. Flash praises Spidey’s heroism while Jonah tries to convince his friend that Spidey tried to murder him. Norman tells him to knock it off with his psychotic hatred of Spider-Man and Jonah denies any hatred, just an interest in the truth. As Jonah leaves with Norman (filling him in on how evil Spidey is) Peter returns to the scene (claiming to have unsuccessfully tried to rent a camera). He shakes Flash’s hand and wishes him luck in Vietnam. Flash admits that Peter isn’t as square as he thought, though his grip is nothing compared to Spider-Man’s. As Peter walks home he wishes he could have told Flash his true identity. Catching himself thinking in past tense, he tries to reassure himself that Flash will make it back from the war. Observations: The retcon that Kraven was working for Norman is the first in a long line of retcons Spider-Man will experience. Unfortunately it sets an awful precedent and from here on out Spider-Man will forever be cursed with crappy retcons. Not only does it not fit into the chronology of #34 (as Kraven only battles Spider-Man once that issue), it also diminishes Kraven as a character by making him an assassin motivated by money rather than personal pride (even though near the end he claims his vendetta against Norman was out of principle than financial gain, it doesn’t wash with me). I also feel Kraven’s gimmick is stretched by the addition of boobie blasters to his costume. Jungle poisons, darts, nets and ropes make sense but laser beams seem like they belong to another villain. Aside from the Kraven unpleasantness the issue is actually pretty good. The highlight is Peter’s farewell to Flash. Having begun the series as bitter enemies, the two part on good terms. A handshake and a smile between them is pretty significant and it almost feels like fate was doing Flash a favor by letting him see his hero in action before he leaves. Flash’s character has undergone subtle changes during the Romita arc and he’s quietly grown into manhood alongside Peter (just compare the exuberant teenager talking to Mr Allan in #17 to the grown man seen here). The natural differences in Ditko and Romita’s styles add to the transformation. And it’s a real nice touch that Flash’s last issue as a series regular ends with Peter wishing, as he has from the beginning, that he could let Flash in on his secret. It shows how much things have changed. In the early days it was to get Flash to shut his mouth and stop ragging on him. Now it seems like it would have been something the two could have shared, as Flash is the last person who would ever betray Spider-Man. And Peter realizing that he could be seeing Flash for the last time drives home the significance of the event: The issue is spent bragging about how Flash is going to be a war hero who saves the day, yet in its quietest moment we’re reminded that he’s going into a war and there is a good chance he won’t return. In 1967 the war’s darkest days were still ahead and it was not yet known how brutal and destructive it would end up being. With Flash gone, Betty in the background (how nice it was for her to see Peter with two girls and, instead of breaking out in hysterical jealousy, simply wonder which one he prefers) and Peter having moved out the ties to the high school era have been officially cut. The focus now is on new characters, namely Gwen and Mary Jane. Gwen continues to come out of her shell, now developing into something more like Mary Jane. Of course, the difference is MJ is an airhead while Gwen is a science major. It really seems like Stan was on Gwen’s side since Peter pines after her, Flash thinks she’s more attractive than MJ and Harry even hints that Peter is foolish for bringing MJ to the party. Gwen is currently in Harry’s sights but they don’t seem to be dating while MJ and Peter seem to have more of a flirtatious friendship, although MJ doesn’t seem to be much of a friend. She comes off more as a mildly retarded robot who is programmed to dance whenever she hears music. Romita is jazzier than ever and the Peter Parker side of the story is great but the entire Kraven plot is tainted by that awful retcon. I hate to knock points off of Flash’s farewell issue but I can’t rate this higher than 3/5. What is Norman Osborn scheming?Will Gwen and Peter hook up? - Peter no longer has any real interest in MJ. Gwen seems to be manipulating him. Is Peter's spider sense failing?Will Peter meet Mary Jane?Where is Betty?Who is the Green Goblin?Other notes: - Fourth appearance of Kraven. His design remains the exact same as Ditko’s version. - Third returning villain in the Romita run so far.- Kraven’s $20,000 dollar fee is $142k in today’s loot, down $4k from the same amount in 1966 and another $4k from the same amount in 1965. - Norman offering Kraven $20,000 to kill Spider-Man harkens back to his attempt to put a $20,000 bounty on Spidey’s head. - John Jameson has fully recovered and is back at work. - Peter says he was too busy dealing with the Molten Man and the Scorpion to notice Gwen. Molten Man makes sense, since ASM #35 completely ignored the Peter Parker side of life. But Scorpion last appeared in #29, two issues before Gwen’s introduction. - The fight with Kraven (and thus the Silver Spoon) is said to be in Midtown, whereas last issue implied it was near the Financial District. - It’s really hard to watch Norman fall off the building and not feel just a little upset that Spidey saves him (in a safer way than webbing his neck). It’s odd to see Norman be a caring father and potential mentor to Peter. I guess thats what severe brain damage does to a sociopath.
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Post by Ozymandias on Mar 26, 2015 14:58:43 GMT
The retcon that Kraven was working for Norman is the first in a long line of retcons Spider-Man will experience. Peter no longer has any real interest in MJ. Gwen seems to be manipulating him. - Peter says he was too busy dealing with the Molten Man and the Scorpion to notice Gwen. Molten Man makes sense, since ASM #35 completely ignored the Peter Parker side of life. But Scorpion last appeared in #29, two issues before Gwen’s introduction. I already discussed about the Kraven "retcon" at crawlspace, you can check comments 26-34 if you want. It was quite long, but in essence, I'd say Stan isn’t contradicting facts, but motivations. I agree with my interlocutor there, about Stan's attempt, at fitting the flashback between panels, being a complete mess, but "The Man" himself, hints at the bottom of page two, about both #15 and 34, having to be taken into account, to fill in the blanks. This is Lee's storytelling at its worst, he leaves all the heavy lifting to the reader. The most problematic part of the retelling, comes when you flip to page three. It may look like the first panel talks about something that happened shortly after the last panel from the previous page, but in fact, there's been a jump to issue 34. Except for the last two panels of the flashback, everything else was from issue 15! Sloppy storytelling and character assassination aside, the rest of the issue was a renaissance for the title, which had been meandering since the end of the Ditko era. GG unmasking not included, of course. From here on out, we're going to get Lee-Romita's longest good run. More than manipulation, I'd call it revenge. She's confident by now, that he's in her clutches, and she's ready to make him pay for past offenses. Wait, wasn't sweet Gwendolyn a crying baby doll? Nope, better check her bio again. I missed that "explanation" when writing the Gwen thread, but as you point out, it makes little sense. I'm sure that in Stan's head, the Scorpion came after Gwen.
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Post by Ozymandias on Mar 26, 2015 15:00:23 GMT
I didn't consider that the first half of the flashback is from #15. That makes it even worse since it cuts the Chameleon out completely! Not so much the first half, as almost all of it. But yeah, it sucks for all the reasons you've mentioned, except for the retcon part. The Chameleon isn't out of the story, just out of the flashback. How does he factor in, if it's the GG who's hiring Kraven? Go figure, that's Stan for you, I guess.
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Post by crazyoldhermit on Mar 27, 2015 3:44:31 GMT
The Amazing Spider-Man #48 (May 1967) “The Wings Of The Vulture!” Script: Smilin’ Stan Lee Art: Jazzy Johnny Romita Letters: Whammy Sammy Rosen Cover: John Romita Summary: In the middle of a snowstorm Spider-Man is searching for Kraven. His search is hampered by the snowfall screwing with his spider sense (I guess it’s like radar and the snowflakes create interference?) and his costume doesn’t offer much protection from the cold. He swings by the prison before giving up the ghost and going home. In the prison the Vulture is on his death bed. With only an hour to live his final request is a meeting with his cellmate Blackie Drago. Blackie had spent months begging for the last flight suit and now Vulture has decided to grant him his wish. The suit is buried 500 yards from the North Gun Tower, stashed in case he managed to escape. Thrilled, Blackie tells Vulch that he arranged for the workshop accident that has cost him his life. He leaves the old man to die alone and escapes the prison. He digs up the suit and while he struggles to control it he is able to evade gunfire and leave a free man. The next morning Peter is dealing with a major cold. His senses are dulled but that doesn’t stop him from noticing Gwen’s new hairstyle. She’s more receptive to Peter but Harry opens his big fat mouth and humiliates her by implying she did it to look more like MJ. Peter’s cold makes him useless in the chem lab and Professor Warren sends him home. At home he watches the boob tube and sees Jonah deliver an anti-Spidey editorial, blaming him for bungling with the police’s efforts to arrest Kraven. Peter’s about to change the channel when the anchor delivers a report on Blackie Drago’s escape using the Vulture’s wings. This added stress doesn’t helps Pete’s illness and he wonders if he should call a doctor. Blackie is putting the finishing touches on a helmet for his new costume. Liberated by his new costume he goes out and steals a payroll bag, the first in what he plans to be a long series of robberies. The radio bulletins of the Vulture’s activities prompt Peter to fight his cold and stop him, although he briefly considers asking Daredevil to handle it in return for Spidey fighting Stilt-Man in DD #27. Vulture sees a man carrying a case of negotiable bonds. He tries to steal the case but it’s handcuffed to the man. Vulture takes him to the top of the George Washington Bridge to break the chain without being interrupted but after being unable to do so he decides to instead throw him off the bridge and collect the papers from the smashed briefcase. Spidey, having followed a trial of police cars, kicks Vulture off the bridge and rescues the poor hostage. Vulture flies back at him and they battle in the air but Spidey’s cold has severely weakened him. Aunt May has heard Peter is home sick from school so she, Anna Watson and MJ have come to check up on him. He’s not home and Harry assumes he’s at the Silver Spoon having a Coke. MJ asks Harry to drive May and Anna home so they can join Peter for a soda. Back at the fight (a caption says the scene was included to give Jazzy John an excuse to draw some girls) Spidey is getting the worst of it. He knows he could beat Vulture if he wasn’t sick and wonders how Spidey could be beaten by the common cold. Vulture swoops down and kicks Spidey off his perch onto a snowy rooftop far below. Observations: As in #44-45, Stan digs an old villain out of the history books. And ass with the Lizard, I don’t think Ditko had any interest in dealing with the Vulture again. Conceptually he’s a gimmick and nothing more (he’s actually quite similar to the Rhino in that regard, right down to the extremely literal design). His last solo spot as a villain was in #7, almost four years ago, and his appearance in the first Annual seems dictated by the need to pull together six villains. A character who served as Spidey’s first proper supervillain, he has long since been eclipsed by other villains both in ability and style. The character really seems like a “Stan” idea. In fact, I would say most of the supervillains were Stan ideas since Ditko only brought back the Green Goblin (who he radically altered from Stan’s initial supernatural idea), the Scorpion, Dr Octopus (under a completely new identity) and Kraven during his run as sole plotter. Since Ditko left we’ve seen a renewed focus on costumed supervillains with the creation of Rhino and Shocker and the return of Lizard and Vulture from the first year of the series. Stan decides to ditch Adrian Toomes and come up with a new man to wear the wings. Maybe it’s because a frail old man just isn’t that threatening. Blackie Drago is more intimidating just because of his youth but it’s still hard to take the Vulture powerset seriously. First time around Spidey used an anti-magnetic device to stop him. The second time he webbed his wings to make him fall. The third time Vulture would only face Spidey if he handicapped himself and was defeated by his own length of rope. Now he actually manages to defeat Spidey, which is pretty significant for a villain, but he’s only able to do so because Spidey is severely handicapped by his cold. He is quite a ruthless villain who actually tricks Adrian into giving him the Vulture suit and tries to throw a man off a bridge, so he has that going for him but I say the Vulture still sucks and without the distinctive face of Adrian Toomes the only bit of visual interest is gone, making him nothing more than a relic from the past. With such big news going on in Spidey’s world, Peter Parker isn’t given much screentime. What we do get is a notable scene at ESU that marks a pretty major shift in Gwen’s character. Firstly, her hair is altered to look more like MJ’s which makes her more recognizable as the classic Gwen Stacy and makes her seem more like the Girl Next Door than the upper class princess or glamor doll she’s been so far. More importantly, she clearly did it to attract Pete and she shows bashfulness, embarrassment and insecurity when Harry Osborn (who must have rocks for brains) points it out. So far Gwen has been an ice queen, first determined to win Peter’s attentions, then determined to upstage Mary Jane. Now we see her for the first time showing humility and vulnerability, which immediately distinguishes her from Mary Jane and her ice queen persona. This development is mostly the work of Jazzy John’s ability to draw subtle emotions into his faces. Even if Ditko had wanted to make this development he never would have been able to. I know it’s a little silly to put so much weight on one panel but it’s a surprisingly significant image. The only pitfall in the civilian side of the story is the return of Aunt May. I was hoping that with Peter moved out we could move past her smothering but apparently not. Overall the choice of villain is questionable at best but Spidey fighting a cold and a New York blizzard make up for it and the new shift in Gwen’s character bumps it up nicely. 4/5 What is Norman Osborn scheming?Will Gwen and Peter hook up? - We’re finally getting the first real hints that it might happen. Is Peter's spider sense failing?Will Peter meet Mary Jane?Where is Betty?Who is the Green Goblin?Other notes: - Snowfall! While New York can experience snow into March (which is when this issue came out) the presence of snow is a little snafu. The Green Goblin was “killed” in the spring. ASM #31 had to have been set in September 1965 so the Green Goblin “died” in spring of 1966. Now it is apparently winter, with two entire seasons, a summer break and the start of Sophomore year having gone by without fanfare. However, as was previously stated we are now in an age of Marvel time! If we ignore Aunt May’s comments about the spring fog (and hey, she’s old and senile) this fits pretty cozily into Peter’s first winter in college. Of course, if only 4-6 months have passed since ASM #31 that means ASM #31 now took place in September 1966 and Peter was now born in 1948 instead of 1947. The timeline slides ahead for the first time. - The prison holding the Vulture isn’t named. The only reasonable choice is Rikers Island but it seems unlikely Spidey would swing there absentmindedly. - This is the first appearance of the Vulture in almost three years and fourth appearance overall. In-universe he’s been in jail since the Sinister Six were busted about a year and a half ago. - The Blackie Drago Vulture is the first legacy character in the series. The Vulture’s design remains the same except for a green helmet, which I assume is to compensate for Drago not having a bald head and beaklike nose like the original. - In the Spider’s Web Russel Zoller praises Stan and John for being true Americans who don’t discriminate based on race or creed and for representing this attitude in their books. Obviously he had good intentions but it really draws attention to the total lack of diversity in the book. There hasn’t been a single black character outside of the occasional cop, thug or pedestrian, something that is going to change in just three issues. - After two issues the redrawn headshot in the corner box is replaced by a full figure drawing, which will be there for a very long time.
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Post by Ozymandias on Mar 27, 2015 7:58:09 GMT
Stan decides to ditch Adrian Toomes and come up with a new man to wear the wings. This development is mostly the work of Jazzy John’s ability to draw subtle emotions into his faces. Even if Ditko had wanted to make this development he never would have been able to. The only pitfall in the civilian side of the story is the return of Aunt May. I was hoping that with Peter moved out we could move past her smothering but apparently not. - The Vulture’s design remains the same except for a green helmet, which I assume is to compensate for Drago not having a bald head and beaklike nose like the original. This is allegorical of Marvel Time rising, if we were compliant with real time, such an old man as Toomes should retire, but a clear statement in that regard, will be made in ASM #63. One of Ditko's strongest suits were facial expressions, so I can't agree with that. Keep dreaming. You bet.
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Post by crazyoldhermit on Mar 27, 2015 15:14:06 GMT
The Amazing Spider-Man #49 (June 1967) “From The Depths Of Defeat” Script: Stan Lee Art: John Romita Letters: Sam Rosen Cover: John Romita Summary: After being dumped on a snowy rooftop and left for dead, Spidey is somehow able to regain consciousness. Crediting the cold of the snow for reviving him, he stumbles home on foot and gets through his window and into bed just as Harry checks up on him. At his lair Kraven sees a news report saying Vulture beat Spider-Man and is considered the greatest menace in the city. He flies into a rage and battles one of his tigers to test his strength before heading out to hunt the Vulture. The next morning Aunt May’s neurosis has struck again and she’s back at Peter’s apartment (with Anna Watson trying to dissuade her) to check up on Peter. Peter is still in bed and in his costume so he hides his body under the covers. Aunt May calls Dr Bromwell for an examination but he’s in surgery and can’t make it just now. When he has a moment alone Peter changes out of his costume and notices his night of rest and his spider-stamina have pretty much killed the cold. But now he’s stuck in bed waiting for the doctor to give him a clean bill of health. He’s thankful that the Vulture isn’t acting up right now... Well, it turns out the Vulture is acting up, as he’s dreamed up the most unusual crime of all time: Ram into a helicopter and demand they give him their loot in the first ever act of airborne piracy. His plan succeeds but Kraven is watching and gets ahold of the Vulture’s scent. Reports of the Vulture’s robberies reach the Bugle and Jameson is desperate for photos. He calls Peter at home but Harry tells him he’s resting. Gwen (now sporting her classic look) and MJ stop by to cheer Peter up. Harry tells them to stay and wait until Peter wakes up and MJ puts on some music. Harry ixnays the record and Gwen offers to buy MJ a movie mag to keep her cultured. Harry walks out while Peter sits in bed sulking over having to miss seeing the girls. The Vulture is raving about his wings when his ankle is lassoed by Kraven. Vulture pulls him up in the air but Kraven shifts his weight and they fall through a skylight, exactly as Kraven planned. Peter hears about the fight on the radio and knows that they’ll destroy the city with their fighting. He puts on his costume and slips out the window. The news report said they were at the exhibition hall so he swings over and finds the skylight covered with a net to keep Vulture from escaping. Inside Vulture and Kraven are fighting in a jungle display. Spidey sets up his camera and joins the battle. With his cold gone he is able to hold his own against both villains and tricks Kraven into hitting Vulture with his nipple beams (why he didn’t use them earlier is anybody’s guess). With Vulture out of commission Spidey hits Kraven with his strongest punch, one that staggered the Hulk in the third Annual (which Stan refers to as an Annual rather than a King-Size Special). Kraven is knocked out and with both villains webbed up Spidey snaps a pic and heads home. Three minutes later Dr Bromwell comes to examine him and finds him in excellent health. Aunt May is relieved, as Peter is such a fragile boy, but Bromwell tells her he’s the picture of robust health. Aunt May thinks he’s joking (poor Peter, will he never escape her apron strings?) and Peter decides to take her and Anna out to a movie. Observations: After quite the cliffhanger ending last issue the resolution doesn’t really live up to expectations. This trilogy ends with the villains of the first two parts not teaming up to fight Spider-Man, as would be expected, but with them trying to kill each other. Thats a fun idea but it also makes Spider-Man’s involvement in the story a little less dramatic. In fact, there is loose plotting all around. The drama surrounding Peter is based on him having to stay in bed while the Vulture is on a crime spree and two gorgeous girls are knocking at his door. It doesn’t really wash with me because there's no reason why Peter couldn’t have told the truth about feeling better. He’s been struck by a 24-hour virus before and it’s been 24 hours since he got sick. So that part of the story doesn’t really work. Then there's the tension over Peter wearing his costume and Aunt May or Dr Bromwell potentially discovering his identity. Why didn’t he change out of his costume when Harry left him alone the night before? And then the thing that actually gets him out of bed is two minor villains fighting? I don’t buy it. I also don’t buy Vulture’s great plan being to rob a helicopter by ramming into it. The Vulture continues to be lame. The majority of the issue just doesn’t work storywise, although it does manage to be entertaining despite the holes in its logic. The only thing really notable about this issue is Gwen finally pairing a hairband with her new hairstyle to become the classic Gwen Stacy we all know and love. It’s taken Johnny a year to get here but he finally hit the jackpot. Speaking of jackpots, MJ takes another step back as Gwen treats her like a kid. They show up at Peter’s apartment together with no hint of animosity or even rivalry. The dynamic is becoming even clearer: Gwen is intelligent and mature while MJ is mildly retarded and needs a caretaker. Overall it’s a big fat meh. I expect better from Stan and John (and better is what we’re going to get next issue. Waaaaaaaaaay better). 2/5What is Norman Osborn scheming?Will Gwen and Peter hook up? - Gwen barely appears but she visits Peter at home for the first time. Is Peter's spider sense failing?Will Peter meet Mary Jane?Where is Betty?Who is the Green Goblin?Other notes: - After making four appearances in three years Kraven doesn’t appear again for four and a half years.
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Post by Ozymandias on Mar 27, 2015 19:27:35 GMT
Then there's the tension over Peter wearing his costume and Aunt May or Dr Bromwell potentially discovering his identity. Why didn’t he change out of his costume when Harry left him alone the night before? The only thing really notable about this issue is Gwen finally pairing a hairband with her new hairstyle to become the classic Gwen Stacy we all know and love. Don't you know, from the classic Superman pose, that any good superhero, always carries his costume under his civvies? The concept is there, the execution will still be refined for more than a year.
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Post by crazyoldhermit on Mar 28, 2015 16:22:04 GMT
The Amazing Spider-Man #50 (July 1967) “Spider-Man No More!” Script: Stan (The Man) Lee Pencils: Johnny (Ring-A-Ding) Romita Inks: Mickey Dimeo Letters: Sam Rosen Cover: John Romita Summary: Spidey breaks up an office payroll robbery but is disappointed that the workers fear him thanks to the Daily Bugle. Ruminating on his bad rep, he heads home and Harry tells him Aunt May is ill. He races over to Forest Hills on his bike and Anna Watson tells him that if Dr. Bromwell hadn’t been passing by she would have died. Peter feels guilty for them not being able to contact him as Spider-Man and thinks about how awful he would feel if she had died before he could get to her. The next day he flunks his Chem exam because he’s distracted by his problems. Professor Warren tells him that his grades have been slipping, despite coming to the school with the finest science record he’s ever seen. Peter promises to buckle down. On the way out Gwen invites him to a party but he can’t attend due to Aunt May’s illness and his low grades. At home he thinks about having to pass up Norman Osborn’s job offer because his duties as Spider-Man require him to keep his evenings open. He tries to distract himself from his problems by watching the news but he sees an editorial by J. Jonah Jameson declaring Spider-Man to be a mentally-disturbed menace. He puts a thousand dollar reward out for Spidey’s capture. Peter realizes just how much Jonah hates him, that he legitimately believes Spidey to be a threat to society. This unnerves him so much that he actually begins to wonder if Jameson is right. He realizes that he’s hungry for glory and excitement, thats the only explanation for him continuing to risk his life as Spidey. He walks outside and throws his costume into a trashcan, vowing to become a man. The next morning a kid runs into Jameson’s office with Spidey’s costume. He can tell it’s not an imitation (no explanation how, although he did handle the costume before back in #25) and offers to give the kid a free copy of the paper as a reward while he demands they print an extra. Word of Spider-Man’s retirement spreads and Jameson appears on The Tonight Show showing off the costume and bragging about his big scoop while on “The David Susskind Show” a panel of experts agree that Spider-Man is a nut. Elsewhere, a large, bald man named Kingpin orders a meeting of every mob in the city. Foswell picks up on the lead and as Patch tries to get into the meeting but he’s denied entrance. At the meeting, the Kingpin’s representative explains the situation: With Spider-Man gone the Kingpin is going to take over as the boss of all bosses. They gangsters present aren’t hip on the idea. Even though he didn’t get into the meeting Foswell has managed to figure out what its purpose was. As he goes to work the next morning he thinks about how he could use his Patch identity to rule the city and since he’s turned straight nobody would suspect him. Jameson shows Foswell Spidey’s costume in its display case and tells him he wants a follow-up on the Spidey story. Peter shows up and tells Jonah that he’s quitting the paper, which sends Jonah into hysterics about betrayal and makes Foswell suspicious. Meanwhile, a crime wave in the Kingpin’s name rocks the city. Most of the crooks end up caught but the true purpose was to determine whether or not Spidey is truly gone. Since he’s made no appearance so far Kingpin decides it’s time to proceed with his master plan, his plan to run the city’s crime like a business. The next day at ESU Peter offers Gwen a lift home. She shows him a letter from Flash, who claims that when he gets to Vietnam he’ll give the V.C. 24 hours to clear out. Peter asks Gwen if she’s attracted to Flash and she admits that it’d be hard to find a football hero like him repulsive. He asks how her party went and she says it was a disaster without him. He incorrectly assumes she’s joking, drops her off and rides off to Forest Hills to visit Aunt May. He’s so anxious to visit her that he doesn’t even notice Mary Jane is there wearing a very Jackie Kennedy leopard print outfit. She asks Pete for a ride but he declines to stay with Aunt May. At nightfall he heads home to catch up on his studies and wonders if Gwen will notice the difference. He hears a news bulletin about the robbery of a welfare office and prepares to change when he remembers that it’s not his responsibility anymore. The next morning Harry discusses the crime wave but Pete (not wanting to be reminded of crime) changes the subject. He asks about Norman and tells Harry that when he’s finished some personal matters he’ll be ready to work for him. At school he asks Gwen for a soda and a sandwich but she already has a date with Harry. Peter asks if they’re going steady and Gwen laughs at him trying to pin her with Flash and Harry. She asks why he hasn’t asked if she’s got a crush on him but he knows nice guys finish last. He heads over to check on Aunt May but she’s on her way to a movie with Anna. He realizes that his friends and family need him a lot less than he thought. As he rides home he hears someone cry for help on the roof of a warehouse. With no costume to change into he kicks off his shoes, climbs up the wall and quickly beats off two thieves. As the elderly watchman thanks him he slips off into the shadows. At the end of a pier he thinks about how weak willed he is that he would revert to being a hero at the first chance he had. But he knows he had no choice, a man’s life was in danger. He realizes the watchman reminded him of Uncle Ben and remembers how his failure to act got Ben killed. A flashback to AF#15 plays and he once more knows that he can never give up being Spider-Man, no matter how unbearable a burden it may be. In the Kingpin’s office Foswell introduces himself as the Big Man. He can’t stand to watch another man pick up where he left off and with Spider-Man gone he is back to run things. He offers to make Kingpin a lieutenant, an offer he doesn’t take kindly to at all. Kingpin uses the disintegrator ray in his cane to destroy the gun Foswell has concealed in his hat and has him taken captive. As the sun rises Peter climbs up the wall of the Bugle building and slips into Jameson’s office. When Jameson arrives for work he finds Spider-Man sitting behind his desk. He insults Jameson and leaps out the window proclaiming Spidey to be back in action. Observations: After a trio of unspectacular (if enjoyable) issues it felt like Stan and John were starting to wind down and lose steam. Nope. For Spidey’s fiftieth issue they deliver their best issue yet and hands down one of the best issues (perhaps even the best) in the run yet. This is really what defines a Marvel comic. Here you have a story where the hero is in costume for only four out of the twenty pages with the rest focusing on his personal life. The negative aspects of being Spider-Man overwhelm him and he quits. He has several seemingly good reasons to quit and the kicker is him realizing Jameson could actually be right about him! Spider-Man has been plagued with self-doubts for his entire run so far and those issues have been bubbling to the surface lately as seen in #43, 44, 45, 46 and the third annual A more conventional story would find the hero being unsatisfied by his costumeless life but here Stan goes for a mix. His academic career benefits and he accepts a job offer that will surely be more rewarding (financially and intellectually) than what the Bugle can offer but his social and family lives don’t benefit at all. In the end not being Spider-Man has some advantages but the real lesson Peter learns is that he isn’t missing that much. It’s not long before Peter actually has to avoid hearing from crimes to keep himself from acting on his heroic instincts. That brings us to the ending. The last time Peter quit he was prompted back into action by a pep talk from Aunt May about resilience in the face of opposition. Here he learns, or relearns, a much more valuable and permanent lesson. For the first time he recalls the part he played in Uncle Ben’s death and that lesson on power and responsibility. For the past 50 issues he has been Spider-Man because it’s the right thing to do but only now does he truly associate it with Uncle Ben’s murder. Uncle Ben has been dead for around three years now and it’s not something he spends much time thinking about but now it’s in the forefront. I think this is the moment where Peter finally became the Spider-Man who truly appreciates responsibility. Gwen Stacy and MJ feature in the issue as well. Gwen is now openly flirting with Peter, even going so far as to (sorta) confront him about his lack of interest in her. She also has her first thought balloon since #41. That balloon had Gwen realizing Peter was starting to notice her. Since then we’ve been in the dark about what's going on with Gwen and now we know that she is legitimately interested in Peter. Peter takes a pretty big step in imagining married life with Gwen. While he considered proposing to Betty, that was a desperate move to keep Ned from swooping in and stealing her from him. Peter is more mature now and the idea of marriage carries more weight, even if his relationship with Gwen is nothing more than a flirty friendship. MJ only has one scene in the issue and while she appears as ravishing as ever Peter hardly notices her. Stan was telling Jazzy John to make Gwen outshine MJ but Johnny just couldn’t do it so I reckon the other option was to make Peter lose all interest in her and push her into the background. And even after all that I still haven’t touched on the villain of the issue. The Kingpin is the most successful villain introduced by Stan and John, largely due to the efforts of Frank Miller, but here he makes for an effective crime boss. He is the third “boss of all bosses” character so far and his design really shows the difference in Ditko and Romita’s styles. Ditko’s crime bosses were mysterious men with strange masks while Romita’s boss is the image of opulence. Ditko’s bosses reflect the lack of morality in their lives while Romita’s boss shows the great wealth and stature he has. Ditko’s objectivist leanings made him reluctant to portray villains in a positive light or as actually benefiting from their lifestyle. Romita has no objections so he makes it very clear that the Kingpin lives comfortable. I’m also happy to see Foswell brought into the fray. Since this is their third attempt at such a character the repetitiveness is alleviated by bringing in the original to sort things out. Foswell hasn’t been a crook in 40 issues and he’s been reformed for 27 issues so seeing him go back to a criminal lifestyle is surprisingly disappointing. This issue isn’t just a classic, it’s the classic. 5/5What is Norman Osborn scheming?Will Gwen and Peter hook up? - The ingredients are all there and it’s just waiting to happen. Is Peter's spider sense failing?Will Peter meet Mary Jane?Where is Betty?Who is the Green Goblin?Other notes: - First appearance of The Kingpin - Second time Spidey quits - Thanks to cellphones it would be no sweat getting ahold of Peter when Aunt May falls ill nowadays. - Jonah’s reward for Spidey’s capture is around $7,000 today. - Johnny Carson, Ed McMahon and David Susskind have cameos - First time Spidey has to take his shoes off to climb walls? - Fourth time Spidey’s origin is told (after AF#15, ASM#1 and ASMA#1) - The shot of Peter at the pier was painted and used during the retelling of Spidey’s origin in the 1967 cartoon and also used as the title card background in seasons 2 and 3. - Yes, Mickey Demeo is actually misspelled that way. - The cover to this issue is one of the most famous (and best) Spidey covers ever but the interior splash of Peter walking away from his thrown-out costume is probably even more famous. That image was used in Spider-Man 2, which followed the basic gist of the story with some changes I felt were detrimental. - The cover was painted by Dean White for the Marvel Masterworks paperback:
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