Adam Graham's Blog: Christians and Superheroes - Posts Tagged "peter-parker"

Essential Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man, Vol. 2 by Bill Mantlo

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The book collects Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-man Issues 32-53, Annual #1-2 along with Amazing Spider-man Annual #13. The first eleven issues conclude Bill Manlo's impressive run on the series (though he would return for Issue #53.) Spider-man has some truly epic battles with the Lizard and the Iguana as well as meeting the villain Swarm (who is far more impressive in comics than he would be in later animated appearances.) and Mindworm. Two oversized Annuals battling Doctor Octopus are also very fun to read.

Issue 39 and 40 featuring his mutation into Spider Lizard (which strangely has no effect on Amazing Spider-man.) Issue 41 is a little bit more forgettable as Spidey teams up with the new Giant Man, a character who did't really last as they battle Meteor Man. Issue 42 finishes Manlo's run with a crossover with the Fantastic Four in Fantastic Four #218. It's a fun crossover that involves a battle with the Frightful Four.

Issue 43 has Roger Stern coming on to write a very clever Superhero mystery. Stern writes most of the rest of the book except for Issues 44, 53 and Annual 2. Issue 44 begins with another mystery over the death of mob bosses and leads into the return of the original Vulture in Issue 45 which is actually a fantastic move that's very well-executed.

Annual #2 is a very well-drawn story that has Spidey battling the Rapier. Rapier is a fascinating character with a great back story. The Rapier is one of those lesser known forgotten characters that really makes this sort of book worth reading.

Issue 45 sees Spidey battling the Cobra and then the next three issues have a very Noirish feel as it marks the return of Belladonna, and a great deal of mystery surrounding her.

Issue 49 has Spidey battling the Smuggler. Issues 50 and 51 have him battling aliens and they Mysterio. Issue 49 also saw the White Tiger getting a back up feature which set up Spectacular Spider-man #52 where Spidey gets White Tiger to the Hospital in critical condition and then has to battle Gideon Mace, an insane ex-military guy bent on wiping out Superheroes. It's a good story that also serves as a book end to White Tiger's story line.

Issue 53 feels a little random as Bill Manlo returns to right a tale of Spidey fighting the Tinkerer and the Toy. It's not a bad story but is a bit forced.

Overall though, this is a great book full of underrated stories and forgotten characters. It's got a lot of atmosphere and some very noirish and atmospheric stories . I recommend this for any fan of Classic Spidey tales.



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Essential Amazing Spider-Man, Vol. 10 by J.M. DeMatteis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book collects Amazing Spider-man #211-230 along with Amazing Spider-man Annual #15.

This collection has Spidey facing off with multiple villains from his own history as well as from other Marvel series. The long-time Spidey fan will find such traditional menaces as the Vulture, the Frightful Four, and the Sandman, along with a battle with and a later team up with Submariner, and also a few appearances by Madame Web. We also get to see the first appearance of Hydroman and a follow up team up with Sandman. However, the book also features some other surprises such as the Foolkiller and with former Batman scribe Denny O'Neill spending time writing the series, there are some good solid mystery stories thrown in.

Overall, there's not a bad, stupid, or unworthy story in this book. It shows how solidly Marvel had a grasp on Spider-man as a character in the early 1980s. Two stories represent the book at its best. The Annual features Spider-man, Doc Ock, and the Punisher in a Three way battle. It's a tense story and shows a true conflict between Spider-man and the Punisher and the Punisher's character takes a much darker turn than had been portrayed in early stories. It also shows Frank Miller's pencils at their best and most disciplined.

The final story in Issues 229 and 230 has Spider-man battling the Juggernaut, a character from the X-Men stories that is unstoppable and coming after Madame Web. The fight becomes personal when Juggernaut puts Madam Web in the Hospital and Spidey throws everything he has him and then some. It's intense, exciting and surprising as Spidey battles a villain that the entire X-men had trouble taking down.

Overall, my only annoyance with the book is how awful he is to Debra Whitman. Other than that, there's solid supporting characters, great villains, and great fun. A superb read for fans of the Amazing Spider-man.



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Spidey, Volume 1: First Day by Robbie Thompson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book takes a look at Spidey as a modern teenager start out at mid-town High.

The first issue is a bit rough. It's frentic and jumps all over the place. It features the out of character moment where Gwen Stacy punches Flash Thompson in the face and then there's the lady in a bunny suit who robs a bank so Spidey makes puns, Peter goes to a lab and a fight with Doc Ock is shoe-horned in.

However, after the first issue, the book gets better as we feature Spidey battles with all-time great foes like the Vulture, the Lizard, Doctor Doom, Green Goblin, and Sandman. The stories are fun and make for light breezy reads. If you like simple Spidey away from all ways the Marvel 616 version have been messed up, this reads great. Also, if you want to introduce a kid to Spidey, this is a good book to do it with if you're afraid they won't be able to get into the originals. Although, these aren't on par with that.

My one complaint after the first issue is that the story reuses the art for the same opening page telling the story of how Peter got his powers.

Other than that, though, it's a fun book for kids and for fans who just want a simple continuity-free Spider-man story.



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