The Amazing Spider-Man: Big Time - Ultimate Collection

The Amazing Spider-Man (1999) (Collected Editions) #40-42

by Dan Slott, Humberto Ramos

Peter Parker has finally hit the Big Time. He's a full-fledged Avenger and has just landed a high-paying science job. But big-time living means big-time pressure. When the Hobgoblin returns, Spidey will need an edge to defeat him. And when the Scorpion targets J. Jonah Jameson and his loved ones, Spider-Man must grapple with matters of life and death. Then, Spidey is asked to join the FF. Peter has never been one to shirk his responsibility, but will all his new commitments prove too much to handle? Collecting: Amazing Spider-Man 648, 649-662, 654.1

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Spider Man, Comic Book, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics

528 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2012

About the author

Dan Slott is an American comic book writer, the current writer on Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man, and is best known for his work on books such as Arkham Asylum: Living Hell, She-Hulk, Silver Surfer, The Superior Spider-Man, and Ren & Stimpy.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spider-man leads the Avengers into battle against Dr. Octopus and gets a job. A new Hobgoblin rears his ugly head. The Spider-Slayers and the Scorpion return. There's a new Venom in town. Spider-Man's wardrobe expands to include three or four new costumes. Spider-Man joins the Future Foundation in the wake of the Human Torch's death. Spider-Man teaches a class at the Avengers Academy. A lot other stuff happens too...

Confession Time: I haven't read Spider-Man regularly since Mike Wieringo was the artist. In fact, most of my favorite Spider-Man tales are from the original run of Marvel Team-Up. I briefly took an interest in JMS's run on the book but didn't like taste. Plus, Civil War was coming and the revolting amount of hype put me off comics for five years.

However, once I heard Dan Slott was writing Spider-Man, I had to give it a shot. I was not disappointed in the least.

This book contains something like 24 issues of Spider-Man and tells a wide variety of stories featuring the Web-Slinger. The humor and fun level is way up from the last time I read Spider-Man and Slott and the rest of the creative crew did a fantastic job. I particularly liked Marcos Martin's retro-style art, though Humberto Ramos has come a long way since his days on Impulse. Slott really gets what makes Spider-Man work. I caught myself laughing out loud at Spidey's antics quite a few times.

If there's one thing I've learned from Spider-Man: Big Time Ultimate Collection, it's that sometimes making a deal with the devil to save your 150 year old aunt's life at the expense of your marriage sometimes isn't all that bad. This is the best Spider-Man has been in years.

[Lono · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I read and reviewed the Big Time story itself separately with some pals (HOT DAMN was it good!) and let’s just say it’s pretty much downhill from there with this collection. Don’t get me wrong, it still holds up pretty well at the start, but this one really took a nose dive towards the end.



Revenge of the Spider-Slayer is the next story following Big Time collected in this volume and it’s pretty good too. J.Jonah has his hands full when the Spider-Slayer shows up with an army looking for get back from the Mayor. Along the way Spidey loses one of his unique abilities and Peter is quick to discover how this will impact him in a BIG way. Stefano Caselli illustrates this one and he’s on point. He reminds me of Frank Cho with a little less cheesecake. Good, solid artwork.



Rebirth, and Flashpoint are the next couple of stories here and they focus on the new and improved Venom. Best version of Venom since his inception. Flash Thompson wearing the symbiote as a super-soldier was a pretty kick ass idea. Love the secret agent angle of the Flashpoint story. And my man crush, Humberto Ramos provides some sick art for this one.



Bullet-proof Spidey debuts in the “No One Dies” issue. I enjoyed this one. Javier Pulido provides the art which, while good, is a pretty drastic departure from the stuff earlier in the collection. Reminded me of Tim Sale a bit.



“Torch Song” initiates Spidey into the Fantastic Four following Johnny Storm’s demise. This one was illustrated by 4 different artists and looks back at Spider-Man’s previous adventures with the Human Torch. It was fun.



So this is where the collection takes a dump. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Slott didn’t pen any of the remaining stories which included stuff by Christos Gage, Fred Van Lente, Paul Williams, and Frank Teiri. Shame, because it shows. Still, some decent art by Caselli and Pulido, but not enough to make up for the “ehhh” stories. I did like the random Beastie Boys reference and “Just Another Day” which follows Spidey while he tries to complete his daily “to do” list. But otherwise, this collection goes a little flaccid after starting out so damn solid. Still a recommend based solely on the first 2/3's of this collection. Love Slott and when he works with a great artist, IT'S MAD GOOD.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spider-man, Spider-man, he can do...a good comic again! Woot Woot!

Listen I hated One More Day. It fucked up one of my favorite characters ever created. I also disliked most of Brand New Day, because it sucked monkey balls. So now we get "Big Time" which is mostly done by Dan Slott.

Do I like Dan's Spider-man? I do and I don't. I feel he understands the core of the character with some great issues with Spider-Slayer and some talks with his girlfriend and MJ. But then you get issues that are so awfully done like "No One Dies" that feel like they're trying WAY too hard. I was just like NO.

However Venom Agent, Spider-Slayer, Hob-Goblin all had great arcs and I really enjoyed them. It was really only the issues that dealt with "no one dies" and the FF issues (Which were so boring) that I didn't like. Some random issues at the end were fun though like Ghost Rider.

Overall a 3.5 out of 5, which is better than almost ANYTHING in Brand New Day. So yay!

[Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than it’s been in a while. Slott knows what he’s doing. The most forgettable bits were with future foundation.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Origin of the Species ended the (mostly pretty good) reboot of Brand New Day with a bit of a whimper, Big Time starts off strong right from the beginning and doesn't let up.

The first Hobgoblin story is fun, dark and sets up a new status quo for Pete. I have to say, I love the pencils of Humberto Ramos (I loved his Spectacular SM arcs with Paul Jenkins years back) and he kills it here. Wonderfully stylised and vibrant pencils and great colouring throughout.

The subsequent Scorpion/Spider Slayers story continues strongly culminating in a wonderful issue centred around Marla, with Spidey reliving all those people in his life who were killed. It's powerful, sparse and wonderfully drawn.

Then we move to the Future Foundation where Pete's joy at being on some honest to goodness Fantastic Four style adventures is spread to the reader. Pirates, Zombies, Zombie Pirates! Giant monsters. Space and Time. The microverse (I've never encountered Superego, the living atom before and it cracked me up). There are some great jokes, a lot of fun and it all flows really well.

In between, we get a sense of the new status quo, the Avengers, Ghost Rider, some shorter stories and backup collections, Doc Ock being blatantly up to no good (continuing the background story that has been building from issue 600), a lot of fun and humour and the birth of a new Venom (and from what I've heard I think I'll be picking the Venom ongoing up as well).

In all, a great Spider-Man collection, a fantastic place for new readers who want to see what it's all about and a great starting point. Well done Dan Slott.

Collects #648-662 + 654.1.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best Spider-man book in several years!

It opens with the truly wonderful Big Time story line. And it's a real breath of fresh air for the series. Peter lands his dream job, gets fat pay checks and buys and apartment in Tribeca! Everything is going great for Spidy and its much over due. He's a boy genius and deserves some science wonk!

Several stories follow Big Time and they're all good decent solid work from Slott and company, but my hat's off to the truly great Marcos Martin's special Marla issue. It's as lovely as any comic can aspire to be.

This book features art from Humberto Ramos and Marcos Martin, currently the two Spider-man masters. They always churn out top notch art for Spidy.

[Geonessary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great! I didn't realize how downhill the stories and art had gotten, but this started off with a bang. Great art and great stories. It's a big book with lots of stories, only the last 3 issues were mediocre, the rest were really fun.

Hobgoblin and Kingpin story was a great start. Horizon Labs is a great change of pace for Peter. Introduced some great characters. I could talk about each story individually, but really it's all great in one way or another.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I skipped the non-Dan Slott issues.

[Michael Emond · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second time reading this collection and it holds up and makes me as happy to read it as I did when it first came out. I think it is safe to say Dan Slott is my favourite Spider-man writer. Also having Humberto Ramos as the artist for many issues and a bunch of other top notch artists on the other issues doesn't hurt.

Why do I love this collection and Dan's writing so much? A lot of reasons:

1) While he still brings the emotion and drama and obstacles for Peter to overcome he also gives Peter hope. There is always a positive message in his stories. It isn't just "let's make everything go wrong for Peter and leave him in a puddle of despair". Too many writers either ignore Peter (and focus on the Spider-man or, worse, just tear him down. As an example - the last idiot writers had Peter stripped of his job at the Bugle for faking a picture. I say "idiot" because it was so out of character and simply done to "tear Peter down". Peter fakes a photo to help Jameson, a man he hates, look good, and then JJJ immediately called him out on it and Peter is disbarred from ever working as a photographer again. I didn't buy any of it.
Dan, on the other hand, finally writes Peter in a more realistic way - getting a job at a science think tank because Peter is a genius and why was he earning money as a photographer? At least JMS had him as a high school teacher, but even that was beneath him. He has a phD in biophysics and biochemistry and he is a genius. Not only does it make more sense it opens up more story ideas. that is a gift of Dan, his ideas help expand the stories he wants to write.

2) He knows how to flesh out the side characters. We get action packed stories but we also hear from JJJ, Aunt May, Mary Jane, Flash, and a host of other characters. All have their own voice and all have their own agency and don't just serve as pawns for a story. the little Flash/Venom side story was a particular stand out.

3) He knows how to bring the action. Not only does he write great action he also makes it clever. I.e. not just "punch it out for 20 pages and then one final punch ends the battle". There are clever ways used to defeat the enemy. You see the "let's punch it out" with a side story at the end NOT written by Dan and it shows the kind of stuff I don't like.

4) His humour and knowledge of the history of comics adds to the enjoyment. The humour he uses is actually humorous. I compare it to someone like JMS who thinks they can write funny - Dan actually CAN write funny. It especially shines with the issues we see Spider-man on the Fantastic Four (Future Foundation). Those issues also highlight the sense of history Dan brings to his stories as there are numerous callbacks only older fans, like me, would truly appreciate (although it doesn't affect the story for younger readers).

5) He keeps it short and simple. I am so tired of 30 issue long arcs in comics. Did you read all 40 issues of the Cosmic Wars? No...then you won't follow these next 50 issues of the Hunt for the Dimensional Jewel. Also you should read the Gravity corps mini series to truly understand who these characters are. Not Dan. We get stories that are 2-3 issues long. Pretty self contained and have a defined start and finish. That isn't to say he can't play the long game - you will see Superior Spider-man being set up here - but he does it while also being able to write shorter stories.

I see other reviews complaining they didn't like a story here or there. I get it. Dan's more optimistic take on Spider-man might not be for everyone. I saw someone have a legitimate complaint that the "No one dies" story had a lame premise and I will grant that (Spider-man irrationally says that no one will die from now on while he is on the job - it makes zero sense). But even with that lame premise we get a good story. So I can forgive an occasional misstep.

And yeah, I really love Humberto's art. I get that it is too cartoony for some but I love its kinetic energy and style.

Overall - these are the kind of Spider-man stories I love. My favourites of all time. Big time!! :)

[Nicko · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not the biggest fan of Slott’s work on Spidey, but, I also started with his stuff when I got back into comics almost 10 years ago now. This book collects and starts the very beginning of his run. It contains a simple premise — Peter finally has everything; a girlfriend, a perfect job, and is a part of the Avengers. He’s hit “big time”, but how does Peter handle all of it? I found it compelling due to the fact that Peter and Spidey’s very nature is that he is always chasing long-term satisfaction, always getting the short end of the stick.

The first handful of issues are really good. Slott is able to really illustrate how good Peter has it. I always loved the addition of Horizon Labs — how it’s ran by one of Peter’s hero scientists, and how it’s a place that gathers pretty much every other young, genius scientist to make inventions. This fits perfectly for Peter as it gives him resources to build his Spider-Man tech, a place to store all that stuff, and showcases his genius in inventing technology and inventions for the public. There’s a really good beat in the midst of all this, on his first day of work where Aunt May drops him off, and she looks up towards the sky and says “He did it, Ben.” Which was really heartfelt and nice and drove home Peter’s relationship with his aunt and uncle. It also goes sort of full circle at the end of one of the issues where Peter’s at an expensive dinner with Aunt May and her husband and how he smiles and thinks to himself that he’s finally “hit the big time”, but not only because of all the things in his life, but because he made Aunt May smile and proud.

Slott, at least in the beginning, juggled all the subplots really well, along with nice cuts and cliffhangers. While Phil Urich’s arc can be seen as “pathetic”, I thought it was so entertaining to witness unravel. Surprisingly enough, compared to Slott’s later Spidey stuff, Peter’s voice and humor are written well here. While it was kind of obvious that there was sort of a parallel going on between Peter’s and Phil’s lives, I’m not sure if that was intended to go anywhere or if Slott fully utilized it.

I didn’t hate Ramos’ art as much as I usually do, but I didn’t mind it here either. I think I’m just nostalgic for it since he was who was penciling when I picked up comics later in my adult life.

That being said, Marcos Martin absolutely slays #655 and elevates all of Slott’s writing to a whole new level.

I really liked how in #654, Peter’s spider sense is taken away (and isn’t resolved by the end of the book so I’m curious how it even does) and in #656, we see a demonstration of how it benefitted him in a way we weren’t aware of before. (When the web hits the plaster.)

There were awesome suits in this book that also showcased Peter’s smarts. Ones that have become famous in the Spidey mythos (and in the Insomniac game 🙂). The stealth suit against Hobgoblin being one and the “bullet suit” against Massacre (which was finely drawn by Marcos Martin). I thought Marla’s death was well done and Spidey’s new internal rule “no one dies” was a good addition and contrast to his new “big time” status quo.

The Future Foundation arc I thought was fun, nice, and touching. I don’t know what happened to Johnny Storm, but it made for a nice team-up/family arc with Spidey and the F4. (Also another cool suit added to the mythos.)

The book sort of loses its magic towards the end and fizzles out — I did not read any of the “side issues” or extra stuff at the very end with Ghost Rider and all that but I did read the two-issue Venom arc in the middle of the book which I thought was a decent tie-in / backdoor pilot to Flash’s VENOM title(?). Anyhow, I thought this was definitely Slott’s best work on Spidey — even makes me wanna go back and read the decent stuff before #700 (yikes).

[Mr. Stick · Rating 4 out of 5]

"'SKILL SETS'? DR. MADISON-JAMESON, DON'T YOU KNOW? PETER'S A GENIUS."
- Aunt May summing up her nephew (and this entire book) to Marla Jameson.

Michelle moves out, leaving Peter homeless. An opportunistic new psycho becomes the Hobgoblin. Peter AND Spidey finally land their dream job, and it even pays good.
Then, Alistair Smythe, the Spider Slayer, is back with an army and a purpose. Separated from the Venom symbiote, Mac Gargan, once again becomes the Scorpion. Peter's relationship with Carlie progresses, and MJ gives him some advice about Spider-Man. A brief appearance from Squirrel Girl!
Flash volunteers for a military experiment.
Following a funeral for someone in Peter's life, he vows that "no one dies" while Spidey's around.
There's a new villain in town, Massacre. And he has no emotions at all. I actually felt empathy for this guy.
Then, Spidey joins the FF (Future Foundation), formerly known as the Fantastic Four. So much fun. Wouldn't it be swell if Marvel made a seperate publication about a four-person (family) superhero team? That'd be Fantastic.
Closes with several B-stories. Hank Pym asks Spidey to be a substitute teacher for Avengers Academy (another team to add to my "read" list). Spider-Man teams up with the NEW Power-Man to take on the Looter. A 12-hour silent snippet of Spidey's day. Peter helps out one of Spidey's villainous D-listers. Concludes with a Ghost Rider team-up against a six(or eight)-nippled demon (ew!).
As per usual, really good stuff. Four stars.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of artists contributed to this volume and all the work is stellar but Marcos Martin's work stands out. Just gorgeous rendered scenes whether it an action set piece or a quiet scene set at a funeral. Most of this was written by Dan Slott and Cristos Gage and it walks a fun line of action, scary villany and of course comedy and heart. There were a few one shots towards the end that weren't written by either of the main previously mentioned storytellers and it shows. There was one towards the end that was cute but mostly it felted disconnected from the continuity of what came before. Which can be an issue in comics.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I completely forgot these were bi-weekly instead of monthly until re-reading and tbh it shows a bit. I guess comics are episodic by nature but it's also clear Slott has a clear overarching plan, whether I knew beforehand about Superior Spider-Man or not.

I kind of love Ramos's art style and Slott clearly has one of the best grasps on Spider-Man's voice outside of Bendis. Even Christos Gage's couple issues worked great, at least in a team-up way. I can't help but feel the FF cross-overs wouldn't have worked better as FF stories, though. Feels like a diversion that's not really within Spidey's usual scope.

[Adam Spanos · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Spider-Man: Big Time Ultimate Collection is good if you want to get into more modern Spider-Man stories. Dan Slott brings some good ideas to the Spider-Man mythos which are sometimes not fully realized. His writing can resemble the Bronze Age of Comic Books a little to much and his characterization doesn't always hit the top but it's still a good purchase if you're interested enough. Be warned though, the Paper/pages are pretty fragile so make sure to handle the book with care.

[Umur · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how Peter finally makes use of his scientific skills. However, probably for making up the lost years, he makes some mind shattering, universe changing and sometimes world ending discovery every other issue - such as invisibility. Oh well, who would want to see spider-man make iteration after iteration?

[Ricardo Noronha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Parker has finally turned his luck around! Even when things are grim, Lady Gaga comes to save our favourite wall-crawler (true story)! Volume 1 is a great start of Spider-Man's new phase. My only issue was with the artwork itself: Sadly, it was not as consistent as the narrative.

[Gabi Poderosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una de las primeras series de cómics de spiderman que leo y me gustó bastante.
Pero necesité mucho contexto y salían muchos personajes jaja a veces me enredaba ( por eso las 4 estrellas)
pero bueno, me alegró ver que casi todo le salía bien a Peter (al fin)

[Josh Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good for you, Pete, good for you.

[Will Fenton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful to see marvel deciding on a set direction for Spidey and making it as messy as so much of real life can be, with the added Spider-Man "wrinkles" thrown in. Great collection.

[Silver · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always a wonderful read. I wanted to know about spider man and the future foundation and this gave me the answer and was an enjoyable ride.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Federico Kereki · Rating 2 out of 5]

I understand comic book writers sometimes have to shake up status, but having Peter Parker go from a poor student to a millionaire industrialist didn't really work for me...

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great stuff, but the story goes on 4 tangents that each have their own problems. The rest is all the moments you want in a spider-man comic, but reworked to be fresh and new. Still, the main problem is Spider-Man becomes the childish character while teaming up with others, which is annoying when the story is about Peter growing up. (also he’s like 25 now) Still would recommend.

[Kevin de Ataíde · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here's the new Spiderman, who is not ashamed of doctoring his photographs to please his old boss and refuses to understand his punishment, although he is a certifiable *genius,* don't you know it? Throughout this book, Peter is repeatedly called a genius by everyone, even by Doc Ock, because he's good at the rather vague subject of Science. He gets an extraordinarily high-paying job in, um, mumbo-jumbo made-up Science; rejoice, Uncle Ben, for Peter's going to become a Scientist finally.

And somehow, every villain he's ever fought, each with their own ability in Science (except for the clods like the Sand man and Rhino), appears. I get it - Science is the basis of all the magical ability of the superheroes; the spider-sense even gets its own wave frequency that can apparently be hacked by Science. In fact, Science can confound any superpower. It's all 'bio-electric.' Then they add the Fantastic Four or Future Foundation and the Science becomes ridiculous comedy.

It's great. I love it. Drawings are excellent also. The Kingpin looks younger than ever. Aunt May looks like a skinny supermodel with grey hair and a wrinkled face. Three stars.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collects Amazing Spider-Man issues #648-662, and Amazing Spider-Man #654.1 (a Venom story)

My wife got this for me for our one year wedding anniversary in order to set it on the bookshelf next to "Big Time Volume 2" which she got me for Christmas.

This is the start to Dan Slott's "Big Time" era of Spider-Man. It is a whole new beginning for Peter as he has a new girlfriend and an amazing new job. Plus, this job helps him do his job as Spider-Man better.

Great villains, great team-ups, great writing, great artwork, and lots of heart and emotion.

Plus, the debut of the newest person to be Venom.

There were some tie-ins to Jonathan Hickman's excellent run on the Fantastic Four/Future Foundation, however these were actually some of the less interesting parts of this collection.

Also, if you like "Avengers Academy," those students show up in two issues too.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ultimately won me over. The fate of Phil Urich was way too disheartening. I will admit that it wasn't much of a character, but it was one that only had meaning for a small group of people and all positive. Not clear why this twist was made and so fully. I only hope the character is redeemed through tragedy rather than just this persistent superjerk.

Most of the stories consist of Spider-Man inventing a new device and suit that solves his problems. And the story is awfully high and low at the same time.

But the art and tone are generally good enough to compensate. Not sure I can explain it.

[Mark Schlatter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of Spidey goodness. Slott writes the character quite well --- lots of humor and the appropriate amount of angst about how screwed up Peter Parker's life can get. (Although part of this volume focuses on the good stuff in Parker's life --- a science job and membership with the Avengers and Future Foundation). My only concern was that I'm not a big fan of the use of arcs --- about every four issues, you get a tonal shift that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the best Spidery stories in over a decade. Incredibly fun, dramatic, and iconic.

Also, this is three volumes worth for a fraction of the price. I almost knocked off a star for the binding, because I prefer hardcovers. If you read my other reviews, I frequently complain about the quality of Marvel's books. Paperbacks usually don't last more than three or four readings. For the prices they charge, it's outrageous.

[Rasmus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a lot of mixed feelings on this one. The first few stories with the new Hobgoblin, Allister Smythe, Venom and Massacre were pretty great, as were the last bits, but the FF thing was almost painful. It felt too cheesy and children who are smarter than Reed is just ugh. Maybe it's just because FF never caught on to me.

I'd still recommend reading it, as No One Dies is one of the better Spidey stories out there.

[Jeremiah Demster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm actually a big time fan of this book (pun intended...initiate groans). The storyline was really interesting and included several long overdue departures from the by-now-worn-out standard Spider-Man expectations. But it does so without betraying the nature of the character. "The ol' Parker luck?" Still in play but augmented with some positive life changes. It ups the ante for Mr Parker in new directions. A must read for Spidey fans.