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Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man #7
Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man, Vol. 7
Collects Spectacular Spider-Man (1968) #1-2, Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #62-67, Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5.
Filled from stem to stern with heroic Spidey battles against the likes of the villainous Vulture, Mysterio and Medusa of the Inhumans, this one's a nail-biter if there ever was! Plus, the sensational origin of Peter Parker's parents as Spider-Man battles no less than the Red Skull!
Filled from stem to stern with heroic Spidey battles against the likes of the villainous Vulture, Mysterio and Medusa of the Inhumans, this one's a nail-biter if there ever was! Plus, the sensational origin of Peter Parker's parents as Spider-Man battles no less than the Red Skull!
313 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 27, 2005
32 people are currently reading
235 people want to read
About the author
Stan Lee
7,560 books2,347 followersStan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber) was an American writer, editor, creator of comic book superheroes, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.
With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.
With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
September 1, 2021
If you read this you're going to experience what it feels like to be working but not getting paid.
August 12, 2021
Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man Volume 7 by Stan Lee is a lot of long form spiderman tales with the most beautiful artwork to date. This volume contains the small first run of The Spectacular Spiderman which only ran 2 issues. One of the book is black and white pencil drawings that are just beautiful with Peter Parker looking closer to what he looks like today. The big issue in this volume is the return of the Green Goblin, which has been building up for sometime, and leads to a big finish with the Green Goblin being the only enemy that knows Peter Parker's true Identity. The other notable issues are the battle of the two Vultures, and an epic Mysterio which was my favorite two parter issues so far in the series. We get to find out what happened to Peter Parker's parents, and how they died. Mary Jane gets a perm, and it is not pretty. Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man Volume 7 collects issues of The Spectacular Spiderman (1968) 1-2; The Amazing Spider-Man 62-67 and Annual 5.
The Plots: Medusa from the Inhumans comes to Earth to learn about humanity and becomes a hair model, when she is bored with that the owner tricker her into fighting Spiderman for publicity. The to Vultures duke it out to prove who is the almighty Vulture. Spiderman after a fight with the winning vulture gets taken to prison infirmary to await trial then has to save Captain Stacy after a jail break. Spiderman battles a crooked politician and his giant. Mysterio threatens the city for a rematch with Spiderman. Norman Osborn remembers that he is the Green Goblin and Peter Parker is Spiderman at a party he throws for Harry. Peter Parker find out that his parents were spies and possible traitors to the USA, it is up to Spiderman to uncover the truth.
What I Liked: The art is so incredible for each issue of The Spectacular Spiderman I really like the pencil drawings, really incredible use of shading. Mysterio is my favorite of the Spiderman villains and these issues were so cool and really showed off what he can do. The Vulture storyline was really fun and I'm glad that the original Vulture was back. Th return of the Green Goblin was fun and the party scene where Norman test Peter Parker was heavily inspired the scene in the very first Spiderman with Toby Maguire.
What I Disliked: Mary Jane with a perm is a horrible idea. The first issue in The Spectacular Spiderman is pretty to look at, but man is that story a dud, it also drops storyline from the Amazing Spiderman, only to be right back when the volume switches back to The Amazing Spiderman. So that was a little confusing.
Recommendations: This volume was a mixed bag three strong stories and 2 okay stories and one dud. My favorite in terms of Art so far and my favorite two parter so far, that dud story line is bad and felt so long. I rated Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man Volume 7 by Stan Lee 4 out of 5 stars.
The Plots: Medusa from the Inhumans comes to Earth to learn about humanity and becomes a hair model, when she is bored with that the owner tricker her into fighting Spiderman for publicity. The to Vultures duke it out to prove who is the almighty Vulture. Spiderman after a fight with the winning vulture gets taken to prison infirmary to await trial then has to save Captain Stacy after a jail break. Spiderman battles a crooked politician and his giant. Mysterio threatens the city for a rematch with Spiderman. Norman Osborn remembers that he is the Green Goblin and Peter Parker is Spiderman at a party he throws for Harry. Peter Parker find out that his parents were spies and possible traitors to the USA, it is up to Spiderman to uncover the truth.
What I Liked: The art is so incredible for each issue of The Spectacular Spiderman I really like the pencil drawings, really incredible use of shading. Mysterio is my favorite of the Spiderman villains and these issues were so cool and really showed off what he can do. The Vulture storyline was really fun and I'm glad that the original Vulture was back. Th return of the Green Goblin was fun and the party scene where Norman test Peter Parker was heavily inspired the scene in the very first Spiderman with Toby Maguire.
What I Disliked: Mary Jane with a perm is a horrible idea. The first issue in The Spectacular Spiderman is pretty to look at, but man is that story a dud, it also drops storyline from the Amazing Spiderman, only to be right back when the volume switches back to The Amazing Spiderman. So that was a little confusing.
Recommendations: This volume was a mixed bag three strong stories and 2 okay stories and one dud. My favorite in terms of Art so far and my favorite two parter so far, that dud story line is bad and felt so long. I rated Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man Volume 7 by Stan Lee 4 out of 5 stars.
July 27, 2024
Make Way for... Medusa! (originally published July 1968 in The Amazing Spider-Man #62)
For this issue, Medusa, formerly of the "Frightful Four" and now the Inhumans, is borrowed from the pages of Fantastic Four to be an antagonist for Spider-Man. They end up brawling to a stalemate after they are manipulated by a goofy hairspray tycoon—he reminds me of the Hollywood caricature from the first issue with the Green Goblin (#14), except he is less funny. It's interesting that the fight ends after they come to somewhat of an agreement.
The fight in this issue almost an afterthought though, with so much going on with the supporting cast. Gwen still thinks Peter betrayed her dad. We're starting to see a lot more of her lately and her characterization is paper-thin (the Stan Lee special for female characters). Norman Osborn is still amnesiac, but haunted more and more by thoughts of the Goblin, foreshadowing things to come.
Don Heck is still contributing to the art, and the credits continue to be unclear on how much is him, and how much is John Romita. Regardless, Romita doesn't do full pencils on most issues from this era, and it is unfortunate. 3/5
Lo, This Monster! (originally published July 1968 in The Spectacular Spider-Man #1)
Not to be confused with the later series of the same name, The Spectacular Spider-Man was a short-lived magazine, which was an important distinction as it enabled Marvel to bypass the Comics Code Authority. The production quality is also much higher: John Romita handled full pencils for this story, and you can tell that he had far more time to work on it as his black-and-white artwork looks outstanding. You can also tell, off the bat, that the intent for this series was to target older readers, as the story deals with a mayoral election and—gasp—Stan Lee ends many of his sentences with periods rather than exclamation points!
This story is definitely in canon despite different target audiences, as it is referenced in Daredevil #42, but the chronology is a bit off considering when it was published, since in this story, Peter is still dating Gwen and Captain Stacy isn't laid up. Understandable, as this likely had a much longer production cycle than a normal issue.
Anyway, the story itself is nothing too special, but it's competent, and it says a lot that it is about two-and-a-half times longer than the usual Spider-Man issue at the time and yet doesn't feel too long. Romita's art, as previously mentioned, is beautiful. It's a real shame he wasn't doing full pencils on Amazing during this era. 4/5
In the Beginning... (originally published July 1968 in The Spectacular Spider-Man #1)
This back-up story exists to pad out the remaining one-sixth of the magazine, as well as, I suppose, make new readers (which this magazine was clearly targeting) familiar with Spider-Man's origin story. It's a retelling of Amazing Fantasy #15 with more sophisticated art, pencilled by Larry Lieber with Bill Everett on inks. 4/5
Wings in the Night! (originally published August 1968 in The Amazing Spider-Man #63)
Blackie Drago had previously taken over as the new Vulture while Adrian Toomes laid on his death bed in the slammer. Supposedly, Stan thought that tangling with an old dude made Spidey look like a bully, but as fans had expressed that they missed the OG, he was brought back with the explanation that Blackie's betrayal "increased his will to live." I'll accept that since we never actually saw a dead body.
The two Vultures end up battling for the mantle, with the OG emerging as the victor as an injured Spider-Man is roped in just in time for a cliffhanger. It's fun to see two villains duke it out. In the background, tensions continue to mount with Norman Osborn as he slips further and further off the deep end. 4/5
The Vulture's Prey (originally published September 1968 in The Amazing Spider-Man #64)
Hindered by a bad shoulder, Spider-Man battles the Vulture at the Daily Bugle. It's a cool fight that unfortunately ends anticlimactically. Spidey is wounded and unconscious, and we're in for another cliffhanger.
In the background, Mary Jane Watson gets a truly dreadful perm, and the amnesiac Captain Stacy's memory conveniently returns, and he levels things with Gwen and makes her no longer hate Peter. 3/5
The Impossible Escape! (originally published October 1968 in The Amazing Spider-Man #65)
The unconscious Spider-Man is arrested, but not unmasked due to fear of violating "rights" that are never actually explained. Yeah, that's pretty dumb, but once he goes to jail, it's time for him to stage a good old fashioned break-out while simultaneously foiling a break-out of the other prisoners. This is a fun one that is also unique due to not including any supervillains. 4/5
The Madness of Mysterio! (originally published November 1968 in The Amazing Spider-Man #66)
A return of Mysterio is always welcome in my book! The art excels in the last few pages that set up the big cliffhanger, even though Romita (as usual at this time) wasn't doing full pencils.
Peter is now officially back together with Gwen, while Norman is both MIA and suiting up as the Goblin again. His memory of the Peter/Spidey connection is still hazy though. 4/5
To Squash a Spider! (originally published December 1968 in The Amazing Spider-Man #67)
We get the full fight with Mysterio in this issue. It unfortunately ends up being a bit silly, with a predictable and anticlimactic end. In the background, we're introduced to Randy Robertson for the first time, who approaches his dad with a problem that won't be fully explained until later, and in the final panel, we see that protests have begun occurring on the campus of Empire State University, but we don't yet know what they're of. These ongoing subplots are one of the big reasons The Amazing Spider-Man was one of, if not the, best publication Marvel had going in the Silver Age. 3/5
The Goblin Lives! (originally published November 1968 in The Spectacular Spider-Man #2)
Despite a third issue, titled "The Mystery of the TV Terror," being teased on the final page, the second issue of The Spectacular Spider-Man magazine would end up being the last.
Once again, the chronology is a little off—Peter still has his motorcycle even though he sold it a little while back in the main title, Norman Osborn is no longer missing, and he is also just now remembering his past as the Goblin even though he was briefly suited up the last time we saw him in Amazing. Again, this is understandable due to the likely much longer production time. This time the story is in full color and Romita does not do full pencils, but the art is ultimately still very good, and much more sophisticated than the average Marvel comic of the time (I do miss the black-and-white style from the first issue, though).
This ends up being a far more consequential story than what was in the previous Spectacular, as it marks the return of the Green Goblin. It's three times as long as a normal issue but not a panel is wasted. The dinner party sequence is tense, the fights are exciting, it's funny when it needs to be, and the stakes are high. The only negative is that it wraps up too conveniently—after the Goblin deduced Spider-Man's identity all those issues ago, his memory loss had to continue to be brought back again and again in order to keep him around as a villain. 4/5
The Parents of Peter Parker! (originally published November 1968 in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5)
A non-linear narrative? In my Silver Age superhero comic!?
It took like, six years to finally address the question of Peter's parents beyond the infrequent passing mention. What better way to do so than in a double-size annual? Well, I think the best way to address was probably by just not doing so, but...
Like the previous annual, it's pencilled by Larry Lieber rather than John Romita. Peter's parents rarely get mentioned in the future, likely because of the implications their status have on Peter's status as an everyman. This story also causes continuity issues with the Red Skull.
On its own, outside of continuity concerns and what this means for Peter's character, the story itself is fine, but nothing special. The final few pages are padded out with the odds and sodds of Marvel annuals of the time. 3/5
For this issue, Medusa, formerly of the "Frightful Four" and now the Inhumans, is borrowed from the pages of Fantastic Four to be an antagonist for Spider-Man. They end up brawling to a stalemate after they are manipulated by a goofy hairspray tycoon—he reminds me of the Hollywood caricature from the first issue with the Green Goblin (#14), except he is less funny. It's interesting that the fight ends after they come to somewhat of an agreement.
The fight in this issue almost an afterthought though, with so much going on with the supporting cast. Gwen still thinks Peter betrayed her dad. We're starting to see a lot more of her lately and her characterization is paper-thin (the Stan Lee special for female characters). Norman Osborn is still amnesiac, but haunted more and more by thoughts of the Goblin, foreshadowing things to come.
Don Heck is still contributing to the art, and the credits continue to be unclear on how much is him, and how much is John Romita. Regardless, Romita doesn't do full pencils on most issues from this era, and it is unfortunate. 3/5
Lo, This Monster! (originally published July 1968 in The Spectacular Spider-Man #1)
Not to be confused with the later series of the same name, The Spectacular Spider-Man was a short-lived magazine, which was an important distinction as it enabled Marvel to bypass the Comics Code Authority. The production quality is also much higher: John Romita handled full pencils for this story, and you can tell that he had far more time to work on it as his black-and-white artwork looks outstanding. You can also tell, off the bat, that the intent for this series was to target older readers, as the story deals with a mayoral election and—gasp—Stan Lee ends many of his sentences with periods rather than exclamation points!
This story is definitely in canon despite different target audiences, as it is referenced in Daredevil #42, but the chronology is a bit off considering when it was published, since in this story, Peter is still dating Gwen and Captain Stacy isn't laid up. Understandable, as this likely had a much longer production cycle than a normal issue.
Anyway, the story itself is nothing too special, but it's competent, and it says a lot that it is about two-and-a-half times longer than the usual Spider-Man issue at the time and yet doesn't feel too long. Romita's art, as previously mentioned, is beautiful. It's a real shame he wasn't doing full pencils on Amazing during this era. 4/5
In the Beginning... (originally published July 1968 in The Spectacular Spider-Man #1)
This back-up story exists to pad out the remaining one-sixth of the magazine, as well as, I suppose, make new readers (which this magazine was clearly targeting) familiar with Spider-Man's origin story. It's a retelling of Amazing Fantasy #15 with more sophisticated art, pencilled by Larry Lieber with Bill Everett on inks. 4/5
Wings in the Night! (originally published August 1968 in The Amazing Spider-Man #63)
Blackie Drago had previously taken over as the new Vulture while Adrian Toomes laid on his death bed in the slammer. Supposedly, Stan thought that tangling with an old dude made Spidey look like a bully, but as fans had expressed that they missed the OG, he was brought back with the explanation that Blackie's betrayal "increased his will to live." I'll accept that since we never actually saw a dead body.
The two Vultures end up battling for the mantle, with the OG emerging as the victor as an injured Spider-Man is roped in just in time for a cliffhanger. It's fun to see two villains duke it out. In the background, tensions continue to mount with Norman Osborn as he slips further and further off the deep end. 4/5
The Vulture's Prey (originally published September 1968 in The Amazing Spider-Man #64)
Hindered by a bad shoulder, Spider-Man battles the Vulture at the Daily Bugle. It's a cool fight that unfortunately ends anticlimactically. Spidey is wounded and unconscious, and we're in for another cliffhanger.
In the background, Mary Jane Watson gets a truly dreadful perm, and the amnesiac Captain Stacy's memory conveniently returns, and he levels things with Gwen and makes her no longer hate Peter. 3/5
The Impossible Escape! (originally published October 1968 in The Amazing Spider-Man #65)
The unconscious Spider-Man is arrested, but not unmasked due to fear of violating "rights" that are never actually explained. Yeah, that's pretty dumb, but once he goes to jail, it's time for him to stage a good old fashioned break-out while simultaneously foiling a break-out of the other prisoners. This is a fun one that is also unique due to not including any supervillains. 4/5
The Madness of Mysterio! (originally published November 1968 in The Amazing Spider-Man #66)
A return of Mysterio is always welcome in my book! The art excels in the last few pages that set up the big cliffhanger, even though Romita (as usual at this time) wasn't doing full pencils.
Peter is now officially back together with Gwen, while Norman is both MIA and suiting up as the Goblin again. His memory of the Peter/Spidey connection is still hazy though. 4/5
To Squash a Spider! (originally published December 1968 in The Amazing Spider-Man #67)
We get the full fight with Mysterio in this issue. It unfortunately ends up being a bit silly, with a predictable and anticlimactic end. In the background, we're introduced to Randy Robertson for the first time, who approaches his dad with a problem that won't be fully explained until later, and in the final panel, we see that protests have begun occurring on the campus of Empire State University, but we don't yet know what they're of. These ongoing subplots are one of the big reasons The Amazing Spider-Man was one of, if not the, best publication Marvel had going in the Silver Age. 3/5
The Goblin Lives! (originally published November 1968 in The Spectacular Spider-Man #2)
Despite a third issue, titled "The Mystery of the TV Terror," being teased on the final page, the second issue of The Spectacular Spider-Man magazine would end up being the last.
Once again, the chronology is a little off—Peter still has his motorcycle even though he sold it a little while back in the main title, Norman Osborn is no longer missing, and he is also just now remembering his past as the Goblin even though he was briefly suited up the last time we saw him in Amazing. Again, this is understandable due to the likely much longer production time. This time the story is in full color and Romita does not do full pencils, but the art is ultimately still very good, and much more sophisticated than the average Marvel comic of the time (I do miss the black-and-white style from the first issue, though).
This ends up being a far more consequential story than what was in the previous Spectacular, as it marks the return of the Green Goblin. It's three times as long as a normal issue but not a panel is wasted. The dinner party sequence is tense, the fights are exciting, it's funny when it needs to be, and the stakes are high. The only negative is that it wraps up too conveniently—after the Goblin deduced Spider-Man's identity all those issues ago, his memory loss had to continue to be brought back again and again in order to keep him around as a villain. 4/5
The Parents of Peter Parker! (originally published November 1968 in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5)
A non-linear narrative? In my Silver Age superhero comic!?
It took like, six years to finally address the question of Peter's parents beyond the infrequent passing mention. What better way to do so than in a double-size annual? Well, I think the best way to address was probably by just not doing so, but...
Like the previous annual, it's pencilled by Larry Lieber rather than John Romita. Peter's parents rarely get mentioned in the future, likely because of the implications their status have on Peter's status as an everyman. This story also causes continuity issues with the Red Skull.
On its own, outside of continuity concerns and what this means for Peter's character, the story itself is fine, but nothing special. The final few pages are padded out with the odds and sodds of Marvel annuals of the time. 3/5
April 2, 2015
Although The Spectacular Spider-Man issues make for some significant continuity glitches, such as whether Peter has his bike, whether Gwen is upset with Peter for hitting her dad while the latter was brainwashed by the Kingpin, just when Norman Osborn remembers he's the Green Goblin), this is a pretty solid volume. Spider-Man gets sent to jail after his battle with the Vulture, and we get a brief (one-panel) appearance from Foggy Nelson telling us that if they try to unmask him, it's a federal civil rights issue. I'm not sure this is still true considering all the Occupiers with Guy Fawkes masks who got arrested and various NYC masquerade laws currently on the books. We get a lot of examples of Peter doing what seems like the right thing at the time, only for it to backfire miserably, and I don't remember Dr. Bromwell ever having such harsh thoughts about Peter, but they're very pronounced here. Joe Robertson, possibly Marvel's earliest black character to not suffer the indignity of being colored grey, seems to be the smartest guy in the room, figuring out that Spider-Man must be someone he knows because he calls him and Jameson by name to get off the roof for their own safety. I often hear fanboys joke about how Peter is a terrible photographer, but judging from the way Stan and John portray the unnamed substitute snapping pictures of the Vultures, they don't see him that way.
I understand Stan didn't like the Vulture because it looked too much like Spider-Man was beating on a senior citizen. It's also clear in this volume that Medusa of the Inhumans is the only time Spider-Man has ever fought with a woman, although, as in many of Lee's early team-up issues, it's all a misunderstanding. Lee takes great pains to emphasize the old Vulture's superhuman strength, while the new (third--there was one in the Golden Age) Vulture, Blackie Drago, gives up very quickly.
Richard Raleigh, in The Spectacular Spider-Man #1 is said to look like a politician, which is why he would be plausible as a stylized rendering of Mitt Romney.
One strange inconsistency throughout the volume is how much or how little footwear Peter can wear and still have his spider-powers work. On pages 39-42 and 294, he seems to need to be barefoot, while page 77 has him in shoes, and 225 has him in socks with his shoes tied around his arm. An earlier volume showed him racing to get his sock off before he put on his Spider-boot, so perhaps it depends on the shoe or the sock.
Unlike the previous few volumes, this doesn't really leave you hanging--the final story, in which Peter goes to Algeria to clear his deceased parents of treason, is fairly self-contained, and the Norman Osborn plot is resolved for the time being in The Spectacular Spider-Man vol. 2. The Romita/Mooney look for me is *the* classic rendition of Spider-Man, and look on page 181--isn't that the Spidey head drawing that later appeared in a corner box?
I understand Stan didn't like the Vulture because it looked too much like Spider-Man was beating on a senior citizen. It's also clear in this volume that Medusa of the Inhumans is the only time Spider-Man has ever fought with a woman, although, as in many of Lee's early team-up issues, it's all a misunderstanding. Lee takes great pains to emphasize the old Vulture's superhuman strength, while the new (third--there was one in the Golden Age) Vulture, Blackie Drago, gives up very quickly.
Richard Raleigh, in The Spectacular Spider-Man #1 is said to look like a politician, which is why he would be plausible as a stylized rendering of Mitt Romney.
One strange inconsistency throughout the volume is how much or how little footwear Peter can wear and still have his spider-powers work. On pages 39-42 and 294, he seems to need to be barefoot, while page 77 has him in shoes, and 225 has him in socks with his shoes tied around his arm. An earlier volume showed him racing to get his sock off before he put on his Spider-boot, so perhaps it depends on the shoe or the sock.
Unlike the previous few volumes, this doesn't really leave you hanging--the final story, in which Peter goes to Algeria to clear his deceased parents of treason, is fairly self-contained, and the Norman Osborn plot is resolved for the time being in The Spectacular Spider-Man vol. 2. The Romita/Mooney look for me is *the* classic rendition of Spider-Man, and look on page 181--isn't that the Spidey head drawing that later appeared in a corner box?
April 15, 2014
Spiderman fights the Vulture, Mysterio and some other goons. Norman Osborn may be getting his memory back and Gwen is not talking to Peter. It's quite an angsty volume for Parker but it has enough little stories to hold the attention. There's no main storyline just the on going feel of a threat from the possibility of the Goblin remembering who Spiderman is. A good read.
February 12, 2020
Probably my least-favorite of these Spidey collections so far; mostly because it includes special, thicker issues of the Spectacular Spider-Man magazine along with Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5. I'm glad they're included, but they do take page count away from the ongoing series, which only has six issues represented this time.
And they're not especially memorable issues. The Inhumans' Medusa shows up for a misunderstanding and the Vulture and Mysterio each get a couple of issues to try to get even with Spidey for past defeats. The remaining issue (Amazing Spider-Man #65) is my favorite. It has Spidey, severely injured after his Vulture battle, taken to a prison hospital to recuperate while the justice system decides if there’s anything to prosecute him on. They decide to leave him masked until his rights are clearly determined and while he's there, some prisoners attempt a jail break and take Gwen Stacy's dad hostage. Spidey pretends to join them until he can foil them and free Gwen’s dad.
Personal developments for Peter this volume include George Stacy getting his memory back, which clears Peter of Gwen's suspicion that he betrayed her father, so Peter and Gwen are now even more into each other than they were before. Dad starts comparing Spider-Man notes with Daily Bugle editor "Robbie" Robertson. Both men think that Spidey is a good guy, but they're curious about him and want to do some digging. Nothing comes of it in this volume, but I hope it's followed up on later. We also meet Robbie’s son who’s worried about some situation at college, but that's a tease for a story in the next volume.
In extremely superficial news: Mary Jane gets a new, mod, short haircut that I've never seen before and totally hate. Also, MJ is a giant jerk, taking nothing seriously and even mocking Harry Osborn for being concerned about his missing father.
Norman Osborn continues to suffer trauma from the gradually returning memories of his repressed identity as Green Goblin. In Amazing #66, he's actually in costume at one point, but doesn't remember why Peter Parker is significant to him. He doesn't come out and do anything though, saving his big reveal for the second issue of Spectacular Spider-Man.
Spectacular Spider-Man looks like it was conceived as one of those "mature reader" black-and-white magazines that Marvel experimented with in the '70s. At least, that's what the first issue is. It's not especially graphic, but it's a longer story and does have some violent (if not really gory) character deaths. The story is pretty simple though: A crook running for mayor creates a supervillain to attack him in public, making the politician look like a threat to crime. Only Spider-Man and Captain Stacy are suspicious. The politician goes too far in trying to control the supervillain and the supervillain kills the politician.
The second issue of Spectacular is in full color and has a much more epic story in which Norman gets his memory back, including Spidey’s secret identity. This contradicts Amazing #66, where he was the Goblin again, but didn’t yet remember about Peter's being Spidey. Sadly, the story if filled out with lots of flashbacks to Spidey and Goblin's history and then hits the reset button at the end. Spidey defeats Goblin with his own psychotropic gas and gives him amnesia again. But for how long?
The final story collected is Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5, which reveals the backstory of Peter's parents. He finds a newspaper clipping at Aunt May’s that says his parents were traitorous spies. So he interviews May for all she knows and follows the clues to Algiers where he learns that his dad was an honorable agent undercover in the Red Skull’s organization. There are lots of plot holes and Red Skull is incompetent, so I didn't like it. I also don't love the development of Peter's parents' being spies, or how the story totally suggests that they're still alive.
And they're not especially memorable issues. The Inhumans' Medusa shows up for a misunderstanding and the Vulture and Mysterio each get a couple of issues to try to get even with Spidey for past defeats. The remaining issue (Amazing Spider-Man #65) is my favorite. It has Spidey, severely injured after his Vulture battle, taken to a prison hospital to recuperate while the justice system decides if there’s anything to prosecute him on. They decide to leave him masked until his rights are clearly determined and while he's there, some prisoners attempt a jail break and take Gwen Stacy's dad hostage. Spidey pretends to join them until he can foil them and free Gwen’s dad.
Personal developments for Peter this volume include George Stacy getting his memory back, which clears Peter of Gwen's suspicion that he betrayed her father, so Peter and Gwen are now even more into each other than they were before. Dad starts comparing Spider-Man notes with Daily Bugle editor "Robbie" Robertson. Both men think that Spidey is a good guy, but they're curious about him and want to do some digging. Nothing comes of it in this volume, but I hope it's followed up on later. We also meet Robbie’s son who’s worried about some situation at college, but that's a tease for a story in the next volume.
In extremely superficial news: Mary Jane gets a new, mod, short haircut that I've never seen before and totally hate. Also, MJ is a giant jerk, taking nothing seriously and even mocking Harry Osborn for being concerned about his missing father.
Norman Osborn continues to suffer trauma from the gradually returning memories of his repressed identity as Green Goblin. In Amazing #66, he's actually in costume at one point, but doesn't remember why Peter Parker is significant to him. He doesn't come out and do anything though, saving his big reveal for the second issue of Spectacular Spider-Man.
Spectacular Spider-Man looks like it was conceived as one of those "mature reader" black-and-white magazines that Marvel experimented with in the '70s. At least, that's what the first issue is. It's not especially graphic, but it's a longer story and does have some violent (if not really gory) character deaths. The story is pretty simple though: A crook running for mayor creates a supervillain to attack him in public, making the politician look like a threat to crime. Only Spider-Man and Captain Stacy are suspicious. The politician goes too far in trying to control the supervillain and the supervillain kills the politician.
The second issue of Spectacular is in full color and has a much more epic story in which Norman gets his memory back, including Spidey’s secret identity. This contradicts Amazing #66, where he was the Goblin again, but didn’t yet remember about Peter's being Spidey. Sadly, the story if filled out with lots of flashbacks to Spidey and Goblin's history and then hits the reset button at the end. Spidey defeats Goblin with his own psychotropic gas and gives him amnesia again. But for how long?
The final story collected is Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5, which reveals the backstory of Peter's parents. He finds a newspaper clipping at Aunt May’s that says his parents were traitorous spies. So he interviews May for all she knows and follows the clues to Algiers where he learns that his dad was an honorable agent undercover in the Red Skull’s organization. There are lots of plot holes and Red Skull is incompetent, so I didn't like it. I also don't love the development of Peter's parents' being spies, or how the story totally suggests that they're still alive.
September 1, 2018
A gorgeous, exciting trove of treasure!
And looking more splendid than ever! Such a delight to again be reading the adventures of my favorite comic magazines after many decades! Catching up on the stories I missed before I discovered Marvel and enjoying the tales I vividly remember from childhood. So many panels I'd not laid eyes on since the age of 14 and yet, they're so strikingly drawn, it's as if I saw them last Tuesday.
I think Spidey encountered the most colorful array of super villains and Stan and his bullpen knew how to put 'em to great use as only they could.
No dot matrix coloring with these editions, but full Marvel color, looking as they did in their original form. Also, I enjoy the positioning of the panels when viewing in a panel by panel mode on my Kindle.
I'm really glad I stumbled upon the Marvel Masterworks series, and that even in my 50s, my imagination is still swayed as it was those many years before.
And looking more splendid than ever! Such a delight to again be reading the adventures of my favorite comic magazines after many decades! Catching up on the stories I missed before I discovered Marvel and enjoying the tales I vividly remember from childhood. So many panels I'd not laid eyes on since the age of 14 and yet, they're so strikingly drawn, it's as if I saw them last Tuesday.
I think Spidey encountered the most colorful array of super villains and Stan and his bullpen knew how to put 'em to great use as only they could.
No dot matrix coloring with these editions, but full Marvel color, looking as they did in their original form. Also, I enjoy the positioning of the panels when viewing in a panel by panel mode on my Kindle.
I'm really glad I stumbled upon the Marvel Masterworks series, and that even in my 50s, my imagination is still swayed as it was those many years before.
September 29, 2020
This volume starts out with a very campy one-shot encounter between Spider-Man and Medusa that somehow linked to a hairspray ad campaign of all things. Fitting for the time, but really lame writing in restrospect.
The second arc involves the return of the Vulture, which was a little more intriguing. Solid fighting and a lot of classic Spider-Man struggles including him needing to fight with an injured arm.
The last arc about Mysterio was pretty gripping and really showed the villain at his best. The best thing about a good Mysterio story is never needing to explain fully how he executed his special effects magic and we just gotta roll with it.
The included annual provided one of our best looks at Peter Parker's parents and their lives as spies. How they rationalizing bringing in the like of the Red Skull into a Spider-Man comic was kind of brilliant.
The second arc involves the return of the Vulture, which was a little more intriguing. Solid fighting and a lot of classic Spider-Man struggles including him needing to fight with an injured arm.
The last arc about Mysterio was pretty gripping and really showed the villain at his best. The best thing about a good Mysterio story is never needing to explain fully how he executed his special effects magic and we just gotta roll with it.
The included annual provided one of our best looks at Peter Parker's parents and their lives as spies. How they rationalizing bringing in the like of the Red Skull into a Spider-Man comic was kind of brilliant.
April 27, 2022
Very mixed bag. The actual main story issues are kind of inconsequential and keep bringing back old villains. The "Spectacular Spider-Man" issues were pretty good. I especially liked the first one that used gorgeous Black & White art. The villain was a one-off deal, but it was a fun story. The other one included The Green Goblin, which always means high stakes. The annual they included here showed the back story of Peter's parents as spies, but the way the issue ends is really silly and convenient.
Still a fun read overall. Just needs less repeating villains and maybe a bigger overarching storyline.
Still a fun read overall. Just needs less repeating villains and maybe a bigger overarching storyline.
April 13, 2022
This was a strange edition because it has The Amazing Spider-Man 62-67 mixed in with two issues of The Spectacular Spider-Man (one issue is even in black and white) and a king-sized issue. Despite this oddness and a couple of negative comments about women, it’s very clear that Spidey advanced a lot.
First, there’s the battle against Mysterio that takes things in a much bigger and bolder direction. Then there’s the story about Peter Parker’s parents and the return of the Green Goblin. To call of these issues a classic would be putting it mildly.
First, there’s the battle against Mysterio that takes things in a much bigger and bolder direction. Then there’s the story about Peter Parker’s parents and the return of the Green Goblin. To call of these issues a classic would be putting it mildly.
December 28, 2017
Spidey Starts to Get Interesting
Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-man start with a great Green Goblin return story that spans multiple issues (the best Spidey tales do) and Amazing Spider-man continues to live up to its standard. Spidey travels to Africa to learn about his parents' past too!
Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-man start with a great Green Goblin return story that spans multiple issues (the best Spidey tales do) and Amazing Spider-man continues to live up to its standard. Spidey travels to Africa to learn about his parents' past too!
October 6, 2022
Where he came from...
I liked his true origin story, why his parent's were murdered... It's different from the usual character development published until then. I'd recommend it to any Amazing Spider-Man fan on their reading journey...
I liked his true origin story, why his parent's were murdered... It's different from the usual character development published until then. I'd recommend it to any Amazing Spider-Man fan on their reading journey...
September 2, 2017
Wow. Practically every story in this collection is just an excuse for fisticuffs. It became boring fast. The overwrought and repetitive soap opera elements quickly became eye-rollers.
November 7, 2017
Uh oh. Now Stan Lee is trying to write dialogue that's "hip" and "cool". This is not going to go well.
February 17, 2022
3.5/5 rounded down.
December 25, 2022
Mary Jane's new haircut is horrible.
September 17, 2023
The Amazing Spider-Man Nos. 62-67, Annual No. 5.
October 17, 2023
includes an issue re. his parents, also Green Goblin among others
June 18, 2025
A solid outing. Mostly memorable for big issues including one in black and white which wasn't my thing. Just working through Spiderman which is a decent way to spend a few minutes at a time.
March 30, 2015
Despite, it's length, this book collects only 6 Issues of Amazing Spider-man continuity. However, it contains three giant specials. I purchased the book because it contained the two issues of Spectacular Spider-man Magazine that my older Marvel Essential Spider-man volumes didn't contain.
First, a look at Amazing Spider-man Issues 62-67: Issue 62 has a one-shot story featuring a guest appearance by Medusa of the Inhumans which is really rather pointless. Issues 63-65 features the return of the "Old Vulture" who seeks to defeat the "New Vulture" who has taken the Vulture's wings and identity when the old boy had been assumed to have died back in Issue 48. This is a solid storyline that also including Spidey going to jail.
Issues 66 and 67 feature a return visit from Mysterio in a story that's just a pretty typical Mysterio story.
Turning to the Specials in the book, Spectacular Spider-man (not to be confused with the long-running 1970s title Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-man) was created as a full 64-page comic magazine of a different size and style from the main story.
The first issue of Spectacular Spider-man is in black and white and it illustrates how good, black and white art can be. The story itself focuses on a man running for mayor as a reform candidate with mass amounts of propoganda behind him but something sinister lurks beneath the surface and it involves a frightening monster. The story also showcases the wisdom and intelligence of Captain Stacy, a man who doesn't just march blindly with the crowd.
The story does it have its problems though. First of all, there is some continuity issues. Spectacular Spider-man #1 portrayed Peter and Gwen Stacy together while in the main Spider-man title they were on the outs. In addition, the decision by the villains to go after Captain Stacy on merely learning he was researching a candidate's background seemed contrived, particularly since we never learned what there was to find out.
Spectacular Spider-man #2, on the other hand, was a pure masterpiece. When Spidey defeated the Green Goblin back in Amazing Spider-man #40, the Goblin learned Spider-man identity, but Obsorn suffered from amnesia and forgot everything the Goblin had known. However, Obsorn had been suffering some mental flashes and feeling ill for months in the main title with Peter constantly afraid that Osborn's Goblin memory would return. In Spectacular Spider-man #2, it does return and with a vengeance. Writer Stan Lee gets credit for not immediately throwing the two foes into battle but building the psychological tension before an epic fight. The story is a landmark in the long-running Spidey-Goblin war. The story really does stand the test of time. Of course, with the benefit of hindsight, I realized that how Spidey handled the Goblin would later lead to tragedy but more on that in another review.
Finally, we have Amazing Spider-man Annual #5 which begins in medias res with Spider-man battling bad guys in Algeria and then flashes back to Peter Parker discovering a newspaper article that indicated his parents were traitors. He tries to ignore it, but isn't able to and sets out to prove them innocent, and he travels to Algeria to do so with aid from Mr. Fantastic. However, to succeed, he'll have to go through the Red Skull.
The problem with this story is that even a double sized annual didn't have enough space to tell it right. The story begins strong with the initial fight scenes and the pathos of thinking his parents traitors and then is rushed towards the conclusion with some unbelievably convenient plot contrivances. This would have worked better as a three part story.
The back up features for the annual are solidly enjoyable including an amusing story, "Here We Go-A-Plotting" which portrays Lee and John Romita and Larry Lieber trying to brainstorm a Spidey plot. The book wraps up with some original art from the series production including John Romita's Cover Art for Spectacular Spider-man #2.
In the end, the extras plus the epic nature of Spectacular Spider-man #2 makes this a truly special book, that's a worthy read for any fan of the Webslinger.
First, a look at Amazing Spider-man Issues 62-67: Issue 62 has a one-shot story featuring a guest appearance by Medusa of the Inhumans which is really rather pointless. Issues 63-65 features the return of the "Old Vulture" who seeks to defeat the "New Vulture" who has taken the Vulture's wings and identity when the old boy had been assumed to have died back in Issue 48. This is a solid storyline that also including Spidey going to jail.
Issues 66 and 67 feature a return visit from Mysterio in a story that's just a pretty typical Mysterio story.
Turning to the Specials in the book, Spectacular Spider-man (not to be confused with the long-running 1970s title Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-man) was created as a full 64-page comic magazine of a different size and style from the main story.
The first issue of Spectacular Spider-man is in black and white and it illustrates how good, black and white art can be. The story itself focuses on a man running for mayor as a reform candidate with mass amounts of propoganda behind him but something sinister lurks beneath the surface and it involves a frightening monster. The story also showcases the wisdom and intelligence of Captain Stacy, a man who doesn't just march blindly with the crowd.
The story does it have its problems though. First of all, there is some continuity issues. Spectacular Spider-man #1 portrayed Peter and Gwen Stacy together while in the main Spider-man title they were on the outs. In addition, the decision by the villains to go after Captain Stacy on merely learning he was researching a candidate's background seemed contrived, particularly since we never learned what there was to find out.
Spectacular Spider-man #2, on the other hand, was a pure masterpiece. When Spidey defeated the Green Goblin back in Amazing Spider-man #40, the Goblin learned Spider-man identity, but Obsorn suffered from amnesia and forgot everything the Goblin had known. However, Obsorn had been suffering some mental flashes and feeling ill for months in the main title with Peter constantly afraid that Osborn's Goblin memory would return. In Spectacular Spider-man #2, it does return and with a vengeance. Writer Stan Lee gets credit for not immediately throwing the two foes into battle but building the psychological tension before an epic fight. The story is a landmark in the long-running Spidey-Goblin war. The story really does stand the test of time. Of course, with the benefit of hindsight, I realized that how Spidey handled the Goblin would later lead to tragedy but more on that in another review.
Finally, we have Amazing Spider-man Annual #5 which begins in medias res with Spider-man battling bad guys in Algeria and then flashes back to Peter Parker discovering a newspaper article that indicated his parents were traitors. He tries to ignore it, but isn't able to and sets out to prove them innocent, and he travels to Algeria to do so with aid from Mr. Fantastic. However, to succeed, he'll have to go through the Red Skull.
The problem with this story is that even a double sized annual didn't have enough space to tell it right. The story begins strong with the initial fight scenes and the pathos of thinking his parents traitors and then is rushed towards the conclusion with some unbelievably convenient plot contrivances. This would have worked better as a three part story.
The back up features for the annual are solidly enjoyable including an amusing story, "Here We Go-A-Plotting" which portrays Lee and John Romita and Larry Lieber trying to brainstorm a Spidey plot. The book wraps up with some original art from the series production including John Romita's Cover Art for Spectacular Spider-man #2.
In the end, the extras plus the epic nature of Spectacular Spider-man #2 makes this a truly special book, that's a worthy read for any fan of the Webslinger.
August 3, 2013
More enjoyable Lee-Romita Sr. Spider-man, but some of the stories feel a little familiar. The original Vulture returns, Norman Osborne continues to re-lose his marbles, and Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy start being a steady item. There's an fun middle issue where Spidey pretends to be leading a breakout from jail to rescue Captain Stacy from a group of prisoners; the fact that Spidey himself really is breaking out is a typical twist.
The bonus materials are pretty strange. The Annual has Spider-Man fighting the Red Skull in Algeria to clear his disgraced parents' names, while the Spectacular Spider-Man magazine is over the top in its first issue and more in keeping with the series in its second. All in all, it's fun stuff, building up the Spider-Man mythos and character set that's so familiar today.
The bonus materials are pretty strange. The Annual has Spider-Man fighting the Red Skull in Algeria to clear his disgraced parents' names, while the Spectacular Spider-Man magazine is over the top in its first issue and more in keeping with the series in its second. All in all, it's fun stuff, building up the Spider-Man mythos and character set that's so familiar today.
August 23, 2012
Not a bad volume, but suffers from inconsistency. The first issue of Spectacular Spider-Man is over-long, and drags terribly, whereas the second issue is much better and actually has a point to it, wrapping up the long-running Green Goblin return plot. The Annual here is a good idea, but has a rushed conclusion and random supervillains involved in it outside of the Red Skull, which makes it feel a bit off. The actual issues of Amazing Spider-Man that are here are great however, such as the two part Mysterio story, and the two part Vulture story also. The highlight for me however was the issue with Spidey and Captain Stacy in prison together.
January 30, 2015
There isn't that much going on in this collection, featuring issues 62 to 67 (only six?) issues of the regular series with some stories featuring the Vulture and Mysterio and , until you realise that this also includes the 40 page story from Annual 5 which features Peter Parker's folks! Plus both issues of the original Spectacular Spider-Man magazine featuring the return of the Green Goblin! Definitely not to be missed! A true rare gem!
September 29, 2015
This is a collection of early Spiderman stories. There are some appearances from classics Spidey villains, such as the Vulture and the Green Goblin. These early stories really showcase the dual life that Peter Parker has chosen to lead as Spiderman. They are a good example of the Marvel style of superheroes with real life problems. They are also a bit dated, so read with care. Also, Mary Jane comes off as a selfish idiot. Recommended for hardcore Spidey fans and Silver Age fans.
February 14, 2016
The Marvel Masterworks volumes are fantastic reprints of the early years of Marvel comics. A fantastic resource to allow these hard to find issues to be read by everyone. Very recommended to everyone and Highly recommended to any comic fan.
January 23, 2015
It seems to be losing some steam. Still good, but not as exceptional as the earlier tales.
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