The Amazing Spider-Man

by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Ben Saunders (Editor)

The Penguin Classics Marvel Collection presents the origin stories, seminal tales, and characters of the Marvel Universe to explore Marvel’s transformative and timeless influence on an entire genre of fantasy.

A Penguin Classics Marvel Collection Edition

It is impossible to imagine American popular culture without Marvel Comics. For decades, Marvel has published groundbreaking visual narratives that sustain attention on multiple levels: as metaphors for the experience of difference and otherness; as meditations on the fluid nature of identity; and as high-water marks in the artistic tradition of American cartooning, to name a few.

This anthology contains twelve key stories from the first two years of Spider-Man’s publication history (from 1962 to 1964). These influential adventures not only transformed the super hero fantasy into an allegory for the pain of adolescence but also brought a new ethical complexity to the genre—by insisting that with great power there must also come great responsibility.

A foreword by Jason Reynolds and scholarly introductions and apparatus by Ben Saunders offer further insight into the enduring significance of The Amazing Spider-Man and classic Marvel comics.

The Deluxe Hardcover edition features gold foil stamping, gold top stain edges, special endpapers with artwork spotlighting series villains, and full-color art throughout.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, Spider Man, Collections, Graphic Novels Comics

Unknown Binding

Published June 14, 2022

About the author

Stan 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.

Reviews

[Liam O'Leary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok everyone this is fucking fantastic. Best release of 2022 for me, probably.

This includes most of the first 20 Amazing Spiderman comics (some less important ones are skipped with summary text added, all 20 are chronologically ordered). It shows how Spiderman was first made in 1962, and what fans first liked about him. If you are remotely interested in Spiderman, I would highly, highly recommend getting this. It is a £20 paperback, but it really is worth that, for this is the first time that the original comics are affordable.

Folio Society released another collection too, but that is more of a greatest hits collection, whereas this is a history of spiderman collection.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice collection of early Spider-Man stories. It was nice to read the first time Spider-Man faced some of his classic villains. It doesn’t include every issue, but they do briefly explain what happened in the issues it skips over. The only downside is it did skip over a few issues that I was interested in reading like the first time Spider-Man fights Kraven or the sinister six.

[Luis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nunca había leído los primeros cómics de Spider-Man, quien siempre he considerado mi superhéroe favorito. Sin duda alguna, me alegra haber comprado esta compilación de algunos de los primeros cómics del héroe. Realmente es sorprendente ver cómo en cuestión de unos cuántos números se establecieron tantos de los elementos clave de esta historia que lleva ya 60 años. La primera aparición de varios de los villanos es increíble.

Una de las cosas que más me sorprende es igual ir viendo cómo en Marvel iban metiendo personajes de otras historias, en efecto, generando este universo conectado que hoy en día igual les ha servido en el mundo del cine. Dar a entender que hay más allá que solo un personaje es cautivante, pero aún sin todos esos personajes adicionales, simplemente, la historia es muy buena. Creo que los cómics de esa época han llegado a tener cierto estigma de ser simplones, incluso si es con personajes que se volvieron tan populares. ¡Pero claro! ¡Por algo se volvieron populares! Realmente la historia de Peter Parker es muy cautivadora, y Stan Lee realmente sabía lo que estaba haciendo (o no, ¡pero le atinó!) al hacer un héroe que es mucho más realista porque no todo le sale bien, tiene problemas de dinero, con las chicas, y la gente a su alrededor le subestima. Es fácil identificarse con el protagonista, y ahora que he terminado este volumen, solo me quedo con más ganas de seguir leyendo "The Amazing Spider-Man".

[Thomas Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great capsule of pop culture history, Lee and Ditko clearly knew they had something special here. Well a lot of the writing has that trademark Silver Age over-exposition that’s a product of the time, it still manages to be exciting and compelling reading. The supplemental material was also interesting.
As an aside, has any character in serialized fiction ever emerged as perfectly, fully realized from the get-go, as J Jonah Jameson? He’s the character Lee was born to write. You could print his dialog in these early issues in a modern Spider-Man comic and it would still feel right at home.
One thing, less a complaint than a question: I’d be curious to learn why they cut some issues (besides space of course). They skip over the introduction of the Lizard and Kraven the Hunter, and also the first annual issue, which is referenced multiple times in the final three stories included in this collection. Still, I can’t tell you what I’d have them replace with it, every issue feels like such a foundational text for the world of Spider-Man. If you have an interest in this character, comics history, and why Spidey’s such a prominent figure in American pop culture, I think this book does a great job answering those questions.

[Johnnysbookreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting through this book, but I'll give it a four because the comics were splendid. I loved these classic comic books. Penguin has compiled the early Spider-man comics into one book. This 300+ page book was great. We got more info on his first love, which was Betty Brant. With Peter Parker's occupation on the side and not telling anyone, this made Betty loose interest with Peter. She didn't know if he was seeing someone (Liz) or not. She coudln't tell. The problem is that he's a normal kid with normal problems. His aunt got sick, so he had to take care of her. This is why he wasn't as interested in Betty as he could portray to her. This book doesn't go over Mary J. Watson as much as I would like. It's crazy how the Marvel movies and the Spider-man movies took a lot of information from these comic books and spinned them to make the MCU universe work in it's magnificent way.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow....early Peter Parker is kind of insufferable. My first time reading him was in the early 90s, and by then his character was well-established. It was strange to see him so arrogant at points, especially with his classmates. With that being said (written?), I thoroughly enjoyed reading his early adventures. The inner-struggles he faces do seem quite revolutionary for the genre, and will be very familiar to anyone who has read Spidey comics before.

His struggle to split time superheroing with taking care of family was so clearly defined from the jump. Watching him take breaks and worry about his own mortality made him less of a god, like we see in so many comics, and more like a relatable teenager. I did get a kick out of how much some love Spider-Man and hate Peter Parker, while others love Peter Parker and hate Spider-Man setting up.his no-win legacy.

The writing is of course a bit clunky and can be repetitive (Soviet Premier Kruschev is mentioned at least three times in these first dozen or so issues. The forward and other analysis add quite a bit to the understanding of our friendly neighborhood vigilantes origins, but I can't help but feel like some of the issues that are built up, should have been added into here.

Overall this was a strong early history of Spider-Man and Peter Parker, but it feels a bit incomplete. I highly recommend it for those, like myself, who haven't read comics in a long time, but can't recommend it to someone well-read on the characters' origins.

[Adiel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read comic books in a long time. I wanted to read something that would better inform me as to who spider-man is. These first 17 or so issues succeeded. Peter is someone who reluctantly takes on the mantle of Spider-Man, who is making it through life on the seat of his pants and barely makes ends meet. He is constantly filled with self-doubt, but still has the resolve to continue being Spider-Man despite the damage it does to his life as Peter Parker. Introduces a lot of Spider-Man's main villains, Dr. Octopus, Green Goblin, Electro, Vulture, Sandman, the Enforcers, and Mysterio. Also the brief tie ins with the Fantastic Four were kinda fun.

Ultimately, Spider-Man resonates as a superhero because he is much closer to an everyday person just trying to do their best despite their powers and responsibilities. I will be looking for more issues to read in this run for Spider-Man.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I already own copies of all these issues of the Spider-Man comic books in the Marvel Masterpieces editions so I was interested in this volume for its ancillary pieces, the introductions and forward and explanatory essays. (The actual comic book reprints in my volumes are much more brightly colored and on better paper, but I am reviewing the paperback version of this book. Hardcover is probably more special.) The readings in this book were fun and yet scholarly in nature with footnotes. It really sets the creation of this character in a historical context and emphasizes its revolutionary approach with a teenaged hero who has moments of regret and self-doubt. The Foreward by Jason Reynolds was particularly moving.

[Agung Wicaksono · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pada 2003 lalu, pertama kali saya menonton film 'Spider-Man' versi Tobey Maguire lewat kaset CD. Dari film tersebut, muncul ketertarikan saya kepada sosok Peter Parker dan bagaimana ia harus bisa berbagi peran antara menjadi lelaki biasa dan pahlawan super. Namun, ternyata saya baru tahu bahwa Spider-Man adalah tokoh fiksi yang diadaptasi dari buku komik beberapa tahun kemudian. Ketidaktahuan saya cukup beralasan, karena saat itu akses untuk membaca komik Marvel sangat sulit dan memang belum ada uangnya. Lantas, 19 tahun kemudian ada kumpulan komik original Spider-Man (1962-1964) yang diterbitkan kembali oleh Penguin Classics, saya pun langsung beli.

Dari buku ini, saya jadi bisa mengetahui kisah Spider-Man pertama kali digambarkan oleh Stan Lee dan Steve Ditko. Selain itu, ada juga kumpulan surat pembaca yang berisi kritik dan saran terhadap penerbitan Spider-Man pada saat itu; beberapa di antara mereka merasa karakter Peter Parker memang lebih manusiawi dibandingkan pahlawan super yang diperkenalkan sebelumnya oleh Marvel. Sangat menambah referensi bagi saya yang selama ini hanya mengikuti Spider-Man lewat film atau serial animasinya. Dengan demikian, bagi kalian yang merupakan penggemar Spider-Man, saya rasa buku ini cukup penting untuk dikoleksi.

[Alex Goldenhar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cool to see these stories presented in a scholarly light. I loved the discussions in between issues about the motifs developing, particularly Spider-Man’s despair at his powers, and debating whether or not they’re a curse.

The cliche of random thugs stealing from the establishment and getting thwarted by Spider-Man every issue becomes tiring and propagandistic very quickly—but the character drama is uniquely deep and engaging for the era this was written in

If you can get past the corny dialogue (that never sounds like teenagers, even those of 60 years ago) and the blatant copaganda, this is a worthwhile read for any comic or superhero fan with a historical bend

[Trevor Seigler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spider-Man is my favorite comic book hero. It's not even close. When I was a kid and I first read comic books, he was my guy. I haven't been a regular comics reader since I entered adolescence, but I have fond memories of the small collection I had, mostly of Spidey and his rogues' gallery of villains as they battled throughout the streets of New York. But the appeal was never just about the super-heroics; Peter Parker, Spider-Man's alter ego, was a teenager from a lower-middle-class background who had all the usual worries of a kid growing up, in addition to super powers and the guilt that he had helped cause his beloved uncle's death. His mission was to fight crime, but he was also a sassy teenager (or young man, depending on where in the timeline you came in), and he made it look fun for the most part. His villains weren't just the costumed freaks who showed up every month, but the perils of high school and young adulthood, the living paycheck to paycheck of the working poor, and the cruel society that could elevate Spider-Man while putting Peter Parker down (well, J. Jonah Jameson didn't elevate Spidey, but he sure used Parker's pics to move his publications).

This is a fun collection of some of the earliest Spider-Man comics, brought under the imprint of Penguin Classics to the world in a format that is at once respectful of the source material and elevating it to the level of "Jane Eyre" and "A Tale of Two Cities." I'm a big fan of Penguin Classic's design (and the edition I read of this has that, with the black border and black spine and back cover), and there's enough here to validate the distinction that comes with the stamp of approval. The early Spider-Man comic books, on the surface, might strike more modern readers and goofy and odd, but that's the appeal of the collection: as it goes on, the art and storytelling become more assured, the characterizations less broad and more nuanced, and the world-building more confident as it fleshes out the everyday struggle between Peter Parker's life as a nondescript teenager and his high-flying, wise-cracking alter ego. It's no wonder why Spidey appeals to multiple generations; it's not hard to see yourself in either version of the dual personality at the heart of this story.

So yeah, there's a lot in the early episodes of this story that feels goofy and unintentionally funny to modern readers. When they first began their collaboration (and their disputes over attribution), Stan Lee and Steve Ditko were serving a market primarily focused on teenagers, specifically teenage boys, and so you won't get Tolstoy-level literary prowess here. Comics have evolved to become the springboard for multiple epics all contained in cinematic universes that seemingly will never end, but the fact is that they began as the sort of material thought best for young people to enjoy, and while Marvel was always more interested in trying to broaden their appeal and reach out for more advanced audiences, they certainly didn't always make things so serious. But that's the appeal of Spider-Man all along: he's a teenager with a smart mouth who has some of the usual worries that come with the first pimple or first date, but that's compounded by his special gift courtesy a radioactive spider and a guilt complex that would make Freud jealous. Peter Parker (and the various other "Spider-Men/Women" who've come along in the multiverse) is a universal teenager in many ways, a relatable figure no matter how specific his story is.

Steve Ditko famously created the look of Spider-Man and many of his villains, and they're rendered beautifully here. But there are times when I found myself agreeing with one of the correspondents in a letters-to-the-editor section (included in this edition) that he couldn't draw human beings very well (there are times when poor Aunt May, rendered ancient in the drawings, looks positively ghoulish from a distance). The art work gets better as the collection goes on, and so does the storytelling. An awkward meeting/battle between Spidey and the Fantastic Four (looking to make money, he offers to join them until he finds out they're a non-profit) pays off in episodes where Johnny Storm shows up in later issues (the crossover between properties in the Marvel universe was already a thing well before the MCU), and even the Hulk shows up in what proves to be the first appearance of Spidey's greatest villain (don't @ me), the Green Goblin.

I really enjoyed this, it made me feel like a kid again (albeit one who could have a hearty laugh at some of the awkwardness of the first few issues). Covering the debut of Spider-Man in a now-defunct Marvel title, the book shows the evolution of Spidey under Lee and Ditko's direction over the next two years or so, ending in 1964 (two years before Ditko and Lee's acrimonious parting). As I've gotten older and been overwhelmed by superhero movies, I've found myself more open to reading comics again, usually in collections like this or graphic novels. I may never haunt the aisles of a comic book store again, but I can appreciate the level of artistry involved and maybe, just maybe, not mind so many damn movies about the Marvel and DC characters (depends on how good the movies are, honestly. I'm no Scorsese when it comes to tearing them all down). "The Amazing Spider-Man" is a collection that canonizes one of the most appealing and original creations in literary history, in a way that is long overdue.

[Lenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a great collection of some of the first Spidey stories. I would've liked to see the issues where the Lizard and Kraven appeared, as I feel they are an integral part of the Spidey mythos, but this collection is nonetheless a great insight into what made Spider-Man one of the greatest comic book heroes.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading the original Spiderman stories from 1962 -4 in full colour is a great experience. Ditko's art work holds up surprisingly well and the whole concept of a teenage superhero who has issues in his private life makes this arguably the defining achievement of Stan Lee's fertile brain. This deluxe edition gives the birth of a cultural phenomenon the prestige it deserves.

[Wyrd Witch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penguin's released an incredible introductory edition of Spidey's earliest comics appearances. It was a wild read! It's incredible to see how much of modern superhero storytelling finds its origins right here in these pages by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee. One of my favorite parts of reading this baby is discovering the incredibly wild first appearances of now well-known, serious rogues.

[Chris Barsanti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wrote about the first three volumes in Penguin Classics Marvel Collection for The Millions .

[Nick Holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some great early issues of Spider-Man as long as just the right amount of historical perspective. Really enjoyed this book, and the price point (seems to be everywhere for about half of sticker) was terrific compared to usual omnibus and oversized hardcover prices.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable collection of early Spider-Man comics with some interesting accompanying essays. I don't usually log comic books on Goodreads but the Penguin Classics imprimatur made me decide to include this one...

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realize how much of the early comics were about Peter grappling with the ethics of superhero-ness. I thought he was a really good kid but at first he had less noble intentions.

[Joshua]

Coastal elite snob that I am I was all about this Criterion Collection comic book.

[Shane Findlay · Rating 5 out of 5]

The birth of Spider-Man. It’s a fucking classic! 5⭐️

[Memphislaroche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cool but a bit repetitive. Definitely super influential and great for its time.

[Ryan Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

So neat! Loved the critical scholarship that accompanied the comics.

[Brennen Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to see the beginnings of so many familiar characters. But some of the stories and writing are just awful.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to the series.
A little bit pricey, since it only goes up to issue #19 and some issues are summarised instead of being fully included.
I would recommend omnibus #1 instead.

[Josh Mirabella]

Amazing!

[Grant Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely excellent, exhaustive, and thrilling. The true origin of the inimitable web-head, brilliantly told.

[Reed Kruger · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's missing just a few too many volumes for me to give it five stars. How can you skip the intro to Kraven the Hunter and the Sinister Six?

[TheBookCrate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am SOOO normal about Spider-Man

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collects most of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's original Amazing Spider-Man run. I'd read bits and pieces but never as a whole story. And what a story. Between 1963 and 1964, Peter Parker gets transformed against his will; lets his uncle die; accepts that with great power comes great responsibility, and manages to get under J. Jonah Jameson's skin in a truly remarkable way. He also fights an amazing array of bad guys.

There are things in here I really like. His origin is compellingly told. He gets both the call to adventure and the gifts of another world by page 5. He rejects the call by page 10. He faces the darkness by page 13. He gets his mythic return by page 15. He's hanging from rockets zooming through the sky shortly after. Good stuff.

There are things in here I don't like. While Peter has accepted the call, it seems to rest far to lightly on him. This Peter seems very much like a middle aged man displaced into a high schooler's body. He doesn't seek friends or mentors, aside from one extravagant attempt to join the Fantastic Four by breaking into the Baxter Building. His love interest, Betty Grant, is ridiculous. Much of the drama comes from Peter's desire to take care of his aunt, which only seems to be an issue when he decides he has to leave or avoid a fight to take care of her. He doesn't bring that same level of care to actually solving the financial problems his uncle's death has left them.

It is astonishingly non-diverse. Jarringly so.

I never realized before how ridiculous the origin of J. Jonah Jameson's dislike of Spider-Man is. Jonah is mad because people are paying attention to Spider-Man instead of Jonah's son, the astronaut. Whatev. Very believable he'd become a vlogger. Resentment politics is in his DNA.

The villains are amazing. In this little book, we meet Green Goblin, Mysterio, Kraven, Chameleon, Sandman (not that one), The Enforcers, The Hulk, and greedy movie directors.

I like the Spider-Man to come much better.

[Aaron Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique collection of early Marvel comics and some interesting commentary interspersed between issues. I would love to see more of this kind of thing.