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Essential Marvel Team-Up #1
Essential Marvel Team-Up, Vol. 1
The wisecracking web-slinger Spider-Man teams up with the biggest stars of the Marvel Universe in these classic adventures, including the Incredible Hulk, the Uncanny X-Men, Ghost Rider, the Fantastic Four, and the Avengers!
496 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1974
About the author
Roy Thomas
4,604 books280 followersRoy Thomas was the FIRST Editor-in-Chief at Marvel--After Stan Lee stepped down from the position. Roy is a longtime comic book writer and editor. Thomas has written comics for Archie, Charlton, DC, Heroic Publishing, Marvel, and Topps over the years. Thomas currently edits the fanzine Alter Ego for Twomorrow's Publishing. He was Editor for Marvel comics from 1972-1974. He wrote for several titles at Marvel, such as Avengers, Thor, Invaders, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and notably Conan the Barbarian. Thomas is also known for his championing of Golden Age comic-book heroes — particularly the 1940s superhero team the Justice Society of America — and for lengthy writing stints on Marvel's X-Men and Avengers, and DC Comics' All-Star Squadron, among other titles.
Also a legendary creator. Creations include Wolverine, Carol Danvers, Ghost Rider, Vision, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Valkyrie, Morbius, Doc Samson, and Ultron. Roy has also worked for Archie, Charlton, and DC among others over the years.
Also a legendary creator. Creations include Wolverine, Carol Danvers, Ghost Rider, Vision, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Valkyrie, Morbius, Doc Samson, and Ultron. Roy has also worked for Archie, Charlton, and DC among others over the years.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 16, 2021
The original Spider-Man team up series, which I found really hard to read., because it didn't engage me in anyway! A really poor start, in my opinion, as it was basically using any old wafer thin excuse for each Spider-Man team up. This volume collected Marvel Team-Up #1-24. 3 out of 12. So here's an appropriate GIF:
April 11, 2016
As I said in my review for the DC Comics Presents collection, my favorite comics as a kid were the team up ones. Marvel Team Up seems to hold up a lot better than its contemporaries. In the days before there were crossovers in every other issue, this was the place to see Spider-Man interact with the rest of the Marvel universe on a regular basis.
As unfathomable as it may sound to today's comic fans, back in 1972, Spider-Man was only in one comic a month. Marvel Team Up was the test to see if Spider-Man could support more than one book. Did it work? Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man was launched during this book's run and Marvel Team-Up was eventually canceled so they could put out Web of Spiderman, a third monthly. While things have changed a lot since MTU ended its run in 1985, last I check, Spider-man was coming out every three weeks.
Back to business at hand. The thing that stands out most in my mind about this collection of early Marvel Team Ups was the friendship between Spider-Man and the Human Torch. While it existed before this volume, this is where I believe it was cemented. Spidey and the Torch team up four times in the first twenty five issues. Not only that, Marvel apparently had enough confidence in the Human Torch as a solo character at one point to have him be the lead character six times in MTU's run.
Aside from the Torch, Spidey teamed with a host of guests, like the X-Men before they were popular, The Vision, Captain Marvel, the Thing, Thor, The Cat, Iron Man, Werewolf by Night, Namor, Captain America, Ghost Rider, the list goes on and on. Some of the stories felt like they were just an excuse for Spidey to interact with other heroes but others hold up fairly well for pre-1980's stories. At the Essentials price, it's a lot of super hero action.
As unfathomable as it may sound to today's comic fans, back in 1972, Spider-Man was only in one comic a month. Marvel Team Up was the test to see if Spider-Man could support more than one book. Did it work? Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man was launched during this book's run and Marvel Team-Up was eventually canceled so they could put out Web of Spiderman, a third monthly. While things have changed a lot since MTU ended its run in 1985, last I check, Spider-man was coming out every three weeks.
Back to business at hand. The thing that stands out most in my mind about this collection of early Marvel Team Ups was the friendship between Spider-Man and the Human Torch. While it existed before this volume, this is where I believe it was cemented. Spidey and the Torch team up four times in the first twenty five issues. Not only that, Marvel apparently had enough confidence in the Human Torch as a solo character at one point to have him be the lead character six times in MTU's run.
Aside from the Torch, Spidey teamed with a host of guests, like the X-Men before they were popular, The Vision, Captain Marvel, the Thing, Thor, The Cat, Iron Man, Werewolf by Night, Namor, Captain America, Ghost Rider, the list goes on and on. Some of the stories felt like they were just an excuse for Spidey to interact with other heroes but others hold up fairly well for pre-1980's stories. At the Essentials price, it's a lot of super hero action.
June 13, 2026
Now that I think about it, the concept for Marvel Team-Up is a little strange: an ongoing series in which various Marvel heroes and teams go on adventures with (usually) Spider-Man. And this happens month after month. Team-ups make sense, sure, but such regularity begins to strain credulity. I have no problem with improbable athletic feats, hokey science, and magic energies that defy the laws of physics. But if Spider-Man constantly stumbles into adventures with a different hero every month and this goes on for years, well, that's my breaking point.
But fans love team-ups, and fans love Spider-Man. And the book gets off to an impressive start, with frequent artwork from the legendary Gil Kane, and writing duties from luminaries like Gerry Conway and Len Wein. There are even a few rare issues in which Spider-Man doesn't appear at all, with the Human Torch basically filling in for him instead.
Some of these stories were familiar to me, but I was pretty sure I didn't start buying comics so early. The cover prices for the issues in question were twenty cents, and I'm pretty certain the earliest comics I ever bought off the spinner rack at the drugstore were twenty-five cents. But then I remembered. Marvel did one of their giant Treasury editions that reprinted several of the early Marvel Team-Up stories, and that's where I read these.
And despite my carping about monthly team-ups, some of the transitions between guest stars are pretty neatly done.
I also recall reading–might have been in one of Mark Evanier's essays–that there was a time at Marvel where they were mandating … okay, so pre-computers, comics artwork was drawn on a much larger page. For a while, Marvel was requiring its artists to flip one of those large blanks sideways and draw two side-by-side pages on it. It didn't last, because 1) the artists, drawing at a smaller size, couldn't get the same amount of detail into the work, 2) which made the reproduction in the books look noticeably more crappy, 3) and it was pretty clearly an attempt by Marvel to get them to draw two pages while only paying them for one. Anyway, I think I've spotted some of those pages in these books. Mostly, the artists seem to like using them for double page spreads.
Overall, these stories are fun, sometimes in the ways that only early 70's Marvel can be. At the very least, they were a way for Marvel to keep some of their characters in the public eye. The X-Men, for instance, were in that limbo period between issues 66 and 94 when their title was only reprinting earlier stories. Teaming them up with Spider-Man kept them in the public eye.
Recommended!
But fans love team-ups, and fans love Spider-Man. And the book gets off to an impressive start, with frequent artwork from the legendary Gil Kane, and writing duties from luminaries like Gerry Conway and Len Wein. There are even a few rare issues in which Spider-Man doesn't appear at all, with the Human Torch basically filling in for him instead.
Some of these stories were familiar to me, but I was pretty sure I didn't start buying comics so early. The cover prices for the issues in question were twenty cents, and I'm pretty certain the earliest comics I ever bought off the spinner rack at the drugstore were twenty-five cents. But then I remembered. Marvel did one of their giant Treasury editions that reprinted several of the early Marvel Team-Up stories, and that's where I read these.
And despite my carping about monthly team-ups, some of the transitions between guest stars are pretty neatly done.
I also recall reading–might have been in one of Mark Evanier's essays–that there was a time at Marvel where they were mandating … okay, so pre-computers, comics artwork was drawn on a much larger page. For a while, Marvel was requiring its artists to flip one of those large blanks sideways and draw two side-by-side pages on it. It didn't last, because 1) the artists, drawing at a smaller size, couldn't get the same amount of detail into the work, 2) which made the reproduction in the books look noticeably more crappy, 3) and it was pretty clearly an attempt by Marvel to get them to draw two pages while only paying them for one. Anyway, I think I've spotted some of those pages in these books. Mostly, the artists seem to like using them for double page spreads.
Overall, these stories are fun, sometimes in the ways that only early 70's Marvel can be. At the very least, they were a way for Marvel to keep some of their characters in the public eye. The X-Men, for instance, were in that limbo period between issues 66 and 94 when their title was only reprinting earlier stories. Teaming them up with Spider-Man kept them in the public eye.
Recommended!
March 20, 2021
Essential Marvel Team-up is basicly a collection of Spiderman tales when he acts with everybody from the marvel universe including the kitchensink. From the X-men, Avengers to the various ingle members of Mutant teams. The stories generally tend to be 22 pages long some are great some are daft but they rarely fail to entertain.
These B/W collections of plus 500 pages do give you a lot of fun reading for your money and they tend to be new for me. Spidey is always fun to read it is perhaps the easiest to read and in the seventies the interaction between he various superhero's tended to be quite easy to follow, and nobody ever really died.
A very enteraining collection of Spiderman and friends comics.
These B/W collections of plus 500 pages do give you a lot of fun reading for your money and they tend to be new for me. Spidey is always fun to read it is perhaps the easiest to read and in the seventies the interaction between he various superhero's tended to be quite easy to follow, and nobody ever really died.
A very enteraining collection of Spiderman and friends comics.
December 1, 2012
The book features the first 24 issues of Marvel Team Up featuring Spider-man and a special guest (with the exception of two issues which feature the Human Torch filling in as the lead character.)
The book delivers several great guest appearances. Every member of the Fantastic Four save for Medusa (who was filling in for Sue Richards at the time) makes an appearance as well as Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye, Nick Fury, the Spirit, the original X-men, Captain Marvel, and the Black Panther makes appearance along with more obscure characters like the Cat (later named Tigra). The only character I missed was Daredevil.
Villains are also appropriately matched, including visits from the Sandman, and the Puppet Master and others.
The stories find Spider-man, the ultimate superhero loner of the time not really interested in being buddy buddy with fellow heroes but more than happy to lend a hand to help someone in need as well as to fight evil. On several occasions, he'll tease the hero of the week, but admire them later such as happened in the Iron Man guest appearance. He rarely expresses this admiration publicly. Though, it is clear he looks up to Captain America from the start.
Some of these stories do seem a little rushed to rap up in 21 pages and end abruptly. The best plotby far was the mulit-issue Tomorrow Wars.
In addition, these stories come from a very angsty period in Marvel history. Spider-man lost Gwen Stacy in Amazing Spider-man while the Fantastic Four experienced a serious split with the Richards marriage hanging in the balance. Johnny Storm adds some fuel to DC advocates who suggested that Marvel heroes weren't too heroic when he begged off a mission to get the help of inhumans to save the world from domination by a time traveler from the future.
Still, Spidey carries his wait and this is a good solid bronze age collection.
The book delivers several great guest appearances. Every member of the Fantastic Four save for Medusa (who was filling in for Sue Richards at the time) makes an appearance as well as Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye, Nick Fury, the Spirit, the original X-men, Captain Marvel, and the Black Panther makes appearance along with more obscure characters like the Cat (later named Tigra). The only character I missed was Daredevil.
Villains are also appropriately matched, including visits from the Sandman, and the Puppet Master and others.
The stories find Spider-man, the ultimate superhero loner of the time not really interested in being buddy buddy with fellow heroes but more than happy to lend a hand to help someone in need as well as to fight evil. On several occasions, he'll tease the hero of the week, but admire them later such as happened in the Iron Man guest appearance. He rarely expresses this admiration publicly. Though, it is clear he looks up to Captain America from the start.
Some of these stories do seem a little rushed to rap up in 21 pages and end abruptly. The best plotby far was the mulit-issue Tomorrow Wars.
In addition, these stories come from a very angsty period in Marvel history. Spider-man lost Gwen Stacy in Amazing Spider-man while the Fantastic Four experienced a serious split with the Richards marriage hanging in the balance. Johnny Storm adds some fuel to DC advocates who suggested that Marvel heroes weren't too heroic when he begged off a mission to get the help of inhumans to save the world from domination by a time traveler from the future.
Still, Spidey carries his wait and this is a good solid bronze age collection.
December 22, 2012
Marvel Team-Up was one of those comics that I grew up with, and was one of the books that helped me fall face first into the Marvel Universe. I remember Marvel Team-Up #5 being one of the very first Marvel books I ever bought, and the #9-11 was one of the first multi-issue story arcs I ever followed, reading them over the course of several months while I was hospitalized as a kid.
This Marvel Essentials volume is fairly good, featuring the first 24 issues of the series, and has a lot of Marvel stalwarts, like Captain America, the Sub-Mariner, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, the X-Men and three members of the Fantastic Four, as well as some of the newer characters Marvel introduced in the seventies, such as Ghost Rider, Werewolf By Night, Brother Voodoo and the Cat. It is definitely a good look at the seventies output of the company, and features Roy Thomas, Len Wein and Gerry Conway scripting and Ross Andru, Gil Kane, Sal Buscema, and Jim Mooney (among others) handling the artwork.
The one real fault in this book, and this series, was that the issues of Giant-Size Spider-Man, which was a team-up title, aren't included in this Essentials series, but instead in Essential Spider-Man. Since the Human Torch took over the title whenever Spidey appeared in GSSM, there seems to be something missing, especially with the first issue and MTU #23.
If you can't afford to get the Marvel Team-Up Masterworks books, and I know I can't, this is a good substitute to over-paying for the original issues.
This Marvel Essentials volume is fairly good, featuring the first 24 issues of the series, and has a lot of Marvel stalwarts, like Captain America, the Sub-Mariner, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, the X-Men and three members of the Fantastic Four, as well as some of the newer characters Marvel introduced in the seventies, such as Ghost Rider, Werewolf By Night, Brother Voodoo and the Cat. It is definitely a good look at the seventies output of the company, and features Roy Thomas, Len Wein and Gerry Conway scripting and Ross Andru, Gil Kane, Sal Buscema, and Jim Mooney (among others) handling the artwork.
The one real fault in this book, and this series, was that the issues of Giant-Size Spider-Man, which was a team-up title, aren't included in this Essentials series, but instead in Essential Spider-Man. Since the Human Torch took over the title whenever Spidey appeared in GSSM, there seems to be something missing, especially with the first issue and MTU #23.
If you can't afford to get the Marvel Team-Up Masterworks books, and I know I can't, this is a good substitute to over-paying for the original issues.
December 21, 2009
Lots of fun stories with Spiderman teaming up with various other super heroes. A nice mix of big cosmic stories and smaller street level ones.
Nice attempts to link stories and give the series a feeling of continuity.
Some forced writing where they try to write out one hero so they can move onto the next team up, even if they are mid-crisis.
Not as good a series as 'Marvel two in one', but that might just be because I'm not a big Spider man fan.
Nice attempts to link stories and give the series a feeling of continuity.
Some forced writing where they try to write out one hero so they can move onto the next team up, even if they are mid-crisis.
Not as good a series as 'Marvel two in one', but that might just be because I'm not a big Spider man fan.
January 24, 2014
The stories were decent but got too repetitive for my taste all stories follow the same script something bad happens spiderman goes to the location discovers another superhero there say they should team up and they foil the villains plans thats all that really happens its the basic formula for these stories
October 22, 2021
A bit hit-and-miss but a fair sample of seventies superhero fare with no actual clunkers and much more disciplined plotting than many Marvel comics of the time. This is probably due to the format's limitations of space which forces a keep it relatively simple approach though it also results in a few too many last minute saves by deus ex machina.
May 8, 2017
Gods but I've been needing a Gil Kane fix! Only really needed this for a couple of missing issues but they were both pretty great. Had all the rest in two volumes of color Masterworks reprints. I absolutely love Marvel Team-Up. It's a great book.
November 15, 2020
For a series that one assumes was made in order to use the popularity of Spider-Man to showcase other less popular characters it could have been worse. I thoroughly enjoyed the first issue which was a fantastic Christmas story. The rest was a mixed bag.
May 30, 2023
Okay... like many team up books they are sort of a grab bag of 70s Marvel as Spider-Man or sometimes The Human Torch team up with some of Marvel's biggest names. Or sometimes they drop in an help some little known underdog hero. Like The Cat- long before she became Tigra. Or Brother Voodoo. Or Ka-Zar. Or a character who has grown to be a personal favorite of mine for some reason- Werewolf by Night.
These stories range from the really, really good- luck the first story the knocks it right out of the park, to the really fun if you're into camp (like Torch's team-up with Hulk) to the downright head scratchingly weird ones.
Really, it lose a star mostly for just how varied in quality the stories are and the fact that in order to lock the book in at the first two years of the run, it drops Giant Sized Spider-Man #1, which is part of a crossover. (However it is in a volume of Essential Amazing Spider-Man that was released around the same time. So it's not like in some of the later Essential Uncanny X-Men and Essential X-Factor came out within a week of each other so you wound up getting Inferno, X-Tinction Agenda and Days of Future Present TWICE.
These stories range from the really, really good- luck the first story the knocks it right out of the park, to the really fun if you're into camp (like Torch's team-up with Hulk) to the downright head scratchingly weird ones.
Really, it lose a star mostly for just how varied in quality the stories are and the fact that in order to lock the book in at the first two years of the run, it drops Giant Sized Spider-Man #1, which is part of a crossover. (However it is in a volume of Essential Amazing Spider-Man that was released around the same time. So it's not like in some of the later Essential Uncanny X-Men and Essential X-Factor came out within a week of each other so you wound up getting Inferno, X-Tinction Agenda and Days of Future Present TWICE.
November 28, 2024
I love Spider-Man, but many of the stories in Marvel Team-Up are way too silly, and, yes, I’m aware these are comics.
I wish the comic books were reprinted in color rather than black-and- white, but I suppose that would have made the “Essential” series more expensive.
I wish the comic books were reprinted in color rather than black-and- white, but I suppose that would have made the “Essential” series more expensive.
April 26, 2013
The title was still finding it's feet during these issues. Personally I had two problems with this volume. Firstly Gil Kane was one of my least favourite artists, Peter Parker just didn't look like Peter Parker, plus the way he always drew the shading under a person's nose annoyed the hell out of me.
Secondly, Johnny Storm(The Torch) gets on my proverbial tits, this guy has a great name, good looking, he's a super-hero he can even fly for God's sake but is this guy happy is he heck THE SPOILED BRAT.
Secondly, Johnny Storm(The Torch) gets on my proverbial tits, this guy has a great name, good looking, he's a super-hero he can even fly for God's sake but is this guy happy is he heck THE SPOILED BRAT.
August 2, 2014
Seeing some of the villians from the 70's was great. I also liked that spider-man at this time was going of mean and sarcastic. Not always the nice guy you think peter parker is portayed in the cartoons and movies.
October 14, 2014
This is essentially Spiderman teams up with lots of other heroes to battle baddies. There are 2 stories where other superheroes team up, but this is Spideys book. It concentrates on fights more than characters and is definitely of its time. A good read.
Read
August 23, 2008isbn,original
December 30, 2013
Very fun, 70's era title matching Spider-Man with a creative variety of guests. Well worth the price, even in black and white.
December 5, 2015
The Human Torch and Iceman are the perfect team-up pals.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews