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Essential Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #2
Essential Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man, Vol. 2
Guest starring the Human Torch and the White Tiger, this collection brings together enemies old and new as Spider-Man goes into battle against robots and killer bees.
592 pages, Paperback
First published February 8, 2006
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84 people want to read
About the author
Bill Mantlo
1,391 books44 followersWilliam Timothy Mantlo is an American comic book writer, primarily at Marvel Comics.
(source: Wikipedia)
(source: Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 24, 2023
Roger Stern improves on Bill Mantlo's writing, when he takes over. You can tell this is just a money-trap at the moment as Marvel is unable to find a regular artist for this book! Stories are OK, but never seem to reach the pitch of the big stories in the main title. I read the comic books Peter Parker Spectacular Spider-Man #32-53, Annuals #1-2, Amazing Spider-Man #Annual #13 and Fantastic Four #218, which covers this volume. 5 out of 12, Three Star read.
2014 read
2014 read
August 5, 2020
To be honest when I bought a set of essential Amazing Spiderman this one was advertised as the second installment, whereas it is actually NR 2 of a different series called Peter Parker Spectacular Spiderman, it is about Spiderman alright but a later series that ran side to side with the Amazing Spiderman series. This one contains Spectacular Spiderman 32-53, Spectacular Spiderman annual 1 &2, Amazing Spiderman Annual nr. 13, Fantastic Four nr. 218.
This is Peter Parker at college where he is a assistant to add to his financial situation, which has never been good, and his confrontations where the average baddie, most home grown and certainly not material with the cinema. And yet this is still the Spiderman whose actions and adventures are mostly New York based and have nothing of the complexity that the movie franchises added to his story-lines.
This is nice comfortable Spiderman being a misunderstood hero for the little people really enjoyable.
This is Peter Parker at college where he is a assistant to add to his financial situation, which has never been good, and his confrontations where the average baddie, most home grown and certainly not material with the cinema. And yet this is still the Spiderman whose actions and adventures are mostly New York based and have nothing of the complexity that the movie franchises added to his story-lines.
This is nice comfortable Spiderman being a misunderstood hero for the little people really enjoyable.
September 15, 2020
A compilation of Spectacular Spider-Man #32-53
So we're talking Spider-Man from 1976 - 78
Really good stuff here.
Not as good as ASM but much better than Web of Spider-Man - kind of in the middle. We get great super villians like Doc Ock, Electro, Tinkerer but we also get the nitty gritty street criminals as well.
This is Spider-Man and Marvel from when they were amazing, great, can't miss, astounding etc.
Good stuff and highly recommended.
So we're talking Spider-Man from 1976 - 78
Really good stuff here.
Not as good as ASM but much better than Web of Spider-Man - kind of in the middle. We get great super villians like Doc Ock, Electro, Tinkerer but we also get the nitty gritty street criminals as well.
This is Spider-Man and Marvel from when they were amazing, great, can't miss, astounding etc.
Good stuff and highly recommended.
June 12, 2024
All in all, there's enough good stuff in here that I'm going to go with 4 stars. Again, being Spider-Man, it probably gets a little unearned credit. It does redeem the Terrible Tinkerer story from Amazing Spider-Man #2, so I'm cool with a 4.
January 2, 2017
The book collects Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-man Issues 32-53, Annual #1-2 along with Amazing Spider-man Annual #13. The first eleven issues conclude Bill Manlo's impressive run on the series (though he would return for Issue #53.) Spider-man has some truly epic battles with the Lizard and the Iguana as well as meeting the villain Swarm (who is far more impressive in comics than he would be in later animated appearances.) and Mindworm. Two oversized Annuals battling Doctor Octopus are also very fun to read.
Issue 39 and 40 featuring his mutation into Spider Lizard (which strangely has no effect on Amazing Spider-man.) Issue 41 is a little bit more forgettable as Spidey teams up with the new Giant Man, a character who did't really last as they battle Meteor Man. Issue 42 finishes Manlo's run with a crossover with the Fantastic Four in Fantastic Four #218. It's a fun crossover that involves a battle with the Frightful Four.
Issue 43 has Roger Stern coming on to write a very clever Superhero mystery. Stern writes most of the rest of the book except for Issues 44, 53 and Annual 2. Issue 44 begins with another mystery over the death of mob bosses and leads into the return of the original Vulture in Issue 45 which is actually a fantastic move that's very well-executed.
Annual #2 is a very well-drawn story that has Spidey battling the Rapier. Rapier is a fascinating character with a great back story. The Rapier is one of those lesser known forgotten characters that really makes this sort of book worth reading.
Issue 45 sees Spidey battling the Cobra and then the next three issues have a very Noirish feel as it marks the return of Belladonna, and a great deal of mystery surrounding her.
Issue 49 has Spidey battling the Smuggler. Issues 50 and 51 have him battling aliens and they Mysterio. Issue 49 also saw the White Tiger getting a back up feature which set up Spectacular Spider-man #52 where Spidey gets White Tiger to the Hospital in critical condition and then has to battle Gideon Mace, an insane ex-military guy bent on wiping out Superheroes. It's a good story that also serves as a book end to White Tiger's story line.
Issue 53 feels a little random as Bill Manlo returns to right a tale of Spidey fighting the Tinkerer and the Toy. It's not a bad story but is a bit forced.
Overall though, this is a great book full of underrated stories and forgotten characters. It's got a lot of atmosphere and some very noirish and atmospheric stories . I recommend this for any fan of Classic Spidey tales.
Issue 39 and 40 featuring his mutation into Spider Lizard (which strangely has no effect on Amazing Spider-man.) Issue 41 is a little bit more forgettable as Spidey teams up with the new Giant Man, a character who did't really last as they battle Meteor Man. Issue 42 finishes Manlo's run with a crossover with the Fantastic Four in Fantastic Four #218. It's a fun crossover that involves a battle with the Frightful Four.
Issue 43 has Roger Stern coming on to write a very clever Superhero mystery. Stern writes most of the rest of the book except for Issues 44, 53 and Annual 2. Issue 44 begins with another mystery over the death of mob bosses and leads into the return of the original Vulture in Issue 45 which is actually a fantastic move that's very well-executed.
Annual #2 is a very well-drawn story that has Spidey battling the Rapier. Rapier is a fascinating character with a great back story. The Rapier is one of those lesser known forgotten characters that really makes this sort of book worth reading.
Issue 45 sees Spidey battling the Cobra and then the next three issues have a very Noirish feel as it marks the return of Belladonna, and a great deal of mystery surrounding her.
Issue 49 has Spidey battling the Smuggler. Issues 50 and 51 have him battling aliens and they Mysterio. Issue 49 also saw the White Tiger getting a back up feature which set up Spectacular Spider-man #52 where Spidey gets White Tiger to the Hospital in critical condition and then has to battle Gideon Mace, an insane ex-military guy bent on wiping out Superheroes. It's a good story that also serves as a book end to White Tiger's story line.
Issue 53 feels a little random as Bill Manlo returns to right a tale of Spidey fighting the Tinkerer and the Toy. It's not a bad story but is a bit forced.
Overall though, this is a great book full of underrated stories and forgotten characters. It's got a lot of atmosphere and some very noirish and atmospheric stories . I recommend this for any fan of Classic Spidey tales.
February 7, 2025
Mantlo's take on Spidey is to get silly - Swarm is a literal swarm of bees that is also a Nazi ghost? They make for cool art. Same with Spider-Lizard, which is a nice twist on the kind of plots Connors usually gets in with Spidey. The most fantastical swings are here, something of a sweeter release from Amazing at the same point, which was getting heavy with Aunt May's death at the time.
But then Roger Stern shows up, and there's an instant shift. Peter is more confident, he actually enjoys being Spider-Man. Aunt May isn't a constant At-Deaths-Door-Crutch, herself stronger and no longer afraid of Spidey. Debra Whitman wanders in to Peter's dating life. The cops aren't as hard on Spidey, after he gets pardoned in Amazing. The status quo is shifting, and Stern takes loose ends from Amazing in regards to Mysterio, Vulture, and Tinkerer to display a master's understanding of the dynamics of Spider-man, the power and responsibility thematics, the class dynanics and economic drivers of its criminals. Stern would go on to introduce Hobgoblin to the world but it starts here with Belladonna, a new rogue that effortlessly fits in with the best of them, downright criminal how little of her exists outside of the comics.
But then Roger Stern shows up, and there's an instant shift. Peter is more confident, he actually enjoys being Spider-Man. Aunt May isn't a constant At-Deaths-Door-Crutch, herself stronger and no longer afraid of Spidey. Debra Whitman wanders in to Peter's dating life. The cops aren't as hard on Spidey, after he gets pardoned in Amazing. The status quo is shifting, and Stern takes loose ends from Amazing in regards to Mysterio, Vulture, and Tinkerer to display a master's understanding of the dynamics of Spider-man, the power and responsibility thematics, the class dynanics and economic drivers of its criminals. Stern would go on to introduce Hobgoblin to the world but it starts here with Belladonna, a new rogue that effortlessly fits in with the best of them, downright criminal how little of her exists outside of the comics.
October 7, 2020
This is another volume of perfectly serviceable Silver-Age Spider-Man stories, with of course the biggest drawback being the absence of colour.
Some particularly strong issues consist of many written by Roger Stern, and the second Annual in the collection is surprisingly one of the strongest in the book. I found myself getting very weary of Bill Mantlo's writing, and was not thrilled that he had a guest issue on the very tail end of the collection. Marie Severin's art, though, was a major highlight and I was very glad to see her linework, though it would have of course been even better in colour.
Some particularly strong issues consist of many written by Roger Stern, and the second Annual in the collection is surprisingly one of the strongest in the book. I found myself getting very weary of Bill Mantlo's writing, and was not thrilled that he had a guest issue on the very tail end of the collection. Marie Severin's art, though, was a major highlight and I was very glad to see her linework, though it would have of course been even better in colour.
October 18, 2021
I want to like this more, but the lack of color really hurts a lot of inters styles (several of the issues just feel muddy), and the plots are all over the place. It's a shame, because I have some fond memories of the later issues in this book, but this format is just not great.
February 5, 2022
Definition of mixed bag here. Some great stuff from Bill Mantlo like the Carrion story. Some real stinkers. Great art throughout from Jim Mooney.
March 7, 2014
The thing about Spider-Man is that I will almost always like Spider-Man. Between the tension of school (graduate studies in this case), work (spurning the Daily Bugle for the Daily Globe in this case), ailing with his personal life (in this case, Deb Whitman hitting on him as he reels from breaking up with Mary Jane in this case), it makes him the most likable most worldly superhero in the business.
That being said, a lot of the action in this volume is flat. Bill Mantlo was writing B-horror Marvel comics poorly and then took over one of the Spider-Man mags for no reason. It kind of shows. It often feels like "Spider-Man for dummies", showing up and beating up on whomever.
Roger Stern takes over, and it gets much better. The villains get more interesting (Mysterio, The Terrible Tinkerer) the sense of humor and surprises are MUCH better. Belladonna's war on fashion was way better than it should've been.
Great art by Jim Mooney and MArie Severin, but this generally is a solid if uneven/uninspired return to the neurotic teen comedian/wall crawler that I like so much.
That being said, a lot of the action in this volume is flat. Bill Mantlo was writing B-horror Marvel comics poorly and then took over one of the Spider-Man mags for no reason. It kind of shows. It often feels like "Spider-Man for dummies", showing up and beating up on whomever.
Roger Stern takes over, and it gets much better. The villains get more interesting (Mysterio, The Terrible Tinkerer) the sense of humor and surprises are MUCH better. Belladonna's war on fashion was way better than it should've been.
Great art by Jim Mooney and MArie Severin, but this generally is a solid if uneven/uninspired return to the neurotic teen comedian/wall crawler that I like so much.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews