Rating: 
Summary: Goodbye Steve Ditko
Review: Steve Ditko leaves the Spiderman series on issue 38. No longer can we witness the great storytelling arc of Ditko as well as the everyday looking characterizations that Ditko does so well. Ditko always believed that crime occurs with strangers and left Marvel simply because he did not want Norman Osborne to be the Green Goblin. Unfortunately, John Romita turned the entire cast of characters extrodinarily handsome and changed the entire tone of the comic. Don't get me wrong, Romita is a superb artist, but like Jack Kirby his style was totally wrong for the comic.
Ditko's art is a treasure and I sometimes wonder what would have happened to the series had Ditko stayed on board instead of Romita who turned the series into more of a romantic soap opera instead of Ditko's variation which put Spiderman in a world of complete ridicule and animosity where you laughed at Spiderman one minute and then realized in the next minute how hurting the character was. This series is again another time capsule into the mind and art of Steve Ditko.
Rating:
Summary: Unbelieveable
Review: The 60's were the high point of Spider-man stories. I was riveted. This book was hard to put down. The issues presented in this collection show Peter maturing from the nerdy high school student to the college man. This book was great for the protrayal of not just the super hero exploits which were so enthralling as told by Stan "The Man" Lee, but the Peter parker stories. i was reading each issue for the action and the sub plots. Gwen Stacy and mary Jane first appear in this classic collection and they are the two women aside from may Parker that hold the most bearing on Peter's life. I keep thinking how would Spidey have turned out if Gwen had lived. Amazing stuff, this is how Spidey is meant to be. No question this is the difinative chapter of Spidey's life.
Rating: 
Summary: Well, it was half good....
Review: This book is really hard to rate, as the first half of it continues the trend that Vol. 1 of the series started. Corniness. But in issue 38, something big happens. Artist and Spidey co-creator Steve Ditko leaves the book (apparently he didn't think too much of the Goblin's identity being revealed the next issue) and future super-star John Romita, Sr. becomes the new artist. The art is now cleaner. The book becomes easier to read. The sub-plots and villains become more mature and more sophisticated, and yet still contain the child-like nostalgia that makes old comics so great. Once you get to the Romita issues, I gaurantee you you'll be drawn in and won't want to stop reading. This is a good buy and every true Spider-Man fan should own it. But if you aren't too nuts about Spidey and you have a limited ammount of money, my suggestion is to get Vol. 3. It's a much better buy.
Rating:
Summary: Transitional
Review: This second volume holds a wide range of early Spider-Man stories, and shows a transitional period in the character's history.The stories range from the epic Master Planner storyline, which builds strongly and contains very memorable scenes, to ephemeral stories like hat of the Looter and a guy named Joe. Villains from the past return, and this book includes some essential stories of Spidey's big name foes, Dr Octopus and the Green Goblin. The book also takes Peter Parker from his high school days to college, incidentally introducing both Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson while leaving behind earlier romantic interests such as Betty Brant and Liz Allen. During this volume, we see the period when artist Steve Ditko took over the plotting of stories, which lent the book a more moralistic air. Towards the end, Ditko leaves and is replaced by John Romita, making the book more clean-lined but less visually interesting. This volume is a mixed bag, albeit of good quality material, and shows a comic that has largely outgrown its original premise but struggling to find a new one.
Rating:
Summary: Spidey says goodbye to Steve Ditko and hello to John Romita
Review: Volume 2 of "The Essential Spider-Man" offers up issues #21-43 of the "Amazing Spider-Man" along with the original stories from Annuals #2 & 3. These are the issues that offer some big changes for both the character and the comic book. For the character, besides the introduction of new villains we see Liz Allen and Betty Bryant replaced in Peter Parker's affections by Gwen Stacy and (at long last) Mary Jane Watson. For the comic book it is artist John Romita (Sr.) taking over for Steve Ditko with issue #39, "How Green Was My Goblin." Of course, this is one of the most famous Spidey issues of all time as Spidey and the Green Goblin are both unmasked and things become very, very interesting. I understand why some would complain that these reprints are in black & white but I have discovered at least one benefit to reading these comics without color, and that is a greater appreciation of the artwork of Steve Ditko. When I was reading these comics in 1965-67, I was happy to see Romita replace Ditko as an artist. However, as I re-read the Spider-Man comics drawn by Ditko I realize that although his figures are not exactly drawn in the most realistic style, he is a master of composition and pacing. Just look at the cover of #24 for example, but leaf through any of his issues and study what he is doing and I think you will be as impressed as I am as you watch Spider-Man tackle the Beetle, the Clown and his Masters of Menace, Mysterio, the Crime Master, the Molten Man, the Scorpion, the Cat, Ka-Zar, the Rhino, and even J. Jonah Jameson and his killer robot. Yes, the two-part confrontation between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin that begins Romita's tenure on the comic book is a classic story, which is at the heart of this summer's blockbuster movie (notice they do an homage to the cover of #39 in the film). However, I would make a case that this collection includes another of the greatest Spider-Man stories in issues #31-33. Peter Parker has parted ways with Betty Bryant and Gwen Stacy has appeared upon the scene, but that means nothing because Aunt May is very sick. Spidey gets Doc Connor to help with a formula that can save her life, but then it is stolen by the henchmen of Doctor Octopus. As the last of these three issues begins Spider-Man "is now trapped beneath tons of fallen steel, with the precious serum lying just out of reach, as the fatal second's tick by..." (quoting Stan Lee of course). But Spider-Man already is responsible for the death of his Uncle Ben and he is not going to fail Aunt May. There are other Spider-Man stories as good, but none better than this one, which finds both Lee and Ditko at their peaks. Excelsior!
Rating:
Summary: Spidey says goodbye to Steve Ditko and hello to John Romita
Review: Volume 2 of "The Essential Spider-Man" offers up issues #21-43 of the "Amazing Spider-Man" along with the original stories from Annuals #2 & 3. These are the issues that offer some big changes for both the character and the comic book. For the character, besides the introduction of new villains we see Liz Allen and Betty Bryant replaced in Peter Parker's affections by Gwen Stacy and (at long last) Mary Jane Watson. For the comic book it is artist John Romita (Sr.) taking over for Steve Ditko with issue #39, "How Green Was My Goblin." Of course, this is one of the most famous Spidey issues of all time as Spidey and the Green Goblin are both unmasked and things become very, very interesting. I understand why some would complain that these reprints are in black & white but I have discovered at least one benefit to reading these comics without color, and that is a greater appreciation of the artwork of Steve Ditko. When I was reading these comics in 1965-67, I was happy to see Romita replace Ditko as an artist. However, as I re-read the Spider-Man comics drawn by Ditko I realize that although his figures are not exactly drawn in the most realistic style, he is a master of composition and pacing. Just look at the cover of #24 for example, but leaf through any of his issues and study what he is doing and I think you will be as impressed as I am as you watch Spider-Man tackle the Beetle, the Clown and his Masters of Menace, Mysterio, the Crime Master, the Molten Man, the Scorpion, the Cat, Ka-Zar, the Rhino, and even J. Jonah Jameson and his killer robot. Yes, the two-part confrontation between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin that begins Romita's tenure on the comic book is a classic story, which is at the heart of this summer's blockbuster movie (notice they do an homage to the cover of #39 in the film). However, I would make a case that this collection includes another of the greatest Spider-Man stories in issues #31-33. Peter Parker has parted ways with Betty Bryant and Gwen Stacy has appeared upon the scene, but that means nothing because Aunt May is very sick. Spidey gets Doc Connor to help with a formula that can save her life, but then it is stolen by the henchmen of Doctor Octopus. As the last of these three issues begins Spider-Man "is now trapped beneath tons of fallen steel, with the precious serum lying just out of reach, as the fatal second's tick by..." (quoting Stan Lee of course). But Spider-Man already is responsible for the death of his Uncle Ben and he is not going to fail Aunt May. There are other Spider-Man stories as good, but none better than this one, which finds both Lee and Ditko at their peaks. Excelsior!
Rating: 
Summary: Warning - all graphics are in black and white!
Review: Where did all the color ink go? Were they trying to save $$? If so, I would have paid the extra cash to retain Spidey's blue and red union suit... Well, at least my dog won't notice the difference.
Rating:
Summary: Some Of The Greatest Spider-Man Stories Are In Here
Review: Would be a bargain at twice the price. This wonderful volume contains definitive Spider-Man stories. The Lee and Ditko team is hitting on all cylinders here. Two of Spidey's greatest moments are in this book, including the scene where he lifts the heavy machinery off of his back and the great Green Goblin story from #39-40. The book's great supporting cast keeps the stories flowing. This is the way Spider-Man should be written and is one of the reasons why Spidey is the flagship Marvel character to this very day. (Super-heroes with super problems!)
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