Comics Creators on Spider-Man

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic survey of classic comics
Review: I'm a big web-spinning Spider-Man fanboy, no doubt about it. And to that geek, this book rocks hard. It's a 200-page series of interviews with some of the biggest creators of Spider-Man comic books over the past 40 years, from Stan Lee to Todd McFarlane to Brian Bendis. And it's just packed full of trivia, insight and critiques. I really get into these "behind the scenes" comic tomes, and this one's a winner. There's great comments by Lee on the creation of Spidey, as well as really thorough interviews with the writers I grew up on -- Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, and the underrated Roger Stern, who for my money wrote the best Spider-Man stories of all in the mid-1980s. We learn what went on behind the scenes with some classic stories and get each writer and artist's thoughts on what makes Spidey tick.

I particularly enjoyed how "Comic Creators" isn't some glossy tribute that overlooked the bad. It's compiled and the interviews are conducted by longtime "Spidey" writer Tom DeFalco, who comes at the subject with an insider's eye. Creators are pretty free with thoughts here on stories that didn't work, and the late 1990s nadir for Spider-Man comics, the bloated, bleak "Clone saga" and "Maximum Carnage" eras, come in for a well-deserved beating. Everyone involved seems to blame the disaster on Marvel editorial dictates. For instance, David Micheline, writer of "Amazing Spider-Man" at the time when there was a rather lousy storyline involving the possible return of Peter Parker's long-dead parents, reveals that he was forced to bring them back by an editor who apparently didn't even know how to end the storyline himself. The book does a good job showing how Spidey's appeal has kept up through the years, and gives you an insight into the creative process.

Rating:
Summary: Weaving The Web
Review: This book could not have come out at a better time. Given the success of the Spider-Man film franchise, Comics Creators On Spider-Man, has something for both fans of the comic book and those that only know of our hero through his big screen adventures.

The book, compiled by Tom DeFalco, who himself was at one time responsible for guiding the direction of the mythology, has put together a great book. This volume goes behind the scenes at Marvel Comics and the webhead like no other book has. It traces the history of our hero's comic book exploits from his earliest days to the preset. Everyone from Spidey co-creator Stan Lee, artist John Romita (who took over for the great Steve Ditko), fan favorites Todd McFarlane (who would go on to create Spawn)and Brian Michael Bendis is interviewed. This are not your average sugar coated sit downs, It is clear from reading this book tht while all who had the chance to work on Spidey, had respect for the characters, iwas not always smooth sailing--The good, the bad and the sometimes very ugly are discussed with surpising candor. As someone who read the comic books during the Roger Stern era, I found that section of the book most interesting. After all, Stern brought Spidey face to face with the Hobgoblin, who could ever forget that. It also goes without saying that Stan is still the man. He never seems to get tired talking talking about the webhead. Illustated with dozxens of full color pages and pencil sketches, Comics Creators is as much a visual history as it is a written one.

The 242 page book is a must read for any Spidey devotee or anyone wanting a career in the comic book industry.