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Summary: the very first stories of Spider-man; a collectible
Review: "Marvel masterworks vol. 1: Spider-man HC" essentially is the birth of the Spider-man saga. His very first appearance can be traced back to Amazing fantasy #15, which was published on 1962. The issues comprises this hardcover volume are from Amazing fantasy #l5,& Amazing Spider-man #1-10.As we all should know, Spider-man is one of the most popular superhero in comics. Not bad for someone who never had an encouraging inception. Spider-man's maiden appearance is in the last issue of Amazing fantasy #15. It was a comic magazine that had a vey brief existence. Any other hero would have emerged from the beginning of time, taken his bows & submerged alongside the magazine. However, not Spider-man. This peculiar character was different. Comic readers were extremely enamored with him, that soon enough, he re-appeared in his own magazine. Spider-man is different. He always has a bent to change the trite, hackneyed law of comics. For example, Spider-man was the first successful comic book to feature a teenager as the star of its pages. Until then, teenagers were usually sidekicks to some larger-than-life adult hero. He is also different in another way. Either Peter Parker or Spider-man seems to always lost the battle than it appeared won, but that always been the way with Peter or Spidey, as this hardcover volume, once again, relive the best times that Spidey shares with us. Forever. Essentially, the historical significance of this HC book is the chronicle of the birth of Peter Parker & his alter-ego Spider-man as it introduces the character to the world for the first time. All issues are masterpieces, but particularly notable is the issue Amazing fantasy #15, aside from officially recorded as Spidey's very first appearance, it is significantly about his origin.Like recounting Spider-man origin, the introduction of the young Peter Parker and his worrywart Aunt May, the death of an important character- Uncle Ben Parker, which shapes Peter becoming Spider-man & learning from him the popular adage "With great power, comes great responsibility". Up to the present times, that doctrine Peter learned still sustain & foremostly, one of the reasons made him endeared to the masses. The historical significance of Amazing Spider-man issue #1, is, essentially, the birth of a long-running home,the new title name, for Spidey and it's casts to dwell.Also mark this momentous event is the introduction of Spider-man supporting characters, they are his chief nemesis & ironically Spidey biggest booster Flash Thompson, the gruff publisher of the Daily Bugle J. Jonah Jameson. Amazing Spider-man issue #4 is also a momentous issue. It introduces Betty Brant,J. Jonah Jameson's secretary & Peter Parker's paramour. The supervillains appeared in this tome & as an introduction were the chameleon, the vulture, sandman, Lizard, electro & the enforcers. Particularly memorable issues are, one, issue #4 vs. the Sandman. Spidey battles Sandman relentlessly, inside his high school campus as he finally,ingeniously, finds a way to dispose his adversary.Secondly, issue #6 vs. the Lizard, a tragic supervillain and a victim of an unfortunate circumstance,as Spidey desperately attempt a means to cure the Lizard, returning to his old self as Dr. Curt Connors.That issue culminated to a myriad of high points- a poignant story; a pitiful tragedy albeit transitorily, as Spidey learns form his teary-eyed wife and son what her husband had accidentally becomes; the intense but excitingly fighting sequences between Spidey and the Lizard; & the concluding one-liner when the cured Dr. Connors wrongly thinks Spidey has everything in this world, because he is strong & seems full of fun. Thirdly, issue #8 vs. the big brain (A giant computer robot). Nerdish Peter Parker finally accosted Flash Thompson into a boxing match & knocking him out in the process; also Peter suffers a major scare, when the infallible robot threaten to deduce who is Spider-man using it's computer ability.Because of this scenario, throughout the issue Peter is incessantly perspiring & running scared, until he found a way out to win & escapes with his secret identity intact. My point of view. The popularity surges of Spider-man is due mainly, as most people perceived, to being an accessible hero. He, as Peter Parker is feeble, whereis, in contrast, Spider-man seemingly very strong; Peter is burdened with varied problems- his Aunt May failing health, money difficulties, constant harrassment received from Flash Thompson, his dual identity counter-productively created problems such as, the good deeds of aiding people pulled by Spidey, but contradictorily, frequent wrongly misunderstood & misjudged his actions as being boastful,free-spirited and callous; the resulting injuries acquired from being a Spidey, becomes a major hazard to Peter, when he tries to conceal them to his Aunt May and his friends; the time spent being Spider-man also crosses his time spent as being a civilian Peter Parker. For example,inability to study today because Spidey is needed in action, the resulting lack of time to care for his Aunt May & by being a Spider-man part-time, keeps his schedules tight. These characteristics are what made Spidey popular and endearing to the masses. In fact, because of these reasons, people tend to mirror themselves as a Peter Parker and as a Spider-man as a mode to release their pent-up negative emotions and effects. Why did Peter Parker choose to become a hero? He did not. When he first slipped himself into his costume, its not his inclination to right wrongs or to stop evil doers for that matter. He became Spider-man to earn simple money. Peter see his idiosyncratic powers as a mean to become outrageously well-offs. This will easily support his aunt and uncle, who taught the world to him. It took a harshed lesson to turn around this superhero into a veritable, true hero. The story behind that lesson had become one of the best-known in all the Marvel comics universe. Spidr-man is very different character than the comic readers are used to seeing. He is a loner, adrift in a world where no one except his family seemed to care what happened to him. And when he acquired great power, he soon discovered he still had many of the same, old everyday problems. Many readers found that they could identify with his shortchanges. They saw the there is a little bit of Spider-man in each one of them. Stan Lee, the creator of Spider-man and the writer of the first 100 issues, should more than deservingly be acclaimed and glorified for his works. His Spider-man was made and became a legend. An immemorial up to this time. Without him Spider-man will never be conceived and the likes of other Marvel heroes. Also, kudos to Steve Ditko for a job well-done. Highest possible recommendation. An excellent buy.
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Summary: With Great Stories Must Come...Great Hardcovers
Review: "With great power must also come...great responsibility."-Stan Lee.
With those words, Stan Lee closed the chapter on the first story of the Amazing Spider-Man.
Spider-Man was unlike any super-hero before him. He didn't just pretend to be the wallflower like some other boy scout I could name. He was the social outcast, ostracized by his peers, rejected and alone. He was a teenager. Back then, teens were usually the sidekicks. As Peter Parker, he was the epitome of uncool.
And Spider-Man didn't become a hero out of some notion of civic duty, or revenge for a past sorrow. Instead, he was driven by guilt. The guilt of knowing that had he simply stuck out his foot and tripped a passing burglar, his Uncle Ben wouldn't be dead.
That story, and the first ten issues of Amazing Spider-Man, featuring the wall crawler in battle against deadly foes like Doctor Octopus, Doctor Doom, the Sandman, Electro, and The Chameleon, as well as guest appearances by the Fantastic Four.
The oldest and most classic stories preserved for all time here in a hardcover bookshelf edition that you can be proud to show off to anyone. THIS is what comic books are all about.
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Summary: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman...
Review: ....my brothers and I loved the way Ditko used to draw.(For Spiderman and Dr. Strange) The elongated faces, the unusual body languages, the small circles of flash whenever Spidey socked someone. It was the stuff. And one day, one of my brothers read a coupla stories...who'da thunk it!? The stories were good! Not only did the Web Crawler save Noo Yawk from Doc Octopus, the Green Goblin and Mysterio, he also was able to finally get to go out with the girl he dug, Mary Jane Watson, he was able to show that chump Flash that he wasn't a wuss, and his Auntie was able to pay off her light bills from the money he earned taking Spiderman pictures "as Peter Parker" freelancing to the Daily Bugle...the boss was editor J. Jonah Jameson. What...? I've got too much free time on my hands...? Anyhoo, this collection shows you how it all started--superhero comics as soap opera fer kids--and how Lee and Ditko ended up with immortality all on their faces. This you will love.
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Summary: Just like the title, AMAZING
Review: Finally, if you'd like to have the very first 11 issues of amazing Spider-Man youhave to look no further of pay thousands of dollars for orignal 60's comics, this collection presents the first issues of Spider-man. Get to know his origins, the first villians he fought and his life a super hero. Printed in high quality gloss paper, in full, glorius colour, the pencil here may not be what newest readers are used to. These are simple, straight forward drawings that are now cult classics. The text by the master himself, Stan Lee, are interesting, yet funny and direct enough. I read it really fast, I only wish they would release the next issues. This book is for readers who maybe owned the original comics back in the 60's or 70's and want to relive those moments. Great also for fans of Spidey who want to witness his origins. Definetely a must.
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Summary: Greatest book I have ever read
Review: I recently Bought this book after a long search for almost 4 months. When I finnaly got to open this book I was excited to find out how and who Spiderman was going to face in the first ever issues of the amazing Spiderman. This book is so unbeleivable I have to keep reading it, I literly can not stop. Filled with the first ten issues of the Amazing Spiderman (including AF15) and all of spiderman's first enemys. If you have a chance to buy this book you should definetly pay the fee and read this outstanding book. I love the drawings of Steve Ditko.
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Summary: This time around, pay attention to the skills of Steve Ditko
Review: I started reading "The Amazing Spider-Man" with issue #62 and the appearance of Medusa (the Inhuman with the living hair). Eventually I worked my way back to the beginning, mostly through reprints of the early issues in "Marvel Tales." Once I got past the epic two-parter in issues #39-40 when the Green Goblin learned Spider-Man was really Peter Parker, I was not as impressed because the artwork for the first 38 issues was by Steve Ditko and not John Romita (Sr.). I was never really impressed by Ditko's artwork and when he left Marvel to work for Charlton comics I always thought those were pretty much the worst drawn comics around (except for the issue of "X-Men" that was Barry Smith's first work in comics). However, I have had a major change of heart. I am never going to be enamored of the way Ditko draws faces, but I have come to appreciate that the man was a master of composition in the field of comic books. Collected within Volume 1 of the Marvel Masterworks series devoted to Spider-Man are his debut in "Amazing Fantasy" #15 and the first ten issues of "The Amazing Spider-Man." We all know about the radioactive spider, the death of Uncle Ben, and the lesson that with great power comes great responsibility. Stan Lee certainly created something completely different when he came up with a superhero whose bad luck was the only luck he had. But this time reading these issues just look at how Ditko sets up each panel, paying attention to both this compositional skills and his sense of pacing. In "Spider-Man" #8 there is a Spider-Man Surprise Extra in which "Spider-Man Tackles the Torch!" The short story is drawn by Jack Kirby and inked by Ditko. Compare it to the other stories and see how superior Ditko's layouts are. Kirby offers rather minimalist backgrounds to the action, whereas Ditko usually provides detailed backgrounds of the city or where ever the scene takes place. I know fans of Ditko point to his artwork on "Dr. Strange" as his best work, with its depiction of spells and strange dimensions, but I really think he did his finest work on "Spider-Man." However, it will not be until we get to Volume 3 of these Marvel Masterworks volumes that we get to his trilogy involving Dr. Octopus that remains one of the greatest Spidey stories. The Terrible Tinkerer in issue #2 remains one of the comic book's biggest duds and my students found the Lizard laughable when they read these comics for class (I always had problems with issue #1 when Spidey lassoes John Jameson's space capsule), but there are mostly solid efforts in these first ten stories. Of course, the origin issue remains a classic, setting the template for the comic's entire history. Borrowing Dr. Doom from the FF for a battle is okay, but it is the original villains, especial Doc Ock that stand out. The Vulture makes two appearances, the Sandman shows up to knock some sense into our hero, and Electro's costume is over the top but his powers are semi-logical all things considered. The most important thing is that all of the elements which have defined Spider-Man for almost forty years are all established in these first eleven stories.
Rating:
Summary: This time around, pay attention to the skills of Steve Ditko
Review: I started reading "The Amazing Spider-Man" with issue #62 and the appearance of Medusa (the Inhuman with the living hair). Eventually I worked my way back to the beginning, mostly through reprints of the early issues in "Marvel Tales." Once I got past the epic two-parter in issues #39-40 when the Green Goblin learned Spider-Man was really Peter Parker, I was not as impressed because the artwork for the first 38 issues was by Steve Ditko and not John Romita (Sr.). I was never really impressed by Ditko's artwork and when he left Marvel to work for Charlton comics I always thought those were pretty much the worst drawn comics around (except for the issue of "X-Men" that was Barry Smith's first work in comics). However, I have had a major change of heart. I am never going to be enamored of the way Ditko draws faces, but I have come to appreciate that the man was a master of composition in the field of comic books. Collected within Volume 1 of the Marvel Masterworks series devoted to Spider-Man are his debut in "Amazing Fantasy" #15 and the first ten issues of "The Amazing Spider-Man." We all know about the radioactive spider, the death of Uncle Ben, and the lesson that with great power comes great responsibility. Stan Lee certainly created something completely different when he came up with a superhero whose bad luck was the only luck he had. But this time reading these issues just look at how Ditko sets up each panel, paying attention to both this compositional skills and his sense of pacing. In "Spider-Man" #8 there is a Spider-Man Surprise Extra in which "Spider-Man Tackles the Torch!" The short story is drawn by Jack Kirby and inked by Ditko. Compare it to the other stories and see how superior Ditko's layouts are. Kirby offers rather minimalist backgrounds to the action, whereas Ditko usually provides detailed backgrounds of the city or where ever the scene takes place. I know fans of Ditko point to his artwork on "Dr. Strange" as his best work, with its depiction of spells and strange dimensions, but I really think he did his finest work on "Spider-Man." However, it will not be until we get to Volume 3 of these Marvel Masterworks volumes that we get to his trilogy involving Dr. Octopus that remains one of the greatest Spidey stories. The Terrible Tinkerer in issue #2 remains one of the comic book's biggest duds and my students found the Lizard laughable when they read these comics for class (I always had problems with issue #1 when Spidey lassoes John Jameson's space capsule), but there are mostly solid efforts in these first ten stories. Of course, the origin issue remains a classic, setting the template for the comic's entire history. Borrowing Dr. Doom from the FF for a battle is okay, but it is the original villains, especial Doc Ock that stand out. The Vulture makes two appearances, the Sandman shows up to knock some sense into our hero, and Electro's costume is over the top but his powers are semi-logical all things considered. The most important thing is that all of the elements which have defined Spider-Man for almost forty years are all established in these first eleven stories.
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Summary: Compared to DC Archives, Masterworks is disappointing
Review: I've purchased several DC Archives and the art and coloring is very sharp. In comparison, in this edition of Masterworks, the art and coloring seems to be smudged. The look and feel of the book is just not as good. These early Spider-Man stories are good from a historical perspective, but Lee and Ditko have not yet hit their stride. Battles with aliens, the "Living Brain" and Dr. Doom are not good match-ups for Spider-Man. I have all five volumes of the "Essential" series and have enjoyed those very much. Even though they are in black and white, they are cheap and a great way to relive the best years of Spider-Man.
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Summary: The Early Days Of Our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
Review: My first real taste of the works of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko came in the 80's, when Marvel Comics began reprinting the early exploits of Spider-Man, in a series called Marvel Tales. I had already been reading the "modern" Spidey comics of the day for some time, therefore, I was familiar with the character and some of the history. But to read the stories that started it all, that was a highlight of my monthly reads. For a variety of reasons, I have long since stopped reading and collecting individual titles, and have sold my entire comic book collection. I still like to dabble in the occasional graphic novel or special reprint collected editions featuring my favorite characters from either the Marvel or DC Universes. Spider-Man remains one of my favorites ever created for Marvel Comics After seeing the first Spider-Man feature film in 2002, I have been trying to track down a book like this. I am pleased that Marvel and DC have both published collections of this type. Marvel Masterworks: Spider-Man Volume 1 reprints the wallcrawlers first appearance in the final issue of Amazing Fantasy #15 and the first 10 issues of his own series, The Amazing Spider-Man These stories are just straight forward tales of good versus evil. Some of them were really good, like spidey's initial encounters with Dr. Octopus, the Vulture, and Electro. While his match-ups with Dr. Doom, the Lizard, the Tinkerer, and the threat of the living brain were less so...but still fun in some respects if hokey. The art by Steve Ditko (and the legendary Jack Kirby for issue #8) really is quite remarkable in its simple style effective renderings Thanks to the book's glossy pages and the reconstruction it stands out even more now then it did in Marvel Tales. Volume 1 will be a fun trip down memory lane for those familiar with the web man's early adventures from '62-64. It will also serve as a fun and fantastic introduction for those just discovering him for the first time. The book also features an introduction from Stan Lee, written in 1987, the covers from each issue, and rare alternates by Ditko. The book has 248 pages. One of the things that Lee/Ditko did with Spidey was to make him an average guy with problems, who, just happened to have amazing powers. In the end that made Spidey someone with whom readers could identify and relate. With this book, readers can do it all over again
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Summary: The Price of color A LOT!
Review: The essential Spider-Man is around $20 (Canadian) but this things was $50 (Canadian). Plus the Essential series has 20 issues in black and white, for $30 more you can get in in color only you get half (1-10+origin). I ask anyone to NOT buy this, instead get the Essential Spider-Man Volume 1. Unless you want to pay 30 more dollars for color.
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