Rating:  -
THE COMPLETE FRANK MILLER SPIDER-MAN is an odd yet satisfying collection, at least for those readers who know what they're in for. I consider it as a kind of companion piece for DC's leatherbound THE COMPLETE FRANK MILLER BATMAN, but less cohesive. This book was originally released as one of Marvel's early '90s high-dollar limited editions. Thankfully, it eventually made its way to this oversized, affordable hardcover format in 2002 so that cheap shmoes like me could catch up on Miller's contributions to the wall crawler from the late '70s - early '80s, and in full-color, no less! Miller serves as either writer or artist (but never both) on Spectacular Spider-Man #27 & 28, Amazing Spider-Man Annuals #14 &15, and Marvel Team-Up #100 & Annual #4, along with a 22-page cover gallery from Amazing Spider-Man, Marvel Team-Up, and Spectacular Spider-Man. The stories feature appearances by Daredevil (of course), Dr. Strange, the FF, Moon Knight, Power Man, Iron Fist, the Punisher, and the first appearance of Karma of the New Mutants.
Additional contributors are writers Bill Mantlo, Denny O'Neill, and Chris Claremont, and artist Herb Trimpe. There's some great stuff included here, from all creators. Just keep in mind that all of this work was produced prior to Miller's groundbreaking work on Daredevil and Batman. You can see Miller's signature artistic style developing, and even the one story he writes has a hint of the hard-boiled style that would become his specialty. As long as you don't expect complex storytelling or visuals on par with The Dark Knight Returns, you'll be okay.
Rating:  -
First off: This is NOT The Dark Knight Returns starring Spider-Man. A lot of people semm to be expecting a huge new Frank Miller Spidey tale, and are bummed out over getting some really old reprints from Miller's early days, before his style was fully formed. For those that know what they're getting, The Complete Frank Miller Spider-Man is a fun trip down memory lane. The stories, with one exception, aren't written by Miller, and the one he wrote was drawn by Herb Trimpe; You won't be getting the Miller writing/art combo that made him famous, but the stories are fun, if somewhat standard. The production values for the book are great- It's a really beautiful package, and the colors look awesome. In addition to the reprinted stories (Guest starring The Punisher, Moon Knight, Power Man & Iron Fist, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, and Doctor Doom, among others), there is also an extensive cover gallery, featuring ALL the Spider-Man covers Miller ever did, and the dust-jacket features a brand-new Miller illustration. For a long-time fan of both Spidey AND Miller, like me, this was money well-spent. Loads of fun!
Rating: -
Until recently, most of the hardcover reprint collections from both Marvel (the Marvel Masterworks series) and DC (the Archives series) have focused on either the "Golden Age" or the beginning of the "Silver Age" of comics publishing. The success of both the X-Men and Spider-Man movies, and the increasing market for graphic novels in traditional bookstores (rather than just the direct-to-market specialty stores) has both of the large publishers looking to see what they can repackage and gain some "found" money (i.e., don't have to pay for production, just publish and rake in the dough).
I'd decry such simple-minded money-grubbing except that along the way the art department of both companies must have gotten involved, because some of the most recent repacks have been providing comics scholars like myself some much-needed works that were previously only available to a few people (e.g., the Spirit archives) or forgotten by many, such as this collection of Frank Miller's earliest comics work. Sure, Marvel is pushing this not only on Miller's name (and the furor over his Dark Knight Returns 2) but also because it's Spider-Man, for gosh sakes. But if you want to see where Miller's style (both writing and artistic) evolved from, this is the book.
I remember owning a couple of these comics in their original form, but never connected them with Miller, whom I later admired for Ronin and his work on Daredevil and Batman. If anything, the stories here are the weak points, because they typically come from stand-alone "annuals" or team-up books, where Marvel often had a revolving door policy for writers and artists. The two best comics here are those that reveal Miller's work with cross-hatching (Spider-Man Annual #14) and the unique panel arrangements and interest in Eastern themes (Marvel Team-Up #100).
I'm not sure this is worth [the price], for the originals don't have the complex color separations that benefit from this nice paper. But as an archive resource, and for Miller fans, it's easier than hunting down the originals in dusty bins.
Rating:  -
These are not the stories that made Frank Miller famous, and if his creative output over his career had been limited to what is countained here, he never would have become famous. These are some very early stories in the career of a man who would eventually (elsewhere) come to redefine the comic book medium. Thus these stories are not the timeless classics on the level of (or even close to) "Dark Knight Returns," "Batman Year One," "Sin City," or "300." In fact, in one case, you don't even get to read the entire story. The first story arc in this compilation only gives you 2 parts of what appears to be a 4- or 5-part story, because Miller only drew 2 of the issues. Also, Miller's artwork here is much more conventional that one might expect, as he hadn't yet fully developed the unusual style which characterizes his later works. (I thought the art was similar to that of the 1982 "Wolverine" miniseries which he penciled)
Furthermore, the one issue which he writes does not bear the gritty, realistic quality which made the above-mentioned works so good.
On the positive side, you do get to see here all the work that Frank Miller ever did for Spider-Man, which includes 5 issues as penciller, one as writer, and 22 comic book covers. Also included are 2 more recent pictures which do appear more "Milleresque" (one of which is the cover to the book, so you can see it on this website, the other a beautiful shadow-portrait of Spider-Man and Daredevil).
The stories themselves are entertaining, as long as you aren't expecting "classics" which redefined Spider-Man's character. The issue written by Chris Claremont has a well-developed villain/anti-hero (as is typical for Claremont's writing), and the final story, written by Denny O'Neil, also is quite a good read. In addition, astute Miller fans will notice some of the qualities that would become even more prominent in his later art -- particularly the large, well-defined eyes and lips, and the creative use of shadow. And you get to see Miller's early artistic take on such characters as the Punisher, Dr. Doom, and Daredevil (before he began penciling DD's monthly titles).
In short, if you are a Frank Miller fan (like me), you will undoubtably find something to enjoy in this book and you'll be glad you bought it. But if you are just looking for some good Spider-Man back issues, and don't have a particular appeciation for Frank Miller himself, then you should look elsewhere. You can find other, better stories at a cheaper price. This book was published because Frank Miller's name was on it, and it is probably best suited for his fans.
Rating:  -
One thing I think this industry takes for granted is if someone walks into a comic book shop, then they are knowledgable on the subject at hand. I don't fit that description, as although I enjoy comics, only on a casual level.
Dark Knight Returns made me an instant Frank Miller fan, and following up with Frank Miller's Daredevil kept my respect for him high. So surely Frank Miller's Spider-Man would be a sure bet?
Er, no. These Spidey stories, although not at all bad, are from Miller's early days. To make matters worse, he didn't even write several of them, only penciled them. Truth be told, these really are just standard issue pulp comic stories. Nowhere near the level of Dark Knight, not even up to par with his Daredevil work.
What irritates me is how Marvel packaged and designed this book. It was shrink wrapped so peaking at its contents was not possible (or else I'd never have bought it), and the cover features a drawing of Spider-Man done by Miller in his "Dark Knightish" style. As if Marvel's saying "you liked Dark Knight eh? Well imagine something like that done with Spidey..." Too bad the book doesn't deliver on such a promise.
Although this may be Miller in name, it's nowhere near what he's famous for. This really is just some standard Spidey stories bound into a book, there are better things to spend your money on (if you haven't already bought Dark Knight Returns then that's an absolute must!)
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