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It is no secret that Peter Parker is one of the best created characters in marvel histroy and he comes with a bounus a little nerdy kid has all the perks of a spider and none of the nasty qualities, or does he? the second eidition gets you closer to the characters and enters romatia who became the greatest spider man artist of all time, great book
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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.
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My wife hasn't said anything yet, but I know she thinks its strange that a man over 30 years old is still reading comic books. Well, it may be weird, but it is sure is fun. This book and the whole series were custom made for me: classic issues that you can read in order at a decent price. So what if they aren't in color. The alternative is to spend a fortune going to every flea market, comic convention and fanatsy fair mingling with the pimply, geeky kids that look forward to these attractions (sorry if I offended any reviewer that fits this description). I ordered the first volume after seeing SPIDER-MAN the movie, which messes up the fine story of Peter Parker's origins by the way. I am now reading volume 3 and thinking aboiut ordering the next one. These are fun! Nuff Said!
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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 the first of his killer robots.
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.
Rating:  -
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.
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