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The first part of this book deals with the death of Captain Stacy, which is a lovely Doctor Octopus story which features Ock at his deadliest. Penned by Stan Lee, and drawn by legends John Romita and Gil Kane, these are the pinnacle of classic Marvel Comics.
The second part of the book deals with the death of Gwen Stacy. There's no way around it: These issues are beautiful and touching. Filled with emotion and drama, you're drawn right into the story. This is what makes Gwen one of the most important parts of the Spidey mythos. NEVER read SINS PAST. It's complete crap and destroys the image of Gwen, and further more twists this story into total dirt. If you have read it, forget the story or this volume will be ruined for you. The issues in this collection are how Spidey should be. This one's a keeper!
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What made Spider-Man different from the very start was the adversity he faced as Spider-Man and as Peter Parker. Even in the more innocent time known as the "Silver Age" he had to learn early in his super-hero career that even with all of his amazing powers he could not stop tragedy from befalling those he loved. What started with his Uncle Ben continues here with the deaths of Captain Stacy and his daughter Gwen.
Collected in this volume are the stories that marked the end of the Silver Age and the beginning of the more grim Bronze Age. Gwen's death in paticular is one of the watershed moments in comic history. And that death is followed the very next issue by the death of Spider-man's arch enemy, the Green Goblin, another shocking death in it's time, one that has lost some of it's significance with Norman Osborn's return in the 1990's.
What's also included in this volume is insight from the man who killed Gwen Satcy, Gerry Conway. In writing about her death, he tells us Gwen died not become of some grand plan, but rather he didn't like her, and he like Mary Jane Watson better.
I't amazing that in almost 35 years since Amazing Spider-Man #121 was published Gwen Stacy has managed to stay dead all this time when just about everyone else has come back to life. Hopefully this will remain as a classic story like this should not be cheapend to make a buck as part of some compnay-wide crossover epic.
Definitely worth picking up and adding to your collection!
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Just about every big name super hero in comics has at least one pivotal moment that always gets remembered by fans. For Spider-Man, what's collected here in Death of the Stacys is THE pivotal turning point for Marvel's celebrated character. The death of Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker's first true love before Mary Jane, meets her demise thanks to the Green Goblin, which leaves Spidey blaming himself for her death. This story alone makes Death of the Stacys worth picking up, and it begins with the death of Gwen's police captain father and mentor to Peter. After that, poor Gwen meets her maker, and the story concludes with the final (well, it was at the time) battle between Spider-Man and Norman "Green Goblin" Osborne. Though the dialogue may be dated, the overall story is ahead of it's time, thanks to the talent of the legendary Stan Lee, and the underrated Gerry Conway, who took over Amazing Spider-Man with big shoes to fill, and only ended up scripting the most pivotal event in Spidey's history (and would also create the Punisher to boot!). Not to mention artwork by the legendary John Romita Sr. and Gil Kane, and well, you get the idea. All in all, Death of the Stacys is the absolute pivotal event in the Spider-Man mythos, and for fans new and old, this handsomely designed hardcover is a must own. Just remember to ignore anything that was attempted to be undone with this story by J. Michael Straczynski's Sins Past storyarc in his Amazing Spider-Man run.
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Having just read this story makes me realize how die hard comic book fans had so many problems with Spider Man (the movie). Basically the first Spider Man movie takes this horrible trajedy of the death of Gwen Stacy and turns it on its ear by making it happen to a different girl (Mary Jane Watson), and making it a rescue instead of a trajedy. What a slap in the face to the fans who know how it really went down!
I am a new fan of Spider Man, so I am trying to catch up on my 40 plus years of being behind (and I aint even forty yet:). I feel this story is a milestone in my understanding of the character, and perhaps a milestone in my understanding of how great ideas can transform an industry.
This is my first Marvel Premiere book and it wont be my last. The quality of the pages is excellent, and it makes all the difference in my overall enjoyment of the story. The story is great, and surely pivitol in the life of Spider-Man, and perhaps the catalyst for many super hero stories who have had to deal with a dark chapter in their lives. If you don't know the story, then please get this book. You wont be disappointed.
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