The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #2

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Again, Lee goes an interesting route here. There’s no real introduction to the supporting cast yet–Aunt May’s in the issue, but the police chief has more effect (I don’t think Aunt May has any lines)–and Spider-Man’s still all about the benjamins. I’m not sure what rent was back in the 1960s, but he must have done pretty well with his pictures of the Vulture to pay a whole year of it.

Spider-Man’s still financially concerned–there’s one point where Peter Parker modifies his costume for the life of a costumed adventurer, but he’s really just making it better suited for using Spider-Man as a photographer. At one point during the Vulture story, I wasn’t sure Spider-Man cared if the Vulture was caught, so long as there was a picture.

The Tinkerer story is just sci-fi. Spider-Man doesn’t need to be in it.

The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #1

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Brisk doesn’t even begin to describe how fast this issue moves. Not having read it in years–but having read Ultimate Spider-Man, seen the movie, etc–I forgot Lee didn’t give up on Peter Parker trying to find a way to make a living as Spider-Man for a while (or at least this issue).

It’s a neat gradual thing, the narrative just progresses. It’s so uncomplicated, so straightforward, I’m kind of shocked it’s a Marvel comic. I guess memories of McFarlane soured me to Spider-Man overall, but this issue’s a sign I shouldn’t be so hesitant. Lee’s got a nice way of embracing his readers–no one gets excluded, though the stories aren’t geared toward younger readers.

Ditko does maybe nine, maybe twelve panels a page many of these pages. Lee’s script moves things well along. It’s a nice read. Not sure it’s great, but it’s nice.

The Amazing Spider-Man 3 (July 1963)

Besides the first appearance of Doctor Octopus–and the Spider-Signal–there are a couple other things I noticed. First, Spider-Man’s catching bad guys at the beginning of the issue. That brief scene is the first suggestion he’s actually been out crime fighting. Second, the banter starts this issue, between him and Doctor Octopus (or am I supposed to use the trademarked Doc Ock?).

While the issue does feature some decent angst–Peter Parker ready to quit being Spider-Man because he got beat up only to be inspired by Johnny Storm–Lee’s action plotting is a little silly. The first fight with Doctor Octopus is in an office. The second features Spider-Man on the run from a bunch of automatons until he can find the lab where he concocts a device to defeat the villain (Spider-Man, the thinking superhero).

It’s good, but there’s definitely something missing.

CREDITS

Spider-Man Versus Doctor Octopus; writer and editor, Stan Lee; artist, Steve Ditko; colorist, Stan Goldberg; letterer, John Duffy; publisher, Marvel Comics.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (May 1963)

The Tinkerer story is just sci-fi. Spider-Man doesn’t need to be in it.

CREDITS

Duel to the Death with the Vulture!; letterer, John Duffy. The Uncanny Threat of the Terrible Tinkerer!; letterer, Art Simek. Writer and editor, Stan Lee; artist, Steve Ditko; colorist, Stan Goldberg; publisher, Marvel Comics.

The Amazing Spider-Man 1 (March 1963)

Ditko does maybe nine, maybe twelve panels a page many of these pages. Lee’s script moves things well along. It’s a nice read. Not sure it’s great, but it’s nice.

CREDITS

Spider-Man; letterer, Jon D’Agostino. Spider-Man vs. The Chameleon!; letterer, John Duffy. Writer and editor, Stan Lee; artist, Steve Ditko; colorist, Stan Goldberg; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Amazing Fantasy (1962) #15

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I’ve probably read the Spider-Man story from Amazing Fantasy #15 ten or fifteen times, but nothing else. It’s such a famous story, I’ll bet one could recount it panel-by-panel with some effort. I did manage to find something new this time, something I hadn’t thought about before. Lee doesn’t do anything to make Peter Parker particularly likable. Sure, he’s bullied, but he’s not a martyr. Instead, the tragedy is what makes him so compelling.

The rest of the issue is odd little one-offs. First is a religious story. It’s a waste of time.

The second is a mummy thing, with the best Dikto art in the book. It’s got a cool surprise ending and it moves nicely, but it’s really all about the art. The expressions on the protagonist’s face, for example, stellar.

The third is a “Martians among us” story; good, but way too short.

Amazing Fantasy 15 (August 1962)

The rest of the issue is odd little one-offs. First is a religious story. It’s a waste of time.

The third is a “Martians among us” story; good, but way too short.

CREDITS

p style=”font-size:11px;”>Spider-Man!; letterer, Artie Simek. The Bell-Ringer!. Man in the Mummy Case!. There Are Martians among Us!. Writer and editor, Stan Lee; artist, Steve Ditko; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Thor: Tales of Asgard (2009) #6

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So, for a forty year old comic, originally serialized in back-ups (and a double sized reprint), this issue is essentially a done in one. Thor and his sidekicks (are they called the Warriors Three?) hunt down this bad guy (called Mogul, no relation to the intergalactic Superman villain–this Mogul is from the Mystic Mountain, or Zanadu, or Xanadu or Zandu–lots of spellings) and set out to depose him from his throne.

And Mogul doesn’t appear very intergalactic here.

He’s Muslim.

He’s, in fact, a stand-in for Mohammed, which Lee’s readers probably wouldn’t have realized but I think Stan did. And Stan has Thor and his sidekicks fight for the American way.

In other words, it’s a very political comic book. More, I think, than any Silver Age Marvel book I’ve ever read.

Still good stuff. And, hey, with Bill Everett on inks, Kirby’s art is luscious.

Thor: Tales of Asgard 6 (October 2009)

And Mogul doesn’t appear very intergalactic here.

He’s Muslim.

He’s, in fact, a stand-in for Mohammed, which Lee’s readers probably wouldn’t have realized but I think Stan did. And Stan has Thor and his sidekicks fight for the American way.

In other words, it’s a very political comic book. More, I think, than any Silver Age Marvel book I’ve ever read.

Still good stuff. And, hey, with Bill Everett on inks, Kirby’s art is luscious.

CREDITS

The Tragedy of Hogun!; inker, Vince Colletta; letterer, Art Simek. The Quest for the Mystic Mountain!; inker, Colletta; letterer, Sam Rosen. The Secret of the Mystic Mountain; inker, Colletta; letterer, Simek. The Battle Begins!; inker, Colletta; letterer, Rosen. Alibar and the Forty Demons!; inker, Colletta; letterer, Simek. We, Who Are About to Die…!; inker, Colletta; letterer, Simek. To the Death!; innker, Bill Everett; letterer, Simek. The Beginning of the End!; inker, Colletta; letterer, Rosen. The End!; inker, Colletta; letterer, Simek. Writer, Stan Lee; penciller, Jack Kirby; colorist, Matt Milla; editors, Lee and Mark D. Beazley; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Thor: Tales of Asgard (2009) #5

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It’s Thor versus Fanfir for the (first?) time and Odin busts out his awesome “Star Trek” viewscreen to see everything going on.

The way Lee lays out the story… while it was originally serialized, plays well read in a sitting. Thor and his sidekicks have to go fight Ragnarök’s coming–by preventing an arms race it almost sounds like in the first section, but quickly it descends into a big battle.

Loki’s been banished for this stuff, so there’s none of his mischievous nonsense.

What’s interesting is how Lee sets up the subsequent story as a possible continuation, but not really… Odin’s still talking about sending Thor on a secret mission to gauge his abilities, but it’s not clear if it’s the battle, the fight against Fanfir or the stuff on the boat from the last issue. It makes everything seem very smooth and gradual, even if it’s really not.