Essential Amazing Spider-Man, Vol. 11 by Roger Stern

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects Issues 231-248 of Amazing Spider-man, along with Annuals 16 and 17. An overview of the issues.

AS #231 and #232: A solid Cobra and Hyde story. Rating: B+

AS #233-236: The story involes the Brand Corporation, includes Will o' the Wisp and the Tarantual. Rating: A-

AS #237: Stiltman wants respect and to seriously upgrade his supervillain status. Nice character piece. Grade: B+

AS Annual #16: This introduces Monica Rambeau as the new Captain Marvel. Spidey becomes a guest character in his own book. Monica's story is okay and introduces a black female Captain Marvel, but this is probably now how you do that well. Grade: C+

AS #238-239: The story introduces the Hobgoblin and also draws some parallels to the death of Uncle Ben. Good start. Grade: A-

AS #240-241: The Vulture returns and we finally get an origin story that actually makes him somewhat sympathetic. Grade: A-

AS #242: A ho-hum fight with the Mad-Thinker highlights an issue that focuses on Peter Parker's life. Ends with Amy Powell giving him an unwanted kiss, just as Mary Jane Watson comes walk into his apartment. Grade: C+

AS #243: A better character-driven piece as Peter debates whether he should continue in post-grad school. Well-done debate as he weights all options and makes a tough decision. Well-written. Grade: B+

AS #244-#245: A somewhat hu-hum robbery with Spider-man catching the bad guys takes on a whole new level danger when it's revealed Hobgoblin's involved and plans use to stolen information from Osborn Manufacturing to make himself stronge. Has a nice fake-out cover for Issue #245. Rating: B+

AS #246: Learn everyone's Daydreams. Not a whole of surprises, Felicia Hardy's is pretty funny.
Provides s0me character insights. Grade: B-

#247-248a: Spider-man tries to stop a robbbery. Has to fight Thunderball. Hard to care too much this one. Grade: C-

#248b: The Kid Who Collected Spider-man. A tearrific story as Spidey tells all to a kid. A classic Rating: A-

Annual 17: At his high school reunion, Peter finds a classmate who's an up and coming writer who is in trouble with the underworld and tries to help. A very noirish story, hurt a little by a self-righteous ending. Grade: B

Overall, this is a solid read from a good run. Whether Roger Stern's run is the equal of the great runs from the 1960s is another matter, but this book is not only enjoyable in its own right, but contains issues that set the pace for Spidey books for years to come. I only wish Issues 249-251 had been collected, so we could have all of the early Hobgoblin stories in the same book. Still, it contains some very exiciting and fun Spidey comics. Definitely worth a read.



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