Essential Amazing Spider-Man, Vol. 2 by Stan Lee

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This second volume of the Amazing Spider-man collected Amazing Spider-man Issues 21-43 and Annuals #2 and #3.

Is this as amazingly good as the first Volume of Spider stories? Not quite. There's really not a comparison to facing off against the Sinister Six, but there are plenty of great stories that feature the world's greatest webslinger in amazing exploits that showcase his character as we get to see Peter Parker grow up.

Some highlights. We have a guest appearance by the Human Torch (issue 21), Green Goblin (23, 26,27, 39, 40), and Spidey thinks he’s going insane (24), gets attacked by a corny robot (25), and graduates High School (28), he has to battle the Master Planner and save Aunt May’s Life (31-33) and then there are two big battles with the Rhino sandwiched by one with J Jonah Jamison’s superpowered sons (41-43), the introduction of Mary Jane (42), .and then the book wraps up with Spidey’s first tryout for the Avenges (Spider-man Annual #3).

Beyond the highlights, Spider-man remains a thoroughly enjoyable title. As a Character, Peter shows some solid growth as a person as well as some great heroic moments. I love the story arch where he’s desperately trying to save Aunt May from his sickness caused by a transfusion from his radioactive blood and has to go through one of his toughest foes get it.

Avengers Annual #3 has Spidey facing a great dilemma when the short-handed Avengers offer him membership. His mission is to bring them the Hulk. Avengers membership would give him respectability, but Spider-man’s compassion and decency lead him to make a choice that is costly and painful.

I don’t know if I could ever fully appreciate the revelation of the Green Goblin’s identity in Spider-man #39. I’ve known it since I was a teenager. But Stan Lee kept it under wraps for 2 years even while Gobbie became Spidey’s toughest opponent. It was a great story as were the other Goblin stories in the book.

Issue 39 also saw the art chores change from Steve Ditko to John Romita who may have even become more beloved among Spidey fans. The best Romita moment was in Issue 42 with the creation of Mary Jane Watson who Peter had been avoiding meeting for Months. The intro of Mary Jane may be one of the best pieces of comic art created.

There’s something about Mary Jane. She’s perhaps the most beautiful comic book woman ever created. A lot of comic book artists can draw a sexy women, just by exposing breasts and legs and creating a whole lot of superficial stuff. What Romita does with Mary Jane in the famous “Face it tiger, you hit the jackpot.” frame is that we actually only see her from the waist up, and what Romita’s art communicates more than anything else is confidence and vitality. While other women in the comic books look more like comic book characters, there’s something very real about the way Romita draws Mary Jane and that’s a definite highlight.

Even stories that have Spidey battling lesser villains such as the Molten Man and the Looter, Spidey’s tricks and his line of patter make for great adventures.

If I had one complaint, it would be that the break up with Betty Brant was really painfully drawn out. But that’s a minor point.

Overall, this is classic Spider-man with all the action, adventure, and honor that made him such a great character. This is a truly essential title.




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