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Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection
Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection, Vol. 9: Spider-Man or Spider-Clone?
Collects Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #143-164, Amazing Spider-Man Annual (1964) #10, material from Marvel Special Edition Treasury (1975) #1.
Peter Parker's life has never been easy, but it's hard for things to get worse after your dead girlfriend shows up on your doorstep. Uh-oh, we've challenged that infamous Parker luck - which means things will definitely get worse! Spidey…you've been cloned! In the storyline that shocked the comics world, the scheming Jackal has cloned both Gwen Stacy and Spider-Man, and now Spidey must face one of his greatest personal tragedies! Then, Doc Ock returns - and he's brought the ghost of Hammerhead with him! And they're not the only ones back from the grave. The Kingpin is out to resurrect his son - and he can, if Spider-Man dies! This Epic Collection isn't all reanimation-a-go-go, though. Peter and Mary Jane's relationship blossoms in these pages - and they even share their first kiss!
Peter Parker's life has never been easy, but it's hard for things to get worse after your dead girlfriend shows up on your doorstep. Uh-oh, we've challenged that infamous Parker luck - which means things will definitely get worse! Spidey…you've been cloned! In the storyline that shocked the comics world, the scheming Jackal has cloned both Gwen Stacy and Spider-Man, and now Spidey must face one of his greatest personal tragedies! Then, Doc Ock returns - and he's brought the ghost of Hammerhead with him! And they're not the only ones back from the grave. The Kingpin is out to resurrect his son - and he can, if Spider-Man dies! This Epic Collection isn't all reanimation-a-go-go, though. Peter and Mary Jane's relationship blossoms in these pages - and they even share their first kiss!
465 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 26, 2023
9 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Gerry Conway
2,065 books89 followersGerard Francis Conway (Gerard F. Conway) is an American writer of comic books and television shows. He is known for co-creating the Marvel Comics' vigilante the Punisher and scripting the death of the character Gwen Stacy during his long run on The Amazing Spider-Man. At DC Comics, he is known for co-creating the superhero Firestorm and others, and for writing the Justice League of America for eight years. Conway wrote the first major, modern-day intercompany crossover, Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 1, 2025
the Amazing Spiderman from the years 1975 to 1977 is vastly more my cup of tea than the modern series for which you need to spend fortunes to follow a story line.
Anyhow in these slightly less than 50 years old Spidey comics we meet the usual suspect like Doc Octopus, kingpin, the Vulture, the Sandman, Tarantula, the Scorpion, you know the regular brunch of villains with JJ Jameson going nuts on the subject of good ole Spidey. Peter Parker has not yet been caught by the Watson girl.
Different in this Epic collection is the return of Gwen Stacy and a Spiderman clone, which brings some exitement.
I love these dated comics as they are like me from last century and I did enjoy Spiderman those days a lot. My comics did cost me a few dates who considered comics not as grown up. And you know what, who wants to grow up?- My wife is still waiting but has few complaints.
My daughters I have given a similar bug, even if they are more into the movies and tv shows than the actual comics.
This collection of Amazing Spidey tales may be aimed at a somewhat older readership who want to relive their youth like me.
Anyhow in these slightly less than 50 years old Spidey comics we meet the usual suspect like Doc Octopus, kingpin, the Vulture, the Sandman, Tarantula, the Scorpion, you know the regular brunch of villains with JJ Jameson going nuts on the subject of good ole Spidey. Peter Parker has not yet been caught by the Watson girl.
Different in this Epic collection is the return of Gwen Stacy and a Spiderman clone, which brings some exitement.
I love these dated comics as they are like me from last century and I did enjoy Spiderman those days a lot. My comics did cost me a few dates who considered comics not as grown up. And you know what, who wants to grow up?- My wife is still waiting but has few complaints.
My daughters I have given a similar bug, even if they are more into the movies and tv shows than the actual comics.
This collection of Amazing Spidey tales may be aimed at a somewhat older readership who want to relive their youth like me.
January 20, 2024
Another phenomenal collection of classic Amazing Spider-Man adventures!
These are some great comics, but unfortunately there's a noticeable dip in quality when Gerry Conway exits the book (immediately after wrapping up his long-running Jackal storyline in a neat, tidy bow... that would eventually get un-tied and endlessly strung along by the '90s Clone Saga). Len Wein takes over shortly thereafter, and while his tales are undeniably charming, they're also far more stilted, overtly silly (I laughed my ASS off at a S.W.A.T. team member insisting he was using "anesthetic bullets" while opening fire on a henchman with an M-16), and lacking in nuance... ESPECIALLY in the way Wein depicts Peter and M.J.'s relationship, which devolves into a series of stale tropes and sexist stereotypes (M.J. hangs with Flash Thompson to make Peter jealous! She keeps bouncing back and forth between being angry with him and canoodling him! Ain't she a tease?). His Peter Parker is also weirdly tempermental and thick-skulled, thinking with his fists more often than not.
Wein's run DOES have some fun high points, though! His Doc Ock story keeps the thread of Ock's weirdly sweet relationship with Aunt May going... there's a great issue that brings back the Spider-Mobile... and probably my favorite bit is the double-sized introduction of the Human Fly, a villain that Wein did not bother thinking through for a SECOND (why, for instance, is this fly-powered supervillain STRONGER than Spider-Man... a hero powered by the fly's natural predator???). But there are also some interminable lows here, including the repeated use of generic, costumed henchpeople with sci-fi gadgets straight out of a Venture Bros. cartoon, or the standalone issue glamorizing college football in the flimsiest, cheesiest way possible.
But on average, these are some pretty decent Spidey books-- given a big boost by the headlining story and all the issues leading up to it!
These are some great comics, but unfortunately there's a noticeable dip in quality when Gerry Conway exits the book (immediately after wrapping up his long-running Jackal storyline in a neat, tidy bow... that would eventually get un-tied and endlessly strung along by the '90s Clone Saga). Len Wein takes over shortly thereafter, and while his tales are undeniably charming, they're also far more stilted, overtly silly (I laughed my ASS off at a S.W.A.T. team member insisting he was using "anesthetic bullets" while opening fire on a henchman with an M-16), and lacking in nuance... ESPECIALLY in the way Wein depicts Peter and M.J.'s relationship, which devolves into a series of stale tropes and sexist stereotypes (M.J. hangs with Flash Thompson to make Peter jealous! She keeps bouncing back and forth between being angry with him and canoodling him! Ain't she a tease?). His Peter Parker is also weirdly tempermental and thick-skulled, thinking with his fists more often than not.
Wein's run DOES have some fun high points, though! His Doc Ock story keeps the thread of Ock's weirdly sweet relationship with Aunt May going... there's a great issue that brings back the Spider-Mobile... and probably my favorite bit is the double-sized introduction of the Human Fly, a villain that Wein did not bother thinking through for a SECOND (why, for instance, is this fly-powered supervillain STRONGER than Spider-Man... a hero powered by the fly's natural predator???). But there are also some interminable lows here, including the repeated use of generic, costumed henchpeople with sci-fi gadgets straight out of a Venture Bros. cartoon, or the standalone issue glamorizing college football in the flimsiest, cheesiest way possible.
But on average, these are some pretty decent Spidey books-- given a big boost by the headlining story and all the issues leading up to it!
December 16, 2022
As usual, the title story is the best story here. There would be so many clone shenanigans in Spider-Man and they start here with the original clone saga. The return of Doc Ock and Hammerhead and the Nightcrawler/Punisher story with the first appearance of Jigsaw are also really good stories. The Spider-Mobile becoming a villain is just plain silly fun. Kingpin's family drama is also continued here, which was expanded on in several different heroes' books like Captain America and Daredevil.
There are also a lot of filler stories in here, too. Remember W.H.O or Leroy Tallon? They showed up once and were never heard from again. The Human Fly and Mirage are pretty silly, and some of Spider-Man's classic bullpen like Shocker and Sandman show up but their stories aren't anything to write home about. Overall, though, the good far outweighs the meh here.
There are also a lot of filler stories in here, too. Remember W.H.O or Leroy Tallon? They showed up once and were never heard from again. The Human Fly and Mirage are pretty silly, and some of Spider-Man's classic bullpen like Shocker and Sandman show up but their stories aren't anything to write home about. Overall, though, the good far outweighs the meh here.
January 14, 2025
This is some really fun comic book writing from the 70s. Conway's got a really good handle on the character and is looking to explore more concepts which I found to be nice and rewarding as the reader.
I can only imagine what it was like for a child of the 70s to read these stories and find the actual emotional complexity to what's being written here. While comics were leaning more and more to adults at this point in time, its pretty obvious that kids were still reading it. So when characters like Spider-Man have to confront whether or not he's the clone and the one who died was the real deal, its pretty heavy stuff.
Peter Parker is written really fun here. A lot of the quips and dialogue reminded me slightly of the animated series from the 90s. There's a level of charm and fun that I think the 90s show was trying to capture from these stories, albeit in loose adaptations and shitty animation. For the most part, the stuff that Peter's saying under the mask is pretty goofy but sometimes its actually kind of funny.
I didn't love some of the writing, specifically with Spidey saying "proverbial" a lot. Like yes, I understood what you were saying was a metaphor and not literally happening. Its kind of an issue of its time where characters would often have to outright exclaim what they were doing or what was going on the page (I blame this on Stan lee to an extent). But otherwise most of it held up for me.
If I'd been reading this story at the time, I'd probably be pissed with the Mary Jane dynamic here. She is very close to the character from the Sam Raimi films if you ask me, and all for the worse. MJ's often times bitter and cold towards Peter, and she loves to put him in the doghouse as quickly as possible. Oftentimes I found it mostly annoying to see her again because Pete can never seem to get on her good side, which I understand from her perspective but still find agitating because her retaliation is far more cruel than that of Peter.
Not saying Parker is perfect here, he's definitely not. He's late to things, he abandons his friends in times of crisis (which we understand why but they don't), and he's often just kind of engaging in behavior that would seem selfish from others.
He kind of spits in his friends' faces in one of the issues, when they all get him furniture that they didn't want to fill up his apartment since he doesn't have anything in there. Instead of just thanking everyone and being grateful for their help and their time, he comments on how ugly or stupid they are. Not quite as directly, but you mostly get the point.
The other thing I noticed is that a lot of this focuses more on Parker's life as Spider-Man and not so much on his life with his cast of characters. They're definitely there, and when they're there its some of the most fun I have in the issue. J Jonah Jameson is probably my favorite Spider-Man cast member, he's just so hilariously insane and angry and bitter in the most fun way possible. He's like that uncle that has a huge temper and drives you nuts but at the end of the day you still love him. I also like Liz Allen, Betty Brant, and Ned Leeds, of which the latter two are not featured much in the book after their wedding.
Throughlines are constant in each self contained stories in a way that a lot of comics are currently missing. Each issue presents a one and done story usually, with maybe some two or three parter stories that require a few issues. But for the most part things are self contained, while referencing things going on in the background. For instance, Robbie Robertson guesses that JJJ is going to have some issues with finding a new secretary that meets his needs while Betty Brant is away on her honeymoon with Ned. So the ongoing joke is Robbie counting how many Jameson's gone through. Its a fun ongoing joke that lasts forever and I really appreciated that since there's no reference of it otherwise without reading other issues.
And the art is stunning. Ross Andru is firing on all cylinders, and creating a version of Spider-Man and the cast that fits with Romita's depiction, while also firmly placing him as an unsung hero of the franchise's artists. Everything he draws feels so dynamic and fluid and God I love it. There's this scene where Spidey's swimming in the ocean and the way that Andru's drawn the character feels so fluid and graceful I just couldn't help but admire it.
Gil Kane also comes onto the book for the annual issue. I can't remember who the writer is of that issue but they also did a decent job. It sets up a new villain, the Human Fly, which is really just a callback to Spider-Man's original plans of being the Fly instead of the Spidey that we know and love today. Kane's art is also phenomenal, and its really fun to be able to tell the difference between some of these artists more and more now that I've read these comics.
Conway's giving his all in this book and I'm really excited to read more of his stuff when I get the chance.
I can only imagine what it was like for a child of the 70s to read these stories and find the actual emotional complexity to what's being written here. While comics were leaning more and more to adults at this point in time, its pretty obvious that kids were still reading it. So when characters like Spider-Man have to confront whether or not he's the clone and the one who died was the real deal, its pretty heavy stuff.
Peter Parker is written really fun here. A lot of the quips and dialogue reminded me slightly of the animated series from the 90s. There's a level of charm and fun that I think the 90s show was trying to capture from these stories, albeit in loose adaptations and shitty animation. For the most part, the stuff that Peter's saying under the mask is pretty goofy but sometimes its actually kind of funny.
I didn't love some of the writing, specifically with Spidey saying "proverbial" a lot. Like yes, I understood what you were saying was a metaphor and not literally happening. Its kind of an issue of its time where characters would often have to outright exclaim what they were doing or what was going on the page (I blame this on Stan lee to an extent). But otherwise most of it held up for me.
If I'd been reading this story at the time, I'd probably be pissed with the Mary Jane dynamic here. She is very close to the character from the Sam Raimi films if you ask me, and all for the worse. MJ's often times bitter and cold towards Peter, and she loves to put him in the doghouse as quickly as possible. Oftentimes I found it mostly annoying to see her again because Pete can never seem to get on her good side, which I understand from her perspective but still find agitating because her retaliation is far more cruel than that of Peter.
Not saying Parker is perfect here, he's definitely not. He's late to things, he abandons his friends in times of crisis (which we understand why but they don't), and he's often just kind of engaging in behavior that would seem selfish from others.
He kind of spits in his friends' faces in one of the issues, when they all get him furniture that they didn't want to fill up his apartment since he doesn't have anything in there. Instead of just thanking everyone and being grateful for their help and their time, he comments on how ugly or stupid they are. Not quite as directly, but you mostly get the point.
The other thing I noticed is that a lot of this focuses more on Parker's life as Spider-Man and not so much on his life with his cast of characters. They're definitely there, and when they're there its some of the most fun I have in the issue. J Jonah Jameson is probably my favorite Spider-Man cast member, he's just so hilariously insane and angry and bitter in the most fun way possible. He's like that uncle that has a huge temper and drives you nuts but at the end of the day you still love him. I also like Liz Allen, Betty Brant, and Ned Leeds, of which the latter two are not featured much in the book after their wedding.
Throughlines are constant in each self contained stories in a way that a lot of comics are currently missing. Each issue presents a one and done story usually, with maybe some two or three parter stories that require a few issues. But for the most part things are self contained, while referencing things going on in the background. For instance, Robbie Robertson guesses that JJJ is going to have some issues with finding a new secretary that meets his needs while Betty Brant is away on her honeymoon with Ned. So the ongoing joke is Robbie counting how many Jameson's gone through. Its a fun ongoing joke that lasts forever and I really appreciated that since there's no reference of it otherwise without reading other issues.
And the art is stunning. Ross Andru is firing on all cylinders, and creating a version of Spider-Man and the cast that fits with Romita's depiction, while also firmly placing him as an unsung hero of the franchise's artists. Everything he draws feels so dynamic and fluid and God I love it. There's this scene where Spidey's swimming in the ocean and the way that Andru's drawn the character feels so fluid and graceful I just couldn't help but admire it.
Gil Kane also comes onto the book for the annual issue. I can't remember who the writer is of that issue but they also did a decent job. It sets up a new villain, the Human Fly, which is really just a callback to Spider-Man's original plans of being the Fly instead of the Spidey that we know and love today. Kane's art is also phenomenal, and its really fun to be able to tell the difference between some of these artists more and more now that I've read these comics.
Conway's giving his all in this book and I'm really excited to read more of his stuff when I get the chance.
March 13, 2024
Gems include Spidey v. Cyclone in Paris, Gwendy returns, Ned Leeds investigates Gwendy, Scorpion v. Jackal, Tarantula tosses Spidey off the bridge, Jackal unmasks, Spider-Man v. Spider-Clone, Spidey doesn’t read his clone test, MJ flirts w/ JJJ, Spidey rocks a security guard pair, Peter asks Ned to dance, Sandman dons a terrible costume, Spidey v. Leroy Tallon, Mirage crashes Ned’s & Betty’s wedding, Hammerhead’s ghost haunts Dock Ock, Ms. Pringle misdials Truman Capote for JJJ, Spidey-Ock-Hammerhead triple KO, Spidey v. Human Fly, Spidey v. Spider-Mobile, Spidey v. Nightcrawler, Spidey-Nightcrawler-Punisher v. Jigsaw, Harry romances Liz, & Kingpin spares Spidey
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2025
Probably the best storytelling by Conway and the return of Gwen Stacy, as well as the firt clone story are collected within these pages, but also one of the worst 2 issues stories of the ill-thoughtout Spder-mobile and the Terrible Tinkerer and his pet, Toy. Len Wein is such a better writer than those lame issues, but some characters that acted one way, then another didn't sit well (Mary Jane's comments and action).
Worth it for Conway's incredible storytelling and Wein's slightly off tales.
Worth it for Conway's incredible storytelling and Wein's slightly off tales.
August 1, 2025
this was a good volume although it also didn't standout too much either. we get the conclusion of the jackal storyline, and a follow up story with doc ock from the prior volume, but other than that none of the other stories stick out too much for me. one thing that did really stick out though was how well written and developed it felt the side characters were throughout this one, as it really felt like it elevated even the lower tier stories.
April 21, 2025
Classic marvel Spider-man tales. A great read :)
September 15, 2023
This is the original clone saga, if not the celebrated one from the 90s, where (spoiler alert) Gwen Stacy comes back, and the machinations of the Jackal are behind much of the ongoing plotline. Continuing the really good Conway and Ross stuff from the '70s!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews