What do you think?
Rate this book
Marvel Novel Series #1
The Amazing Spider-Man: Mayhem in Manhattan
STUPENDOUS!
Of course it's stupendous. It's ol' Spidey himself in his first - yes, first full-length novel.
SINISTER!
When a baddie drops out of a sky-high window (Did he jump - heh heh - or was he pushed?), 'Daily Bugle' publisher J. Jonah Jameson wants Spider-Man to take the rap. Has the wall-crawler come to the end of his rope? Does his life hang by a slender thread?
GLOBAL!
To swing clear of this one, he's got to snoop on an international oil conference. There's blackmail! Radioactivity! And a welcoming committee of death-dealing arch-villains!
DIABOLICAL!
Who's behind it all? Think hard, 'cause we're not telling. But it just might be that too much tendril looms large in Spider's formidable future!
©2019 Dreamscape Media, LLC (P)2019 Dreamscape Media, LLC
Of course it's stupendous. It's ol' Spidey himself in his first - yes, first full-length novel.
SINISTER!
When a baddie drops out of a sky-high window (Did he jump - heh heh - or was he pushed?), 'Daily Bugle' publisher J. Jonah Jameson wants Spider-Man to take the rap. Has the wall-crawler come to the end of his rope? Does his life hang by a slender thread?
GLOBAL!
To swing clear of this one, he's got to snoop on an international oil conference. There's blackmail! Radioactivity! And a welcoming committee of death-dealing arch-villains!
DIABOLICAL!
Who's behind it all? Think hard, 'cause we're not telling. But it just might be that too much tendril looms large in Spider's formidable future!
©2019 Dreamscape Media, LLC (P)2019 Dreamscape Media, LLC
176 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1978
5 people are currently reading
267 people want to read
About the author
Len Wein
1,587 books154 followersLen Wein was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men (including the co-creation of Nightcrawler, Storm, and Colossus). Additionally, he was the editor for writer Alan Moore and illustrator Dave Gibbons' influential DC miniseries Watchmen.
Wein was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2008.
Wein was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2008.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 11, 2020
This was the first full-length Spider-Man novel; it was written by comics pros Len Wein and Marv Wolfman, who were -very- familiar with the character, and included an introduction by Stan Lee. It would probably appear as a y.a. book today. It's an uncomplicated and straight-forward story, and if the prose doesn't always exactly sing there's no doubt that it's told sincerely. Doc Ock is the main baddie, and all of Peter's friends and associates show up for the party. It's an excellent snapshot of what he was all about in the '70s. Excelsior!
May 23, 2013
The first Spider-Man novel isn't too bad. It captures the flavor of the seventies Spider-Man comics to a tee. You can see this story in your head, played out over two or three issues.
Unlike a lot of these sorts of initial adaptations, it doesn't spend a lot of time going over Spidey's origin; Wein and Wolfman seem to understand that if you're buying a Spider-Man novel, you already know a bit about the character.
The story is fast-paced, and even though an astute reader will know who the Master Planner is by the middle of Chapter One, you don't really care; it's not that kind of book.
It isn't the first Marvel Comics' novel, though. Just an FYI, the first one was The Avengers Battle the Earth Wrecker, back in 1967. It was the first book in the short-lived (eleven official entries) Marvel Novel Series.
Unlike a lot of these sorts of initial adaptations, it doesn't spend a lot of time going over Spidey's origin; Wein and Wolfman seem to understand that if you're buying a Spider-Man novel, you already know a bit about the character.
The story is fast-paced, and even though an astute reader will know who the Master Planner is by the middle of Chapter One, you don't really care; it's not that kind of book.
It isn't the first Marvel Comics' novel, though. Just an FYI, the first one was The Avengers Battle the Earth Wrecker, back in 1967. It was the first book in the short-lived (eleven official entries) Marvel Novel Series.
July 10, 2009
Comfort fiction. A quick, easy read with characters that are incredibly familiar. Nice to have a book written by people who write the comics, rather than those by novelists who happen to read the comics.
As incredible as it may seem, I think I've owned this book since it came out in '78 or '79, but have only just now read it. I might have found it much more interesting and exciting had I read it when I was 18, but hen again, perhaps not.
There's nothing earth-shattering here. No new information or new take on the classic comic book characters. The story itself seems to be straight out of a comic book.
Would I recommend it? No. Would I discourage anyone from reading it? No. Am I glad I read it? Yes, but only because it's been in a box in my room thirty years.
As incredible as it may seem, I think I've owned this book since it came out in '78 or '79, but have only just now read it. I might have found it much more interesting and exciting had I read it when I was 18, but hen again, perhaps not.
There's nothing earth-shattering here. No new information or new take on the classic comic book characters. The story itself seems to be straight out of a comic book.
Would I recommend it? No. Would I discourage anyone from reading it? No. Am I glad I read it? Yes, but only because it's been in a box in my room thirty years.
October 28, 2008
Cool retro book! The writers really capture what is fun and cool about Spider-man.
February 10, 2016
Very good novel adaptation of the comics. if you are a comic super hero fan these are Very recommended.
March 26, 2025
For a first stab at putting comic book characters in a novel, this does a solid job. It has fun, zany moments where it really feels like a comic book story in prose. Perhaps it leans a little too hard on this because the characters and situations seem a bit too ridiculous at times — even for Marvel. Regardless, it’s a cool and relatively short story, great for Marvel fans who want to read a piece of history that led to some really cool stuff (notably the stuff Christopher Golden did for Marvel).
January 6, 2013
The major interest in this book is as an historical curiosity, the first book in the first series of novelizations for a comic book company. The marketing driven idea did not last long and did not deserve to. With a couple of exceptions, most of the books were written by comic veterans, not actual prose writers, and their inexperience shows. This is nowhere truer than in this, the first of the series and the first ever Spider-Man novelization. Wein and Wolfman find an uneasy balance between giving more background than fans need, thus slowing the story with a lot of unnecessary pages, and filling in readers new to the character on his background and the people in his life, which still slows the story. There is no good solution to this problem so the writers, perhaps, should not be blamed for it, but it is a major narrative problem nevertheless. This is not a great work of literature, or even a mediocre one, but it is a curiosity and one that adaptation scholars will wish to note.
March 12, 2020
In his first ever novel appearance: Spider-Man retreads tired story beats from the comics, retells his origin for five pages halfway through the book, and pollutes the entire Manhattan harbor with crude oil. This one is not a winner.
It's basically a longer form version of the If This Be My Destiny story by Stan and Steve without any of the stakes, plus some added 70s crime thriller flair. It's also set in possibly my least favorite era of classic Spidey, when he was waffling over whether to quit being Spider-Man for the dozenth time, long after that was an interesting thread to explore any further.
This book is maybe worth having for the collector value, but as a story it's just okay.
It's basically a longer form version of the If This Be My Destiny story by Stan and Steve without any of the stakes, plus some added 70s crime thriller flair. It's also set in possibly my least favorite era of classic Spidey, when he was waffling over whether to quit being Spider-Man for the dozenth time, long after that was an interesting thread to explore any further.
This book is maybe worth having for the collector value, but as a story it's just okay.
July 21, 2018
This book is terribly written. They try to shroud the villain in an aura of mystery, but practically give him away in the first chapter, making the rest of their attempts to keep his identity hidden look ridiculous. Spider-Man is written as stupid as if he has only been doing this for a few weeks, and keeps talking repeatedly about giving up the gig of superheroing so that he doesn't hurt Aunt May, just to not even mention that in the last act of the book and just keep being Spidey. The plot is also ridiculous, and the villain's plan makes no sense when it is revealed. This would have done better as a comic book story arc, but as a novel it's terrible.
July 10, 2020
Doctor Octopus has a plan to shut down the refineries of the nation’s top eight oil magnates. “Once the government learns of your unfortunate predicament,” he tells them, “you will be unable to prevent extensive research into various alternative energy sources.”
In the end, Spider-Man thwarts Doc Ock’s scheme. But you have to wonder. Who’s the villain of this story? And who’s the hero? Looking back, maybe Peter Parker should have taken the night off and gone to the movies with his girlfriend. Eco-terrorism sounds like a nice little career change for a nut like Otto Octavius.
In the end, Spider-Man thwarts Doc Ock’s scheme. But you have to wonder. Who’s the villain of this story? And who’s the hero? Looking back, maybe Peter Parker should have taken the night off and gone to the movies with his girlfriend. Eco-terrorism sounds like a nice little career change for a nut like Otto Octavius.
November 29, 2023
I give it 4 because of fun childhood memories.
November 11, 2022
"Mayhem in Manhattan" was not only the first Spider-Man novel, it was the first of a series of eleven books of original stories starring various Marvel superheroes. Except it's really not all that original.
MiM was co-authored by Len Wein and Marv Wolfman, comic book writers who both worked on "Amazing Spider-Man" in the 1970s. As novelists, they were really good comic book writers. "Mayhem in Manhattan" reads like a lot of Spider-Man comics in the mid-late '70s. And that might be because it's loosely based on the Master Planner arc in "Amazing Spider-Man" #31-33.
In those issues, the Master Planner, an alias used by Dr. Otto Octavius for reasons. It's been years since I've read the issues, but the story had something to do with Doc Ock and radioactive isotopes and in this book, Otto's scheme also involves radiation. Both stories also have scenes where Spider-Man is buried under rubble and has to make the supreme effort to escape for the sake of Aunt May. (Wein and Wolfman's prose take on the scene pales in comparison with Steve Ditko's intense, awesome and powerful art for the sequence.)
That "Mayhem in Manhattan" is loosely based on the old Stan Lee/Steve Ditko story wouldn't be too much of a problem Marv Wolfman hadn't made the novel semi-canonical by referencing the events of the book in a footnote in "Amazing Spider-Man" #186.
What makes it problematic is early in the book, Spidey hears the electronically altered voice of the Master Planner and thinks it's familiar. Later, one of the Master Planner's co-conspirators reveals to Spider-Man the mastermind behind it all calls himself "The Master Planner". And fails to jog Spidey's memory. Really? "Master Planner"? That voice? Nothing?
Similarly, Spider-Man doesn't recognize the familiarity of fighting Doc Ock/Master Planner and then Doc Ock burying him under tons of rubble? No "What again?! This is getting ridiculous. Why can't Octavius come up with something else other than trying to bury me alive?"
This is why it was a mistake to canonize the novel. Spidey should remember these things. Then again, I don't think the book stayed canon very long, so...
Admittedly, it's a bit unfair to denigrate Wein and Wolfman's prose. They were undoubtedly constrained to write the kind of Spider-Man story that Marvel had been doing for over a decade. They weren't going to reinvent Spider-Man. But at the same time, I wish they would have written better dialogue. I don't know if a more realistic dialogue would have made the novel better or worse, but I would have liked to have seen it at least attempted. Instead what we got was a comic book without the artwork.
MiM was co-authored by Len Wein and Marv Wolfman, comic book writers who both worked on "Amazing Spider-Man" in the 1970s. As novelists, they were really good comic book writers. "Mayhem in Manhattan" reads like a lot of Spider-Man comics in the mid-late '70s. And that might be because it's loosely based on the Master Planner arc in "Amazing Spider-Man" #31-33.
In those issues, the Master Planner, an alias used by Dr. Otto Octavius for reasons. It's been years since I've read the issues, but the story had something to do with Doc Ock and radioactive isotopes and in this book, Otto's scheme also involves radiation. Both stories also have scenes where Spider-Man is buried under rubble and has to make the supreme effort to escape for the sake of Aunt May. (Wein and Wolfman's prose take on the scene pales in comparison with Steve Ditko's intense, awesome and powerful art for the sequence.)
That "Mayhem in Manhattan" is loosely based on the old Stan Lee/Steve Ditko story wouldn't be too much of a problem Marv Wolfman hadn't made the novel semi-canonical by referencing the events of the book in a footnote in "Amazing Spider-Man" #186.
What makes it problematic is early in the book, Spidey hears the electronically altered voice of the Master Planner and thinks it's familiar. Later, one of the Master Planner's co-conspirators reveals to Spider-Man the mastermind behind it all calls himself "The Master Planner". And fails to jog Spidey's memory. Really? "Master Planner"? That voice? Nothing?
Similarly, Spider-Man doesn't recognize the familiarity of fighting Doc Ock/Master Planner and then Doc Ock burying him under tons of rubble? No "What again?! This is getting ridiculous. Why can't Octavius come up with something else other than trying to bury me alive?"
This is why it was a mistake to canonize the novel. Spidey should remember these things. Then again, I don't think the book stayed canon very long, so...
Admittedly, it's a bit unfair to denigrate Wein and Wolfman's prose. They were undoubtedly constrained to write the kind of Spider-Man story that Marvel had been doing for over a decade. They weren't going to reinvent Spider-Man. But at the same time, I wish they would have written better dialogue. I don't know if a more realistic dialogue would have made the novel better or worse, but I would have liked to have seen it at least attempted. Instead what we got was a comic book without the artwork.
January 23, 2022
A Review of the Audiobook
Originally published as a paperback book by Pocket Books in 1978.
Published by Marvel as an audiobook in 2019.
Read by Tristan Wright.
Duration: 4 hours, 9 minutes.
Unabridged.
Spider-Man is busy being "your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man" when he encounters a dead body thrown out of a New York City luxury high-rise apartment onto the street below. While he is investigating, two beat cops stumble upon them and a rookie cop on his first night shift tour takes a shot at Spider-Man. Worse than that, they make Spider-Man the prime suspect for the murder and Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson starts yet another media campaign against Spider-Man.
Can things get worse?
Spidey finds out that they certainly can as he begins an investigation to clear his name...
******
This book was kind of a tedious listen. Clearly, this book re-published as an audiobook in response to the Spider-Man craze that has come along since Spider-Man was added to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and not on its own merits as a piece of literature. Note: this book is not a part of the MCU, since it was published 30 years before the release of the first MCU movie. This was the first paperback in a short-lived series of books that Pocket Books published.
I am going to be tough on this audiobook because both Marvel and DC have done some nice work with their novels in the last few years - books that really dive deep into the character, something that Spider-Man actually helped to pioneer in the comics. This audiobook feels like more of a money grab - just publishing something that Marvel already owns rather than creating a new book written to higher standards.
In this book the fight scenes are quite good, but...
Read more at:
https://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2022...
Originally published as a paperback book by Pocket Books in 1978.
Published by Marvel as an audiobook in 2019.
Read by Tristan Wright.
Duration: 4 hours, 9 minutes.
Unabridged.
Spider-Man is busy being "your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man" when he encounters a dead body thrown out of a New York City luxury high-rise apartment onto the street below. While he is investigating, two beat cops stumble upon them and a rookie cop on his first night shift tour takes a shot at Spider-Man. Worse than that, they make Spider-Man the prime suspect for the murder and Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson starts yet another media campaign against Spider-Man.
Can things get worse?
Spidey finds out that they certainly can as he begins an investigation to clear his name...
******
This book was kind of a tedious listen. Clearly, this book re-published as an audiobook in response to the Spider-Man craze that has come along since Spider-Man was added to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and not on its own merits as a piece of literature. Note: this book is not a part of the MCU, since it was published 30 years before the release of the first MCU movie. This was the first paperback in a short-lived series of books that Pocket Books published.
I am going to be tough on this audiobook because both Marvel and DC have done some nice work with their novels in the last few years - books that really dive deep into the character, something that Spider-Man actually helped to pioneer in the comics. This audiobook feels like more of a money grab - just publishing something that Marvel already owns rather than creating a new book written to higher standards.
In this book the fight scenes are quite good, but...
Read more at:
https://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2022...
April 7, 2024
¡Este es el Hombre Araña que me gusta!
No hace mucho leí una novela del Hombre Araña titulada Enemigos Íntimos, que la verdad, me quedó a deber: aburrida en su mayor parte y llena de referencias al universo Marvel que en lo personal, no me encanta ni me interesa.
Esta, es la primera novela escrita sobre el personaje del Hombre Araña (aparecerán varias más de otros personajes Marvel) y ´por ello se ha convertido en producto de coleccionista... y la verdad es que la historia no es la gran maravilla, pero Wein y Wolfman supieron reproducir de forma exacta lo que es el hombre araña, su sentido del humor y las escenas de acción. Los monólogos reflexivos y humorísticos que se avienta el superhéroe retratan perfectamente bien el personaje que me gustaba a mi de chico y, efectivamente, es una novela que ES del hombre araña y no de Peter Parker.
El hombre araña es acusado de haber asesinado a un hombre y como siempre, J. J. Jameson se ha encargado con su periódico "El Clarín" (donde irónicamente, trabaja el mismo hombre araña en su personalidad de Peter Parker) de denostarlo. Todo mundo en Manhattan tiene miedo del hombre araña, pues lo consideran un criminal. Sin embargo, hay un verdadero criminal en la ciudad que ha reunido a los petroleros más importantes de Estados Unidos para chantajearlos: o lo apoyan en sus planes macabros o contamina sus fuentes petroleras con radioactividad y de paso, va a matarlos.
El Hombre Araña tiene que lavar su nombre y va en busca del verdadero asesino del hombre que está ligado a este chantaje a nivel internacional. ¿Y quien está detrás de todo esto? Es medio ridículo, pero aunque intentan ocultártelo hasta la mitad de la novela, por la pura descripción en el primer capítulo te das cuenta de que es... ajá: ¡El Dr. Pulpo!
No hace mucho leí una novela del Hombre Araña titulada Enemigos Íntimos, que la verdad, me quedó a deber: aburrida en su mayor parte y llena de referencias al universo Marvel que en lo personal, no me encanta ni me interesa.
Esta, es la primera novela escrita sobre el personaje del Hombre Araña (aparecerán varias más de otros personajes Marvel) y ´por ello se ha convertido en producto de coleccionista... y la verdad es que la historia no es la gran maravilla, pero Wein y Wolfman supieron reproducir de forma exacta lo que es el hombre araña, su sentido del humor y las escenas de acción. Los monólogos reflexivos y humorísticos que se avienta el superhéroe retratan perfectamente bien el personaje que me gustaba a mi de chico y, efectivamente, es una novela que ES del hombre araña y no de Peter Parker.
El hombre araña es acusado de haber asesinado a un hombre y como siempre, J. J. Jameson se ha encargado con su periódico "El Clarín" (donde irónicamente, trabaja el mismo hombre araña en su personalidad de Peter Parker) de denostarlo. Todo mundo en Manhattan tiene miedo del hombre araña, pues lo consideran un criminal. Sin embargo, hay un verdadero criminal en la ciudad que ha reunido a los petroleros más importantes de Estados Unidos para chantajearlos: o lo apoyan en sus planes macabros o contamina sus fuentes petroleras con radioactividad y de paso, va a matarlos.
El Hombre Araña tiene que lavar su nombre y va en busca del verdadero asesino del hombre que está ligado a este chantaje a nivel internacional. ¿Y quien está detrás de todo esto? Es medio ridículo, pero aunque intentan ocultártelo hasta la mitad de la novela, por la pura descripción en el primer capítulo te das cuenta de que es... ajá: ¡El Dr. Pulpo!
August 10, 2024
The first of 11 prose novels from the 1970s that featured Marvel Comics heroes. This premiere novel features Spider Man, who starts the novel by getting framed for murder. The real killer is revealed about half-way through the novel, but a description of him we get early on (from the point-of-view of the guy he kills) is enough for any veteran Marvel reader to identify him immediately.
But whether we guess the identity of the villain, the book is fun. To clear himself, Spider Man must also foil a plan to blackmail millions of dollars from the heads of major oil companies. There's a couple of fun action scenes--one in which Spidey is lured into a booby-trapped fun house on Coney Island and a final fight against the villain aboard an offshore oil derrick.
In the meantime, newpaper publisher J. Jonah Jameson and his city editor Robbie Robertson are investigating the case personally. (It's too big in Jonah's mind to leave to regular reporters.) This eventually means that Spidey must not only prove himself innocent of murder and stop a massive blackmail plot, but must also save the life of a man who has publically villified him for years.
Co-written by two veteran comic book writers, the book accurately catches the personalities of the main characters and tells a fun tale.
But whether we guess the identity of the villain, the book is fun. To clear himself, Spider Man must also foil a plan to blackmail millions of dollars from the heads of major oil companies. There's a couple of fun action scenes--one in which Spidey is lured into a booby-trapped fun house on Coney Island and a final fight against the villain aboard an offshore oil derrick.
In the meantime, newpaper publisher J. Jonah Jameson and his city editor Robbie Robertson are investigating the case personally. (It's too big in Jonah's mind to leave to regular reporters.) This eventually means that Spidey must not only prove himself innocent of murder and stop a massive blackmail plot, but must also save the life of a man who has publically villified him for years.
Co-written by two veteran comic book writers, the book accurately catches the personalities of the main characters and tells a fun tale.
March 30, 2019
Well wasn't that just... swell. Some of the language is dated but the action sequences were a blast! That is exactly what I'd hoped to read from a comic novelization, and I've never seen it done that well before. Sure, it was the most cliché-ridden Spider-Man story of all time, but at the same time I couldn't help but picture it in the sleek animation style from Into the Spider-Verse. The action scenes were something straight outta that movie. I'm usually bored by action sequences but I'm going to have to take a few notes from this book.
A personal highlight: That scene where Spider-Man gets whooped by a scared tourist with a purse and jumps away to land on a trash barge so he can think about having a good cry. *Applause*
Raise your hand if you wanna bring back Pete calling Jameson, "Joy boy."
A personal highlight: That scene where Spider-Man gets whooped by a scared tourist with a purse and jumps away to land on a trash barge so he can think about having a good cry. *Applause*
Raise your hand if you wanna bring back Pete calling Jameson, "Joy boy."
December 26, 2020
Spectacular!
The first Spider-Man novel was thrilling in 1978, and it's still a lot of fun. Len and Marv had written and edited quite a few Spidey comics stories and were a perfect pair to mark the launch of Marvel's short-lived novel line in the late '70s.
Supporting cast members from the comics made their prose debut as well: Mary Jane Watson, Gloria Grant, Joe Robertson, and Jonah Jameson to boot.
Continuity being the name of the game at Marvel, a new character was introduced - off stage - who would appear in subsequent Spider-Man novels, enriching the reading experience for those who got and read all the books, just as had long been the practice in comics.
It's a light romp, with a promise of more and better things to come.
The first Spider-Man novel was thrilling in 1978, and it's still a lot of fun. Len and Marv had written and edited quite a few Spidey comics stories and were a perfect pair to mark the launch of Marvel's short-lived novel line in the late '70s.
Supporting cast members from the comics made their prose debut as well: Mary Jane Watson, Gloria Grant, Joe Robertson, and Jonah Jameson to boot.
Continuity being the name of the game at Marvel, a new character was introduced - off stage - who would appear in subsequent Spider-Man novels, enriching the reading experience for those who got and read all the books, just as had long been the practice in comics.
It's a light romp, with a promise of more and better things to come.
February 7, 2021
A very good Spider-Man novel. Supposedly the first one ever.
Written in 1978 by comic book writers Len Wein and Marc Wolfman.
Their familiarity with Spider-Man and his universe shows here and is welcomed.
Several oil men are being blackmailed, and Spider-Man is accused of a murder he didn't commit. As he fights to clear his name, he uncovers just WHO is the blackmailer.
Several well known characters from Spider-Man's world appear here. Though Aunt May doesn't, save for a dream/nightmare Peter has...though her presence is felt thru out the story.
Enjoyable and so true to the Spider-Man comics of the 1970s.
Written in 1978 by comic book writers Len Wein and Marc Wolfman.
Their familiarity with Spider-Man and his universe shows here and is welcomed.
Several oil men are being blackmailed, and Spider-Man is accused of a murder he didn't commit. As he fights to clear his name, he uncovers just WHO is the blackmailer.
Several well known characters from Spider-Man's world appear here. Though Aunt May doesn't, save for a dream/nightmare Peter has...though her presence is felt thru out the story.
Enjoyable and so true to the Spider-Man comics of the 1970s.
February 11, 2022
Real star rating for me would be 3.5. I would say this book is fine. Spidey is exactly what you expect. JJJ is good too. Everything else is something of a let down. The main villain plot is, frankly, quite unimaginative and rather dull. I expected better from Doc Oc. And the supporting cast, aside from Robbie, is similarly boring.
Anyway, for Marvel’s first novel, this book isn’t bad. It’s just fine.
Anyway, for Marvel’s first novel, this book isn’t bad. It’s just fine.
April 10, 2024
This is an excellent intro into Spider-Man and the other characters in his universe: MJ, the brash and often over-the-top J. Jona Jameson, Robbie Robertson, and Doc Octopus. I enjoyed the solid writing and well written characters.
What's fascinating about this story is how embedded it is in its time period - the 1970s (the book was first published in 1978) when the oil crisis was at its height. Doc Octopus's motivations are a little odd, but not unrealistic.
What's fascinating about this story is how embedded it is in its time period - the 1970s (the book was first published in 1978) when the oil crisis was at its height. Doc Octopus's motivations are a little odd, but not unrealistic.
January 31, 2025
Basically an outline with adverbs, otherwise a pretty typical Doc Ock plot that's about as sturdy as a standard Len Wein arc. There's something to the internal thoughts of Jameson and Robertson that are neat expansions of consistent characterization, but overall everyone here talks too much, often with redundant intent, there to fill space more than mean much. MJ's characterization is totally off though - way too insecure, a disservice to the character.
January 20, 2022
A lot of fun. Granted anyone familiar with the character will recognize the villain right away
And it makes you question the NYPD's investigating skills that they so quickly settle on Spiderman as a suspect with so little evidence. But nonetheless an entertaining romp.
And it makes you question the NYPD's investigating skills that they so quickly settle on Spiderman as a suspect with so little evidence. But nonetheless an entertaining romp.
June 2, 2023
The first half of this is, actually... pretty great. Wein and/or Wolfman (whomever wrote that part) plays with something the comics rarely do... just how weird and freaky a man who stalks the night looking and moving like a giant spider would be to a normal citizen. That stuff works beautifully.
January 12, 2025
The very first prose novel for the Amazing Spider-man. It was great to read the preface from Stan-Lee and experience homages to the classic Master Planner storyline throughout the book. Fun story and a quick read.
June 5, 2024
I read this when I was a kid and just reread it. It does not measure up to my memory as a child. Yes, I know it's a cartoon character, but it's also a novel. I mean ... how convenient that the villain (and it's obvious who it is from the first chapter) leaves a diary around detailing his evil scheme so Spider-Man can read it.
November 21, 2023
Not a bad writer at when it comes to characters but it feels like he just gave up when it came to the end of the story. It's cheesy, even for a kid's book.
March 11, 2025
Oy vey, '70s Spider-Man is such a whiner. I get it, your heroism is unsung. I get it, Aunt May is feeble. I get it, Jonah is annoying. Oy vey, enough!
I did love the turn of phrase "an honest-to-Starsky & Hutch car chase!"
And I liked how much it waxed poetic about New York and how the city becomes a part of its inhabitants as much as they become parts of the city. It's interesting especially because '70s New York was... allegedly pretty awful.
And the plotline (evil oil increase of 15 cents!!!) was SO SEVENTIES.
I did love the turn of phrase "an honest-to-Starsky & Hutch car chase!"
And I liked how much it waxed poetic about New York and how the city becomes a part of its inhabitants as much as they become parts of the city. It's interesting especially because '70s New York was... allegedly pretty awful.
And the plotline (evil oil increase of 15 cents!!!) was SO SEVENTIES.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews