The Amazing Spider-Man

Penguin Classics Marvel Collection #1

by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Ben Saunders (Introduction)

It is impossible to imagine American popular culture without Marvel Comics. For decades, Marvel has published groundbreaking visual narratives that sustain attention on multiple levels: as metaphors for the experience of difference and otherness; as meditations on the fluid nature of identity; and as high-water marks in the artistic tradition of American cartooning, to name a few.

This anthology contains twelve key stories from the first two years of Spider-Man's publication history (from 1962 to 1964). These influential adventures not only transformed the super hero fantasy into an allegory for the pain of adolescence but also brought a new ethical complexity to the genre-by insisting that with great power there must also come great responsibility.

A foreword by Jason Reynolds and scholarly introductions and apparatus by Ben Saunders offer further insight into the enduring significance of The Amazing Spider-Man and classic Marvel comics.

The Deluxe Hardcover edition features gold foil stamping, gold top stain edges, special endpapers with artwork spotlighting series villains, and full-colour art throughout.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Classics, Marvel, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book

384 pages, Hardcover

First published June 14, 2022

About the author

Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber) was an American writer, editor, creator of comic book superheroes, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.

With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.

Reviews

[Brok3n · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rough draft for something great

I was not much of a comic-book reader when I was a kid. (In a world where free public libraries were abundant, a fiscally responsible kid concentrated reading on what they contained.) But every now and then I would find a left-behind issue in some place I stayed, or come across one in the home of a friend. Even to someone as ignorant as me, it was obvious that there was something special about Spider-Man. Peter Parker was a real person with realistic problems: an orphan whose uncle died tragically, an aunt with health problems for which money had to be found. (He was also a grad student in the late 1970s, a time when I myself was a Biochemistry grad student.) His spider-powers only made his problems worse. In the 1960s and 1970s Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne didn't have ordinary life problems. They would later develop some -- the Spider-Man formula was so successful that eventually all super-heroes became Spider-Man.

After reading What If . . . Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings? I thought the time had come to learn more about this new canon of American culture. I quickly discovered the Penguin Classics Marvel Collection and bought the first one, which concerns Spider-Man.

Penguin Classics produces carefully curated editions of classic literature. "Curated" means selection and explanation. This particular one covers the story of Spider-Man from his appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15 through The Amazing Spider-Man #19. Not every one of the those 20 issues is included. The editors cherry-picked the best and most important, filling in gaps with 2-3 page text summaries of missing issues. They also explain the "Marvel Method" -- the way in which an artist (Steve Ditko for the early Spider-Man) and a writer (Stan Lee) worked together to produce the story.

At this point Lee and Ditko sort of knew what they were doing and sort-of didn't. They made conscious decisions to make their heroes real people with real problems, to tell a cumulative story that grew over the years, and to place them in a wider world with other Marvel heroes. They got the big stuff right. But, familiar with the modern Marvel Comics, since 2009 a subsidiary of Disney, with all the slick production values that implies, I was taken aback at how sloppy and amateurish the early issues are. For instance, in an early issue Peter is misnamed as Peter Palmer. The name of Peter's eventual lover, Mary Jane Watson, appears in these issues, except that she is Mary Jane Watson the first time she's mentioned and Mary Jane Watkins the second time. Steve Ditko's drawings of Spider-Man are dynamic and detailed, but his drawings of ordinary people are often crude, with literally crooked faces.

Still, even in these first 20 issues there is obvious progress -- the later issues are better than the earliest ones. I would be tempted to read more -- I'd love to at least get through the story of Gwen Stacy, who doesn't appear in these first 20 issues at all. But that's a job without end. Amazon has a 67-volume series called The Amazing Spider-Man -- it costs about $1000 on kindle. I will not be reading it. However, if Penguin Classics continue their Marvel Collection with a curated selection of later Spider-Man issues, I'd be delighted.

I have ordered and intend to read the remaining five volumes of the Penguin Classics Marvel Collection.

Blog review.

[Nathan Oran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun getting to read these comics.

I don’t read a ton of comics, but I wish that this book would’ve included all the issues from this time and let the reader form opinions for themself rather than just saying “these ones weren’t so good, so here’s a summary”.

I also wish there was more content to the introductions.

As it stands, this book is somewhere between a complete collection and a historical analysis, but doesn’t really embody either.

[Alina]

Reading this collection almost feels like reading a history book. Spider-Man is, after all, the world's most popular superhero (along with Batman), and diving into his origins was a real treat. I've only recently become interested in Spider-Man comics after watching the incredible sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse, and I'm already kind of hooked. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the writing in these stories—I didn't think I'd enjoy it all that much because I really dislike Chris Claremont's writing, and I thought all old comics were written in a style similar to Claremont's. While Lee's writing does share similarities with Claremont's and is frankly ridiculous at times, it's also really good fun and very light. The "feel" of Spider-Man originates in Lee's lighthearted tone, and I have to say, I'm a fan. And of course, Ditko's art is iconic. Not much else to say on that front.

Of course, I didn't love everything about the stories in this early collection. The Betty Brant plotline was tiresome, and I can see why her character was basically scrapped later. The Enforcers were lame. And a lot of the plots repeated themselves, but I think that was pretty normal for comics at this time—not unique to the Lee/Ditko team. Nevertheless, I wasn't expecting to love the actual plots; like I said, I was more looking to get into the history of Spider-Man and seeing how the character started out, and the enjoyment I got from reading these stories was just the cherry on top of that learning experience. Next, I'll probably read some of the Epic Collections to meet the rest of the main Spidey cast—MJ Watson, Gwen Stacy, etc.

[Patrick Convery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Having read the X-Men collection first in this excellent series Penguin has put together, I was amazed at how much better these stories are. Almost every issue was an absolute blast, containing compelling melodrama in addition to the expected action.

I like Ditko's drawings a lot, and it's cool to see the visual identity of Spider-Man emerge as he first illustrates web slinging across skyscrapers and the iconic effect that indicates a tingle in Parker's Spider Senses. Compared to what I saw in X-Men, Ditko excels against his peers in capturing expressions. As a result, I felt much more invested in the characters and kept wanting to read the next issue not just so I could see a creative new foe, but also to because I was concerned with the lives of Peter, his Aunt May, Betty, and (best of all) his mustachioed employer.

[Connor Stompanato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Getting deep into Spider-Man's history and reading about his first encounters with so many classic characters and foes was really fun. I thought the artwork was so vibrant and colourful on every page, everything was to such a high quality. While some of the early artwork itself can have some rough lines and features, this is all part of the charm of early comics in my opinion. As you read this collection of stories you can definitely understand how Spider-Man became such a household name. At times the dialogue is clunky and over-explained, but the characters are personable and it is amazing to watch them develop.

A benefit of the collection was getting to read so stories that were published back to back. I really enjoyed the overall narrative as Peter gets used to his powers and goes back and forth on when and if he should use them. It did really feel like one long continuous story broken up into chapters, rather than lots of individual tales slapped together which is how some other graphic novel collections have felt to me. For the sake of brevity they have skipped some stories such as the introduction of Kraven the Hunter and the first appearance of the Sinister Six, which I felt was a shame as I would have liked to see them. There is a detailed explanation of the contents of these stories though that help fill you in on anything you have missed. I also liked that because it was early days for comics and there were significantly less characters, they weren't constantly mentioning other people that weren't relevant to the story - something that bogs down more modern Marvel stories that I have read.

I think the existence of this and the other two Marvel Collections for Penguin Classics is very fascinating as it opens up so many possibilities for the publishers. There are apparently three more Marvel titles coming soon, and I would absolutely love to see some DC books published in the future too. Beyond that, I would even like to see them branch out to other genres that have had a big influence on comics, titles like 'Archie', 'The Smurfs' and 'Garfield' all come to mind. In my opinion seeing Penguin experiment and acknowledge other forms of literature is a real big step in an exciting direction.

[John Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Spider-Man - the super hero who could be YOU!"

I don't know how I became this way. I'm a web head. A spider-maniac. An arthropod connoisseur. That's right, I'm a Spider-Man fan.

Lets do this one last time.

My name is John Young. I like reading. And for around a year now, Ive been known on Goodreads as the one and only "harliscool123." I'm pretty sure you know the rest. Ive wrote video game reviews , read giant books in the inheritance cycle, wrote an article or my school newspaper again, again, and again. But after everything, I still love reading. There's only one harl, and you're looking at him.

Then this weird thing happened.

And I gotta say, weird things happen a lot, but this was real weird. I wanted to watch Spider-Man (2002). My previous experiences with Spider-Man have been very positive. I watched Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse and had a great time with both. I started playing some of Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered on my brand new computer and once I got used to the controls, I realized it was incredible. But I didn't become a real web-head until I watched the first movie in the Sam Raimi trilogy. Then I watched Spider-man 2. Then Spider-man 3. Then I played more of Marvels Spider-man Remastered. Then I read some of the newer comics. And finally, my curiosity got the best of me and I got this book.

Let's rewind...

I was at Barns and Noble for a school field trip and picked out a couple books, one of them being a big collection of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles original comic books. But oops! I left my money at school. Thankfully around a week later, my mom drove me and my brother to barns and noble to pick out the books I didn't get. But then I saw this book, The Amazing Spider-Man (Penguin Classics Marvel Collection), and I knew I had to get this over TMNT. I mean, how could I not? I was really into Spider-Man at this point, and I wanted to see his origins.

So why do I love Spider-Man? Well first of all, he is just plain awesome. I mean, shoot webs from his wrists to swing across building to building? How awesome is that! But most superheros should be cool. What really sets him apart from the bunch is that he is human. Peter Parker isn't a rich guy. Hes not an alien, or a monster, or anything in between. He is a normal, smart high schooler that gets bullied.

This is the first piece of the spider-man puzzle; he's relatable. You can put yourself in his shoes. He has strengths and weaknesses like all of us. Lots of superheros struggle with this aspect. I mean Superman seems practically invincible. Hes got super strength, laser eyes, frost breath, anything a superhero needs. But that's no fun. If you never see him fail, what's the point? What's his character growth? This is why Superman is my least favorite superhero.

The second and final piece to the Spider-Man puzzle that I made up is that he is responsible. In an alternate timeline without Uncle Bens death, Spider-Man could have just been an entertainer for T.V. or perhaps even a villain. But in order to be Spider-Man, you need to follow the golden rule: "With great power comes great responsibility"

I feel like this can apply to all of us. I mean, if you are seeing this review, you have a computing device of some sort, right? That's a lot of power even right there. So much good can come out of a computer as long as we use them responsibly. What I'm trying to say is that if you can do good for others, it is your duty, your moral responsibility, to do so. That's what being Spider-Man really means to me, and it's what inspires me to write these kinds of reviews in the first place.

On to the book itself. Both the writing by Stan Lee and the Art by Steve Ditko hold up incredibly well. Sure, the writing can be corny at times, but I thought it was great over all. Now, I'm going to be honest, I skipped the parts that weren't just the comics. I might go back to them but as of right now, all I wanted to read were the comics.

My only complaints for the original comics are that there was a bit too much Fantastic 4. I guess I understand this from an economic perspective since this will get readers curious about them and buy their comics, but now-a-days its just a little annoying. And if there was too much Fantastic 4, there is way too much of "the enforcers." These guys are just lame. There are four of them. Big man, who wears a mask, the ox, who is big and strong, Montana who has a lasso, and Fancy Dan, whose small but fast. That's it. They don't really have a backstory, any relation to Spider-Man, or any powers remotely interesting. And they appear in three whole issues!

As for complaints with the collection it doesn't include all comics 1-19, just the "important" ones I guess I understand this, but I also want to see other villains like Kraven the Hunter and Dr. Doom.

I am excited for the future because I can read more Spider-Man comics. I am thinking about reading The Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection Volume 2 next.

Anyone can wear the mask, but it's how you wear the mask that matters.

[pennpenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5

“And a lean, silent figure slowly fades into the gathering darkness, aware at last that in this world, with great power there must also come—great responsibility!”

• Y’all this was SO MUCH FUN
• I’ve been interested in the history of superhero comics for a while, and this was such a fun ride through the original 1960s Spider-Man comic issues.
• Ben Saunders and Jason Reynold’s informational chapters are super educational, fascinating glimpses into the history of Marvel comics. Jason Reynolds’s beautiful foreword made me emotional :,)

• An incredible quote from Saunders’s introduction:

“These classic superhero stories can sustain intellectual scrutiny on multiple levels: as explorations of the relationship between power and responsibility; as intriguing metaphors for the experience of racial difference; as meditations on the pain of adolescence; as examinations of the meaning, and limits, of patriotism; as reflections on the joys and challenges of family life; as experiments in the juxtaposition of the cosmic and the quotidian; as the artistic working through of a variety of forms of trauma; as unexpected resources for the understanding of our political and social history; as revealing representations of our shifting attitudes toward various categories of identity; and as high aesthetic watermarks in the semiotically rich tradition of American cartooning.” - Ben Saunders

[Tony Laplume · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marvel has been a marvel of self-promotion, and a textbook example of repeating something often enough so that it becomes accepted as fact. In fact, this phenomenon is so inherent to the brand that the foreword material in this Penguin Classics edition of early material from the original Stan Lee/Steve Ditko run itself repeats itself with no apparent irony…

What Marvel achieved was being in the right place at the right time, introducing a whole slate of new characters just at the time pop culture was ready to embrace superheroes again, and the rest is history. Fans embraced these new characters, and to this day they have monopolized the public’s ideas of what superheroes are supposed to be. Spider-Man continues to lead this pack, and it’s always assumed to accept the narrative as it’s told rather than as it actually is. Ironically the true hero of this phenomenon is the nefarious media magnate J. Jonah Jameson, who has become a virtual patron saint of our times, whose naked ambition to shape public perception stoops to all available crass opinions and stunts, some of which Jameson himself even believes! to maintain his control on perception.

These are crude tales, told and drawn crudely. There’s no way around that. There are better stories, of course there are. How anyone convinced Penguin to try and suggest otherwise is surely a better story, and another example of Marvel’s hucksterism. These are the first, foundational stories, of course, and as such have historical curiosity to them, but they’re not of exceptional quality, they don’t stand the test of time, no objective observer would read this and by its own virtue understand and take seriously the idea of superhero storytelling, anymore than the old Adam West Batman TV series.

What’s further insulting is the idea that because something is popular it is also good (much less the reverse). The whole idea of Penguin Classics is supposed to refute such academic quackery, that the value of literature is sometimes something that emerges over time, such as Melville’s Moby-Dick, or has intrinsic worth, not mere transitory significance.

That this happened at all is a testament to the times. I don’t think Penguin will long keep this in print. But enjoy the moment!

[☮ morgan ☮ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"And a lean, silent figure slowly fades into the gathering darkness, aware at last that in this world with great power there must also come -- great responsibility!"

This is so cool seeing the start of the Spider-Man comics.

[Michael Ries · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Penguin Classics Collection, The Amazing Spider-Man, is absolutely wonderful. This hardback book is a collection of twelve comic stories from the first two years of the Spider-Man comics and annuals. There are several detailed introductions to the history of Spider-Man and his creators Stan Lee and Steve Ditko; I found these fascinating. In this anthology you have the full colour cartoon strips and the cover illustrations of the original comics. Interspersed are summaries of the stories not presented in full here, so that you have all the background context needed to enjoy the comics contained within. There are several bonus items at the end of the book such as, “Goodbye to Linda Brown,” where certain “prototype” characters are developed before first appearing in Spider-Man. You will even find some cover designs by Steve Ditko that Stan Lee rejected. I’m a fan of Spider-Man and still learnt lots of new stuff from this collection. This is a book to treasure, and I absolutely loved it!

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spiderman is easily my favorite character from watching all the movies ever since I was a child. Getting to finally read his first stories and being able to meet him as he was first imagined is an amazing feeling to me. This entire book was amazing, and loved getting to see the background of what Stan Lee and the other creators’ goals were when creating Spiderman in the first place.

[Bryan Fischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading Spidey’s first handful of issues for the first time presented in such a great format. Exterior covers, paper quality, gold edges, and page size all made for a great quality reading experience. It was really amazing to see how many characters, locations, villains, and themes all started so early on in the series and are still used today!
Why they chose to randomly exclude a few issues throughout, I do not know. This would’ve felt a lot more complete if they just included those few removed issues. At least they wrote up a paragraph or so for each issue they skipped.

[Gregory Chafin · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was fun to read the original stories and see where later shows and movies pulled inspiration from. Ultimately time has not been kind to the dialogue and perspective of characters in the collections.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing gift from Ella xx

[Troy Tradup · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never been a Spider-Man guy, or even a Marvel guy in general. I am a Penguin Classics fan, however, so their decision to print a series of Marvel collections was ... intriguing.

Considering the pop culture behemoth Marvel has become in recent years, I'm sure this series means some easy cash for Penguin, and it is cool for non-devotees to have these curated "survey course" editions to try to see what all the fuss is about. But under the black spine label? I know, I know, they've already gone there with Morrissey. Oh, Penguin.

My feelings about this first collection are kind of all over the place.

I thought the characters were pretty one-dimensional (as drawings on paper are wont to be, heh heh). I thought the storylines were repetitive and often just plain stupid. And obviously the nature of comic books -- especially at that time -- meant there was never any real sense of danger in any of the stories.

Now, having said all that, yeah, I enjoyed myself. Despite the repetitive nature of the stories and the villains, there's a cumulative effect and even a sort of comfort factor: going in, you know what you're gonna get.

That's probably the extent of my review -- who I am to judge such a milestone character and publisher in light of their billions of dollars of success? Interestingly, Spider-Man and I both first appeared in August 1962, so I almost feel like I should have more of a connection than I do (or ever have).

I'll end with a few random thoughts:

There was a lot of worry about the dangers of atomic power in the early issues.

All the teenagers at Peter's school seem drawn to look like forty-year-olds -- and were teenagers in 1964 still wearing ties to school?

Spider-Man and Flash Thompson seem to have way more sexual chemistry than Peter Parker has with either Betty or Veronica ... um, I mean Liz. Which isn't saying much.

J. Jonah Jameson's single-minded antipathy toward Spider-Man is simply ludicrous.

And, finally: oh my god, Aunt May, just die already.

[Ben Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

You may not know, that along with the first ever Spider-Man story, there are three extra stories attached to this comic.

Without comparing the origin story to the perfect execution of the Raimi film, I can still say this felt very rushed. It hit all the beats to get Peter Parker to Spider-Man, and had some interesting parts along the way, but the speed run nature, coupled with some very dated dialogue, made for a read that I can’t call amazing. Iconic, yes, respectable, absolutely, but I’m glad this story has been adapted since to be better, because this feels more like a blue print of what’s to come. However the artwork still looks really nice.

The second story was kind of sad, a bell guy is so devoted to his job, that he sacrifices himself to save the island inhabitants, and he doesn’t even know if it’s worth it in the end, poor sod. The third was just weird, a criminal is convinced by a mummy to hide in a sarcophagus from the police, and is then transported to ancient Egypt as punishment… excuse me, what the fuck?? The forth was kind of cool, Martians are on the loose, and what we think are the main human characters, are actually aliens who are on the run, WHAT A TWIST! Those stories are short and sweet. Not connected to the main Spider-Man event, but are cool little pieces of history, that are somehow apart of the legacy of what will become one of the most famous superheroes of all time.

Now the omnibus isn’t just Amazing Fantasy, we get some good ol’ classic Spider-Man stories too. They are very enjoyable despite their flaws. If you can look past repetitive, unsubtle, and wonky dialogue, then it’s a real fun read. Don’t get me wrong, the dialogue does bother me, but the characters, stories and artwork are good enough to sustain it. Peter is such an amazing idea for a superhero, making an average teenager one, makes for an interesting concept with some decent execution. He is hot headed, and constantly second guesses his Spider-Man persona, but always does what he believes to be right, keeping him grounded and admirable. I also like his money hijinks, it’s a unique storyline for a superhero to be apart of, and it was entertaining.

The villains were pretty cool, it was interesting to see what these iconic characters started off as, and some of the fights were neat. We get a couple of the greats like Green Goblin, or some that were forgotten with time, like the enforcers, all of whom, were built up as the greatest threats in comic history! The cameos from other heroes were was a nice touch too (with a weird emphasis on Human Torch) and while it was fan service, Spider-Man’s unusual dynamic with them kept it fresh, as he was a more unprofessional hero. Overall, I see why people gravitated toward him in the initial run.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Stan Lee, Steve Ditko run of The Amazing Spider-Man is one of my pop-culture favorites, partially because during the height of my comic book collecting, Marvel was reprinting this run monthly in Marvel Tales. I had a hit or miss selection of various books from this run (including a reprint of Amazing Spider-Man #1 that I knew was going to be a collector's item. SPOILER alert -- it was not), and I practically wore them out reading and re-reading them.

Forty-plus years later and after enjoying the Penguin collection for The Fantastic Four, I decided to revisit Spider-Man. This curated collection of issues from the first two or so years of the run showcases why Spider-Man was such a hit then and remains a hit today. (Honestly, a few of the modern writers would be well served to look back at this run).

The collection gets off to an interesting start with the reprint of the entire issue of Amazing Fantasy 15, showcasing the other stories included in this monumental issue. It's fascinating to see what other kinds of wild, speculative stories Lee and Ditko were telling in the magazine, all before giving the reigns over to the world of Peter Parker. There's also a story from another issue late in this collection that showcases a few elements that will later come into play for as part of the Spider-Man mythology.

The selection of issues is spot-on, showcasing how Lee and Ditko were transforming comics, all while learning on the job. The theme of Peter Parker paying a high price and being conflicted about being Spider-Man is well developed over the course of what's selected. It's also fascinating to see the rogues gallery develop so quickly -- most of the rogues featured in these issues have translated to the big screen in the last several decades.

Again, I find myself wishing they'd had collections like this in my local library when I was growing up. I'd have read these again and again, probably keeping them long past the due date. This collection did encourage me to seek out the first two collections of Spider-Man in the Marvel Masterworks series and fill in the issues summarized in the fascinating essays about Spider-Man.

If you're looking to see how Spidey developed into a pop-culture icon in one edition, this is absolutely a great starting point. Or if just want to remember why Spider-Man was such a hit early on, this is a great reminder. Either way, you're going to have a lot of fun with this one. I know I did.

[Edward Chamberlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so happy that my beloved Penguin Classics series has now tackled comic books. This is a great introduction to the origins of Spider-Man for a comics newbie like myself, and it also provides some great resources about the creation of the character, the history of the Marvel company, and also a very nice Further Reading section that points the way towards other collections. I look forward to reading the other Penguin Classics Marvel books, and hope that DC Comics and Penguin Classics team up in the future.

Sure, the writing is incredibly corny (hell, the writers even describe themselves as such throughout the pages of the collected comics) and the plotting juvenile, but it's still fun to see the origins and early issues of this pop culture touchstone. It really did whet my appetite towards reading more of the later stuff, which I'm assuming has some more depth, and, like I said above, it nicely points the way towards some books that collect these later issues.

Probably one of the key themes that I noticed in these issues is that Peter Parker is almost always overwhelmed by the stress and pressures not only of his superhero life, but of his everyday life too. The editors of this Penguin Classics collection really pushed the idea about Peter's "ambivalence" towards his superhero life, and perhaps the stress leads to this, but more than anything, Lee/Ditko do a great job at depicting all the various stressors that crowd and cramp our titular hero on a daily basis. Peter doesn't exactly brood like Batman, but he DOES worry an awful lot in these pages. His aunt is constantly sick, he's always scrounging for money to support himself and her, and he has a surprising amount of romantic stress for someone who we're constantly told is a bookworm. That is probably the single defining mood that I get from this collection--stress and pressure. It's not danger. Despite his origin story and the death of Uncle Ben, it's not guilt. But, despite all this, Peter does have a lot of fun, too, which makes sense since he's a high school kid, and that's also contained in these pages, too.

Most of all, I'm just so happy that a collection like this exists for someone as hopelessly lost in the labyrinthine world of superhero comics as myself. I can always count on Penguin Classics!

[Dbgirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven’t read any Marvel comics but I love Spider-Man as a character, have loved him since a little kid, I was always ”throwing” web everywhere and climbing on the walls (actually on the chairs, deep freezer etc.). I know Spidey only from some animation tv-series from the 90’s and from some movies (mainly Raimi’s). Wanted to know what’s the original comics are like. At first it was hard to get into because these are very old and clumsily written and I hate that over-hyping the own stories. When I got over that, I was enjoying a lot. The best beating a villain-thing was when Spidey vacuumed The Sandman :D I really honestly think it is very mundane but still a clever and amusing way to beat a bad guy. How did Stan Lee thought of this? But I never understood why J. Jonah Jameson hated Spider-Man. I mean it was explained but I didn’t get it at all. It was funny to notice how much J.K. Simmons looks like JJ Jameson. That has got to mean something! The last story that had somewhat horror themes in it visually was great and totally different comparing to other stories. Wonder what kind of stories these Marvel comics have, do they vary a lot? It was nice to know these key stories from the early 60’s, very good introduction. Liked these visually, they had a lot going on and looked very good. I just don’t get it why Peter Parker and all look so old, like in their thirties. I’ve been wondering that a lot in the old movies and pictures. Are their faces really so old or is it the hair-do’s and clothes? Good book, I’d like to read more Marvel comics now.

[Anthony Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw the Marvel X Penguin collab was a thing I got excited about it. I've got over two hundred of the little black classics, and I think they're peerless in format, presentation, and design. Oftentimes the commentary is integral to pulling anything out of the book, or in perceiving what others may have gleaned. That was not the case here, as the very commentary meant to elevate pulpy American cartoons to the status of classic, came across as... Idk a fellow-kids attempt at a cash in.

Beyond that the book is great. I got it for Christmas after pointing it out to Zandra for my Birthday. Lol. As I had only seen it online, I was surprised when it came and was full sized. I think I expected shrunken pages printed cheaply as more of a kitschy thing that looks cool, but isn't entirely readable. But it was full sized, on decent paper, and made with a sense of quality that exceeded its $16 price tag.

I'm going to get the other five, so that they look great together, and I'll have to figure out a way to work them in with the rest of my classics collection.

Seeing how early much of the Spider-Man mythos took shape is crazy to the continuity of that character, without Venom, Miles, Gwen and the multi-verse though, Peter really still is that guy who could be anyone. I've read these before, but there's something about the early years that is worth revisiting every now and again. The other collections will contain material I've never read, so I'm excited to get those.

[Jack Boyles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since a child, i had a warmth towards Spiderman. At first, it was probably because his design was striking and his powers original. However, over time, you realise it's Peter Parker's struggle. The Spiderman comics added a mundanity to the hero complex. A kid trying to get by in life, clasped by a burden of responsibility – a factor Disney has ignored with their recent movies. It’s little struggles that make Spiderman the most popular hero in the Marvel universe.

This collection, comprising of Diktio's early run, is a lit of fun. Sure, the writing is awful, and the artwork dated; nevertheless, it adds charm to the real. What’s more interesting is the letters. If they’re real, then we see fans quickly understand what made Spiderman – exactly what I said above.

However, i do have a bug bear with the introductory and preface texts. Throughout these sections, the writer always references the ‘co-operation’ in Spiderman’s design; addressing the Stan Lee controversy. No one in the right mind would sat Stan Lee had zero input. However, what people have a problem with is Stan Lee receiving financial compensation when Dikto and Kirby never did. These prefaces, when correct, mislead the argument and distract from the horrible practice that took place.

But, such knowledge made the annual excerpt all the more fun.

[Faith & Fiction Book Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been quite some time since I have read a comic book, which is surprising since that was all I really read for quite a while. That being said, when I began reading this collection after it collected dust on my bookshelf for nearly a year, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it!

Spider-Man is a character that I have read a lot as a feature in my old days of reading Marvel, but I never really got around to reading his own comic. This was exactly why I chose this Penguin Classic collection to read before picking up the other ones I own. It was like hopping back into a time machine to see or origins of one of the most, if not the most, influential superhero of my time!

It was a joy to be introduced to so many villains, supporting characters, and plot lines that seems oh so familiar once reading them! You can really see the inspiration behind the first movie right away, which just a little bit of details altered!

All in all, I wish that this collection was endless and contained all the issues of the time, but alas a graphic novel can only be so large! I look forward to reading more Spider-Man in the future and to continue reading these Penguin Classics Marvel Collection!

[Philmore Olazo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spider-Man is, without a doubt, the best Marvel Comics character ever created.

His story is relatable to so many and his struggles feel like lifter right out of real live, minus the whole radioactive spider thing of course.

A very simple premise, a teenager that got super powers and learned the hard way to use them to the betterment of others, even if it made his life miserable. Peter lost his uncle Ben, his aunt May is an old and sickly woman, his personal relationships are a strong as wet paper, and the newspaper, the Daily Bugle, is constantly trying to convince the city to be against him.

I've said in the past that I'm not the big of a fan of Stan's writing style, but oddly enough. I think that what he did with Spider was very cool, his prose wasn't boring to follow, nor it was hard to get into. I guess that when you pour your heart into an idea, it reflects in the overall quality of the product.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The discussion was had on social media not that long ago about what series had the best first 20 issues ever. I think hands down everyone agrees it was Amazing Spider-man. Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created the best initial run of a character.....EVER! This book has some insights and write-ups but includes those very first issues and at a massively affordable price! You meet Peter Parker, Aunt May, Uncle Ben, Doctor Octopus, Electro, Sandman, The Vulture, Green Goblin, Mysterio, Flash Thompson, Betty Brant, The Chameleon!!! You also have the Fantastic Four and the Hulk appear within this series of books! Come on, who else had such an unbelievable foundation laid out and they still hold up all these decades later. I started my comic collection on Spider-Man and remember reading that the average Spidey collector purchased at least 30 issues in a row. I think no matter who, if you like comics there is a spot for Spider-Man in your fandom and this book....is a MUST OWN!

[Natalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome collection of Spiderman comics, with helpful explanations of gaps between certain comics, when and why certain themes were explored, and how certain characters came to be!

The first few comics were a bit up and down, but as Lee and Ditko really got into the series, every comic was better than the last! I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Spidey's first interactions with villains wr know from the movies such as Green Goblin, Dr Octopus, and Sandman. Some other villains we don't see in the movies were awesome, too! And the appearances of other beloved Marvel characters were heart-warming and familiar.

I loved getting a look into the creative minds of Lee and Ditko! This was not only entertaining, but educational too on the comic book age and the development of super hero popularity from the then-regular comic book themes of crime and fantasy.

A must-read for any Spiderman fan!

[William Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some takeaways from reading this:

The writing is generally rubbish but the central idea is genius - as is the art; Steve Ditko's drawings are the reason these are worth reading.

There are so many typos it's actually bizarre (they call Spider-Man Super-Man at one point).

They're generally quite similar, which can get boring.

The whole Marvel comic culture is so cute.

The few non-superhero stories included in this collection are usually more interesting than the superhero ones.

It's actually so funny how Aunt May treats Peter like he's 1 year old and severely handicapped.

Overall, though, was fascinating to learn about how Spider-Man was conceived of and how comics work. Very interesting that Marvel stories are now being canonised by Penguin (though may just be a cash-grab). Lots of great characters and great art.

Nice collection for anyone interested.

[lolonny777 · Rating 3 out of 5]

FINALLY got around to reading again (everyone applaud,) and what better thing to finish than a collection of classic comic books. my (partial) bias against older movies seems to carry over to books as well, i’ve discovered. this is good though! and im sure i would gas it up very much more if i were reading these comics in the past! as it stands, this is a fine and fun look into the beginning of the history of the best superhero. very interesting to see and analyze how these characters and stories were at the start, and it gives me a greater appreciation to the places we’ve gone since especially in regards to character and villain and story depth.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The actual quality of this collection deserves 5 stars. The early days of Spider-Man where we establish the tropes of his mythology and a lot of what makes Spider-Man a unique and beloved character (origin story, nerdy outsider, self-doubt, JJ leading a one man crusade to ruin his reputation, introduction to the rogue's gallery).

While I understand reading it in the context of 1962-1964, what took away some enjoyment for me was the quality of writing and depth of characters to be quite horrendous. Stan Lee deserves a lot of credit for conceiving/co-creating a lot of Marvel's foundational characters, but as an actual writer?

[Liliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a Spider-Man fan basically my whole life but I never really read comics up until now. I honestly just happened to come across this while in a Barnes and Noble after my graduation and figured that I must read it and I am so glad I did.

I absolutely loved reading the first few Spidey comics and I think that the selection of these comics were a good bunch. I do wish that some of the comics weren't omitted from this collection as I would have liked to read them. But it's fine, I got hooked enough from just this that I think I'll continue reading Spider-Man comics. Might just become one of those annoying, avid comic readers now. Who knows.

[BookReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a lot. Spider-Man has always been one of my favorite superheroes. I enjoyed this a lot because this was a relatively new concept for comics at the time. It was unheard of, to see a teenager being their own superhero. I've always liked how they incorporated the school stuff in these comics to make him more relatable. Sure, some of the comics haven't aged well, but I still think these older comics show why Spider-Man is so popular nowadays. Because he has actual relatable problems, and it adds more depth to his character. That's why this collection of comics is so great.