Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection, Vol. 8: Man-Wolf at Midnight

Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection

by Gerry Conway (Writer), Ross Andru (Illustrator), John Romita Sr. (Cover Art)

There’s no questioning it, Peter Parker has never had it easy, but when the Parker luck is in full effect, you know it means epic Spider-Man adventures! A new era of villains keeps the bad luck streak alive when Col. John Jameson’s is marked by the werewolf’s curse becoming the Man-Wolf. Meanwhile, Peter Parker’s best friend Harry Osborn descends into madness, paranoia and a certain green costume. The first appearance of the Punisher raises the tension even higher, while the nefarious Jackal draws up schemes that will forever change the web-slinger’s life! Also featuring the introduction of the hilarious Human Torch-built Spider-Mobile; the shocking wedding of Aunt May and Doctor Octopus; the Tarantula, Mysterio and so much more!

COLLECTING: Amazing Spider-Man (1963) 124-142, Giant-Size Super-Heroes (1974) 1, material from Marvel Treasury Edition (1974) 1

Genres: Comics, Spider Man, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Superheroes, Collections

416 pages, Paperback

First published July 19, 2022

About the author

Gerard 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.

Reviews

[Sean Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conway and Andru are an unbelievably underrated combo on Spidey. The closest thing to Stan/Romita there is.

This collection is outstanding.

[Michael Emond · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was another cool Epic collection that is a must buy for any Spider-man fans. There is good and bad but the good outweighs the bad.

First, the good is the art of Ross Andru. He was at his best drawing Spider-man and Peter Parker. Yes, the one Gil Kane issue made me long for HIS art (for my tastes his dynamic art outshines Andru's) but you can't deny Andru's talent.
The good is the introduction of some key new characters The Punisher (makes two appearances) and the Jackal. The Punisher shows up and while he isn't like the Punisher we know...who can be different depending on who writes him...he is still pretty similar and has the groundwork laid out for him. Why he thinks working for a guy named the Jackal, wearing a monster suit, is the "good side" is beyond me :). The Jackal plays a huge role in Spider-man's life over this collection and the next one (due out next august 2023) and was a great invention by Gerry Conway. Gerry Conway's writing is VERY solid - better than Roy Thomas who seemed content to rehash what Stan Lee did. The one thing I take issue with is how he writes Mary Jane and Peter. They snap at each other constantly and you wonder why anyone would like these two. Gerry would have done everyone a favor by showing Peter's good side and not just have him yelling at his friends every time they said hi or asked if he wanted to go out with them.

In the end - a fun bunch of stories. Other than the Punisher none of them are true classics but they are all fun.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this era of spider-man some great stories and art here

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I admit it. I’m biased. This volume contains some of the first Spider-Man comics that I owned (and still do). Purchased right off the spinner rack of a convenience store or my favorite bookstore, I picked up Amazing Spider-Man #127, 129 and then Giant-Size Super-Heroes#1, before starting my actual collection with Amazing Spider-Man #134 and every issue after for many, many years. So yes, there’s a lot of nostalgia for me in these pages.

[Alex Andrasik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, this title gives some whiplash. No sooner does Gwen Stacey dies tragically than we're introduced to the Spider-Mobile and other such nonsense. At least the Spider-Mobile is treated with some metatextual sense of its own absurdity than I'd realized from years of simply hearing about the debacle; it's not like Spider-Man suddenly had a car we were all meant to take seriously, it was just a goofy promotional stunt on the part of an engine manufacturer or some such. Quite Spidey, that - willing to debase himself for a deal that'd help him make ends meet. I love the detail that Spidey, a New Yorker born and bred, couldn't even drive, a fact which scandalized his pal Johnny Storm.

Odd that a legitimate company would want to do business with Spider-Man now that he's suspected of murdering Norman Osborn. And odd how light he was able to keep it after Gwen's death. Some of the time, at least; sometimes he's blaming himself for that, other times feeling very sorry for himself over it indeed. That bit's a little unseemly at time, with Peter's feelings taking precedence over the fact of Gwen's death, but that is sadly realistic, I suppose.

Other milestones abound. Ned Leeds and Betty Brant announce their engagement. Robbie Roberston remains wise and supportive and underused. The Jackal first appears, with all that portends clone-wise, as does the Punisher, who's not quite the pot-boiled hard guy we've come to know and tolerate. Pete's friendship with Flash Thompson progresses, though as usual, the narrative forgets they've been on good terms for some time. (Pete's brief sojourn in Far Rockaway rooming with Flash is pretty hilarious, with lots of rickety old houses and empty stretches of swamp!) Robbie Robertson is wise and underused, and JJJ bloviates, and his son gets furry. Oh, and Aunt May almost marries Doc Ock! Somehow there's a nuclear island in the Reilly family, which May gets in someone's will, but I'm sure she would much prefer a monthly stipend for her apoplexy medication. Too bad, Aunt May! Nuclear island blow up instead!

[Bill Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were those who thought after Gwen Stacy was the first super-hero's girlfriend ever killed in a comic book, that Marvel had gone crazy and that they were shooting themselves in the proverbial webbed foot.
But this collection shows that things kept going and the Spidey phenom kept growing, as Mary Jane Watson slipped into Peter Parker's life, first as comforter, then as something more.
But hey, this isn't Millie the Model. There had to be some things going on in Spidey's life too.

Well, the usual villains kept coming, but a lot of new ones as well. The Grizzly wasn't actually going to wet anyone's appetite. But that was just a guy wanting to pay J. Jonah Jameson back for ruining his life.

There was also Mysterio, more mysterious because he was dead. But again, JJJ was just trying to pay someone to end Spidey's adventures.

These were past the days when Stan Lee, the greatest legend of comic writing, was still doing the stories for his most revered invented character. But as publisher, he had Jerry Conway to do things along with John Romita.

These collections are usually a year's worth of Spidey. This was 1975. On Kindle they show up as large enough even for old men to read. Takes me right back to '75, when I was in Georgia, an Army grunt and Chaplain assistant and definitely needed good reading in between trips to the field. Those were also the days of playing sports on some good teams, since everyone there had made it out of basic training alive. So I could emulate Spidey crawling up walls to grab softballs that guys thought were going to give them the win. Fun days. Hitting was fun too, but nothing beat flying through the air after a fly ball.

So now I'm old and sometimes need a good read to remind me how Stan Lee kept all of us on the straight and narrow by showing that villains never win.

I highly recommend these collections as a way to return to those thrilling days of yesteryear, when Stan's Soapbox would sign off the only way that comic legends can keep folks coming back...
Excelsior! (We miss you, Stan)

[Kenny Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an incredible dive back into a weird run of “The Amazing Spider-Man”. I had a very fun time reading these old issues over these last few months. This collection contains the issues after the death of Gwen Stacy and while there are some incredibly odd characters and moments that are here, there are also a lot of fun, intimate, epic moments that I couldn’t help but find heartwarming for the kid in me. The art style is amazing, bringing me back to simpler times. A majority of the issues in here are illustrated by Frank Giacoia and Dave Hunt, who are an exceptional duo and paired with Ross Andru’s writing it was very entertaining. I found though my favorite issues were the ones illustrated by John Romita Sr. as this was my first time really reading an issue drawn by him. His artistic vision and style is so incredible and breathtaking, it gave Spider-Man a cinematic feel that created some of those epic moments I mentioned.
All in all, a very fun read and I can’t wait to dive into the next collection on my shelf very soon.

[Pieter]

Placeholder voor verschillende Spider-Man verhaallijnen uit jaren '70, '80 en '90:
- Amazing Spider-Man (1963) 111-149 (volledige run door Gerry Conway)
- Amazing Spider-Man (1963) 224-252 (volledige run door Roger Stern)
- Alien Costume Saga door Tom DeFalco en Al Milgrom (ASM (1963) 253-263 + Peter Parker Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) 90-100 + Web of Spider-Man (1985) 1)
- Death of Jean Dewolff door Peter David (PPSSM (1976) 107-110 + 134-136
- Kraven's Last Hunt door JM DeMatteis (ASM 293-294, PPSSM 131-132, WebSM 31-32)
- Tombstone door Gerry Conway (Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) 137-150
- Venom door David Michelinie (ASM 298-300 + 315-317)
- Maximum Carnage door David Michelinie e.a. (ASM 378-380, SSM 201-201, WebSM 101-103, Spider-Man (1990) 35-37)
- Clone Saga door Terry Kavanagh e.a. (ASM 394-406, SSM 217-229, WebSM 117-129, SM 51-63 e.a.)

[Malum · Rating 4 out of 5]

The creative juices are flowing here almost as strong as the first epic collection. We get the first appearances of the Punisher, the Jackal, Man-Wolf, and the return of the Green Goblin. We also get the so bad it's hilariously good Spider-Mobile and the (attempted) wedding of Doc Ock and Aunt May. The Giant-Sized Super-Heroes issue is also really good, as Morbius and Man-Wolf team up for what feels like a Halloween spectacular.

The writing and plotting are also getting better and better as we continue to barrel toward the modern era.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gems include Spidey v. Man-Wolf, JJJ3 finds a moonrock, Kangaroo gets the Hammerhead treatment, Vulture nearly gives MJ the Gwendy treatment, Spidey harasses Mouthpiece Moylan, Spidey v. Punisher, Hammerhead v. Spider-Mobile, Hammerhead crashes Doc Ock’s & May’s wedding, Liz Allen returns, Spidey v. Tarantula, Punisher v. Hidalgo & Juan, Green Goblin lives again, Harry outs Peter, Peter moves in w/ Flash, Spidey v. Grizzly, JJJ regrets throwing his shoe at Spidey, Mysterio defeats the Spider-Mobile, & JJJ clicks his heels

[Jimbo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gerrymandering Conway and Ross Andru (and Gil Kane) spun magic in this collection creating The Punisher, the Jackel, Grizzly, Mindoro and old foes like the Vulture, Return of The Green Goblin (Harry Osborne), Doc Ock, and even a fake Mysterio.
Also, you can tell with the Jackel that the first Clone Saga is right around the bend!!

[Doug Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

solid volume, maybe not as good as the one before it but that was also a really good volume. this starts a new era for Spidey, and it is a bit of a mixed bag but I mostly liked what was here. its nice to see Peter and MJ pick things up a bit, and to see signs of her getting some development, but it does also feel like the overarching story isn't the most interesting.

[Yosef Shapiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume picks up shorly after the death of Gwen Stacy. It shows Peter deep in mourning and guilt ridden. It also shows him slowly developing his relationship with MJ. Last but not least it shows Harry becoming the second Green Goblin. These are important storylines for all "True Believers".

[Gaute Hjartåker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly entertaining 70s Marvel material. What more could you want?

Punisher’s first appearance is the most important event in this book; other than that, it’s pretty much 70s business as usual for Spidey. But it’s consistently entertaining business, courtesy of Conway and Andru. The book starts with Peter still reeling from the recent events with Gwen Stacy and the Green Goblin. Not being a silver age fan, I was gonna start my ASM Epic collection with this volume, but I might pick up #7 too since it contains those monumental stories.

After the first few issues, I settled into the nice “rhythm” of 70s Spidey. Some melodrama with friends and family, workplace issues with JJJ, and then a super-baddie shows up hell-bent on revenge (Kangoroo), or hijacking a boat (Tarantula, in his first appearance), or, um, sucking the mental life-force out of an entire neighborhood (the Mindworm). Shoot this stuff into my veins.

The sub-plots move along nicely over the course of the volume, like Harry Osborn who’s reeling from the death of his father, and slowly comes unglued, culminating in a dramatic resurrection of the Green Goblin. This was maybe the highlight of the book for me; the tragedy of recent events echo in these stories.

Punisher’s first appearance was also a good read, though we don’t get his origin story here. Some usual Marvel Misunderstandings initially pit Punisher and Spidey against each other, but later on they unite against a common foe. I’m looking forward to see how the character is fleshed out in later appearances.

Some 70s cheese is to be expected; the infamous Spider-buggy is as excactly as whacky as it sounds, and the whole Aunt May-Dock Ock plot always struck me as bizarre. But I’m game for the ride.

I think that’s about as deep as I’ll go for this review; others have written better than me about the watershed death of Gwen Stacy and what it meant for Spidey and comics in general. The book might have taken a darker and more mature turn since the silver age, but for me these stories are still just pure fun. Thoroughly recommended.

[Darik · Rating 3 out of 5]

... I'll admit, I only bought this collection for that one issue where Doctor Octopus married Aunt May so he can lay claim to a uranium processing plant. And to be honest, that story needed to be two issues longer and feature some scenes of Aunt May actually interacting with Doc Ock like a person instead of a prop; seriously, SO MANY other writers have turned this bizarre one-off idea into a fun relationship, it's kind of a shame to see that its origins were so threadbare.

But there was a lot of funky, oddball stuff to enjoy in this collection! There's the first appearances of characters like the Jackal, the Tarantula, and even the Punisher... not to mention odd duck creations like the Grizzly and the Mind Worm... you get Harry's descent into madness and his first outing as the second Green Goblin... and you even get the joyfully stupid creation of the short-lived Spider-Mobile!

It's charming, simple, often repetitive (every issue spends an inordinate amount of time recapping the status quo) superhero soap opera, as only '70s Marvel could do it... These are written as disposable entertainment, and they still largely are-- but every issue packs a thrill!

[Batusi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delivers classic Spider-Man storytelling filled with action, strong character moments, and the introduction of memorable foes like the Man-Wolf.

The stories balance Peter Parker's personal struggles with the ongoing chaos of the superhero life, weaving in drama, romance, and classic Marvel soap opera.

This is a highly enjoyable volume that captures Spider-Man at his Bronze Age best.