The Amazing Spider-Man: The Death of Gwen Stacy

The Amazing Spider-Man (1963-1998) #96-98, 121-122

by Gerry Conway, Stan Lee, Gil Kane (Illustrator)

In this shocking and moving story, the Green Goblin and Spider-Man face off atop the George Washington Bridge, with Gwen's life hanging in the balance.

Collects The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #96-98, 121-122 and Webspinners: Tales of Spider-Man (1999) #1

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Spider Man, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book

112 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1971

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

[Marcos GM · Rating 5 out of 5]

[ESP/ENG]

Si ayer tocaba una de Gwen Stacy en su versión más actual, hoy vamos al personaje clásico, la Gwen que muchos conocimos y añoramos a dia de hoy (sins past no es canon, aquello no pudo pasar) en este tomo que es parte del 60 aniversario de Spiderman. Está formado por dos de los más reputados arcos del personaje de su historia: La trilogía de las drogas y La muerte de Gwen Stacy.

Nunca...me sentí así...antes. Es como...si me ahogara ¡Como si me muriera por dentro! Nada parece real ...nada está firme.

La primera parte está compuesta de 3 números, en los cuales se dan a conocer los problemas con las drogas de Harry Osborn, el mejor amigo de Peter. Esta Trama viene motivada por la terrible oleada de muertes que hubo en la época a causa del consumo de drogas, y un intento de Marvel de concienciar a sus lectores en contra de esta lacra. Aquí el tema no es humorístico como suele ser el personaje, y de hecho se ve a un Peter/Spiderman más taciturno. El guión es de Stan Lee y el dibujo de Gil Kane, ambos a un alto nivel.



Snap!

¡Voy a acabar contigo, Duende! Voy a destruirte lentamente, y cuando empieces a suplicarme que pare...te recordaré una cosa. Has matado a la mujer que amo...¡Y por eso, morirás!

Y con eso pasamos a la historia que da pie al título, una historia que ve la vuelta de Gwen que se había ido a Londres y cómo el duende verde decide secuestrarla para hacer la puñeta a Spiderman. La diferencia radical a otras historias es que aquí, como dice el título y todos sabemos ya, la pobre Gwen muere. Si en el arco anterior Peter/Spiderman era más taciturno, aquí directamente está fuera de sí y todo acaba pero que muy mal. Uno de los momentos cumbre del personaje, que repercutirá en su carácter hasta tiempos muy recientes, y que quizá nunca se vaya del todo. El guión es de Gerry Conway y el dibujo de Gil Kane, con colaboración del gran John Romita Sr en el tercer número, que es algo anticlimático como pasará a futuro con el número que cierra Daredevil: Born Again





Este número es accesible a todos los públicos, aunque solo los que ya tengan conocimientos previos de los personajes podrán recibir mayor impacto en esta lectura. De todas formas esta colección de tomos del 60 aniversario es muy interesante, no dudes en hacerte con algunas o todas porque son lo mejor del personaje.


🕷️🕸️🕷️🕸️🕷️🕸️🕷️🕸️🕷️🕸️🕷️🕸️


If yesterday wad the turn of Gwen Stacy in her current version, today we go to the classic character, the Gwen that many of us knew and miss today (sins past is not canon, that couldn't happen) in this volume that is part of 60 Spiderman anniversary. It is made up of two of the most renowned arcs in his history: The Drug Trilogy and The Death of Gwen Stacy.

I.. never felt this way..before. It's like.. I'm drowning.. falling.. Dying inside! Nothing seems real..nothing hangs together.

The first arc is made up of 3 issues, in which the drug problems of Harry Osborn, Peter's best friend, are revealed. This Plot is motivated by the terrible wave of deaths that occurred at the time due to drug use, and an attempt by Marvel to raise awareness among its readers against this scourge. Here the theme is not humorous as the character usually is, and in fact we see a more taciturn Peter/Spiderman. The script is by Stan Lee and the drawing by Gil Kane, both at a high level.



Snap!

I'm going to get you, Goblin! I'm going to destroy you slowly, and when you start begging for me to end it...I'm going to remind you of one thing. You killed the woman I love.. And for that, you're going to die!

And with that we move on to the story that gives meaning to the title, a story that sees the return of Gwen who had gone to London and how the green goblin decides to kidnap her to mess up Spiderman. The radical difference from other stories is that here, as the title says and we all already know, poor Gwen dies. If in the previous arc Peter/Spiderman was more taciturn, here he is directly out of his mind and everything ends very badly. One of the character's peak moments, which will impact his character until very recent times, and which may never completely go away. The script is by Gerry Conway and the art by Gil Kane, with collaboration from the great John Romita Sr in the third issue, which is somewhat anticlimactic as will happen in the future with the issue that closes Daredevil: Born Again



This issue is accessible to all audiences, although only those who already have prior knowledge of the characters will be able to receive a greater impact from this reading. In any case, this collection of 60th anniversary volumes is very interesting, do not hesitate to get some or all of them because they are the best of the character.

[Trai · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was perhaps not the ideal reader for this volume. I have little experience with the Spider-Man comics, if any; my only knowledge has been gleaned from the films, Wikipedia article-skimming, and a novelization of, I'm given to understand, the Peter/Mary Jane plotline in the Ultimate comics. ( Mary Jane by Judith O'Brien, for anyone wondering--it actually remains a favorite novel of mine to this day, because it so accurately reflected high school life, and because it made me an eternal lover of Peter/Mary Jane.) Since I've been a devout Peter/Mary Jane shipper since childhood--they're one of the first fictional couples I remember really loving, before even Roswell's Max and Liz or The X-Files' Mulder and Scully--I just wasn't expecting to get so wrapped up in the death of Peter's first love. After all, he moved on and found happiness eventually with Mary Jane, so I knew it would be okay. That would negate the emotional impact, I thought.

Except that it really didn't. Even knowing next to nothing about Peter and Gwen's history together, next to nothing about the storyline in the comics up until then, I was still emotionally devastated by the story and surprised by how effective it was even years later. I can see now why this is such a landmark story, not only for Spider-Man but for comics in general. It's truly a feat.

At first, I admit, I got a good laugh at the artwork. One of my favorite Doctor Who episodes has a moment where the Doctor's former companion reveals K9, the old robot dog that used to assist her and the Doctor in the classic series, now worn out and broken. Rose, the current companion, looks at the very out-of-date robot and says, "Why does he look so... disco?" That was pretty much my reaction. When Peter's walking around wearing gold chains and painfully Technicolor suits, and Harry looks closer to thirty than college age... yeah. Stack that on top of Peter's habit of exclaiming that old-school expression of annoyance, "Nuts!", and calling Gwen "Gwendy" and I was... well, there was a lot of cheese apparent in some parts of the story. As a modern reader, it was a little hard to get past some of the more dated aspects.

That said, though, the plot itself still felt relevant. From what I understand, from context and Wikipedia readings, Peter begins the story broken up from Gwen, who has fled to Europe after the death of her police captain father. He was killed trying to save a child from a falling building cornice, and Gwen blamed Spider-Man. Her grief pushed her and Peter apart and led to her going overseas, and now Peter is left alone in New York with his best friend and roommate, Harry Osborn.

Peter's day is about to get pretty eventful. His Aunt May, at least, seems to be recovering well from the death of his Uncle Ben, going out on the town with Anna Watson. On his walk through the City, Peter, as Spider-Man, follows speeding cop cars to the site of a building where a man, stoned on LSD, is about to jump off. Spider-Man saves the jumper, but drugs are about to hit much closer to home. Harry, seething with jealousy over the way Mary Jane's been flirting with Peter (ostensibly to make Harry jealous), decides that LSD and pill-popping would be a great solution to his problems, a way to forget about Mary Jane.

Though Peter worries about his friend's seeming pill addiction, he's got bigger problems. Harry's father, Norman, is the Green Goblin--unknowingly. When he's Norman, his memories of being the Goblin are safely buried, but could be triggered at any time of undue stress... which would lead to him remembering that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, something Peter can't risk. Unfortunately, over the course of the next few months, Norman is about to remember, and when he does, the Goblin will rob Peter of the love of his life... and maybe even Peter's own principles.

To start with, I'd read a bit about the anti-drugs angle in this story, but I was surprised at just how strongly it was present. I will give the writers credit for knowing that they were in a position to reach many, many kids, and that they probably did so admirably. In 1973, drugs were still as big an issue as they are today, apparently. Yes, it gets a bit soapbox-y, but Spider-Man saving the jumper was admirable, and seeing Harry's spiral into schizophrenia as the result of his taking LSD was heartbreaking.

Reading this, never having had much experience with "old school" comics, I was surprised at how knowing the creators were, occasionally throwing in little metafictional notes (reminders to the reader about certain things from issues past, for one thing). I got a giggle out of the third issue, where Peter and Gwen separately philosophize about missing the other, and when we finally get back to the action, the panel notes, "And now that the longest soliloquies since Hamlet have come to an end..." It was fun to see the writers really knowing their audience, probably thinking that the young (predominantly male, I'd assume) audience reading the comics just wouldn't care about Peter Parker's romantic life. I haven't read many comics at all today, so I don't know if those little nods still exist. Somehow I get the feeling they don't, that these are charming remnants of a bygone era. For one thing, the cutesy, knowing tone is at an end by the time Peter arrives in his apartment to find Gwen's purse and a weapon of the Green Goblin's.

What a confrontation it is. What a death scene. What aftermath. I knew the outcome, of course I did, but I was holding my breath as soon as Peter swung up to the bridge to see the Goblin with an unconscious Gwen. There's so much at play here that it stunned me, and the pages immediately following Gwen's death left me sobbing.

"I saved you, honey. Don't you see?... I saved you." These are Peter's denial-ridden words when he realizes his beloved has died... and sadly, that it might have been his fault. No one will ever confirm or deny, it seems, as it's been debated in the decades since the storyline wrapped, but it might have been Peter's heroic actions that caused Gwen's death. He caught her by the ankle with his webbing, and the telltale SNAP! effect by her head seems to indicate that whiplash killed her, although the Goblin says a fall from that height would have killed anyone.

Was Peter at fault, for more reasons than one: because the Goblin knowing his real identity put Gwen in danger for associating with him, because his catching her might have killed her after all? Was he at as much fault as the Goblin? That's the question that seems to drive his downward spiral. The fifth issue chronicles Spider-Man's vengeful pursuit of the Goblin, and it's just breathtaking. That's the only way I can describe it. Even not knowing much of Spider-Man outside of these few issues, I could see just how much he'd been driven off the deep end by Gwen's death.

"'No?' Do I hear you begging, Goblin? Don't make me sick, friend--why should I show you any mercy? What mercy did you show Gwen? Answer me that, Green Goblin--ANSWER ME THAT!"

Those are Peter's words as he attacks the Goblin, tormented with grief. It's the same standard thing you see in nearly any TV show or movie that features this sort of a confrontation after the hero's loved one has died at the hands of the villain, but what astonished me is that all of the emotion is conveyed through words, not even so much the artwork. We don't see much of Peter with his mask off after the death happens. He's in the suit nearly all the time, leaving us blind to his facial expressions. A medium which can use art to show emotion chose not to, instead leaving nearly all the weight on Peter's anguished words--that was incredibly brave, and perhaps made it even more moving to me, someone who's touched by words more than anything.

After the confrontation is finished and Peter's still standing, the groundwork is seemingly laid for the future. Mary Jane is profoundly affected by the death of her good friend, and stays to comfort Peter. I think it was a wise choice to include a small snippet, after the close of the final issue, of a recently-penned Peter/Gwen story. A glimpse into one of the last nights Peter and Gwen would ever share, it's a moving meditation on regret and remembrance after loss.

"How many moments in our lives go by like that? 'We'll do it tomorrow,' we say. 'No, I don't feel like it... you go without me.' 'Maybe some other time.' But those tomorrows we take for granted... don't always come."

I don't think that many comics can claim to have made their readers think so much, to feel so deeply, as this one did. With a still-timely anti-drug message, a moral struggle for the ages, and a landmark death in the history of comics, this volume, scarcely over 100 pages, still packs a powerful punch over thirty years later. I've emerged from this reading experience with a better appreciation of the Spider-Man mythos as well as the history of comics, and for that I'm grateful. For any Spider-Man lovers or even doubters, for anyone who wants a glimpse into comic book history, see if you can find this one--if you can, it's well worth a read. Peter loves and misses you, Gwen. I think I will, too.

[Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

You'd be hard pressed to hear me praise anything about the early portion (or just about any portion other than this one) of Gerry Conway's run on The Amazing Spider-Man. I don't know that he disliked Spidey, but I do think that he liked humiliating him a bit more than his fellow writers. In one climactic battle, Conway had Spider-Man taken out by the evil, powerful and menacing... Aunt May? ...What? Go ahead, reread that sentence. It's true. Aunt May knocked out Spider-Man by hitting him in the head with a vase. That means, of course, that at that point, May had done what Sandman, Mysterio, Kraven, and Molten Man had all failed to do. Take out Spider-Man.

Combine that with that whole Doc Ock courting Aunt May storyline, not to mention starting this rolling snowball of hell, and you can see why Conway isn't my favorite writer. But I have to admit, he handled these issues like a pro. He does just about everything right and exceptionally well, which makes me wonder about the rest of his run, but anyway...

There are a lot of obvious things in this comic that make it great. You've got the tragic story of the death of a loved one, the climactic "final" battle between two mortal enemies, and a tale that runs the emotional gauntlet. But there are a lot of less obvious things that make this comic a great one. Take for example, this panel from issue #121:

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This panel here does a fantastic job of conveying Peter's emotional state in each aspect of it's presentation. Firstly, there's the dialogue. We have Spidey stubbornly refusing to believe that Gwen is dead, saying to himself that he saved her, trying to convince himself that he didn't fail to protect her. Then we have the lettering. The words "I saved you..." are small and thin, conveying a whisper or perhaps a whimper that reflects the feelings Peter must be experiencing. Finally, the art does a fantastic job of conveying just how small and unworthy Peter must feel. The angle is high, so that we're looking down on him, making him more pitiable, and the focal point of the panel, Spider-Man and Gwen, is far away from us, showing them as two small figures separated from the world and alone. This panel alone is a masterpiece. Bravo.

This is the first story in Amazing Spider-Man that shows how distraught death can make us. We have the obvious example of Peter ballistically attacking Norman Osborn, The Green Goblin. But there are countless other examples as well. For instance, we have Peter trying to comfort Gwen after her death, telling her that everything will be ok and that he won't let anyone hurt her anymore, perhaps still not allowing himself to believe that she's really dead. There's also the case of him physically lashing out at a cop in anger, and Peter abandoning his friend Harry when he was in need because of that aforementioned anger, things we would never associate with Peter under normal circumstances. This issue's a serious look at what death, guilt, and even responsibility can do to even the nicest of people.

This story also marks a turning point for someone who would go on to be arguably the most important woman in Peter's life: Mary Jane. When Peter is emotionally crippled by the event, MJ attempts to comfort him only to have Peter unfairly lash out at her. Despite how hurt she must have been by his comments, she knows Peter is distraught and displays for the very first time the maturity, understanding, and patience that would later become mainstays of her character.

This is easily one of the most heart wrenching stories I've read in comics. It's easily one of, if not the, greatest Spider-Man story and it should easily find itself among the greatest comic book stories of all time (in my humble opinion, of course). It's perfect in almost every way and is a great example of the emotional impact that comic books can have on those who read them. A beautiful must read for any comic fan, be they webhead or otherwise.

[Issa · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most classic spider man stories of all time. A bit dated but the shock value of the death of Gwen Stacy still holds weight. Many things are going on in Peter Parker life amongst them the fallout of the death of Gwen dad captain Stacy and the drug addiction of Harry Osborn and Spidey's ongoing battle with the maniacal Green Goblin. Definitely one for the all time classics

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is when I wish Goodreads had a half-star option.

First of all, the comics contained within this collection make it an easy 5/5, which is how I'm going to base my rating. It's one of the most famous Spider-Man arcs and for good reason. Despite the dated dialogue, the emotional impact of the story remains top-notch. You've got a great plot with one of Spider-Man's most iconic villains. The art honestly holds up and kinda makes me wish more comics would be released in a similar style (smaller panels), but I can see why it fell out of style (there's a lot of dialogue, especially with Peter's inner thoughts, but it did remind me a lot of the 90s animated series so that was fun). And the anti-drug message is still as relevant today as it was then. By the end, I truly felt sorry for Peter, and even though I know it gets better for him from there (as admitted in the epilogue), I can only imagine what he felt when there were no more issues after, and what readers had in their minds at the time.

All of this said, I have two gripes I want to mention:

1) I don't know this for certain, but I would think that there are "better" collections out there that contain this story arc. I did think the second half (chapters 4 & 5) felt rushed (more on that in a second). I wanted to know more about how Peter dealt with Gwen's death after the fact, or what Harry was going through in-between Chapters 3 and 4. Which brings me to my next point...

2) It bothers me that this wasn't written by Stan Lee. Look, I know he only stayed on for so long and that there have been plenty of amazing (no pun intended) Spider-Man stories without him. However, I found it very jarring to read something by him, to the end of Chapter 3, and then pick up 20+ issues later, for the final two Chapters. The writing is very different given that it's a different author, and I don't know, it just seems off-putting. And I know that Lee himself was initially upset about killing off Gwen, so I definitely see his point.

Still, none of this ruins the overall story. It's mainly my personal nitpicks. I think any fan of Spider-Man or any comic reader in general should add this to their stack (though maybe see if there's a better collection out there first).

[RandomReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never thought the movies were that faithful to the comics.



Also, "The Kiss" was one great story, and so maturely-written for our friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.

[Alejandro Montero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a classic story, whilst it does feel a bit dated (the way they talk and everything) it still hits

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

As their friend Harry Osborn struggles with drug abuse, Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy rekindle their budding romance. However, Harry's father suffers a mental breakdown which leads to the resurgence of his supervillain persona, the Green Goblin, who not only hates Spider-Man but also knows his secret identity.

If I were to describe the events of this book in one word it would simply be 'iconic'.
The confrontation between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin atop the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the pillars of comics lore, spawning countless retellings and homages (not least in the Spider-Man movies). This is where we see why the Green Goblin is Spider-Man's true arch-enemy, beating out such strong contenders as Doctor Octopus and Venom, with the two characters being perfectly balanced in power and enmity.

For all it's iconic nature, this was the first time that I actually read this scene in its original context and I was impressed by how strong the purely emotional beats of this story are. Aside from the obvious hatred, pain and grief of the main confrontation, we also get to see some of the tender moments of Gwen and Peter's on-again-off-again relationship.
However, there were two scenes in particular which really hit me with an emotional gut punch.
The first is where Harry, suffering a mental breakdown due to taking LSD, begs his best friend for help and company, but Peter is so filled with vengeful anger for Norman Osborn that he abandons the weeping and desperate Harry. Nowhere is Peter's anger sold so convincingly as seeing the usually empathetic character leaving his mentally broken friend to fend for himself.
The other scene which really hit me was right at the end, where Peter verbally lashes out at the usually carefree Mary Jane when she tries to comfort him, bringing her to tears. She walks to the door, hesitates and then closes it, remaining to help Peter. It powerfully juxtaposes with the earlier scene between Peter and Harry.

The book ends with an epilogue which has Peter, many years later and happily in love with MJ, looking back at the last night he and Gwen spent together before her death. We see him looking over his regrets of not realising how limited their time together would be and I think that's something anyone who's suffered a bereavement can relate to.

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[Nick R · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the handful of issues this collection covers, there’s certainly a lot going on in the life of Peter Parker. The return of his arch foe, the drama that comes from his nemesis knowing his identity and being his best friends father, the loneliness he feels away from Gwen Stacy, Harry Osborns’ continued drug problem. It’s a story that really feels like a climactic peak, as if all these elements are coming together for a big moment. And really, what a pivotal point in time for Spider-Man. The ending of this short saga leaves you wondering where he’s going to go from here, how is he going to cope? The last issue is pretty dynamite. I would say most of the run is good but not fantastic. The pacing is a little frantic, sometimes to effect but other times it does feel like the book should breath more. I think that issue is present during the actual death of Gwen Stacy for example. I also feel as though Gwen should have had a more significant presence in the story as well. All that said, the final chapter is great and gives us a conclusion that is ,for lack of a better term, bittersweet. The catharsis of seeing Spider-Man take his anger out on Goblin is there, but he doesn’t really get the emotional closure one would hope. It’s an emotional gut punch in the best way. There is an added epilogue to this collection that is pretty cool wherein Peter Parker looks back on his time with Gwen and his fond memories with her but that’s from a different part in the publication history and while it’s addition is certainly a relevant one, it’s clear that it wasn’t really part of the intended narrative. This is certainly required reading for Spider-Man fans who may not have familiarized themselves with Parker’s adventures during this era.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a series has been around for as long as The Amazing Spider-Man, you can't help but have, to some degree, a sense of inertia. There is a certain status quo, and it can't really be avoided. What made this book really exciting was the feeling that something was happening. Opening with the three-part Harry Osborn drug story was a nice move on the part of the Collections Editor, as it really set the stage. Not only did it include the previous encounter between the Green Goblin and Spider-Man and set the stage for the Goblin's hatred by showing Harry's sickness, but it was a hell of story in its own right, and it really showed how much Peter cared about Gwen.

Lee was on his game in that story - it was over-written, but the characters' emotions were very palpable and there was a real sense of depth to the Harry's problems and Peter's concern, and Gerry Conway built nicely on those feelings to craft the finale. Even Peter's final reaction, the emptiness that he felt after the Goblin's death was realistic and believable. Plus, the opening salvo in the maturation of Mary Jane Watson is fired on the story's last page.

Gil Kane is a hell of comic artist. Although Kane is a strong and distinct storyteller, Frank Giacoia's inks have a nearly over-powering effect on his pencils. The lines are much thicker and blacker then I am used to from Kane, although his layouts remain strong. I also appreciated that he often drew Spider-Man from strange angles, enhancing the sense of vertigo that comes from swinging around the city and sticking to odd surfaces.

Plus, a nice, nostalgic back-up by JM DeMatteis and John Romita Sr. reflects on Gwen and Peter's relationship.

[Chris Orme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always wanted to read this classic storyline. Of course I’ve long known what happened, long before it was in the movies too but had never read the comics. This edition features 2 sets of stories that run into each other. With the first setting up a lot of events in the second one where Gwen dies (not a spoiler it’s on the cover). It’s a classic Spider-Man story which has elements in a couple of the movies & well worth reading & I enjoyed it. That said there are a couple of issues. They did not take away from the rating but will still state them.

1) The most egregious. The introduction page is terrible. Multiple typos, to the point it just seems like it was typed up not checked once & just dumped on the page. Typos are easy to make but if this is a professional product the amount was just shocking. What’s worse is they paste a picture of Spider-Man over the last paragraph so you can’t even read it. Which is just… how do you even do that & not notice it? Last thing on a Friday evening maybe. It’s laughable but the rest of it is fine. They are reprints of issues & that us what bought this for & what the rating is based on. Felt unfair taking a star off for it but it is terrible.

2) The anti drug morality messages in the comic are so cringeworthy and laughably cheesy now. But this is just such a product of its time. If it was written now a days it would definitely knock a star off but eh. It it is what it is. Peter does seem like a bit of an arse with how judgemental he is towards his supposed friend’s issues with drugs. But it just comes of as amusing really that it’s so over the top.

[Hamman69 · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a huge Spiderman fan, Spiderman : the night Gwen Stacy died is a Spidey story that any Marvel or comics fans know about, and it's not hard to know why. In any type of fiction or media, the love interest stays there. When readers or fans grow attached to the love figure, epically once the hero has a future with her, the writer usually hears the fan base and continues to go along with what the readers like. In Spider-Man's world, today, Mary Jane is that girl ( even if a deal with the devil un -doing the marriage between Pete and MJ ), and to kill her off today would just be the exact same impact and dare that Gerry Cornwell and fantastic artist Kil Ganesh did ages ago with the night Gwen Stacy died. Would Marvel today kill off Mary jane? The girl Gwen Stacy was the Mary Jane in popularity during the 60s and early 70s. This comics classic is brilliant, as not only is it a very important part of the 50 year Spiderman history, but furthermore because of the effects that this story had in any general genre doing one of the most ground breaking story arcs ever.

As I the title and cover already shows, Gwen Stacy dies. Being honest it kinda sucks having to live with the Internet and everything spoilers as I am sure like me that anyone going into this story already knows who bites the dust after the teasing cover of Amazing Spiderman # 121. It would be such a real thrill seeing such a cover today in a Spidey book with no gimmicks not knowing what. It's a shame that in some cases this story is so known that we don't get the same exact real un-expected turning point that made this story so ground breaking to readers in the first place. But this also makes the story even more impressive, as this also shows that the story is't just loved through the waste less shock value.

However, this book is't only just great through the death of Gwen Stacy, as there's loads of other fantastic strengths. For example I really do like the opening page through ASM # 121, showing the super hero with the care and emotions and other concerns other then justice through life the of Peter Parker. It was very wise of Cornwell to introduce another plague of drugs with Harry Osborn's life, the best friend of Peter, as the 2rd part of the story also shows yet again one of the most shocking parts of the story, Peter turning on a friend.

Super Villain wise, the Green Goblin here is truly used to great effect in this story, with great development as well. The returning memories of Normans Osborn's Amnesia is also used wonderfully, having a villain at first a ticking time bomb, waiting to strike. The goblins actions in this story are also impressively believable in this fight. Coming from the guy who he thinks has made his son sick ( Peter Parker ), along with huge money problems in business, the Green Goblins intentions in this story are high, and as I said before, believable. The intentions that the Green Goblin have here are sick, and just cruel taking the girlfriend away from Pete's life. Personally you have to hate Osborn and what he brought upon Spider-Man's life, and if we were in Spidey's shoes in this case, you'll explode with revenge and anger.

And this is yet again another huge big event in the story, and why I think part 2 is even more so thrilling then part 1's climax. Spiderman is a hero, but he has limits. He saves people, deals with the bad Guy and goes on. But when he fails to save a person, furthermore the person he loves, somebody so much more in both Peter Parker's life's, you'll snap and declare to do actions far beyond what you go on. " Wrong Goblin! You killed the women I love...and today's you're going to DIE", Spider-Man's dialogue here is fantastic, as the characters intentions here shows another believable character in the story, even more so well then the Green Goblins with Spiderman acting in such a non normal manner un-like the Goblin who, killing a character is typical considering the role of the villain. However, The hero with limits? Even more thrilling.

I would also state that in part 2 of the story Spiderman is't Spiderman in part 2. On a night like this, is this the friendly neighbourhood hero every one says? We've seen Spiderman totally mad before, but not like this. " With great power comes great responsibility" and whereabouts in this story is this morale? Answer : it's broken. Forgotten. Buried underneath revenge. This is Spider-Man's darkest night, sinking to the intentions that the Green Goblin lives for. The fact that it only took the moment in which Spider-Man was in the act of acting upon his revenge realising his shocking aim just shows how far Spider-Man's was pushed here.

There's also a pretty nice moral of the story to add as well, near the end. But the epilogue is beautiful and heart breaking, and I love it. I love it because it just shows how totally awesome Mary Jane is rather then her beauty. It's a upsetting moment for her, un-wanted and only wanting to comfort her and Pete's loss, but once she chooses her stay, this just shows how much MJ is in character being truly caring. No wonder that his girl would prove to be even more bigger Gwen.

The art? Fantastic. Gil Kane is a real talented artist who is even able to draw art with emotion through no dialogue at all. Image reading this story without no words at all. You could still see Spider-Man's total shock with just the drawn shaking. You could still see a real stunned Peter Parker with those possessed eyes. You could still see that the range of Spiderman battling the Green Goblin even without Cornwells dialogue. You could still see how awesome Mary Jane is in The final page even without Pete's words. The list goes on and for a pretty long while. Kane also draws some of the most iconic pages of all. The last page of Spiderman holding Gwen, fists up full on range is a image nobody forgets either.

All in all this story is wonderful but further more unforgettable with emotional beats, believable characters and damn right amazing story telling with art work that truly brings Cornwall's story into play. Just. Read. This.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

A classic story that’s worth reading. This collection provides just enough of the issues before the titular death to provide some context, though not enough to really understand the relationships or feel the tragedy of what happens. It’s also VERY MUCH set in 1973, with all of the typical Marvel-style attempts at cool lingo, clothes, and ham-fisted social commentary. I love that stuff, but I could see it being distracting for someone who wants more story than time capsule. I liked the little epilogue at the end (Peter Parker looks through old photos and remembers his last date with Gwen) that the creators made years later. It’s sentimental and sweet, and provides a little dénouement for the collected edition which you wouldn’t get by stopping at issue 122 of an ongoing series.

[Eddie B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Your_Average_Magical_Girls_Fan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only highlight of this story is the split second when Peter Parker realizes that MAYBE (and I stress MAYBE) he is the one responsible for the Death of Gwen, a moment washed away by the angry reaction of a teenager who goes on a final rampage against the Goblin and then mistreats Mary Jane for his own responsabilities while she stands there like a fool, accepting her fate as the forever girlfriend of a 15-years old smuck in the body of a man.
The first woman in the refrigerator ever right here, in a story revered by many fans but pretty pathetic and laughable at the end of the day. Avoid with no remorse.

[Yuri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember watching Gwen’s death in “Amazing Spider-Man 2” and being surprised with boldness of this choice. After awhile I ended up reading the comic and now this one is a sort of re-reading but with the full context, which made it even better. I loved this comic.

For me, Peter’s relationships is the most appealing aspect of Spider-Man lore. So this comic nailed everything, not only by fleshing out Peter’s grief but also showing the creation of new bonds as his relationship with MJ. On top of that, we follow how he deals with a drug addict friend while dodging his nemesis, who happened to be related to his friend. It was a very compelling and funny dynamic to see.

[Lucas Lima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, such a good story!

I mean, it's one of the most importante stories on the Marvel Universe, but being written in the year that it was, i thought it would be such a "wordy" book, as usually this stories are, but it really nice. All the building around the return of the Green Goblin, until the deadly ending of Gwen, it's great.

And the last chapter of this book, as Spider Man Blue was, is a love letter to Gwen and to Spider Man old times back in the day. It's just beautiful. It's great to see how the creators pay some respect to her, even if her popularity was clouded by MJ's. Gwen was Peter's first love, as well as the wall crawler's readers.

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always felt the film franchise never did the relationship between Spider-Man, the Osbornes and Gwen Stacy any real justice. Especially the lack of Gwen until much later on in the series. Gwen’s death was such an earth shattering moment in Peter Parker’s life and this collection is the place to go to see how this episode in Spidey’s life unravelled. Classic, defining moments in the Spidey-verse. Reading again, quite clever sub-story about drug culture and the white man pushing drugs, portrayed in society at the time as the black man’s problem.

[Elizabeth Sumoza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally got the chance to read this, and all I can say is that I understand why it's a classic. It's obviously written for its time (i.e. the "don't do drugs, kids" lesson that weaves its way into the main plot of the story), but for those who are interested in seeing how comics respond to the world and culture around them, it can be fun to see. Generally, it's clear to see that this comic took great strides in the evolution of Spiderman (and probably the types of problems that heroes face/how they face them in general), and I'm really glad I finally got my hands on it.

[Luis · Rating 5 out of 5]

La muerte de Gwen marcó un antes y un después en la vida de Peter (que si bien anteriormente habia enfrentado pérdidas de seres cercanos) teniendo que cargar una vez más la terrible realidad de ser un héroe. La caracterización de Peter es un viaje de emociones intensas, desde el amor, la desesperación, el eventual deseo de venganza y la profunda tristeza. Esta historia no solo explora los temas de amor y pérdida, sino también la responsabilidad y las consecuencias de las acciones, temas, que ya sabemos, son centrales en la mitología de Spider-Man.

[Sergio Pellús Murcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

un Spiderman equivocado, que se balancea no solo sobrevolando Nueva York sino su propia neblina mental. pensamientos intrusivos que te atormentan, porque un gran poder no sol0 conlleva una gran responsabilidad, sino también una gran ansiedad, una gran locura.

un único defecto: a nivel narrativo el duelo de la muerte de Gwen sucede como demasiado rápido.
siendo este defecto también un acierto, digo: qué fluidez, la unión perfecta entre diálogo y dibujo, parece que nos podemos deslizar en lianas de telaraña narrativa.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collects Amazing Spider-Man issues #96-98 and #121-122, and material from Webspinners: Tales of Spider-Man issue #1

Even though this is a well-known tale, the emotional nature of the story still hits hard. This is likely the greatest tragedy in Peter's life, even more so than the death of Uncle Ben. The writing and storytelling is definitely of its time, feeling very dated, but I think this story still holds up.

[Tessie Dragon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starší Spider-Man, kde ještě Peter randil s Gwen namísto MJ a kde se to teprve začalo rozjíždět. Už ze začátku se stane něco, co zkomplikuje vztah Gwen a Petera a k tomu se ještě přidá pár padouchů, takže Peter má o zábavu postaráno. Úžasný Spider-Man, který má spoustu akce, humoru i té lásky. Doporučuju.

[Roberto Diaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

SIendo claro, este cómic no va a ser tan atractivo para lectores modernos al ser un producto de su tiempo, pero específicamente hablando de la edición conmemorativa de panini de 60 aniversario de SPIDERMAN, tiene muy buena presentación, notas de introducción y algunos extras, que un fanático que quiera tener este documento histórico del personaje puede apreciar.

[From Hardcover to Hollywood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 4.2 stars. This book inspired tons of media from spiderman. From spiderman one up until amsm 2, its an all timer. A whole team of writers with stan lee running point. The illustrations are the best parts of the 70’s-90’s. And the story as a whole talked about major topics such as drugs, specifically the opioid addiction. Classic.

[Alec Watkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is pretty fun. Some kind of heavy handed anti-drug memorandums, but aside from that, it was all well-written and told an interesting story. Much better written than Stan Lee's '60s Spiderman.

[Erik · Rating 2 out of 5]

Noteworthy for actually killing a major supporting character and keeping her dead, but that's all there is to it. The writing isn't very good - some terrible depictions of drug use and drug effects and a death with no real drama.

[Twitchmatic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed. I cried. I remembered. It was amazing.

“How many moments in our lives go by like that? ‘We’ll do it tomorrow,’ we say. ‘No, I don’t feel like it... you go without me.’ ‘Maybe some other time.’ But those tomorrows we take for granted... don’t always come.”

Wow.

[Jeremy Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Spiderman at his best, and sadly, at his worst. The Death of Gwen Stacy has always been at the core of what makes Spidey, well, Spidey. I liked the nod the director used in Tobey Maguire's outing on film with the final outcome of the battle between The Green Goblin and Spiderman.

[Rocío · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es bastante meh, creo que porque en los issues que seleccionaron muestran muy poco de Gwen, así que su muerte no te pega tanto. Si me provocó algo es porque todavía les lloro a los Peter y Gwen de Andrew y Emma.