What do you think?
Rate this book
Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man #8
Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man, Vol. 8
Collects 'The Amazing Spider-Man' (Vol. 1) #68-77 and 'Marvel Super-Heroes' #14.
231 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1969
22 people are currently reading
219 people want to read
About the author
Stan Lee
7,563 books2,343 followersStan 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 13, 2017
Mostly the library's fault, because I requested Volume 1 not 8. And I was looking forward to Spidey's origin and Ditko's artwork.
That being said, JRSR's artwork is exceptionally clean for being from 1969. Seriously, modern artists could learn a thing or two.
But the first story in here was terribly off-putting. Students, led by African-African friends of Peter Parker, are protesting that a former mess hall be turned into a low-income dorm. (I'm assuming this is a thinly veiled allegory for civil rights protests?) And Peter is torn between helping the students actualize what's right and following the rules. I'm all for equal rights and civil rights and protesting, but it's just thrown into a Spider-Man comic. And Spider-Man doesn't show up for the like two whole issues. Come on, Stan Lee! Talk about a dull hook.
All that being said, I didn't hate it. Kingpin is always an interesting villain. But I really need to start with volume 1.
That being said, JRSR's artwork is exceptionally clean for being from 1969. Seriously, modern artists could learn a thing or two.
But the first story in here was terribly off-putting. Students, led by African-African friends of Peter Parker, are protesting that a former mess hall be turned into a low-income dorm. (I'm assuming this is a thinly veiled allegory for civil rights protests?) And Peter is torn between helping the students actualize what's right and following the rules. I'm all for equal rights and civil rights and protesting, but it's just thrown into a Spider-Man comic. And Spider-Man doesn't show up for the like two whole issues. Come on, Stan Lee! Talk about a dull hook.
All that being said, I didn't hate it. Kingpin is always an interesting villain. But I really need to start with volume 1.
January 21, 2024
Interesting to see the series start to delve a bit into race relations via the character Robbie Robertson and the introduction of his son at ESU, especially considering that these issues were written in the immediate wake of the civil rights movements of the 60s. There's some fun new ideas here, such as Robbie shortly taking over editing duties at the Bugle while JJJ is in the hospital, which produces outcomes that are expected, but fun.
September 27, 2021
Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man volume 8 by Stan Lee is Spiderman's longest linked storyline up to date, involving Spiderman and a mysterious tablet (based on the Rosetta Stone). This storyline spans over 8 issues, once the power is revealed is is kind of forgotten about, but maybe you don't want that in the world. The Lizard makes a great return, as the only way Dr. Connors can escape is turn into the Lizard. J. Jonah Jamison gets the scare of his life all at the hands of Spiderman. This issue dips into the civil rights movement which should get kudos for not ignoring it. The Kingpin returns and the artworks is a lot closer to what the character looks like today, they found away to make him chubby but still have muscle definition. We get guest spot from heroes the Human Torch and Quicksilver. The villains are Kingpin, The Lizard, Silvermane, and The Shocker. Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man volume 8 by Stan Lee collects The Amazing Spider-Man 68-77, and Marvel Super-Heroes #14.
The Plots: A rare tablet from biblical times and has never been deciphered comes to ESU to get studied. Tension on campus has reached an all time high with a building not going to low income black students. The Kingpin using the the tension and turning it into a riot so he can steal the tablet. The Kingpin steals the tablet and implicates Spiderman and the black students. Spideman retrieves the tablet only he can return it since the police think he was involved. He gives it to Captain Stacy but before he can return it The Shocker steals it. The tablet keeps changing hands until one deadly bad guy figures it out to deadly consequences.
What I Liked: Jamison finally gets what he deserves, and his reaction when Robbie Robertson writes complimentary things about Spiderman. The Kingpin is starting to look like the character we know today. The Kurt Konnors trapped but still not wanting to turn into the Lizard but warning his kidnappers. The fate of Silvermane and the tablet. The Shocker was pretty terrifying, I think of him as a second rate villain but there was some good stuff in that issue that made Spiderman work for it. I liked the heart to heart that Robbie has with his son about his place in this world. I loved the continuous storyline with the tablet. I liked that the issue dipped into the civil rights and being an activist. I like that Spiderman gets fed up with doing a good job only to be accused of being a bad guy and taking it out on Jamison.
What I Disliked: The Quicksilver issue was so weak and pointless. The added Marvel Super-Heroes #14 is pretty crazy and not in a good way, I laughed at how lame the bad guy dies and why would a super villain leave a return address, so amateur. I disliked that the tablet storyline was kind of dropped, only if it keeps going and kind of gets picked up again. Which I will let you know in the next review.
Recommendations: This volume brings the longest tail that keeps drifting from hero to villain with good story telling. The Lizard issues are the highlight of this issue and pretty great. I rated Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man volume 8 by Stan Lee 4 out of 5 stars.
The Plots: A rare tablet from biblical times and has never been deciphered comes to ESU to get studied. Tension on campus has reached an all time high with a building not going to low income black students. The Kingpin using the the tension and turning it into a riot so he can steal the tablet. The Kingpin steals the tablet and implicates Spiderman and the black students. Spideman retrieves the tablet only he can return it since the police think he was involved. He gives it to Captain Stacy but before he can return it The Shocker steals it. The tablet keeps changing hands until one deadly bad guy figures it out to deadly consequences.
What I Liked: Jamison finally gets what he deserves, and his reaction when Robbie Robertson writes complimentary things about Spiderman. The Kingpin is starting to look like the character we know today. The Kurt Konnors trapped but still not wanting to turn into the Lizard but warning his kidnappers. The fate of Silvermane and the tablet. The Shocker was pretty terrifying, I think of him as a second rate villain but there was some good stuff in that issue that made Spiderman work for it. I liked the heart to heart that Robbie has with his son about his place in this world. I loved the continuous storyline with the tablet. I liked that the issue dipped into the civil rights and being an activist. I like that Spiderman gets fed up with doing a good job only to be accused of being a bad guy and taking it out on Jamison.
What I Disliked: The Quicksilver issue was so weak and pointless. The added Marvel Super-Heroes #14 is pretty crazy and not in a good way, I laughed at how lame the bad guy dies and why would a super villain leave a return address, so amateur. I disliked that the tablet storyline was kind of dropped, only if it keeps going and kind of gets picked up again. Which I will let you know in the next review.
Recommendations: This volume brings the longest tail that keeps drifting from hero to villain with good story telling. The Lizard issues are the highlight of this issue and pretty great. I rated Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man volume 8 by Stan Lee 4 out of 5 stars.
September 14, 2021
I'm basically waiting for shit to get real. For things to happen that an adult can read without rolling his eyes more times than the autobots rolled out, but I'm losing hope.
Granted, this wasn't written for adults, so I won't rant about the ridiculous scenario, the dumb as fuck plot, and the laughable dialogues in this one.
Instead, I'm going to rate 1 star for the great artwork that comparable to the script 1 star is all I can give for the art, and yes, the story is THAT bad.
If you're not reading this for nostalgia, then I seriously don't know why are you doing this to yourself.
Granted, this wasn't written for adults, so I won't rant about the ridiculous scenario, the dumb as fuck plot, and the laughable dialogues in this one.
Instead, I'm going to rate 1 star for the great artwork that comparable to the script 1 star is all I can give for the art, and yes, the story is THAT bad.
If you're not reading this for nostalgia, then I seriously don't know why are you doing this to yourself.
December 14, 2022
3.5/5 rounded down.
February 17, 2020
At the end of Volume 7, Daily Bugle editor Robbie Robertson's son was worried about a situation at college. As Volume 8 opens, we learn that he's concerned about an upcoming student demonstration trying to get an exhibit hall turned into affordable student housing. But before the exhibit hall closes, there's one last display of a priceless clay tablet that no one's ever been able to translate. This tablet becomes the focus for the rest of the volume in an epic story spanning ten issues of the series.
Kingpin steals the tablet, Spidey gets it back and turns it in to George Stacy, but it's stolen again by the Shocker before it can be returned to its rightful owner. After Spidey captures the Shocker, the Maggia crime family steals the tablet from where Shocker hid it and the Maggia forces Curt Connors to translate it.
Quicksilver shows up at one point for a meaningless, quickly resolved conflict, but Human Torch's appearance late in the volume is better. Connors has translated the tablet, but the stress of being captured causes him to change into the Lizard. As Spidey fights him, Torch sees the battle and tries to help, but Spidey attempts to shoo him off, afraid that Connors will be injured with the Torch involved. Torch of course takes offense, meaning that Spidey has to fight him and the Lizard at the same time. It's pretty great.
There's not much going on with Peter Parker's personal life during all of this, sadly, but Robbie Robertson and his son get some nice conversations about civil rights and different ways to go about getting them. They're not especially deep conversations, but I like that the series at least wants to participate in the cultural discussion and does so sensitively.
Unfortunately, the volume ends on a ridiculous note with an unrelated tale from Marvel Super-Heroes #14. It's clearly a fill-in issue that never got used in Amazing and it's a dumb story where a sorcerer controls Spidey and makes him go to New Orleans to fight a synthetic man that's also controlled by the sorcerer. The sorcerer also sends a Spidey voodoo doll to general delivery mail for some reason, but it can’t be delivered, so the post office returns it to the sorcerer. When they ring the doorbell, it creates psychic feedback with the sorcerer’s brain machine and kills the sorcerer, freeing both Spidey and the synthetic man (which destroys itself). Pointless garbage and a bad way to finish the volume, but dang that tablet story was fast-paced and cool.
Kingpin steals the tablet, Spidey gets it back and turns it in to George Stacy, but it's stolen again by the Shocker before it can be returned to its rightful owner. After Spidey captures the Shocker, the Maggia crime family steals the tablet from where Shocker hid it and the Maggia forces Curt Connors to translate it.
Quicksilver shows up at one point for a meaningless, quickly resolved conflict, but Human Torch's appearance late in the volume is better. Connors has translated the tablet, but the stress of being captured causes him to change into the Lizard. As Spidey fights him, Torch sees the battle and tries to help, but Spidey attempts to shoo him off, afraid that Connors will be injured with the Torch involved. Torch of course takes offense, meaning that Spidey has to fight him and the Lizard at the same time. It's pretty great.
There's not much going on with Peter Parker's personal life during all of this, sadly, but Robbie Robertson and his son get some nice conversations about civil rights and different ways to go about getting them. They're not especially deep conversations, but I like that the series at least wants to participate in the cultural discussion and does so sensitively.
Unfortunately, the volume ends on a ridiculous note with an unrelated tale from Marvel Super-Heroes #14. It's clearly a fill-in issue that never got used in Amazing and it's a dumb story where a sorcerer controls Spidey and makes him go to New Orleans to fight a synthetic man that's also controlled by the sorcerer. The sorcerer also sends a Spidey voodoo doll to general delivery mail for some reason, but it can’t be delivered, so the post office returns it to the sorcerer. When they ring the doorbell, it creates psychic feedback with the sorcerer’s brain machine and kills the sorcerer, freeing both Spidey and the synthetic man (which destroys itself). Pointless garbage and a bad way to finish the volume, but dang that tablet story was fast-paced and cool.
September 29, 2020
I have to admit, the whole stone tablet story was a pretty ambitious piece of serialized storytelling that lasted longer than I had expected. And it's an odd artifact of its time as it had so many issues dedicated to Spider-Man fighting the mafia instead of costumed super-villains. But the beats of the story were more complicated than expected with Peter still juggling other challenges alongside trying to keep pace with at least two different mafia factions.
The interlude with the likes of the Shocker was an odd element and to its credit really presented him a as a legitimate opponent for Spider-man - something we don't see as much in the current Spider-Man stories.
The eventual Lizard story, which followed-up directly from the tablet arc, was a classic Jekyll & Hyde style story that we're very familiar with in structure but can still feel fresh as a Spider-Man story. And the Lizard was already a scary opponent in these older books, even before the current line-up of writers tried to push his more bestial side.
The interlude with the likes of the Shocker was an odd element and to its credit really presented him a as a legitimate opponent for Spider-man - something we don't see as much in the current Spider-Man stories.
The eventual Lizard story, which followed-up directly from the tablet arc, was a classic Jekyll & Hyde style story that we're very familiar with in structure but can still feel fresh as a Spider-Man story. And the Lizard was already a scary opponent in these older books, even before the current line-up of writers tried to push his more bestial side.
April 27, 2022
They did a decent job connecting a good amount of issues due to the "stone tablet" everyone is trying to get their hands on, but it doesn't really lead to anything that's all that relevant. The reveal, what the tablet is all about, was interesting, but resolved way too quickly. But this one had a good amount of fun villains and cameos. The 'Marvel Super-Heroes" story they included was kind of terrible.
May 18, 2020
The tablet plotline was a bit over-hyped, I'd say, but overall another bunch of solid issues of a great superhero. How Peter's friends and family continue to deal with him and his absences, however, is becoming more and more unbelievable. I'm often taken out of the story to question why Gwen, Harry, and Aunt May continue to deal with Peter's BS.
September 17, 2023
The Amazing Spider-Man #68-77 and Marvel Super-Heroes #14.
August 16, 2013
Cheesy fun. Spidey tangles with the Kingpin and Silvermane over an ancient tablet that holds the secret to reversing aging. Of course, Dr. Curt Connors is called in to unlock the mystery, and the Lizard ends up going on a rampage.
There are also protests at ESU as the students fight "the man" (and Stan Lee tries to harness the tenor of the times). Peter Parker sleepwalks through the whole thing as he's pulled in a dozen different directions. Even Gwen Stacy starts to have her doubts about old Petey. Best of all, Harry Osborn grows a terrifying Fu Manchu!
Romita's art is lively throughout, giving Spider-man plenty of fun action poses. I think it's fun, but I could easily see someone else finding it frivolous.
Read digital versions.
There are also protests at ESU as the students fight "the man" (and Stan Lee tries to harness the tenor of the times). Peter Parker sleepwalks through the whole thing as he's pulled in a dozen different directions. Even Gwen Stacy starts to have her doubts about old Petey. Best of all, Harry Osborn grows a terrifying Fu Manchu!
Romita's art is lively throughout, giving Spider-man plenty of fun action poses. I think it's fun, but I could easily see someone else finding it frivolous.
Read digital versions.
April 23, 2014
Spiderman has to recover a stolen clay tablet, but gets accused of being involved with the theft. This is one story in this volume, involving Kingpin, Torch, Shocker, Lizard, and Quicksilver. I like it when there's a feeling of continuity in these volumes. A good read.
January 30, 2015
As usual this reprinting of Amazing Spider-Man issues 68 to 77 is action packed and features some truly wonderful artwork. The stories are solid and the development of characters, though sometimes rushed, is great to read when you know what is going to happen in the following volumes.
February 14, 2016
The Marvel Masterworks volumes are fantastic reprints of the early years of Marvel comics. A fantastic resource to allow these hard to find issues to be read by everyone. Very recommended to everyone and Highly recommended to any comic fan.
January 27, 2015
Still entertaining, but by this point in its publishing history, Amazing Spider-Man isn't as fresh or startling as it once was.
April 30, 2017
The dialogue may be corny at times, by the plotting, convoluted as it is, is brilliant and compelling, easily sucking the reader through the entire volume quickly.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews