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Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man #3
Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man, Vol. 3
In 1962 in the pages of a comic book slated for cancellation, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko gave birth to one of the most-enduring icons in American popular culture-the one and only Amazing Spider-Man! Turning the concept of a super hero on its head, they imbued the young, guilt-ridden Peter Parker with the fantastic powers of an arachnid and the fantastic pressures of an everyday teenager. The combination was pure magic. So join us in the following pages as we present stories of spectacular web-slinging adventure from Spidey's early days including battles with the Green Goblin, the Molten Man, Vulture and Scorpion! Featuring appearences by Dr. Strange and the Human Torch!
Collects The Amazing Spider-Man #20-30, Annual #2
272 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1965
189 people are currently reading
373 people want to read
About the author
Stan Lee
7,567 books2,336 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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
July 26, 2016
I didn't enjoy these stories as much as those in the first two volumes. Definitely still a great comic though. As with most of the comics of its time, there is an overload of dialogue bubbles explaining the characters' every thoughts, which sometimes makes the story hard to trudge through. In the end, this continues to be an enjoyable read, especially for its age.
June 18, 2019
These old Spider-Man stories are a gas-gas-gas! I really enjoyed re-reading these classic adventures. I recently re-read The Amazing Spider-Man Marvel Masterworks Vol 2 and now 3. Just last night I downloaded Vol 4 from my digital library (Vol 1 to 3 I got from Comixology Unlimited).
Steve Ditko was the perfect choice to be the first Spider-Man artist. He established Spider-Man as his own and truly did justice to the character, as did Stan the Man Lee. What a winning combo from the mid 60's. I was around during these times, but might have been a tad young and did not collect them all. Now I can tie together all my memories from that time period.
Just a shame that Lee and Ditko did not introduce the Osborn's until Spider-Man reached issue #30 or so. They kept the Green Goblin's secret identity for well over 2 years, but did not even show Norman until just before the classic issues 38 and 39 (in the next Volume).
Already started on Volume 4, with the Master Planner issues and the showdown between Parker and Norman!
Steve Ditko was the perfect choice to be the first Spider-Man artist. He established Spider-Man as his own and truly did justice to the character, as did Stan the Man Lee. What a winning combo from the mid 60's. I was around during these times, but might have been a tad young and did not collect them all. Now I can tie together all my memories from that time period.
Just a shame that Lee and Ditko did not introduce the Osborn's until Spider-Man reached issue #30 or so. They kept the Green Goblin's secret identity for well over 2 years, but did not even show Norman until just before the classic issues 38 and 39 (in the next Volume).
Already started on Volume 4, with the Master Planner issues and the showdown between Parker and Norman!
February 26, 2013
This book collects Amazing Spider-man #20-30 and Annual #2.
First of all, this Volume in Spider-man's adventures was not quite as good as the prior two particularly Volume 2. However, the quality doesn't drop much. The first two collections contained the introduction of Spider-man's most amazing foes, the Sinister Six, and the superb story arch from Amazing Spider-man #17-#19.
This book is less groundbreaking. As he did with Fantastic Four, once Lee has a good stable of established villains, he tends not to tinker too much. Issue 20 sees the introduction of the Scorpion and Issue 28 sees the introduction of Molten Man (definitely not in Spidey's pantheon of memorable villains) but the book does have some great return appearances by Green Goblin and Mysterio. Then, of course, there was the precursor to the Spider Slayers in Amazing Spider-man #25, which was an absurd looking but powerful robot with J Jonah Jameson's image on it that would later be adapted to the 1960s cartoon series.
In addition, we see some key milestone for Peter including his high school graduation and a break up with Betty Brant in Amazing Spider-man #30. Comic relief comes into play when Peter loses his costume after battling the robot in AS #25 and he spends the next two issues trying to manage with a costume store knock off that ironically saves his secret identity.
Overall, this is Spidey the way Stan Lee made him: fun, with lots of problems, and a great cast of villains. Five stars all the way.
First of all, this Volume in Spider-man's adventures was not quite as good as the prior two particularly Volume 2. However, the quality doesn't drop much. The first two collections contained the introduction of Spider-man's most amazing foes, the Sinister Six, and the superb story arch from Amazing Spider-man #17-#19.
This book is less groundbreaking. As he did with Fantastic Four, once Lee has a good stable of established villains, he tends not to tinker too much. Issue 20 sees the introduction of the Scorpion and Issue 28 sees the introduction of Molten Man (definitely not in Spidey's pantheon of memorable villains) but the book does have some great return appearances by Green Goblin and Mysterio. Then, of course, there was the precursor to the Spider Slayers in Amazing Spider-man #25, which was an absurd looking but powerful robot with J Jonah Jameson's image on it that would later be adapted to the 1960s cartoon series.
In addition, we see some key milestone for Peter including his high school graduation and a break up with Betty Brant in Amazing Spider-man #30. Comic relief comes into play when Peter loses his costume after battling the robot in AS #25 and he spends the next two issues trying to manage with a costume store knock off that ironically saves his secret identity.
Overall, this is Spidey the way Stan Lee made him: fun, with lots of problems, and a great cast of villains. Five stars all the way.
September 30, 2013
There's nothing NOT to like about this volume of Marvel Masterworks. Steve Ditko hits his stride in this, the penultimate hardcover of his Spider-Man work. He makes Peter Parker into a character everyone can relate to and a believable person: Girl troubles, money woes, and philosophical quandaries abound. His artwork is as good as it ever was here, highlighting the Everyman nature of Peter and making Spidey into the action-packed acrobat we've all come to know and love.
The first four volumes of the Spider-Man Marvel Masterworks should be required reading for any comic fan. And especially any comic professional, to see how things are supposed to be when they're done right.
The first four volumes of the Spider-Man Marvel Masterworks should be required reading for any comic fan. And especially any comic professional, to see how things are supposed to be when they're done right.
June 8, 2017
I didn't dislike this collection, but like the first two volumes, these simple adventures all tend to run together. Notable figures and events this time are the introduction of the Scorpion, Smythe and the Spider-Slayer, two return appearances by the Green Goblin, the origin of the Molten Man, and Peter's fairly realistic relationships with Liz Allan and Betty Brant. The only girls I'd ever heard about growing up were MJ Watson and Gwen Stacy; it was interesting to see Peter's drama with two entirely different people.
September 1, 2021
If I was judging this by 1-2 issues that are fun to read in this one here, then it would get 4 stars overall.
But I'm judging this for 10 issues worth of reading and it gets 0 stars, because the dialogue is not meant for me but for kids.
Repetitiveness to the limit.
3 Stars because of Ditko's art which I'm in love with!
But I'm judging this for 10 issues worth of reading and it gets 0 stars, because the dialogue is not meant for me but for kids.
Repetitiveness to the limit.
3 Stars because of Ditko's art which I'm in love with!
February 13, 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.
June 10, 2014
Spider-man is funny and well written. Some of the plots, characters, and dialogue are dated, but it's mostly charming, not offensive.
May 29, 2023
It's pretty great to be able to read the original 1960s issues of Spider-Man in perfect color, on high-quality paper. These are fun stories, with villains from the corny (the Clown, the Beetle) to the legendary (Scorpion, Green Goblin), and everything in between (Molten Man, Crime Master, Princess Python).
The size is shrunk a bit to make it compact, which doesn't do my old eyes any favors, but still, to get nine issues and the year-end annual for $15 or so is pretty great. It would cost hundreds, if not thousands, to get the actual issues.
The art is good--I prefer Jack Kirby to Steve Ditko, there's less attention to background details and overall wildness with Ditko, and Peter Parker occasionally looks bizarre when he's turning sideways, but it's still iconic art, the look of Spider-Man and so many other characters was set pretty much forever (J. Jonah Jameson, Peter Parker, Goblin, etc.).
The plots are all pretty simple and corny, though the Goblin vs. Crime Master issues got a bit deeper than, say, the Beetle's appearance. Spidey takes on low-level crime a lot.
The stories are much more concerned with Peter Parker's everyday travails -- lots of female trouble, trouble with Flash Thompson, trouble with J.J.J., etc. Even Aunt May is always guilt-tripping Peter (after all, "he's such an excitable boy." LOL). And he keeps losing his costumes!
It's fun to see so much of the human element in these stories, and in a corny 60s way, not to mention the many clever ways the movies tried to mirror these early stories (the Halloween costume Spider-Man gets stuck wearing, etc.).
This is the third volume, and it was a gift, so I do feel compelled to go back and get the first two. I also have the Black Panther collection, and it is also wonderful (and you get lots of Jack Kirby!).
The only thing I miss from the originals are the goofy ads that were such a big part of comics back in the day. I remember those almost as much as the stories themselves (though I was mainly reading comics in the late 70s and early 80s).
It's also worth noting that these issues make it clear why Marvel ran rings around DC and so many other comics publishers--Stan Lee was a genius at deliberately creating a community. He mastered "branding" long before anyone used that term.
There's lots of "fourth-wall breaking" which I guess is the second wall with a comic, as Stan Lee addresses his readers in a way that only he could do: calling them "Dear Reader," complimenting their marvelous taste in comics, and constantly mentioning Marvel in text asides in the panels.
He went out of his way to make the reader feel like they were a part of something bigger than one issue of a comic (part of the Mighty Marvel Marching Society, as it were) even though there was no such thing, really. And of course, his affinity for allowing appealing alliteration was awesome.
Stan Lee was a comics-writing genius, not just because of the characters he helped create and the stories he used to make the heroes and villains real, but because he could make it all a part of something larger that would keep you coming back month after month, character after character.
Marvel was a club, and he was the charismatic, energetic leader you wouldn't dream of letting down.
Great stuff, well worth the price.
The size is shrunk a bit to make it compact, which doesn't do my old eyes any favors, but still, to get nine issues and the year-end annual for $15 or so is pretty great. It would cost hundreds, if not thousands, to get the actual issues.
The art is good--I prefer Jack Kirby to Steve Ditko, there's less attention to background details and overall wildness with Ditko, and Peter Parker occasionally looks bizarre when he's turning sideways, but it's still iconic art, the look of Spider-Man and so many other characters was set pretty much forever (J. Jonah Jameson, Peter Parker, Goblin, etc.).
The plots are all pretty simple and corny, though the Goblin vs. Crime Master issues got a bit deeper than, say, the Beetle's appearance. Spidey takes on low-level crime a lot.
The stories are much more concerned with Peter Parker's everyday travails -- lots of female trouble, trouble with Flash Thompson, trouble with J.J.J., etc. Even Aunt May is always guilt-tripping Peter (after all, "he's such an excitable boy." LOL). And he keeps losing his costumes!
It's fun to see so much of the human element in these stories, and in a corny 60s way, not to mention the many clever ways the movies tried to mirror these early stories (the Halloween costume Spider-Man gets stuck wearing, etc.).
This is the third volume, and it was a gift, so I do feel compelled to go back and get the first two. I also have the Black Panther collection, and it is also wonderful (and you get lots of Jack Kirby!).
The only thing I miss from the originals are the goofy ads that were such a big part of comics back in the day. I remember those almost as much as the stories themselves (though I was mainly reading comics in the late 70s and early 80s).
It's also worth noting that these issues make it clear why Marvel ran rings around DC and so many other comics publishers--Stan Lee was a genius at deliberately creating a community. He mastered "branding" long before anyone used that term.
There's lots of "fourth-wall breaking" which I guess is the second wall with a comic, as Stan Lee addresses his readers in a way that only he could do: calling them "Dear Reader," complimenting their marvelous taste in comics, and constantly mentioning Marvel in text asides in the panels.
He went out of his way to make the reader feel like they were a part of something bigger than one issue of a comic (part of the Mighty Marvel Marching Society, as it were) even though there was no such thing, really. And of course, his affinity for allowing appealing alliteration was awesome.
Stan Lee was a comics-writing genius, not just because of the characters he helped create and the stories he used to make the heroes and villains real, but because he could make it all a part of something larger that would keep you coming back month after month, character after character.
Marvel was a club, and he was the charismatic, energetic leader you wouldn't dream of letting down.
Great stuff, well worth the price.
November 22, 2019
Good history and progression
I almost stopped reading this, the first and last issues are the weakest, the Cat WA s a truly forgettable villain. The last scene with the spirit of Spider-Man keeping him apart from Betty Brant was good though.
This shows the progression and story telling development, they don't all work bur most do. Bonus: you get to see Pete graduate high school, and the wonderful combo with my favorite Ditko character, Dr. Strange, from annual number 2, 72 pages, 25 cents!
I almost stopped reading this, the first and last issues are the weakest, the Cat WA s a truly forgettable villain. The last scene with the spirit of Spider-Man keeping him apart from Betty Brant was good though.
This shows the progression and story telling development, they don't all work bur most do. Bonus: you get to see Pete graduate high school, and the wonderful combo with my favorite Ditko character, Dr. Strange, from annual number 2, 72 pages, 25 cents!
March 15, 2021
Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-man volume 3 by Stan Lee This continues Spiderman 2nd year to his third. He comes closer to finding out the secret identity of the Green Goblin. Peter Parker gets closer to finally going on a date with Mary Jane Watson, she is only seen by others as Peter Parker pursues Betty Brandt . We get to see the birth of Scorpion, Molten Man and the first Spider Slayer. J Jonah Jamison takes his hate for Spiderman to new levels and he creates two bad guys the Scorpion and the Spider Slayer. Peter Parker graduates High School and finally stands up to Flash Thompson.
The Plots: J. Jonah Jamison determined to find Spiderman's secrets hires a shady private eye to follow Peter Parker around since he always photographs Spiderman. Jamison meets with a scientist experimenting on adding animalistic traits to humans, and Jamison's Private Eye is the subject. He turns into scorpion, filled with rage and a lot of sting, goes after Spiderman and Jamison, who he knows has more money. Fredrick Foswell who was fired from the paper as he was revealed to be the big Man, hits up the crime beat and covers the team up of The Green Goblin and the Crime Master. Peter Parker believes he's one of the two. Jamison inadvertently saves Spiderman of the clutches of a former enemy in disguise. Jamison controls the Spider Slayer that keeps going after Peter Parker for some reason. Spiderman's costume is found by aunt may, making Spiderman buy one in a shop.
What I Liked: The spider suit fiasco was pretty good and spread across 4 issues. It is not everyday you get to see Spiderman thwarted by aunt May. I liked that the guest stars weren't over the top, just Johnny Storm from the Fantastic Four and Doctor Strange, they actually serve a purpose, and add to the story. Peter Parker's love life goes through the ringer with Betty Brandt, Liz Allen, and them both meeting Mary Jane Watson and assuming she's Peter's girl on the side. We meet Ned Leeds, who his rival for Betty Brandt's affections, and eventually become the villain the Hobgoblin. In Marvel's Spiderman Homecoming and Spiderman Far from Home Ned Leeds plays his best friend. I have always thought of Molten man being kind of a lame secondary character, but his origin was one of the strongest yet for Spiderman's villains.
What I Disliked: The Cat Burglar storyline was a dud. The Spiderman and Doctor Strange team up was just okay, it could have been better.
Recommendations: This Spiderman didn't have all the flashy villains, but the storytelling vastly improved. The stories are more continuous and make you want to read on more. I love J. Jonah Jamison and we get a lot more of him in this graphic novel. I rated Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man Volume Three 4 out of 5 stars.
The Plots: J. Jonah Jamison determined to find Spiderman's secrets hires a shady private eye to follow Peter Parker around since he always photographs Spiderman. Jamison meets with a scientist experimenting on adding animalistic traits to humans, and Jamison's Private Eye is the subject. He turns into scorpion, filled with rage and a lot of sting, goes after Spiderman and Jamison, who he knows has more money. Fredrick Foswell who was fired from the paper as he was revealed to be the big Man, hits up the crime beat and covers the team up of The Green Goblin and the Crime Master. Peter Parker believes he's one of the two. Jamison inadvertently saves Spiderman of the clutches of a former enemy in disguise. Jamison controls the Spider Slayer that keeps going after Peter Parker for some reason. Spiderman's costume is found by aunt may, making Spiderman buy one in a shop.
What I Liked: The spider suit fiasco was pretty good and spread across 4 issues. It is not everyday you get to see Spiderman thwarted by aunt May. I liked that the guest stars weren't over the top, just Johnny Storm from the Fantastic Four and Doctor Strange, they actually serve a purpose, and add to the story. Peter Parker's love life goes through the ringer with Betty Brandt, Liz Allen, and them both meeting Mary Jane Watson and assuming she's Peter's girl on the side. We meet Ned Leeds, who his rival for Betty Brandt's affections, and eventually become the villain the Hobgoblin. In Marvel's Spiderman Homecoming and Spiderman Far from Home Ned Leeds plays his best friend. I have always thought of Molten man being kind of a lame secondary character, but his origin was one of the strongest yet for Spiderman's villains.
What I Disliked: The Cat Burglar storyline was a dud. The Spiderman and Doctor Strange team up was just okay, it could have been better.
Recommendations: This Spiderman didn't have all the flashy villains, but the storytelling vastly improved. The stories are more continuous and make you want to read on more. I love J. Jonah Jamison and we get a lot more of him in this graphic novel. I rated Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man Volume Three 4 out of 5 stars.
June 21, 2024
The Coming of the Scorpion! (originally published January 1965 in The Amazing Spider-Man #20)
For some reason, I misremembered that the stalker cliffhanger from the previous issue went somewhere. It goes absolutely nowhere.
This issue is an interesting turning point for Jameson's characterization. He obviously is never a friendly character to Spider-Man, but here he outright assists in the creation of a supervillain. This isn't super consistent with his characterization post-Silver Age, but it allows for some good moments nonetheless. The debut issue for the Scorpion is, overall, okay. 3/5
Where Flies the Beetle...! (originally published February 1965 in The Amazing Spider-Man #21)
This issue, which guest stars the Human Torch and borrows one of his villains, feels like filler. It's got the basic "two heroes misunderstand one another and they fight because of it" plot, and again, it's just okay.
The lack of communication extends to Peter and Betty. She's becoming increasingly unlikable as the tiniest things make her jealous. 3/5
Preeeeeesenting... the Clown, and His Masters of Menace! (originally published March 1965 in The Amazing Spider-Man #22)
Easily one one of the most forgettable issues of the Ditko run. The central conflict is "Spider-Man can't fight a girl." Seriously. 2/5
The Goblin and the Gangsters (originally published April 1965 in The Amazing Spider-Man #23)
Here we get a another Green Goblin appearance, and the return of Foswell, both foreshadowing continuing stories that are yet to come. The "out of web fluid" trope is brought back too, for only the third time ever and the first time since very early on. I think my theory that this trope actually isn't really a trope is proving correct. 3/5
Spider-Man Goes Mad! (originally published May 1965 in The Amazing Spider-Man #24)
Solid issue. Interesting work with the mystery villain, good character moments with J.J. and with Flash. We get actual progression with Liz's character, however Peter's relationship with Betty continues to go around and around in circles. 3/5
Captured by J. Jonah Jameson! (originally published June 1965 in The Amazing Spider-Man #25)
Jameson ends up teaming with a "mad scientist" (in his own words) once again. At least Stan was self-aware.
This is the first appearance of Spencer Smythe and the Spider-Slayers, and as goofy as it is, it's a very effective story that uses the double-identity aspect of its protagonist quite cleverly. We also get an appearance from Mary Jane Watson, her first ever (albeit with her face obscured). 4/5
The Man in the Crime Master's Mask! (originally published July 1965 in The Amazing Spider-Man #26)
The missing costume angle from the previous issue carries over to this one, and the end of the story sees Spidey in the clutches of the Goblin. Continuing stories and cliffhangers are here!
Betty Brant, in this issue, begins to actually lose her mind. Maybe it's because Ditko, for some bizarre reason, is giving her Namor eyebrows.
Flash has a genuine moment of redemption, something that's been flirted with in the past, but never properly followed up on (his character of course regresses a bit in the following issues). The main story involving the Goblin and Crime Master is quite fun. 4/5
Bring Back My Goblin to Me! (originally published August 1965 in The Amazing Spider-Man #27)
This two-parter is a high-water mark for the Ditko run. The plot threads from the previous issue are wrapped up nicely here, and the ending is quite touching and wholesome. 4/5
The Menace of the Molten Man! (originally published September 1965 in The Amazing Spider-Man #28)
This is a very important issue only because it is where we see Peter graduate high school. There is quite a bit of sloppiness though, as Liz Allen is referred to as "Liz Hilton" (not the first time Stan got one of his own character's names wrong; but I had no idea how this could have happened until I did some Googling and learned that Liz Hilton is a character from Marvel's then-current humor/romance series Kathy) and Mrs. Watson refers to her niece Mary Jane as her daughter.
The fight with the Molten Man (a pretty cool villain, making his debut here) is brief and anticlimactic. I feel this would have been a better issue had it all been character work with no fight, but that would have been a tough sell back in the Silver Age. 3/5
The Wondrous World of Dr. Strange (originally published October 1965 in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2)
This is a mediocre and uneventful story, but has some of the best art from all of the Ditko run. Not surprising since it's a crossover with his baby. 3/5
Never Step on a Scorpion! (originally published October 1965 in The Amazing Spider-Man #29)
The Scorpion returns for another slugfest with Spidey. Aside from seeing Ned Leeds return from Europe, it's a filler issue. Okay but nothing special. 3/5
The Claws of the Cat! (originally published November 1965 in The Amazing Spider-Man #30)
This is a cool issue in my opinion because it sees Spider-Man square up on an ordinary cat burglar. Nice change of pace! There's also a funny panel where Aunt May fails to understand slang.
The door is slammed shut on a romance with Betty for what seems like the twelfth time. Peter acts like a psycho and refuses to hear anything she says. Parts of this love triangle between the two of them and Ned are difficult to take seriously due to extremely dated marriage proposals (possibly even a little bit dated for the time period).
Finally, there is a communication breakdown between Stan and Steve, where henchmen for the Master Planner are referred to in Stan's dialogue as henchmen for the Cat. Ditko was doing the heavy lifting here in terms of the plotting, and was already laying the foundation for an upcoming storyline that Stan knew nothing about. 3/5
For some reason, I misremembered that the stalker cliffhanger from the previous issue went somewhere. It goes absolutely nowhere.
This issue is an interesting turning point for Jameson's characterization. He obviously is never a friendly character to Spider-Man, but here he outright assists in the creation of a supervillain. This isn't super consistent with his characterization post-Silver Age, but it allows for some good moments nonetheless. The debut issue for the Scorpion is, overall, okay. 3/5
Where Flies the Beetle...! (originally published February 1965 in The Amazing Spider-Man #21)
This issue, which guest stars the Human Torch and borrows one of his villains, feels like filler. It's got the basic "two heroes misunderstand one another and they fight because of it" plot, and again, it's just okay.
The lack of communication extends to Peter and Betty. She's becoming increasingly unlikable as the tiniest things make her jealous. 3/5
Preeeeeesenting... the Clown, and His Masters of Menace! (originally published March 1965 in The Amazing Spider-Man #22)
Easily one one of the most forgettable issues of the Ditko run. The central conflict is "Spider-Man can't fight a girl." Seriously. 2/5
The Goblin and the Gangsters (originally published April 1965 in The Amazing Spider-Man #23)
Here we get a another Green Goblin appearance, and the return of Foswell, both foreshadowing continuing stories that are yet to come. The "out of web fluid" trope is brought back too, for only the third time ever and the first time since very early on. I think my theory that this trope actually isn't really a trope is proving correct. 3/5
Spider-Man Goes Mad! (originally published May 1965 in The Amazing Spider-Man #24)
Solid issue. Interesting work with the mystery villain, good character moments with J.J. and with Flash. We get actual progression with Liz's character, however Peter's relationship with Betty continues to go around and around in circles. 3/5
Captured by J. Jonah Jameson! (originally published June 1965 in The Amazing Spider-Man #25)
Jameson ends up teaming with a "mad scientist" (in his own words) once again. At least Stan was self-aware.
This is the first appearance of Spencer Smythe and the Spider-Slayers, and as goofy as it is, it's a very effective story that uses the double-identity aspect of its protagonist quite cleverly. We also get an appearance from Mary Jane Watson, her first ever (albeit with her face obscured). 4/5
The Man in the Crime Master's Mask! (originally published July 1965 in The Amazing Spider-Man #26)
The missing costume angle from the previous issue carries over to this one, and the end of the story sees Spidey in the clutches of the Goblin. Continuing stories and cliffhangers are here!
Betty Brant, in this issue, begins to actually lose her mind. Maybe it's because Ditko, for some bizarre reason, is giving her Namor eyebrows.
Flash has a genuine moment of redemption, something that's been flirted with in the past, but never properly followed up on (his character of course regresses a bit in the following issues). The main story involving the Goblin and Crime Master is quite fun. 4/5
Bring Back My Goblin to Me! (originally published August 1965 in The Amazing Spider-Man #27)
This two-parter is a high-water mark for the Ditko run. The plot threads from the previous issue are wrapped up nicely here, and the ending is quite touching and wholesome. 4/5
The Menace of the Molten Man! (originally published September 1965 in The Amazing Spider-Man #28)
This is a very important issue only because it is where we see Peter graduate high school. There is quite a bit of sloppiness though, as Liz Allen is referred to as "Liz Hilton" (not the first time Stan got one of his own character's names wrong; but I had no idea how this could have happened until I did some Googling and learned that Liz Hilton is a character from Marvel's then-current humor/romance series Kathy) and Mrs. Watson refers to her niece Mary Jane as her daughter.
The fight with the Molten Man (a pretty cool villain, making his debut here) is brief and anticlimactic. I feel this would have been a better issue had it all been character work with no fight, but that would have been a tough sell back in the Silver Age. 3/5
The Wondrous World of Dr. Strange (originally published October 1965 in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2)
This is a mediocre and uneventful story, but has some of the best art from all of the Ditko run. Not surprising since it's a crossover with his baby. 3/5
Never Step on a Scorpion! (originally published October 1965 in The Amazing Spider-Man #29)
The Scorpion returns for another slugfest with Spidey. Aside from seeing Ned Leeds return from Europe, it's a filler issue. Okay but nothing special. 3/5
The Claws of the Cat! (originally published November 1965 in The Amazing Spider-Man #30)
This is a cool issue in my opinion because it sees Spider-Man square up on an ordinary cat burglar. Nice change of pace! There's also a funny panel where Aunt May fails to understand slang.
The door is slammed shut on a romance with Betty for what seems like the twelfth time. Peter acts like a psycho and refuses to hear anything she says. Parts of this love triangle between the two of them and Ned are difficult to take seriously due to extremely dated marriage proposals (possibly even a little bit dated for the time period).
Finally, there is a communication breakdown between Stan and Steve, where henchmen for the Master Planner are referred to in Stan's dialogue as henchmen for the Cat. Ditko was doing the heavy lifting here in terms of the plotting, and was already laying the foundation for an upcoming storyline that Stan knew nothing about. 3/5
May 1, 2018
I continue to be surprised by how much I am enjoying the Marvel Masterworks series, especially these early stories of Spider-Man under the direction of Steve Ditko and Stan Lee. This third volume features reprints of The Amazing Spider-Man #20-#30 and Annual #2. The latter reprint was particularly entertaining featuring another Steve Ditko Marvel character creation in Doctor Strange. Other landmark events in this collection include Peter Parker's graduation from Midtown High School, J. Jonah Jameson's complicity in the creation of The Scorpion, and Betty Brant's engagement to Ned Leeds leaving Peter Parker heartbroken. Another fun thing to see in these early days of Spider-Man is how Lee and Ditko kept teasing readers with the character of Mary Jane Watson. Aunt May is always trying to set up a meeting between her nephew Peter Parker and her neighbor's niece MJ that never quite materialize. We come oh so close to seeing MJ in this volume, but clever visuals keep her appearance a mystery to the reader. Lee and Ditko seem to have had a long game plan for MJ. Bring on volume 4!
May 24, 2014
These are from '65, and it shows so endearingly, from talks about disarmament conferences to the "blamed" way Flash Thompson grates on Peter Parker's nerves. Can't wait to read volume four, when Gwen Stacy is introduced!
March 23, 2013
Ugh. This one was a bit of a chore to get through.
March 8, 2018
My first paid month of Comixology Unlimited ends tomorrow so I figured I should read Amazing Spider-Man: Vol 3 while I can before canceling (especially since Volumes 4 & 5 aren't included in the Unlimited packaged and if I want to read them, I'd have to buy them anyway). In case you haven't read my reviews for Vol 1 or Vol 2, I'm doing all of this thanks to a new-ish podcast, Screw It We're Just Gonna Talk about Spider-Man, wherein brothers Kevin & Will Hines have set out to discuss each of the original Spider-Man comics written by Stan Lee & drawn by Steve Ditko.
Volume 3 collects ASM #20–#30 and includes part of the Annual #2, all originally published from January through November 1965. I flew through these stories in under a week (thanks to that looming second month of Comixology) and I enjoyed them just as much as the first two volumes. I noticed these issues have started to include some African American extras, however, they are drawn so strangely—almost as if the people are in shadow or the inker didn't use the right color. The podcast episodes (issues #1 through #12 have been released so far) have mentioned how white-washed NYC appears in these early issues, but I'm not sure shoehorning in a few characters who look like this was the best thing for Marvel to do.
ASM #20 picks up where the cliffhanger of #19 left off—it seems it WAS J. Jonah Jameson who put a tail on Peter Parker, although he didn't suspect Pete was Spider-Man; he was just curious how Pete got such great photos. JJJ quickly forgets about his curiosity, however, when he comes up with an idea to destroy Spider-Man. He seeks out a scientist who specializes in artificial mutations. He has the doctor turn the private investigator into The Scorpion (since scorpions are natural predators of spiders) & it takes three battles for Spidey to finally defeat him.
ASM #21 brings a villain from Fantastic Four, The Beetle, into Spider-Man's world, and he gets some help from The Human Torch (but not until after Torch battles Spider-Man after Johnny Storm thinks he saw Spidey hitting on his girlfriend). ASM #22 brings back the Ringmaster and his circus gang, however, the gang kicks Ringmaster out The Clown leads the troupe to a big art heist. Jameson gets knocked into a small coma and Spider-Man defeats most of the gang, with Princess Python giving him a run for his money since he doesn't want to fight a woman (luckily the police show up and they don't mind arresting females).
ASM #23 brings back the Green Goblin as he attempts to take over the underworld with a plan to have Spider-Man & mob boss Lucky Lobo take each other out, but the police come and help arrest the entire gang, leaving no one for him to rule over. ASM #24 introduces Dr. Ludwig Rinehart, a psychiatrist who believes Spider-Man's split personality will lead to him eventually go crazy. Spider-Man starts seeing images of Doctor Octopus, Sandman, and The Vulture, but none of the villains are actually there. When he attempts to visit Dr. Rinehart, he starts to see upside-down rooms & believes he's losing it. Right before he reveals his secret identity on Rinehart's couch, JJJ & Pete's bully/Spidey's super-fan Flash Thompson rush in and it turns out the whole thing was a scheme dreamt up by ex-movie-stuntman, Mysterio, just disguised as Rinehart.
ASM #25 lets JJJ turn into a villain again (since he created the Scorpion in #20)—it seems an inventor named Smythe has created a robot that can sense anything spider-y, and JJJ can control it to capture Spider-Man. The machine almost captures Spidey, but he escapes just in time & leaves his outfit as a puppet to get a laugh on JJJ. This issue also finally features Mary Jane Watson, but her face is obscured—we're only told she looks like a movie star by Betty & Liz who spot her when they try to confront Peter at home.
ASM #26 & #27 form a two-parter where Green Goblin and the Crime-Master sort of work together/fight each other to take over every big crime organization all over the city. The two mysterious characters know each other's secret identities but we're kept out of the loop until the end of #27. Since Pete lost his costume in a joke last issue, he has to wear something he buys from a costume shop. Because of that, it doesn't fit very well and he uses his webbing to keep his boots & gloves & mask on. Luckily, that helps keep his secret identity after he gets captured by GG & CM. GG gets away but Spider-Man and the police capture CM, who was one of the mob bosses, Lucky Lewis.
ASM #28 features Molten Man—a villain who was covered with some strange metal alloy that makes his body as strong as metal—and Pete's graduation from high school. ASM Annual #2 features a story where Spider-Man and Doctor Strange team up to battle Xandu who is after the Wand of Watoomb—the greatest source of mystic power ever, even stronger than Doctor Strange! Spider-Man enters another dimension, but in the end, Xandu loses the wand and has his memory erased, hopefully making his evil schemes go away.
ASM #29 features the Scorpion again, who escapes from jail after the guards decide to give him his suit back *eye roll*. Scorpion is determined to destroy both Spider-Man and JJJ, and the three of them fight and destroy JJJ's office in the process. ASM #30 features the Cat Burglar who steals from JJJ who proceeds to set a $1,000 bounty on the Cat. Spider-Man tries to win the reward to stick it to ol' JJJ, but the police end up capturing him before Spider-Man can, so Pete is left just getting a few bucks for his exclusive pictures.
Over the last issues in this collection, Pete has a lot of girl trouble with both his girlfriend, Betty Brant, & schoolmate, Liz Allan (or as she's called in #28, Liz Hilton). After they saw Mary Jane, they grew jealous & gave him the cold shoulder. There also was some jealousy & confusion when Pete saw Betty getting letters from Ned (a guy she was kind of sort of seeing before he traveled to Europe). After Ned returns, he proposes to Betty, prompting Pete to begin telling her his secret identity, wanting to propose himself. However, Betty mentions she can never be with someone like Spider-Man. Pete decides to break it off so she can be happy in a stable home with boring Ned.
Collection ends with a few original sketches from Ditko and biographies of Lee & Ditko. Now that I'm about five months ahead of the podcast, I think I can put the Spider-Man collections on the back burner and read some other books on my To Read pile...
Volume 3 collects ASM #20–#30 and includes part of the Annual #2, all originally published from January through November 1965. I flew through these stories in under a week (thanks to that looming second month of Comixology) and I enjoyed them just as much as the first two volumes. I noticed these issues have started to include some African American extras, however, they are drawn so strangely—almost as if the people are in shadow or the inker didn't use the right color. The podcast episodes (issues #1 through #12 have been released so far) have mentioned how white-washed NYC appears in these early issues, but I'm not sure shoehorning in a few characters who look like this was the best thing for Marvel to do.
ASM #20 picks up where the cliffhanger of #19 left off—it seems it WAS J. Jonah Jameson who put a tail on Peter Parker, although he didn't suspect Pete was Spider-Man; he was just curious how Pete got such great photos. JJJ quickly forgets about his curiosity, however, when he comes up with an idea to destroy Spider-Man. He seeks out a scientist who specializes in artificial mutations. He has the doctor turn the private investigator into The Scorpion (since scorpions are natural predators of spiders) & it takes three battles for Spidey to finally defeat him.
ASM #21 brings a villain from Fantastic Four, The Beetle, into Spider-Man's world, and he gets some help from The Human Torch (but not until after Torch battles Spider-Man after Johnny Storm thinks he saw Spidey hitting on his girlfriend). ASM #22 brings back the Ringmaster and his circus gang, however, the gang kicks Ringmaster out The Clown leads the troupe to a big art heist. Jameson gets knocked into a small coma and Spider-Man defeats most of the gang, with Princess Python giving him a run for his money since he doesn't want to fight a woman (luckily the police show up and they don't mind arresting females).
ASM #23 brings back the Green Goblin as he attempts to take over the underworld with a plan to have Spider-Man & mob boss Lucky Lobo take each other out, but the police come and help arrest the entire gang, leaving no one for him to rule over. ASM #24 introduces Dr. Ludwig Rinehart, a psychiatrist who believes Spider-Man's split personality will lead to him eventually go crazy. Spider-Man starts seeing images of Doctor Octopus, Sandman, and The Vulture, but none of the villains are actually there. When he attempts to visit Dr. Rinehart, he starts to see upside-down rooms & believes he's losing it. Right before he reveals his secret identity on Rinehart's couch, JJJ & Pete's bully/Spidey's super-fan Flash Thompson rush in and it turns out the whole thing was a scheme dreamt up by ex-movie-stuntman, Mysterio, just disguised as Rinehart.
ASM #25 lets JJJ turn into a villain again (since he created the Scorpion in #20)—it seems an inventor named Smythe has created a robot that can sense anything spider-y, and JJJ can control it to capture Spider-Man. The machine almost captures Spidey, but he escapes just in time & leaves his outfit as a puppet to get a laugh on JJJ. This issue also finally features Mary Jane Watson, but her face is obscured—we're only told she looks like a movie star by Betty & Liz who spot her when they try to confront Peter at home.
ASM #26 & #27 form a two-parter where Green Goblin and the Crime-Master sort of work together/fight each other to take over every big crime organization all over the city. The two mysterious characters know each other's secret identities but we're kept out of the loop until the end of #27. Since Pete lost his costume in a joke last issue, he has to wear something he buys from a costume shop. Because of that, it doesn't fit very well and he uses his webbing to keep his boots & gloves & mask on. Luckily, that helps keep his secret identity after he gets captured by GG & CM. GG gets away but Spider-Man and the police capture CM, who was one of the mob bosses, Lucky Lewis.
ASM #28 features Molten Man—a villain who was covered with some strange metal alloy that makes his body as strong as metal—and Pete's graduation from high school. ASM Annual #2 features a story where Spider-Man and Doctor Strange team up to battle Xandu who is after the Wand of Watoomb—the greatest source of mystic power ever, even stronger than Doctor Strange! Spider-Man enters another dimension, but in the end, Xandu loses the wand and has his memory erased, hopefully making his evil schemes go away.
ASM #29 features the Scorpion again, who escapes from jail after the guards decide to give him his suit back *eye roll*. Scorpion is determined to destroy both Spider-Man and JJJ, and the three of them fight and destroy JJJ's office in the process. ASM #30 features the Cat Burglar who steals from JJJ who proceeds to set a $1,000 bounty on the Cat. Spider-Man tries to win the reward to stick it to ol' JJJ, but the police end up capturing him before Spider-Man can, so Pete is left just getting a few bucks for his exclusive pictures.
Over the last issues in this collection, Pete has a lot of girl trouble with both his girlfriend, Betty Brant, & schoolmate, Liz Allan (or as she's called in #28, Liz Hilton). After they saw Mary Jane, they grew jealous & gave him the cold shoulder. There also was some jealousy & confusion when Pete saw Betty getting letters from Ned (a guy she was kind of sort of seeing before he traveled to Europe). After Ned returns, he proposes to Betty, prompting Pete to begin telling her his secret identity, wanting to propose himself. However, Betty mentions she can never be with someone like Spider-Man. Pete decides to break it off so she can be happy in a stable home with boring Ned.
Collection ends with a few original sketches from Ditko and biographies of Lee & Ditko. Now that I'm about five months ahead of the podcast, I think I can put the Spider-Man collections on the back burner and read some other books on my To Read pile...
November 30, 2023
--3.5 stars rounded up--
I feel like after reading through the continuously nostalgic, often fun but frequently boring run of Amazing Spider-Man issues collected in the first two volumes, the run from 20-30 is where the series seems to have really started hitting its stride.
While a few others have commented that their are fewer key moments in this volume, such as first appearances from now legendary villains and so on, I've found that as the series has progressed the issues have, on average, become more and more readable, with fewer pages packed full of crowded panels and text, and more carefully plotted storytelling.
The collection began with the notable #20, featuring the first appearance of Scorpion, who was a little bit TOO willing to being turned into some kind of mutant - it makes you wonder what else Jameson was paying him for. Following that, #21 was fairly mediocre but okay, as an an insecure Johnny Storm worries that Peter Parker is trying to steal his girlfriend, which is then followed by a completely forgettable #22.
However, with #23 the pace really starts picking up, and everything from #23-#29 is really enjoyable, with a slight dip on #25. I then found #30 a bit dull but still paced a million times better than everything up to about #17. I particularly liked the Green Goblin issues, and the Mysterio issue (#24), in which Mysterio has Spidey questioning his own sanity.
Knowing that Ditko's last issue is 38, I must say I'm starting to regret that so many of the earlier issues were so overburdened with text and unnecessary panels, as I'd love to get a bit more of what is on show in this volume. Still, hopefully his last run of issues will be his strongest!
Prior to reading the annual included in this volume (which I've reviewed separately but was great), I was flitting between whether to round the 3.5 stars this volume deserved up or down, in that there are definitely a few weak issues here holding the rest of the volume back. However, I found the original story in the annual to be so strong, and enjoyed it so much, that I'm going to include it here too and allow it to push this volume up to 4 stars - making it easily the best volume so far.
HIGHLIGHTS: #23, #24, #26, #27 and Annual 2
I feel like after reading through the continuously nostalgic, often fun but frequently boring run of Amazing Spider-Man issues collected in the first two volumes, the run from 20-30 is where the series seems to have really started hitting its stride.
While a few others have commented that their are fewer key moments in this volume, such as first appearances from now legendary villains and so on, I've found that as the series has progressed the issues have, on average, become more and more readable, with fewer pages packed full of crowded panels and text, and more carefully plotted storytelling.
The collection began with the notable #20, featuring the first appearance of Scorpion, who was a little bit TOO willing to being turned into some kind of mutant - it makes you wonder what else Jameson was paying him for. Following that, #21 was fairly mediocre but okay, as an an insecure Johnny Storm worries that Peter Parker is trying to steal his girlfriend, which is then followed by a completely forgettable #22.
However, with #23 the pace really starts picking up, and everything from #23-#29 is really enjoyable, with a slight dip on #25. I then found #30 a bit dull but still paced a million times better than everything up to about #17. I particularly liked the Green Goblin issues, and the Mysterio issue (#24), in which Mysterio has Spidey questioning his own sanity.
Knowing that Ditko's last issue is 38, I must say I'm starting to regret that so many of the earlier issues were so overburdened with text and unnecessary panels, as I'd love to get a bit more of what is on show in this volume. Still, hopefully his last run of issues will be his strongest!
Prior to reading the annual included in this volume (which I've reviewed separately but was great), I was flitting between whether to round the 3.5 stars this volume deserved up or down, in that there are definitely a few weak issues here holding the rest of the volume back. However, I found the original story in the annual to be so strong, and enjoyed it so much, that I'm going to include it here too and allow it to push this volume up to 4 stars - making it easily the best volume so far.
HIGHLIGHTS: #23, #24, #26, #27 and Annual 2
July 17, 2025
These 1964 and 1965 issues of Spider-Man are remarkably good comic books, and I'd only encountered three or four of them in my collecting days back in the 60s and 70s. Stan Lee gave in and started giving Ditko credit for the plots somewhere in the early 20s - the book collects issues 20-30 along with the 2nd Spider-Man Annual. He was clearly heavily involved in this aspect for a long time, as no other Stan Lee scripted comic book read anything like what was happening in Spider-Man. Compare the soap opera elements here with those going in in Daredevil relatively contemporaneously. Ditko knew how to keep juggling balls in the air, moving storylines slowly forward while keeping us invested in the worries over Peter Parker's love for Betty Brant, the illnesses of Aunt May, Parker's money troubles, his ongoing battles with Flash Thompson, and in the ultimate big change, high school graduation.
The villains in this run are less memorable than the ones in the previous two volumes. New baddies include the Scorpion and the Robot with J. Jonah Jameson's face, each created with the aid of Jameson himself. There's also the Molten Man, who would be completely dull were it not for giving Ditko and the colorists a chance to create one of the coolest covers of the comic's run. The Crime Master was one of several baddies trying to gather all the underworld together - we're still a couple volumes away from Lee and John Romita doing what Ditko never could in this regard, creating a head of organized crime capable of truly standing up to Spider-Man (and much later Daredevil.) The Green Goblin is around a few times, and his motivation changes from trying to take over other criminals to wanting to get revenge on Spider-Man. This would pay off later, after Ditko left, too. The stool pigeon Patch is introduced, too, and that's a pretty interesting development.
Each individual issue, save one two-part story, is complete in 20 pages, but sub-plots carry on. My fave is the time Spider-Man's two costumes are lost to him - one because the Jameson robot creator took it, and the other because Aunt May found it and refused to let Peter Parker wear it to any parties. That lasted I think three issues, and made for some great humor, especially when he wore the replacement he bought from a costume shop.
Reading all these Ditko issues in a row, I'm starting to see how Spider-Man became one of the two greatest Marvel comics of the 60s.
The villains in this run are less memorable than the ones in the previous two volumes. New baddies include the Scorpion and the Robot with J. Jonah Jameson's face, each created with the aid of Jameson himself. There's also the Molten Man, who would be completely dull were it not for giving Ditko and the colorists a chance to create one of the coolest covers of the comic's run. The Crime Master was one of several baddies trying to gather all the underworld together - we're still a couple volumes away from Lee and John Romita doing what Ditko never could in this regard, creating a head of organized crime capable of truly standing up to Spider-Man (and much later Daredevil.) The Green Goblin is around a few times, and his motivation changes from trying to take over other criminals to wanting to get revenge on Spider-Man. This would pay off later, after Ditko left, too. The stool pigeon Patch is introduced, too, and that's a pretty interesting development.
Each individual issue, save one two-part story, is complete in 20 pages, but sub-plots carry on. My fave is the time Spider-Man's two costumes are lost to him - one because the Jameson robot creator took it, and the other because Aunt May found it and refused to let Peter Parker wear it to any parties. That lasted I think three issues, and made for some great humor, especially when he wore the replacement he bought from a costume shop.
Reading all these Ditko issues in a row, I'm starting to see how Spider-Man became one of the two greatest Marvel comics of the 60s.
May 6, 2019
Peter Parker's relationship with Betty Brant continues to bug me. Both characters are suspicious of each other, irrationally jealous about the mildest interactions between each other and members of the opposite sex, and they never talk about what's bothering them. I can't wait for Mary Jane or Gwen Stacy to show up and put this relationship out of my misery. We're well into teasers about Mary Jane in this volume. Aunt May continues to push Peter towards dating MJ, but Peter's all about Betty (and sometimes Liz Allan, but he'd claim that's platonic).
Meanwhile, other characters are seeing MJ and commenting on how gorgeous she is, but Lee and Ditko are hiding her face from the reader. It's a fun tease.
As is the mystery around Green Goblin's identity. Which is funny, because neither Norman nor Harry Osborn are characters in the series yet. If Lee/Ditko were to yank GG's mask off right now, readers would have no idea who they were looking at. And it's strange, because the identities of Spidey's other villains are no big deal. They're just criminals with super powers. GG is being played up something different and monumental, even though it's clear that at this point in publication, he wasn't. That's not a complaint; I just find the build-up fascinating. I'm eager to see later how it's all revealed and how it lands.
Like in Volume 2 of the Spidey Masterworks series, Volume 3 has another big, multi-issue storyline around the Green Goblin, a new villain called Crime Master, and an ex-con who's currently working at the Daily Bugle as a crime reporter. Lots of shenanigans as Goblin and Crime Master battle for control of the New York mafia with strong implications that one of them may be the Bugle reporter. It's super fun and as much as I gripe about Peter and Betty, I even enjoyed that, too.
Meanwhile, other characters are seeing MJ and commenting on how gorgeous she is, but Lee and Ditko are hiding her face from the reader. It's a fun tease.
As is the mystery around Green Goblin's identity. Which is funny, because neither Norman nor Harry Osborn are characters in the series yet. If Lee/Ditko were to yank GG's mask off right now, readers would have no idea who they were looking at. And it's strange, because the identities of Spidey's other villains are no big deal. They're just criminals with super powers. GG is being played up something different and monumental, even though it's clear that at this point in publication, he wasn't. That's not a complaint; I just find the build-up fascinating. I'm eager to see later how it's all revealed and how it lands.
Like in Volume 2 of the Spidey Masterworks series, Volume 3 has another big, multi-issue storyline around the Green Goblin, a new villain called Crime Master, and an ex-con who's currently working at the Daily Bugle as a crime reporter. Lots of shenanigans as Goblin and Crime Master battle for control of the New York mafia with strong implications that one of them may be the Bugle reporter. It's super fun and as much as I gripe about Peter and Betty, I even enjoyed that, too.
February 7, 2025
Spider-Man has me intrigued every time and this read was no exception. From Green Goblin, Scorpion to even Mysterio involved in the chaos to foil Spider-Man and fail every time. Each villain was distinct in terms of plans, strategy, and strengths/weaknesses.
My favorite villain incorporated was Mysterio as rather than use physical strength in his attempt to foil Spider-Man but rather emotional/psychological manipulation to get Spider-Man to show his weakness. In the issue The Amazing Spider-Man: Spider-Man Goes Mad, Peter Parker/Spider-Man goes mad after reading an article that was posted by Dr. Ludwig Rinehart and starts seeing illusions of his former enemies. The pure amount of sanity that we see Peter lose is tough but harsh realities of living a double life and how people can react to hate in the media. Mysterio shows Spider-Man that one person can only take so much before they crack. It’s a rare showing that is displayed in superheroes, but the way his vulnerabilities/weaknesses are shown through emotional connection and mental mind games, shows a lot of growth/depth in what heroes go through every day.
Only issue I had is J. Jonah Jameson as he is so condescending and never takes responsibility for anything, however, this character is meant to be disliked by Spider-Man fans.
This volume is enjoyable for any Spider-Man fans!
My favorite villain incorporated was Mysterio as rather than use physical strength in his attempt to foil Spider-Man but rather emotional/psychological manipulation to get Spider-Man to show his weakness. In the issue The Amazing Spider-Man: Spider-Man Goes Mad, Peter Parker/Spider-Man goes mad after reading an article that was posted by Dr. Ludwig Rinehart and starts seeing illusions of his former enemies. The pure amount of sanity that we see Peter lose is tough but harsh realities of living a double life and how people can react to hate in the media. Mysterio shows Spider-Man that one person can only take so much before they crack. It’s a rare showing that is displayed in superheroes, but the way his vulnerabilities/weaknesses are shown through emotional connection and mental mind games, shows a lot of growth/depth in what heroes go through every day.
Only issue I had is J. Jonah Jameson as he is so condescending and never takes responsibility for anything, however, this character is meant to be disliked by Spider-Man fans.
This volume is enjoyable for any Spider-Man fans!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2018
It's melodramatic in the extreme, but Lee and Ditko create some pretty compelling conundrums for Pete and they never take anything too seriously. There's a good sense of fun: I loved when Peter is enraged that Ned Leeds is "protecting" Betty during his fight with the Scorpion; Ned warns Spidey to watch for his tail, and enraged that he's getting advice from Ned, Pete fails to do just that and gets walloped, leading Ned to basically say I told you so! It's only in the latter part of v.3 that Flash Thompson finally starts to develop beyond stereotypical jock jerk, but the rest of the supporting cast is well played. Good action, good fun.
June 21, 2018
Perhaps a little weaker than the second volume. On the plus side we have Ditko's great art; several really inspired stories; Peter Parker graduating high school (back in those days teenage heroes never did that); and a couple of great twists, such as the unmasking of the Crime-Master. On the downside, the Betty/Peter romance uses lots of rom-com misunderstandings to screw things up before it ends (but as Peter admits, the end was inevitable and not just a misunderstanding). And Jonah just gets more and more buffoonish. Still the flaws can't overcome the strengths.
December 31, 2018
Things start to pick up in the Spidey-verse. Regular characters become more interesting (Flash and the gang, Liz & Betty, hints of MJ Watkins - err, Watson). The issues long offhand comment of May Parker trying to set up Petey with MJ was a great play by Stan, Steve & company (same with Green Goblin...).
Most of the battles last too long and are pretty predictable and dull. I preferred to read about Peter Parker's woes than Spidey's exploits, whose exploits remained predictable, dull and formulaic.
Most of the battles last too long and are pretty predictable and dull. I preferred to read about Peter Parker's woes than Spidey's exploits, whose exploits remained predictable, dull and formulaic.
January 1, 2021
I know I'm putting myself at risk by publicly stating this but Spider-Man has never been one of my favorite characters. But this book was dirt cheap! At this point Spidey is starting to become more bearable to me and the adventures weren't that bad. There was one featuring J. Jonah Jameson (my favorite character) chasing Spider-Man with a spaghetti-armed robot that I found delightfully entertaining.
February 19, 2022
Reading for myself how Stan Lee and Steve Ditko somehow managed to create some of the best comic stories of the 60’s while not working well together. Also, discovering that MJ was not Peter’s first love, and it was a very slow process to bring them together. And the Green Goblin’s identity is as secret as Spider-Man.
January 8, 2023
I never knew how interesting Betty Brant was! True, it's in a 60's-female-comic-book-character way, but she has so much action and trauma and stuff in her life! I would love to see more of her.
It's so much fun to see more of Spidey's origins! I didn't expect him to graduate already but I'm excited to see what else happens to him in college.
It's so much fun to see more of Spidey's origins! I didn't expect him to graduate already but I'm excited to see what else happens to him in college.
April 29, 2023
Me gustó pero no es mi favorito de los que leí hasta ahora.
Siento que los primeros dos tomos hicieron un re trabajo presentando a los villanos, así que ahora que ya tienen todo más o menos establecido, la historia se vuelve un poco repetitiva.
Igualmente la historia sigue mostrando eventos claves en la vida de Peter, como su graduación o la ruptura con Betty.
Siento que los primeros dos tomos hicieron un re trabajo presentando a los villanos, así que ahora que ya tienen todo más o menos establecido, la historia se vuelve un poco repetitiva.
Igualmente la historia sigue mostrando eventos claves en la vida de Peter, como su graduación o la ruptura con Betty.
May 27, 2018
Teenage Angst
Just love the early adventures of the wall crawler! 2 girls liking Mr. Parker and his conflict with Flash Thompson make this comic unique for the time period--and the unseen Mary Jane Watson! Oh yeah, lots of villains, gangsters and fighting!
Just love the early adventures of the wall crawler! 2 girls liking Mr. Parker and his conflict with Flash Thompson make this comic unique for the time period--and the unseen Mary Jane Watson! Oh yeah, lots of villains, gangsters and fighting!
August 11, 2019
Found Memories
It was not easy to get these titles when they were published, but it was worth it when I had the money or c opp Ulf find one at the local drugstore. People unfamiliar with Steve Ditko have no idea how much he contributed to comic books. Highly recommend
It was not easy to get these titles when they were published, but it was worth it when I had the money or c opp Ulf find one at the local drugstore. People unfamiliar with Steve Ditko have no idea how much he contributed to comic books. Highly recommend
February 11, 2021
This is when he was truly amazing
Make Mine Marvel
I can no longer bear reading new comics so exploring the classics is what I will be doing until I’m done
This was truly just that
Nuff said
Make Mine Marvel
I can no longer bear reading new comics so exploring the classics is what I will be doing until I’m done
This was truly just that
Nuff said
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews