Finishing seventh on my list of "Top 10 Spider-Man comics by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko" is "Where Flies the Beetle...!"Which probably seems like an odd choice, since the Beetle was never a particularly impressive or menacing villain - but this issue is so funny and so perfectly crafted that I read it over and over. Heck, some scenes still make me laugh.
This is a story that starts small and builds on a basic idea. Peter Parker bumps into Doris Evans, the girlfriend of the Human Torch. Johnny Storm, ever the hot-head, is jealous of Peter (after Doris brags about him), and he confronts the surprised teen.
Determined to get the Torch's goat, Spider-Man decides to make a play for Doris, but when he arrives he's attacked by the Beetle, who's been waiting for the Torch to return.
A terrific battle ensues, and the Beetle carries off Doris, with Spidey following. The Torch arrives to find evidence of a struggle - and Spidey's webbing - and immediately leaps to the wrong conclusion.
He chases down Spidey and - you guessed it - the two fight (there's that "misunderstanding between heroes" thing again), then join forces against the Beetle.
And if it all sounds cut-and-dried, don't believe it - it a fantastic, inventive combination of power, gymnastics and humor every step of the way.
The last page shows the real genius of Lee and Ditko's creation, as a fun-filled romp gives way at the last to a reflective, heartfelt and almost painful reflection by Spider-Man that no matter his heroics or his daring efforts, he may never be like the Torch - the idol of millions, beloved by all.
It was the kind of thing you never saw in comics at the time - the idea that things don't always go your way, and sometimes you have to take your lumps.
It was a mature outlook for a comic, and it really made this title a cut above everything else on the market. That, along with the amazing art and outstanding writing, is why this issue is a classic.
Grade: A
2 comments:
I see that you're not getting comments with your recent posts,
and that's a pity. These early
issues of Lee & Ditko Spider-Man
are most noteworthy. You jump around from issue to issue in no
particular order, but it doesn't
matter; whatever the timeframe for
these stories, you see two great
talents inspired to do their best
work, as much for themselves as their audience. Team the Spider-Man
title with Lee & Kirby's Fantastic
Four, and you have twin juggernauts, stylistically different, which propelled us into
the Marvel Age of Comics, and transformed the entertainment landscape to the extent that movies, tv and video games are dominated by the super-hero genre.
And it all started here, in the pages of a 12 cent comic!
Sam Kujava
Sam, I've been surprised at the lack of comments lately, too - I assume everyone's just overwhelmed with the holidays, or just sitting there nodding their heads at my observations. I thought my "Top 10" list would cheese someone off, too.
But I agree with your comments - it's amazing how much the comics industry changed as a result of these stories by Stan and Steve (and Jack of course) - it's been great fun looking back at some of my all-time favorites, some of which I haven't read in years!
If there's a skip week next year, I'm thinking I'll put together a "Top 10" list for Stan and Jack's issues of the Fantastic Four!
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