(Continuing the series about the comics I saved when I sold most of my collection - this is adapted from a post for 2010.)
It's easy to understand why I held onto this issue - it's worn down to within an inch of its life (and thus has minimal resale value) - and also, this is the first issue of The Amazing Spider-Man I bought. Back when I was in Elementary School (when dinosaurs walked the Earth) my friends and I often talked about comics, and one of them - no idea who (John? Ben? Don? Doug, maybe?) - mentioned that he had tried Spider-Man's comic and really liked it.I had seen it in newsstands before - I distinctly remember seeing issue #9, for instance - but while I had been picking up Marvel comics like the Fantastic Four and the Avengers, I had resisted Spider-Man .
The character just seemed strange, with an odd costume - and the art was out of the ordinary.
Then I saw this issue on the shelf at the Nitro Newsstand and decided to give it a try. (Thank goodness!) I was immediately hooked.
The issue starts with a quick introduction to The Chameleon, who narrowly avoids being captured by Spider-Man. To deal with Spidey, that villain contacts his old friend Kraven, a big game hunter who is wily, loaded with weapons and eager to tackle the ultimate challenge - to track and capture Spider-Man.
It sounds like a standard storyline, but Kraven proves to be far more resourceful than you might expect. He fights Spidey to a standstill in their first meeting, and manages to use a potion that leaves our hero shaken and woozy.
When they meet again, Kraven has a series of clever traps, including a pair of metal cuffs he clamps on Spider-Man's wrist and ankle - the cuffs are magnetized, and it takes all of Spidey's strength to keep them apart.
But the issue isn't just about action - it includes Peter Parker dealing with problems at school, at the Daily Bugle (where his girlfriend Betty is jealous of Liz Allen), and at home (where Aunt May is pushing him to go on a blind date).
I was just amazed, reading that issue. The story was like no super-hero comic I'd ever read, loaded with lots of plot twists, action, drama and humor, as Spidey reeled off a series of genuinely funny comments while fighting for his life.
The art took some getting used to, because Ditko's style was so different from anyone working in comics in the early '60s. His figures were rubbery, every character had a unique look. I wasn't sure when I first started reading that issue, but by the time I got to the last page, I was sold on Ditko.
Reading that comic was like having someone turn the lights on - I could see that comics could be so much more, and I was an instant fan of Spider-Man.
So to whichever one of my friends who made the suggestion to try Spider-Man in 1964, a long-overdue thanks!
--------------------
Then I saw this issue on the shelf at the Nitro Newsstand and decided to give it a try. (Thank goodness!) I was immediately hooked.
The issue starts with a quick introduction to The Chameleon, who narrowly avoids being captured by Spider-Man. To deal with Spidey, that villain contacts his old friend Kraven, a big game hunter who is wily, loaded with weapons and eager to tackle the ultimate challenge - to track and capture Spider-Man.
It sounds like a standard storyline, but Kraven proves to be far more resourceful than you might expect. He fights Spidey to a standstill in their first meeting, and manages to use a potion that leaves our hero shaken and woozy.
When they meet again, Kraven has a series of clever traps, including a pair of metal cuffs he clamps on Spider-Man's wrist and ankle - the cuffs are magnetized, and it takes all of Spidey's strength to keep them apart.
But the issue isn't just about action - it includes Peter Parker dealing with problems at school, at the Daily Bugle (where his girlfriend Betty is jealous of Liz Allen), and at home (where Aunt May is pushing him to go on a blind date).
I was just amazed, reading that issue. The story was like no super-hero comic I'd ever read, loaded with lots of plot twists, action, drama and humor, as Spidey reeled off a series of genuinely funny comments while fighting for his life.
The art took some getting used to, because Ditko's style was so different from anyone working in comics in the early '60s. His figures were rubbery, every character had a unique look. I wasn't sure when I first started reading that issue, but by the time I got to the last page, I was sold on Ditko.
Reading that comic was like having someone turn the lights on - I could see that comics could be so much more, and I was an instant fan of Spider-Man.
So to whichever one of my friends who made the suggestion to try Spider-Man in 1964, a long-overdue thanks!
--------------------
Grade: A+
2 comments:
So...Nitro had a newsstand?
It did! My grandparents lived in Nitro, WV, and our journey there would take us past the newsstand downtown - it was located on Bank Street near 22nd Street (close to where the Golden Wok is now, I think). It was there until sometime in the early '80s, when newsstands started fading everywhere. I picked up tons of comics there and at the St. Albans Newsstand (also long since shuttered).
Post a Comment