Product Description: He was a teenage web-wlinger, and he carved a career few heroes have equaled since! Witness the origins of Doctor Octopus, the Sandman, the Lizard, Electro and more of Spider-Man's original rogues gallery - most of whom remain in the spotlight forty years later! Plus: Spider-Man's identity is exposed for the first time! His first fights with the Green Goblin, the villain who would defeat him more disastrously than any other! Spidey's first effort to join a super-team, and his first effort to fight a super-team - all before his high-school graduation (and we've got that, too)! Guest-starring Doctor Strange, Daredevil, the Human Torch, the Hulk and more! Collects Amazing Fantasy #15, Amazing Spider-Man #1-38 and Annual #1-2; plus the Spider-Man stories from Fantastic Four Annual #1 and Strange Tales Annual #2, and the covers to Marvel Tales #3-28 and Annual #1-2
The making of a legend This is an excellent collection of the first Spider-Man comics, that helped establish the character as one of the most popular superheroes of all-time and continued the comics revolution that Marvel was leading. All of the early comics are included in full color (unlike the recent Essential series) with their covers just as they were originally published. This is a must for any Spider-man fan or anyone interested in comics history!
Complete your collection First off, I had previously purchased the Captain America Omnibus, Vol. 1 HC so I can finally read those great early Ed Brubaker stories. While I still haven't removed the shrink-wrap on that book, this Spider-Man book was opened immediately. It does not have said shrink-wrap, probably because there wasn't enough to put around it. This is the largest bound book that I have ever seen in my life!
The binding is solid and the colors on the pages jump out at you. There is a nice Table of Contents that lists all of the issues contained within this book. This is followed by a great introduction by Stan Lee himself, who gives you some background on how the Spider-Man series came about, perfect for leading into the stories themselves. As you probably know, it started out in Amazing Fantasy #15 which is the first issue in this collection. I have never actually read it so it was a real treat to finally get the chance. That alone is almost worth the purchase price.
The one thing about having a book this big is that you do not have to look anywhere else for the early Spider-Man stories, they are all here. I can't wait to keep reading the rest and as you will notice from the start, Spider-Man is very wordy, there are many caption boxes on each page. The artwork is superb as Spider-Man himself is such a striking character and really stands out in each and every scene that he is in.
Even if you are not a Marvel fan, you will find all of these Spider-Man stories as priceless as I do. This is a collection that is second to none. All the early Spider-Man stories are here. Recommended for all comic book fans and for Marvel and Spider-Man fans this is a MUST OWN!
One more thing: If your jaw does not drop when you see the size of this book I will be surprised, it is awesome!
Everything it should be, and MORE!!! Having received this book a few days ago, I just couldn't wait to add to the accolades here. This book is huge, complete, beautifully printed, beautifully packaged, nothing less than a dream come true for this Spidey lover.
I collect early issues for myself and my 9-year-old son, and understandably don't want either of us to handle these precious collectibles to enjoy the stories. We already had the DVD-ROM--but frankly the scans weren't that good, and nothing replaces good old print for reading in bed, etc. Everything about this book is perfect. Although I am a Romita (Sr.) fan as well, the editorial decision to include just the Ditko issues was wise, allowing the book to be a loving tribute to the eccentric co-creator of the Spiderman legend. The bonus material in this edition is wonderful, including contemporary ASM Annuals, crossover appearances in Strange Tales Annual #2 and Fantastic Four Annual #1, ads, alternate covers, the Marvel Tales reprint covers, staff photos (Ditko of course mysteriously absent), and some welcome comments by Stan Lee. (Peculiarly, although Jack Kirby was a masterful artist, he never was able to get Spidey "right", as amply demonstrated here.) Even the "The Spider's Web" from each issue is included, with letters from Vietnam grunts and kids alike, all of which REALLY takes me back to the day....
This book is a genuine piece of art, and a piece of history (personal and cultural) for me. My only possible gripes are that between the sturdy paper stock and the inclusiveness, the book is so hefty it could qualify as a deadly weapon--and that it's so darned wonderful I have to worry about my son and I wearing IT out! I might even have to buy yet another "collector's" copy here. Fortunately at this price, it's a steal!
In short--if you love Spiderman, you MUST buy this book!!!
The birth of a modern legend Caution: handling this book while reading it will make your biceps big... And with great power comes great responsability! This book, as you probably already know, packs the origin and the first four years of Spider-Man's adventures. All of Spidey's arch-villains (excepted Venom and Carnage) feature : Doc Octopus, Green Goblin, you name them. All of Spidey's world was set during these first chapters: his bullies (and future friends), his girlfriends (including the then-mysterious MJ), Aunt May etc. When these adventures were first published, almost 50 years ago, they were genuinely pioneering, revolutionary, seminal even. The super hero comics as we know them today would not exist without this masterpiece by Stan LEE and Steve DITKO. I do not know how the teenagers of today will connect with it, but for this reader -- who read the issues herein compiled at the tender age of ten, when they were first published in France (that means the early 70s to you) --, it ages rather well. I believe all serious comics fans in the world should own these adventures and this "omnibus" is probably the best way to do so.
Yessss The quality of this fist stories are still the best. There is drama and humor, there is action and quit moments. The revolutionary visions of Steve Ditko shine in this oversized pages. I review the second printing and the binding is different to the older Omnibus editions. The binding is better because now it is possible to wide open the pages.
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
