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List Price $14.95
Our Price $13.45
by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, & John Romita
B&W
Paperback: 528 pages
Marvel Books
This volume issues includes Steve Ditko's last issue of Spider-Man, John Romita Senior's first issue, and the introducitons of Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson!
Featuring
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #'s 21-43
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #'s 2 & 3
This second volume holds a wide range of early Spider-Man stories, and shows a transitional period in the character's history.
The stories range from the epic Master Planner storyline, which builds strongly and contains very memorable scenes, to ephemeral stories like hat of the Looter and a guy named Joe. Villains from the past return, and this book includes some essential stories of Spidey's big name foes, Dr Octopus and the Green Goblin
The book also takes Peter Parker from his high school days to college, incidentally introducing both Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson while leaving behind earlier romantic interests such as Betty Brant and Liz Allen.
During this volume, we see the period when artist Steve Ditko took over the plotting of stories, which lent the book a more moralistic air. Towards the end, Ditko leaves and is replaced by John Romita, making the book more clean-lined but less visually interesting.
This volume is a mixed bag, albeit of good quality material, and
shows a comic that has largely outgrown its original premise but
struggling to find a new one.
