If you were to compare Steve Ditko's art to most anything you can find in a superhero comic these days, you would find Ditko's simplicity almost naive. I say, "almost," but then upon further consideration you would understand the difference between Ditko's clean, efficient storytelling, dynamic renderings, and extraordinary layouts, and those of the comic artists working (for the most part) in the superhero trenches today. Betty Brant stuff bookends the issue, though it’s not really relevant. I actually like the dream opening. Then, Kraven uses Chameleon tactics, which will have more ramifications in the 80s; otherwise, it’s mostly stuff we’ve seen. Of course, no character is more of a fan-favorite than Peter Parker – Spider-Man – himself. Reading his earliest comic book exploits was truly an enjoyable experience for me considering that, up until this point, my experiences with the character came from all other forms of media except comic books. These old comics from the 1960s were as new to me as the day they were first printed, giving me a personally unique experience with Spider-Man even in this day and age, one that people who are already familiar with the comics may unfortunately miss out on when perusing this omnibus. One of the best things about this massive collection was how it made me feel like I was meeting Spider-Man for the first time all over again, and it has made me eager to read more! Collecting AMAZING FANTASY #15, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1-38 and ANNUAL #1-2, STRANGE TALES ANNUAL #2, and FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #1. Speaking of Romitas, JRJR's art is very engaging here. He has his weak spots, but all the fights and especially Spidey's suit getting torn up look amazing. There's a clear desperation in him every time he has to keep fighting and JRJR shows it better than anyone else.

A rushed gangster mystery story that doesn’t really deliver on much. The Big Man is much better used later on. I think the Enforcers are fine, but they are a rather silly remnant that probably seemed dated even in the early sixties. Betty’s past catches up with her, and I like her leaving to deal with it all on her own, but the last panel is not great. Collected: Hawkeye (2012) 1-22, Hawkeye Annual (2013) 1, Young Avengers Presents (2008) 6 October 2023

4th Quarter 2023

Despite the repetition, this is still a fun storyline. That's in part because scrappy Peter Parker facing an utterly unbeatable foe is interesting. But it's the character subplots that really make the story. It's of course great to see Ezekiel again, but the heart of the story is Mary Jane, who finally comes to a really meaningful meeting of the minds with Peter, something that's been hanging over JMS' run to date. JMS of course has good voices for everyone. His Peter is one of the best and the new characters are pretty good as well. It's been said before he favoured having newer villains take the spotlight and while that's risky, it worked out well. It helps that JMS has the core idea of why they're after Peter tie together with the Spider Totem stoyline, thus making you remember all those moments with them. Unintended Consequences (#55-56). A nice return to Peter as Teacher, as he sees how one of his students has been affected by his vigilantism. Pulling Ezekiel in to deliver the moral of the story is a little heavy-handed, but I suppose it's good that he's becoming a supporting cast member. Overall, a nice thoughtful piece [3+/5]. Ah, the first relative dud. Even Stan Lee admits that aliens and Spider-man don’t really mix, especially not this early. It’s nice to see the sciency side of Spider-man, but the Tinkerer and his plan aren’t great. The aliens even get retconned out in the 70s On the subject of the art, I found Steve Ditko's classic art style to be simple yet never dull. I consider the mark of a great comic book or graphic novel to be one whose art is never poor enough to detract from the story being told, nor goes so overboard as to derail the reader's attention from the story at hand. Steve Ditko's art never infringed on either precept, which is something I cannot say for newer comics. Today, you will either find most comics to be bland and colorless to the point of losing all personality, or too stylized and out of touch with the characters of the comic (or just plain ugly). I like my comics, especially for Spider-Man, to be colorful and vibrant yet not overly busy, and Ditko achieved this balance beautifully. His artwork set the precedent for how Spider-Man should generally look and flow in comics, and for that he has my admiration.

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! A strong conclusion to a great trilogy. It’s not quite as good as the first two, but it wraps up everything with the Sandman, Enforcers, and of course, J. Jonah Jameson. It also features the first appearance of Ned Leeds who is fine here, but will cause Peter to get frustratingly jealous soon. Also, Spidey repays the Human Torch for issue 17 with a save.COLLECTING:Demon Wars: The Iron Samurai (2022) 1, Demon Wars: Shield of Justice (2022) 1, Demon Wars: TBD A (2023) 1, Demon Wars: TBD B (2023) 1 Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Omnibus– October 24, 2023 This volume covers the first-ever Spider-Man arc as written by Stan Lee and plotted/illustrated by Steve Ditko. As a lover of history and, of course, comics, it's essential reading. Morwen (#503-504). Peter has been interacting with a ridiculous number of supernatural foes under JMS, and I'm not sure it's made any better by Peter saying in the comic that he's been interacting with a ridiculous number of supernatural foes. It makes one wonder if JMS really wanted to write Dr. Strange (or Thor). This is a fine enough story about Peter interacting with Loki, but as with close to half of JMS' run to date, it doesn't feel much like a spider-story [3+/5]. In 1962, Stan Lee & Steve Ditko revolutionized both the comics industry and popular culture when they created Spider-Man, giving readers a superhero they could relate with. Unlike other superheroes, Spider-Man had the issues of a regular teenager such as school & college, girl trouble, trouble finding a job, and troubles at home. With so many classic moments and characters, this Omnibus delivers it all with wonderful reproductions and colour work including the letters and design of the original. A fascinating document and a lovely, if chunky book.

There is some solid Foswell stuff and the first (named) appearance of Norman Osborn! But, the robots are somewhat disappointing, and the Gwen stuff feels like more retread. But the great bit of this story is JMS' new focus on Peter as a scientist. The issue where he gets a job at his old high school is the best one in the volume, and the fact that the Morlun plot twist is based on Peter acting like a scientist is nice too [3+/5]. Journey into the imagination of Stormbreaker Peach Momoko as she takes her version of the Marvel Universe to the next level! Welcome to another dimension — one filled with wondrous creatures: sentient samurai armor, a winged individual in a falcon mask, a mysterious panther person and a red, snakelike monster with a deadly appetite. When Mariko Yashida finds herself in the middle of a war between these creatures, will she be forced to choose a side? As Iron Samurai clashes with Shield of Justice, this war is anything but civil — and their cataclysmic clash could devastate two worlds! Lee gets a lot of credit for his sharp take and themes but Ditko I feel is the real powerhouse, churning out classic costume after costume, visually representing an entire world, all while creeping everyone out with his weird figures and dynamic compositions. He set the tone for everything since and is rarely bettered. It’s a fun adventure story with a lot of interaction between Jonah and Peter. Lizard stories are all a little samey, and this is the archetype. The lizard is a neat foe, though his motivations are less than clear. It’s good spider fun!Honestly, this is a solid issue. Now I’ve hated a Torch issue and liked a Goblin issue! What is happening? This episode has a little of the jealousy plague, but the Goblin’s plan is great as is Spider-Man’s call to Aunt May. This is the kind of Gobby I like. A máme tu hlavně origin Spider-mana provázaný s jeho osudovou lekcí o zodpovědnosti, který se neobešel bez legendárního "S velkou mocí..." řečeným ve žlutém vypravěčském rámečku a ne strejdou Benem. Origin a první výskyt zde nachází i většina slavných Spider-manových záporáků.