Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: June 9, 1964
Cover: September 1964
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee, master of the spoken word
Illustrated by: Steve Ditko, dean of dramatic drawings
Lettered by: S. Rosen, sultan of sparkling spelling
22 pages
Let me start by wishing a happy birthday to Steve Ditko, who would have been 93 today had he not passed away in 2018.
Ditko has created a number of new villains for this series, while maintaining a generally pretty high quality (Green Goblin excepted). The team has only once borrowed a villain so far, when Spider-Man fought Dr. Doom in issue 5. This is the second time borrowing a villain, but they dig deeper, bringing back Ringmaster from Incredible Hulk #3 two years earlier. We’ve read over 200 comics since we last met Ringmaster and his Circus of Crime.
Aunt May still insists Peter accept a blind date with Mary Jane Watson. Peter makes the reasonable protestation that he has a girlfriend. May notes they are not engaged. Does May just not like Betty for some reason? On the other hand, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a date. Peter could just offer to hang out with Mrs. Watson’s niece as a favor to Aunt May. I feel like they could compromise here.
We get an opening action sequence where Spider-Man rescues a blind man from some burglars. They attacked the blind man because they didn’t want any witnesses. It’s a little weird they were so concerned about a blind witness, though it turns out they were right to be. In fact, it’s not even clear this blind man needed Spider-Man’s help.
For the man is none other than Matt Murdock, better known as Daredevil.
I read recently that Steve Ditko had been offered the role of Daredevil artist, as the series is still in need of one. I haven’t verified that rumor, but if true, this issue could be seen as a try out, to see how Ditko handles the character. Ditko does not end up becoming a Daredevil artist, taking over the duties on the new Hulk stories instead.
Matt Murdock accompanies Karen Page and Foggy Nelson to the circus. To draw in crowds, Ringmaster advertised that Spider-Man would show up at the event. He didn’t expect Spider-Man to actually show up.
It’s lucky for him that Spider-Man did. He is able to hypnotize Spider-Man into fighting Daredevil, who is somehow immune to the effects of Ringmaster’s hypnotic hat. How can that be when everyone who sees the swirls is affected?
Ditko has done this a couple times now, but to particularly good effect here. It’s not a technique we’ve really seen outside of Spider-Man. A single panel has multiple images of Spider-Man to represent time passing.
The second time we see the effect in this issue is even more ambitious, and Ditko adds numbers to clarify the sequence.
Betty learns Peter went to the circus without her. He can’t explain the whole Spider-Man thing. She is jealous and upset. I wonder how she’d feel if he actually did go out with Mrs. Watson’s niece.
Rating: ★★★½, 63/100
Significance: ★★★★☆
From a story perspective, I find this less interesting than most of the issues up to this point. Ringmaster makes Spider-Man and Daredevil fight. Still better than the average superhero comic of the era. But even as these stories have become more routine, the storytelling has improved dramatically. Ditko’s art becomes increasingly more refined. This issue features perhaps the best depictions of action we’ve yet seen. The circus gives Spider-Man plenty of room to demonstrate feats of agility and for Ditko to contort his body into unique dynamic poses.
I read this story in Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection vol. 1: Great Power. You can also find it in Marvel Masterworks: Amazing Spider-Man vol. 2. Or on Kindle.
Characters:
- Spider-Man/Peter Parker
- Aunt May
- Matt Murdock/Daredevil
- Franklin “Foggy” Nelson
- Karen Page
- J. Jonah Jameson
- Betty Brant
- Ringmaster
- Samson
- Great Gambino
Story notes:
- Murdock assesses Spider-Man is 17, 5’10” and in excellent health.
- Ringmaster’s battle with Hulk described as “months ago”.
- Editor’s note reminds us the Hulk magazine is now discontinued.
- Circus crowd cheers for Spider-Man.
- Ringmaster hypnotizes entire crowd including Spider-Man. Only Daredevil is immune.
- The Great Gambino seems to have taken the place of the Human Cannonball. Since they use different stage names, I assume they are two different people who perform similar feats.
#228 story in reading order
Next: Tales of Suspense #57
Previous: Sgt. Fury #9
