Amazing Spider-Man #2, Story B

The Uncanny Threat of the Terrible Tinkerer!

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: February 12, 1963
Cover: May 1963
12 cents
Story: Stan Lee
Art: Steve Ditko
10 pages

I read this story in Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection vol. 1: Great Power. Scans are taken from Marvel Tales #139, a 1982 reprinting.

Spider-Man meets his 2nd elderly super-villain in a single issue!

OK, now I’ll have to admit that not every Spider-Man story is a masterpiece. But even at their worst, they’re a cut above. When the issues have an “A” and “B” story, it seems like the effort went into the “A” story.

Even here, we see a lot of the greatness at play. Steve Ditko’s art, of course. But also the coherence of the story, tangling together Peter Parker’s story seamlessly with Spider-Man’s.

The name “Cobbwell” brings to mind “cobweb”. Coincidence? Probably.

There is some type of rule that each of these superheroes must fend off an alien invasion by their second issue. It’s very out of place here.

There have been so many alien invasions, they’ve stopped bothering to name the species.

And once again, the aliens give up way too easily.

What secret lies beneath the Tinkerer’s mask?

We saw this in the last issue, but I’ll draw your attention again to the cool way Spider-Man’s costume blends with the shadows.

Maybe the artist is just too lazy to finish drawing Spider-Man, but I think it makes a cool effect.

Despite my misgivings about the whole alien subplot, there’s one cool panel which makes this story stand out. It will become a frequently seen trope in Spider-Man. When Peter’s spider-sense tingles, we get a glimpse of his face half-masked to remind us he is Spider-Man. It’s an odd but effective technique, which will become a Spider-Man hallmark.

The Tinkerer charges a dime to fix radios. That’s cheaper than this comic.

Rating: ★★★☆☆, 55/100

Characters:

  • Tinkerer
  • Peter Parker/Spider-Man
  • Peter’s blonde classmate
  • Peter’s science teacher
  • Professor Cobbwell
  • Flash Thompson

Story notes:

  • Professor Cobbwell is most famous electronics expert in town (presumably indicating New York City)
  • Peter will spend weekend as Cobbwell’s research assistant
  • “Tinkerer Repair shop”
  • Spider-sense picked up on Tinkerer’s electrical impulses
  • Spider-Man trapped in “resisto-glass enclosure”

#65 story in reading order
Next: Tales of Suspense #41
Previous: Amazing Spider-Man #2

Author: Chris Coke

Interests include comic books, science fiction, whisky, and mathematics.

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