liz allan – Page 2 – Coke & Comics

Amazing Spider-Man Annual 1, Story B

The Secrets of Spider-Man!

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: June 11, 1964
Cover: 1964
25 cents
By: Stan Lee and Steve Ditko
9ish pages

Confession time, here’s what I got. I haven’t decided the best way to break up issues with a lot of bonus content like this. My posts don’t cover entire issues, but stories within them. So what is a “story”?

This issue has 3 comic-sequence-like features: the main feature of 41 pages we just covered; a 9-numbered-page sequence we are covering now; and, a 3-page sequence I’ll cover in the subsequent post.

After the main feature, there is a 14-page gallery of all Spider-Man’s villains from the first 15 issues of the series: the Burglar, Chameleon, the Vulture, the terrible Tinkerer, Dr. Octopus, Sandman, Doctor Doom, the Lizard, the Living Brain, Electro, the Enforcers and the Big Man, Mysterio, the Green Goblin, and Kraven the Hunter. That’s quite the collection of villains for only 15 issues. All original except Dr. Doom. No other series can match.

That brings us to the featurette which is the main subject of this post: “The Secrets of Spider-Man!” This isn’t a narrative story, but it is told in standard comic panel format. We get a recap of the origin of Spider-Man followed by a detailed analysis of his powers and web shooters.

Amazing Spider-Man Annual 1

The Sinister Six!

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: June 11, 1964
Cover: 1964
25 cents
Written by: Stan Lee
Drawn by: Steve Ditko
Lettered by: S. Rosen
41 pages

It’s 1964. You’re young. You don’t have a lot of money. But you know some math. Most comics cost 12 cents. This one costs 25. You could get two comics for that price! But wait… those two comics between them would only net you 42-46 story pages. This one promises 72 pages! 72 big pages, at that.

Indeed, this first story is 41 pages, enough to give you your money’s worth. But there’re over 30 pages of bonus features as well!

Plus, most of those comics will give you one super-villain, two at most. This cover promises a sinister six villains for your hard-earned quarter.

If you’re not yet sold to drop two bits, the first page should do it. Aunt May and Betty Brant have been captured by the Sinister Six, and Spider-Man has lost his powers! Now that’s a story!

Amazing Spider-Man #15

Kraven the Hunter!

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: May 12, 1964
Cover: August 1964
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee (because we couldn’t afford Mickey Spillane)
Illustrated by: Steve Ditko (because Picasso was out of town)
Lettered by: Art Simek (because his name fits this space)
22 pages

I feel like the golden era of Ditko coming up with cool Spider-Man villains may be over. At least Kraven is more interesting than Green Goblin. Like Green Goblin, it’s generally agreed the best story for each is the one where they die.

I will give Green Goblin and Kraven credit for one thing… they’re different from the other villains. They’re both unique, for better or worse.

But, while one form of Goblin or another was the villain or a background threat for the first four Spider-Man films, we’re seven films in without so much as a hint of Kraven. Guy’s gotta be a little insulted.

Kraven’s motive is different from the other villains we’ve met. He’s not interested in money, power or revenge. His goal is sport. His namesake is not an animal like many of Spider-Man’s villains, but his outfit does suggest a lion motif.

The story begins with the return of Spider-Man’s first super-villain foe: the Chameleon, who we learn is an old friend of Kraven the Hunter.

While Chameleon’s mask has the same basic idea as before, it’s been cleaned up and altered. This new look will endure for 60 years.

Amazing Spider-Man #14

The Grotesque Adventure of the Green Goblin

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: April 9, 1964
Cover: July 1964
12 cents
Writen by: Stan Lee (The poor man’s Shakespeare)
Illustrated by: Steve Ditko (The poor man’s Da Vinci)
Lettered by: Art Simek (The poor man’s rich man)
22 pages

There are things to like about this comic. The new villain is pretty goofy, perfect for a one-off issue of frivolity. Bring back the Enforcers and throw in the Hulk, and you have a recipe for a fun time.

But look to this first panel. It’s very interesting. A great panel, actually. You see the villain’s mask in the foreground and the shadowed villain in the background. Spider-Man has had a few unmasking scenes of late. Electro turned out to be someone he’d never heard of. Big Man turned out to be Peter’s colleague, Fred Foswell. This opening panel suggests we will get another dramatic unmasking… except we won’t.

They will save the unmasking for a later issue. Spider-Man actually fails to decisively defeat this goofy villain. Which suggests the Green Goblin will return. A bad idea. The character might be fun for one issue, but not as a recurring villain. Especially when Spider-Man aready has such a robust rogues gallery of far more interesting characters: Chameleon, Vulture, Tinkerer, Dr. Octopus, Sandman, Lizard, Living Brain, Electro, Big Man, Enforcers, and Mysterio.

The second panel is a line that’s rather amusing with the benefit of hindsight. “I made the controls simple enough that there’s no chance of fatal error.” If you’ve read further in Amazing Spider-Man, you know he will redesign his flying device and forget that particular design principle. I had suggested this panel to my friend Brian for his Past Was Close Behind series.

The Green Goblin refers to his device as a “flying broomstick”, keeping to a magic/fairy tale theme.

Amazing Spider-Man #13

The Menace of… Mysterio!

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: March 10, 1964
Cover: June 1964
12 cents
Author: Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko
Lettered by: Art Simek
22 pages

I love the web dissolving on the cover.

Spider-Man has turned to crime. He commits a robbery and then gets away by crawling a wall and using webbing. He must be guilty. Jameson was right all along.

Of course, there was the time the Skrulls convinced everybody the Fantastic Four had turned to crime. Or the time Thor was framed by Mr. Hyde. Or the two times Wizard impersonated Human Torch to frame him for crimes. Spider-Man himself has been framed for crimes now by Chameleon and the Fox. And Jameson accused Spidey of being Electro and of being in cahoots with almost every other villain. So maybe the public shouldn’t jump to any conclusions.

Amazing Spider-Man #12

Unmasked by Dr. Octopus!

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: February 11, 1964
Cover: May 1964
12 cents
Written in the white heat of inspiration by: Stan Lee
Drawn in a wild frenzy of enthusiasm by: Steve Ditko
Lettered in a comfortable room by: Art Simek
22 pages

We’re reading this story an entire month early. A few reasons for this. One is that a lot of plot and thematic elements remain unresolved from issue 11. So these two issues read well together. The other is that I’ll be shuffling around a lot of Avengers-related comics due to chronological complications, including Spider-Man’s upcoming guest appearance in Tales to Astonish. I’ll be pulling that story forward, which also pulls this story forward.

Since the Dr. Octopus subplot remains unresolved from last issue, I think it’s best if Spider-Man’s guest appearances with Human Torch or Giant-Man don’t break up these issues.

Just keep in mind this comic was actually was published after a lot of the exciting events we are about to read, including the return of Captain America, the introduction of Black Widow, the epic Thing/Hulk showdown, and the introduction of Daredevil. But I think it reads better before all that. So here we are.

This is actually one of my very favorite Spider-Man comics. Let’s dive in.

We see a Daily Bugle article in an unusual level of detail. Spider-Man is blamed for letting Dr. Octopus escape by interfering in police business. Jameson’s articles are often over the top, but this seems a reasonable assessment to me. Spider-Man is a child who barged into a delicate hostage situation. One person was killed and the villain escaped. We know he did his best, but he is an amateur. Nonetheless, Spider-Man is outraged by the article. He should perhaps instead be remorseful about Bennet’s death. That’s what happens when you provoke a criminal into wildly firing shots.

Amazing Spider-Man #10

The Enforcers!

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: December 9, 1963
Cover: March 1964
12 cents
Written by: Smiling Stan Lee
Illustrated by: Swinging Steve Ditko
Lettered by: Sparkling Sam Rosen
22 pages

Warning that spoilers follow. You may not want to read this post until you go read the comic and learn the shocking identity of the Big Man! Otherwise it will be revealed unceremoniously in my character listing.

Once again, we see clever credits. Several comics released this month had them.

The Enforcers remind me somewhat of Dr. Doom’s henchmen we met in last month’s Fantastic Four. But the Enforcers are the better team of henchmen and will prove more enduring. In fact, Big Man is the “big” villain of this issue, with the Enforcers his henchmen. But the Enforcers will become the more famous villains.

Amazing Spider-Man #9

The Man Called Electro!

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: November 12, 1963
Cover: February 1964
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee
Illustrated by: Steve Ditko
Lettered by: Art Simek
22 pages

We’ve had some great superhero battles in these pages. Put Spider-Man’s wits and abilities to the test against great foes. We get a new foe this issue.

But this issue also gets to the core of what Spider-Man is really about: balance.

His first appearance ended with the famous phrase about responsibility. That suggested he had a responsibility to use his powers to stop criminals and such. But this comic underscores other responsibilities. His aunt is sick and he has a responsibility to her. He also has financial responsibilities. He’s also a student, responsible for his studies. But what of his social responsibilities? What does he owe the kids in his class toward attempting to be friends with them? What about responsibilities to his romantic life? He’s also a photojournalist, and has a responsibility to journalistic integrity. He has a lot of responsibilities. How to balance them all? That’s the main theme of this series, and this issue is the best microcosm yet.

In fact, Stan’s opening hype seems pretty accurate to me for once. I’ll go ahead and call that my review.

There’s a lot going on in this issue, as my preamble may have implied. Let’s dive in.

Amazing Spider-Man #8

The Living Brain!

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: October 8, 1964
Cover: January 1964
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee
Illustrated by: Steve Ditko
17 pages

The cover calls this a special “Tribute-to-Teen-Agers” issue. I don’t really appreciate the significance of that. There are teenagers in this issue, and most issues of Amazing Spider-Man, a series which stars a teenager.

Significant couple panels. Last time Peter will wear glasses. The implication is that his spider-powers fixed his eyesight, but he’s continued to wear them anyway.

Amazing Spider-Man #7

The Return of the Vulture

Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: September 10, 1963
Cover: December 1963
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee
Illustrated by: Steve Ditko
21 pages

Spider-Man gets his first repeat villain. Stan claims readers demanded his return. But, well, Stan always says that.

Spider-Man is overconfident his same gadget will work, but Vulture had modified his wings to nullify Spider-Man’s gadget. Spider-Man is defeated in their first encounter and sprains his arm. He’ll have to fight Vulture again one-handed.