Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus Vol. 1 (The Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus)

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I'm a big Spider-man fan, but had never read many Spider-man stories from before the late 80s. I thought I should at least get a taste of the early days as Stan Lee and Steve Ditko basically invented from scratch the whole world and characters that other people have mined for decades. I chose this particular volume because I knew it contained two stories that are considered classic, the Master Planner Saga (issues 31-33) and the unmasking of the Green Goblin (issues 39-40). It also has the transition from Steve Ditko to John Romita Sr., so I'd get a taste of both iconic artists. My fault -- all my fault, If only I had stopped him when I could have! But I didn't -- and now -- Uncle Ben -- is dead..... — Spider-Man Solicit Synopsis MJ is also terrific. She has her own conflic about her role as an actress and whether or not it's worth it to do these meaningless roles that don't let her talent shine. It's always great to see her stand up for herself and not accept any sort of bullshit from people. Am I a Vulture fan? I feel like the Vulture as “old man with wings” has overshadowed how crafty and swift he used to be. The battle in the Daily Bugle office really makes this issue with the ending being a particular fave of mine because Betty Brant is awesome. 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.

I own a number of these Marvel Omnibus editions now, but this is the one I would grab if there was a fire and I could only take one with me. Sure, most of the material in this volume has been reprinted endlessly elsewhere, but it's never looked this good anywhere else, nor has all the great letter columns and in-house ads of the day been so lovingly restored and included. This issue has both a great villain and great cameos, though Ditko’s version of the Fantastic Four is a little jarring for me. I love that Peter thinks of becoming a member of the Fantastic Four (that will take awhile), and their fight is really fun. Spider sense is introduced rather inconsistently, and people calling Spidey through his Spidey sense is rather dumb, but I’ll give it a pass. The Chameleon fight section is expertly crafted as an intelligent battle of minds. This is everything I want in a Spider-man story. I am still the proud owner of FF 1 through 100, but most of my Spider-Man comics disappeared over the years. Lending them to friends, trading for an early FF I didn’t have, summer camp, and a mother who cleaned much too often, took their toll. This is not so much a review of the content as a review of the form. I am a huge fan of the Marvel Masterworks and Omnibus series because they reproduce the classic works in such beautiful, high-quality hardcovers. This edition however, the Second Edition, First Printing 2013 is markedly inferior quality.Chvilku jsem váhal zda tomu přeci jen nevystřelit "jen" 4, ale to prostě nejde. K takhle starým kouskům se nemůže přistupovat bez nějakých ohledů. 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.

This issue is a memorial of 9/11. Twenty years later, it feels like it's from a different lifetime, and though it's a bit wordy, it's still a moving reminder of what we lost. JMS reacts to the tragedy well, in a way that brings up humanity, rather than tearing it down [5/5]. I am very happy that Marvel decided to reprint this volume, but disappointed at the drop in quality that the Marvel Omnibus name stands for. The 500th issue was just wonderful. Heartwarming without being sappy and just a good way for Peter to accept the struggles in his life have meaning. Having Romita Sr. pencil the meeting with Uncle Ben ties everything neatly together.

December 2023/January 2024

Collecting AMAZING FANTASY #15, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1-38 and ANNUAL #1-2, STRANGE TALES ANNUAL #2, and FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #1. 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. 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! The art is always pretty solid with some standout fight scenes and moments of Spider-man posing. I'm not always a mega-fan of Romita Jr. art but he fits Spider-Man very well. Especially when Peter is fully suited, it looks amazing. The faces on the human characters though can use some work sometimes. This issue has a lot of good Flash, Liz, and Betty stuff, though Peter continues to be kind of a creep. He has his reasons, but still... I’ve bemoaned some of the melodrama, but the Betty-Peter breakup is pretty intense and more real than many of their interactions. Also, love that last panel.

Overall, this story feels like a classic Spider-Man story, in a way that nothing else in JMS' magic-infested run did. We got a classic mystery, unveilings of various supporting cast members, deftly crafted secrets revealed to different characters, and the introduction of a new Goblin. This story could have been a major new foundational stone in Spider-Man's mythology, and I suspect JMS thought it should be. This is a comedy issue with the only sane one being Betty, astonishingly. It seems like J.J.J. forgets about the Scorpion at the slightest provocation. I guess I also really dislike the robot, which will become the first of the Spider Slayer line. Also, this has the famous faceless on-panel appearance of Mary Jane where she looks like a flower is eating her face. Basically, many things bolster this fairly crappy issue. The main thrust of arc is the introduction of spider-y Ezekiel and spider-hunting Morlun, and Ezekiel's claim that Peter is a mystic spider-totem. The specifics of this updated origin have generally been rejected by later authors (and by fans and by Peter himself), but the concept of Peter's spider-ness, and in particular the existence of Morlun, has been pretty influential in the Spider-universe, spinning off Silk, Spider-Verse (and the movie!), and Spider-Geddon at a minimum. This is just a fantastic issue. It’s essentially everything a person needs to know about Spider-Man in one marathon bout. Even the blatant ads for the other Marvel comics are fairly well integrated. The card thing is a bit wonky, but honestly, I forgive it. It’s rightly remembered as a great issue, and it’s one of the best Lee & Ditko. This omnibus includes the run by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko (who co-created Spider-Man with Stan Lee). The volume includes Spidey's debut in Amazing Fantasy #15, the first 38 issues in the Amazing Spider-Man series as well as the first two Spider-Man annuals.Desperation, struggle, perseverance. This issue is rightly remembered as one of the greats. There are some frustrating Betty Brant panels, but this is the last great Lee-Ditko collaboration. Meanwhile (#39). One of the dreaded 'Nuff Said issues, but this one isn't bad, giving some insight into what's going on in the heads of MJ and May (and Peter) [4+/5]. The Spider Totem stuff is somewhat mixed amongst fans, but I enjoyed the presentation. It helps that Peter remains very clinical about it and doesn't take it at face value. He has a very healthy dose of scepticism about it and that helps keep the story going off the rails. Ezekiel was a nice addition to Peter's life and it's good to see him realise the truth in Peter's whole reason for doing what he does, even if it did have to end in tragedy.