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/1.jpg "Amazing Spider-Man #1")
The early storylines were pretty corny. The writing got better in the mid 60s.
Amazing Spider-Man #1
| Writer | Stan Lee |
| Artist | Steve Ditko |
Contains two amazing stories!
Spider-Man: Freak! Public Menace!
Peter Parker tries to continue a show biz career as Spider-Man, yet J. Jonah Jameson's editorials slamming him as a menace makes it hard to find work.
Spider-Man vs. the Chameleon!
The criminal Chameleon breaks into a military building dressed as Spider-Man to steal missile plans. He is confronted by security officers who place the crime on Spider-Man.
CRITIC REVIEWS
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USER REVIEWS
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8.0
I've decided to very slowly do a read through of Spider-Man! I've done it before, but it's been years and years now. I'll do my best to read each and every issue across Spider-Man's many titles. I'll try to put a relevant quote from the issue at the end of my reviews, for fun! In this instance though, I'll do two since technically this review covers two issues. Something to note as well, as I go through these early issues: these are early 60s silver age comics. They are antiquated. That's just how it is. I will be rating these on a "Product of its Time" curve until I hit a sufficient point in Spidey history wherein I feel that the curve is no longer necessary. Therefore, I won't be as harsh on expository dialogue, wacky plot development s/contrivances, or outdated social content (For instance, the Red Scare and Commie hatred prevalent in early Marvel comics). We get two "Feature-Length" stories in this issue. I'll let you all onto a little secret. The first time I read this issue waaay back in the day (Through the *amazing* complete collection CDs Marvel put out. They'd never do something like that now, but those disks are still relatively available if you want some moderately rough PDF scans of the first 400 or 500 Amazing Spider-Man issues.) I was unimpressed with this first issue. I thought, the spoiled kid that I was, that this was an uneventful issue. Spider-Man fights gravity and then Chameleon, a villain I didn't really care about. But now that I'm old and more grateful for my nostalgia-drenched colorful picture books, I find myself appreciating this issue. It does a lot of things. It introduces everyone's favorite newsman, J. Jonah Jameson, firmly establishing the rivalry between Spider-Man and JJJ. It introduces John Jameson. It introduces Flash Thompson. It really hammers home the heft of the responsibility that Peter faces in the aftermath of his uncle's untimely death. Oh and I really appreciate the Fantastic Four appearance in the second story. If you've ever read the formative years of Marvel, you'll know that the best titles are ASM and Fantastic Four. For whatever reason, Stan Lee just really brought those characters to life in a way that he couldn't do for, say, Ant-Man or Iron Man. Not to say those other books were bad, or that they had no place, but FF and ASM were just on another level. So whenever the two interact, it's always great. Also, it's so nice to have a cohesive universe here. I cannot stress enough how important that is to Marvel comics, even today. The universe feels lived in by the time Spider-Man swings onto the scene, and I appreciate that as a comic book reader. It makes going back to these issues akin to visiting family you haven't seen in a while... Except you like them. So yeah, this issue does a lot right. It establishes many important things that will definitely develop more over the course of the next few issues. It doesn't take long for Spider-Man to get the classic feel... And no, I don't mean that faux classic feel invented by the Sam Raimi films. Quote of the issue: "A Tough Time Cashing It, Eh? Well, We'll See About That!" more
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8.0
I'm not even going to try to pretend this isn't good despite its age. Yeah the stories are kind of hokey but they are all things we would see carried into the future. Simple mistakes here and there and some dated writing are really the only thing making this 'low'. I even enjoyed Ditko's art here which I'm not normally a fan of. I still stick by my wishing we had Kirby. Between Amazing Fantasy 15 and ASM 1 covers, I think he really captures Spider-Man. Better than Ditko captures the FF.
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8.0
Ah, the 60s! Silver age comics are so absurd....i love it! The first story here is so fun. It already sets the tone for who Spider-Man is at this point. Torn between heroism and survival, slandered by the media. The space mission might seem too “big†for a character we associate with street level, grounded adventures, but it works(it's the 60s lol). J. Jonah Jameson is instantly iconic, a generational hater from his first ballon dialouge. The money struggles, the loneliness, the weight of responsibility on his shoulders, it’s all here from the beginning. The second story however is a mixed bag for me. The Fantastic Four sequence is fantastic (no pun intended). Great action, fun banter, and Peter being underestimated only to prove hi mself against Marvel’s first family is awesome, even thought they were clearly holding back. The Chameleon is a cool villain and works fine, but the Cold War Soviet spy plot? Even more absurd than the rocket story. It’s very “America in the ‘60s,†and it pulls the story into weird territory for me. I find it so funny how in those early spidey issues things escalate so quicky. We see him web launching through the city(AWESOME), using web parachutes(AWESOME!), landing and piloting a boat(hum?)....to a Soviet Submarine(HUM?????)....but the issue manages to have a great ending very fitting to the character. No matter how absurd things get, Peter struggles, his constant battle to balance his life, his imperfect humanity, is the driving force of those stories. The dated aspects of it doesn’t detract from how iconic this issue is. Steve Ditko is already shining. There’s real mood, tension, and human fragility in his work, this is personal to him from the gecko. The dialogue, although dated in rhythm, is still surprisingly readable. Some of Stan’s lines could easily be adapted today with only slight tweaks. A fantastic launch for what will become a legendary series. more
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7.5
Good start, but the age of this comic does a thing. Some parts of this were done poorly even for that time. Also mistakes such as "Peter Palmer" spoil the impression too. However, there are many stories and it's cool to read the very beginning of such a great superhero.
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7.0
Holy antiquity, Peter Palmer!
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7.0
Comics from the 60s are... interesting. I do think Stan Lee was a genius for creating characters but, damn, man didn't know how to develop them properly lol.
+ Like • Comments (1)• Likes (2)
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7.0
(Cover date: March, 1963)
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6.0
Peter after harrasing ff be like: -I'm super cool, give me money
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6.0
The Stan Lee and Steve Ditko run of Amazing Spider-Man is for sure a product of its time. The dialog is primitive and at times insulting. The panel of Jonah introducing his son to the reader is down right hilariously unnatural to the point where Spider-Man 2 the movie actually poked fun at the delivery in my opinion. The art by Steve Ditko however stands the test of time. His early Spidey art almost gives Peter a inhuman like quality. His work with the civilian characters as well is downright iconic. Personally I'm not the biggest fan of the Chameleon so his story is my least favorite of the two stories. I love the inclusion of the Fantastic Four in the second story. While they could be seen as pushover's due to how easy Spider-Man defeats them I like to believe they were going easy on him. Overall I think the art really saves alot of these early issues. The best way to read them with modern lenses is to skim and just admire the art of Ditko. more
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6.0
not a great start following amazing fantasy 15.
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