Amazing Spider-Man #50

Regardless of your take on Spider-Man, this issue a key issue for more than the first appearance of Kingpin or that there is a Spider-Man no more. This issue is key to how we should not take ourselves for granted. Self-worth can only truly be judged by ourselves. Read Full Review

shzammm

Sep 16, 2021

i’ll tell you why this is my favorite spider-man issue so far: it doesn’t focus on spider-man, it’s all about peter. i honestly don’t care who’ll be the “villain of the week” or whatever, i care about peter being happy, being able to pay his bills, to go out with gwen, to enjoy being young, to take care of aunt may... and this issue gave me everything i could ask. the parts where spidey is truly featured aren’t here to tell a silly and generic story like i’ve seen before in previous issues. this is about peter understanding his duty, remembering the oath he made to uncle ben. it’s about being a hero and doing what’s right.

Psycamorean

Jul 19, 2021

This is the big one. Issue 50. It contains one of the quintessential, most well-known Spidey stories ever, "Spider-Man No More!". It is mostly known by the wider public for being adapted in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2, the best Spider-Man movie we had until Spider-Man: Homecoming (Change my mind). What's most interesting to me here is how quickly Peter decides to drop being Spider-Man, and how quickly he decides to be Spider-Man again. Nothing in this story is a new problem for Peter. He only drops the mantle for 11 pages before picking it back up in the final page. The reasons Peter drops the mantle are that the public is afraid of/hates him. J. Jonah Jameson continues to editorialize about him, and even offers a reward for his arrest a nd conviction. And he's never there for his family and his friends. But here's the interesting thing: Peter has had all of these problems before. The public has hated him since day one. JJJ has offered bounties on Spider-Man before. And Peter wasn't around for his loved ones before too. It actually keeps coming up. It's why he quit the first time way back in, I want to say, issue 17? Part of me sees this issue as a little cynical, you know? Big anniversary issue, you have to do something big for it. Have him quit-- again! Despite my cynicism taking hold here, I do think the issue is well done. For what it is, the pacing isn't even bad. I am so shocked that Sam Raimi didn't adapt the part where Peter saves an Uncle Ben lookalike and that convinces him to become Spider-Man again. That seems like the Sam Raimi thing to do. Oh, and another point to my cynical assessment, we spend a page's worth of material reiterating Spider-Man's origin. You know, in case you forgot it. A classic anniversary issue move. The art is on point, the story is quintessential Spidey, the cover-- man, that cover, everything works here. This is a great issue, all around. It's very fun and the drama seems real. I can see why it was adapted for a movie. I don't see why they added the power loss thing to it, but Spider-Man 2 is not what I'm reviewing... Quote of the issue: "He Really Turns You On, Doesn't He, Gwen?" more

HuckEverlasting

Sep 30, 2025

Its a classic, nuff said.

TSMack

Sep 12, 2023

(Cover Date: July, 1967) Features the first appearance of the Kingpin.