The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #10

 "THE ENFORCERS!"

Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: Steve Ditko/Inker: Steve Ditko/Letterer: Sam Rosen/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby

Synopsis: The mysterious Big Man takes control of all the crime rackets in New York with the help of his 'Enforcers,' and with the police powerless to take him down, the task falls to Spider-Man...

Review: Continuing the high quality of storytelling from the previous issue, ASM #10 is another all-time great for me, and reading it again now brought back powerful waves of nostalgia (though of course, there's far more to enjoy here than just a warm fuzzy feeling that reminds us of our childhoods). This issue represents even more wondrous developments for Spider-Man, featuring some of the most intense action we've seen thus far, more hints at the secret that Betty is hiding, a fascinating insight into J Jonah Jameson's psyche, and the first example of that long-standing staple of comics books: the mystery villain.

Spider-Man has had his fair share of masked enemies whose identities are initially kept a secret: the Green Goblin, the Crime Master, the Jackal, the Hobgoblin etc, and his very first - the Big Man - appears here, although his identity is revealed by the end of the issue, so there wasn't much time for the reader to get invested in the question of who he really is; later example of mystery villains would form extended storylines where the question of who the villain really is would loom large over the comic, but the Big Man still makes an impression without all of that, even if it is rather obvious who he really is. Any Ditko fan will be able to recognise some of the artist's favourite hallmarks in the character's design: a blank-faced mask, a fedora hat, a suit; Ditko loved this kind of look and gave it to numerous characters he created, some more obscure than others (the most well-known examples being Mr A and the Question). No matter how many of these very similar looking characters he creates, I can never get enough of them; I love a masked character, and the Big Man manages to not only look cool and mysterious, but genuinely rather intimidating; his big, hulking frame is quite a contrast to later examples of Ditko's 'mask and hat' creations. Not only that, but the story gives such a great sense of the impact that the Big Man has on New York, how widespread his criminal takeover is. Everyone's afraid of him, even high school students, and we're shown just how powerless the police are at being able to track him down, only snagging small fry criminals that the Big Man can have bailed out of jail in the morning. He may not have any super-powers, but the Big Man is one of the most powerful and serious threats yet seen in the pages of ASM.

The Enforcers themselves have often been seen as a bit of a joke in Spider-Man fan circles, perhaps because of their lack of any super-powers or high-tech gadgets, but I've always really loved them, probably because they're so emblematic of the Ditko era, as after he departs the book, they wouldn't be seen again in a Spider-Man comic until Marvel Team-Up #39 (although without the original Ox, whose story took a different path in the pages of Daredevil). The other thing that makes the Enforcers so memorable for certain fans is the fact that they're so visually exciting: it's three different villains, each with their own unique talent, attacking Spider-Man at once, which leads to some of the most engaging fight scenes of the Ditko era, allowing Steve to really show off how acrobatic and agile Spidey really is. In this issue, we not only get a couple of fun bouts with the Enforcers, but a fantastic battle scene that pits Spider-Man against a horde of the Big Man's associates, plus the Enforcers and the Big Man himself. It's a truly spectacular sequence, at a scale we've never seen in a Spider-Man comic up to this point; Spidey himself keeps thinking that he's getting tired out and needs to call for reinforcements. Ditko makes great creative use of the location, with Spidey leaping over cars, slamming car doors into attacking henchmen, swinging on crane hooks; it's one of Steve's finest hours.

That cover also proclaims that in this issue, we'll learn why J Jonah Jameson really hates Spider-Man -he's jealous of him - and though this explanation is confined to a mere three panels, Ditko conveys a palpable sense of shame and bitterness on the face of the Bugle's esteemed publisher, whilst Stan's dialogue provides more insight into Jameson's character than we'd see for a long time, as this little titbit of characterisation is all we'd really see of who Jameson is beneath all the bluster for a good few years. As said in a previous post, Jameson is my favourite supporting character in all of comics, so to get a clearer look at the man behind the flat-top haircut and the cigar is always a delight.

I haven't even mentioned the host of other memorable moments: Peter giving Aunt May a transfusion using his spider-irradiated blood, Flash showing his soft side for the first time when he warns Peter that it's dangerous to challenge the Enforcers, and, most significantly of all, Betty's decision to leave New York for fear that Peter will get involved in the mess that she's in. Issue #10 is jam-packed with excitement, intrigue and mystery, and it ends with Peter unable to contact the girl he's grown to care about, while she sits alone in Pennsylvania, lamenting the fact that she's cut him out of her life. When I was first getting into Spider-Man, the first collected editions I bought were the Marvel Masterworks, the first volume of which ended with this very issue, and that tantalising cliff-hanger, and you can bet I was on tenterhooks to find out what happened next (the day I got that second volume was a highlight of my formative years). It's getting harder and harder to do these issues justice, because there's just so much to talk about, and I don't want these posts to go on forever, so let me just say that this is just as good, if not better than the previous issue (which was already a masterpiece in my eyes), and one of the best Spider-Man stories of the Silver Age.

Rating: 5/5

Next time, Peter and Betty are reunited, but their happiness is short-lived when tragedy strikes, and Spider-Man's life reaches a turning point!

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #9

 "THE MAN CALLED ELECTRO!"

Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: Steve Ditko/Inker: Steve Ditko/Letterer: Artie Simek/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Steve Ditko

Synopsis: Spider-Man faces more troubles than ever before as a new super-powered criminal, Electro, begins making waves in New York, and J Jonah Jameson accuses the two of them being the same man...

Review: I said at the end of my last review that ASM #9 is when the book really starts to kick into full swing, and I wasn't kidding. Not only do Lee and Ditko leave split books behind completely, in favour of full-length stories, but this is where we start to see more continuity between issues, more problems besetting Peter's personal life than ever before, and we also get a few hints of what's to come in future issues; all the subplots and storylines that we love Spider-Man for have their humble beginnings here.

We get a reference to Peter and Flash's fight from the previous issue, providing a neat little bit of continuity, but more significantly, Aunt May falls badly ill and is rushed to the hospital, leaving Peter with the task of scraping one thousand dollars to pay for an operation she desperately needs. The sense of isolation and hopelessness that Ditko conveys in the scenes of Peter sitting alone at Aunt May's bedside as the night draws in is palpable; his artwork really does reach new heights of greatness in this issue. I love the moral dilemma Peter suffers when he fakes a set of photos that prove Spider-Man and Electro are one and the same; it really shows the extremes he's forced to go to in order to pay for his aunt's healthcare. We also start to see some of the first seeds of a story arc being sown when Betty wistfully tells Peter that he reminds her of someone she knew once...a mystery that will be answered in the next few issues (or Untold Tales of Spider-Man, depending on your perspective).

Electro himself has (sounding like a broken record, I know) long been one of my favourite villains, and this first appearance in particular ranks very highly for me when it comes to Electro stories; in fact, it may even be my favourite. You just get such an incredible sense of the raw power of Electro, the way Spidey can't even touch him without being shocked by enough volts of electricity to kill an ordinary person, and the ways in which he manipulates his electrical abilities - climbing up walls by adhering to the metal pipes inside the building, using a set of cables as an improvised electric whip - are creative and exciting to look at. I also appreciate that we get a brief origin story for the character in this issue, which didn't always happen at this stage of the comic (Chameleon and Vulture wouldn't get origin stories for decades to come), and you've got to love the fact that Spidey beats his opponent in the end - after a spectacular battle in a rioting prison - by dousing him with water from a fire hose.

Honestly, there are so many little moments that I absolutely adore peppered throughout this issue that to mention them all would make this post ridiculously long. Suffice to say, ASM #9 is the best issue of ASM so far, a richer, more complex story than anything we've seen from the pages of a Spider-Man comic (hell, probably any Marvel comic) so far, with stunning artwork and storytelling from Ditko, who is at the top of his game, whilst Stan's dialogue grounds the characters in a reality that we can recognise; more than ever, Spider-Man feels the way the final text box describes him: "the super-hero who could be...you!" The dream team has brought Spider-Man to new heights, and it only gets better from here.

How beautiful is this splash page:

Rating: 5/5

Next time, a new wave of organised crime sweeps New York, as Spider-Man faces the Big Man and his ruthless Enforcers, and Betty Brant makes a startling decision!

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #8

 "THE TERRIBLE THREAT OF THE LIVING BRAIN!"

Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: Steve Ditko/Inker: Steve Ditko/Letterer: Art Simek/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Steve Ditko

Synopsis: A highly advanced computerized brain goes haywire and begins attacking people in the halls of Midtown High, after two crooks attempt to steal it...

Review: In my review of ASM #4, I mentioned that I enjoyed the fact that the battle between Spider-Man and Sandman took place at Midtown High, and lamented that the location wasn't used more often as a battleground for Spidey and his foes during the Lee and Ditko era. Well, here we are, only four issues later, and we're treated to another Midtown High fight (technically two fights), as Spider-Man goes up against a malfunctioning computer, a story that feels like it could only have been told in the Silver Age, and a fight that doesn't quite match the fun of the Sandman battle, but it's still pretty enjoyable nevertheless.

The Living Brain itself is a marvellously kooky piece of Ditko design with its cumbersome shape and crazily rotating arms, and the ways in which it out-thinks the moves that Spider-Man makes during their fight ensures he's a tougher opponent than you might have guessed, although I could have done without Stan's repetitive dialogue that constantly reminds the reader that the Brain can out-think any human; I counted seven instances in total (and that's just during the fight itself). The battle goes on for perhaps slightly too long, but I do get a kick out of all the little ways in which the Brain adapts to Spider-Man's movements and attacks: testing the strength of his web to find the exact amount of pressure required to break it, trying to dislodge the web-head from his vantage point on the ceiling by swinging a door at him; it's all fun stuff that maintains a decent level of tension throughout, and all ends with a spectacular swing on Spidey's web that sends the two opponents crashing through a window.

The other fight scene is far shorter, yet far more personal: Peter's boxing match with Flash in the gym. I'll admit that it's satisfying to see Peter make mincemeat out of Flash without even trying, but the whole thing just reeks a bit too much of unrestrained testosterone for me; apparently the only way in which two teenage boys can settle their differences is by beating the tar out of each other. What's most surprising about all of this is that Mr Warren - their teacher - encourages them to do it to settle their rivalry once and for all; hardly professional behaviour for someone who's supposed to be an authority figure. I suppose you could argue that this is the point at which Flash starts to gain more of a respect for Peter, but the two don't really start to warm to each other until years later, so I can't even really give it points for that.

The Living Brain story is a fun, goofy little side-step that feels as if it would have been much more at home amidst the earlier issues of the title, as by now Lee and Ditko had crafted a world with a bit more substance than what this story offers. It's beautifully drawn - a textbook piece of Ditko-panic-face can be seen on page 4, when Peter begins to worry that the Brain may be so smart it can guess his secret - but Stan's dialogue feels rather perfunctory and does little to liven up proceedings. It's a pretty enjoyable outing for Spidey, and once again I like the use of the school, but it's nothing great.

Rating: 3/5

"SPIDER-MAN TACKLES THE TORCH!"

Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: Jack Kirby/Inker: Steve Ditko/Letterer: Sam Rosen/Editor: Stan Lee

Synopsis: Spider-Man gate-crashes the Human Torch's party in order to steal his girlfriend. A fight ensues...

Review: This is, without doubt, the worst story of the Lee and Ditko era. There are a few issues here and there that I'm not too keen on, but none of them are anywhere near as pointless and banal as this. There's almost nothing of merit here, other than Jack Kirby's pencils combined with Steve's inks; the artwork on the whole is nice, although Jack's rendition of Spider-Man is nowhere near as exciting to look at as Ditko's. The fight between Spidey and the Torch has some fun moments - including the rather nonsensical 'fire net' - but I can't get behind any of it because the set-up is so limp and turns Spider-Man into a jerk. You can't feel any sympathy for a guy who breaks into someone's house during a party, tries to steal their girlfriend, then picks a fight with you. Even when the rest of the Fantastic Four turn up, Spidey still acts like a dick and tries to take them on as well.

There are several team-ups of Spider-Man and the Torch during the Silver Age, as they were Marvel's two teenage superheroes at the time, and every other meeting between them is better than this, even the pretty mediocre story from Strange Tales Annual #2. I certainly don't think you could have stretched out the Living Brain story to another six pages, but surely there was a better use of everyone's time than this.

Rating: 1.5/5

Issue #8 is billed as a "special 'tribute to teen-agers' issue," though I'm not sure how that's reflected in the stories, other than an abundance of teenage characters acting in a generally meat-headed way (which is hardly what I would call a tribute). This has never been one of my favourite issues from the Lee and Ditko era, and I only enjoyed it slightly more this time around, but it's retained a somewhat iconic status over the years. Its cover was homaged for Web of Spider-Man #35, which also featured a story in which Peter returns to Midtown High and battles the Living Brain again, so obviously some people have a lot of love for it.

Next time, we return to full-length stories with the debut of another villain, the shocking Electro, and ASM begins to really kick into full swing!

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #7

 "THE RETURN OF THE VULTURE"

Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: Steve Ditko/Inker: Steve Ditko/Letterer: Artie Simek/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Steve Ditko

Synopsis: The Vulture breaks out of prison and goes on another crime spree, prompting Spider-Man to swing into action, but things won't be so easy this time...

Review: And so, the Vulture becomes the first villain to ever menace Spider-Man for a second time, and I personally don't think they could have chosen a better candidate for the first returning bad guy. I may prefer Doctor Octopus, but I'm a huge fan of the Vulture too, and this gave Lee and Ditko the chance to feature him in a full-length issue, a more substantial story than his short and sweet debut. Unsurprisingly, they pull out all the stops and deliver another brilliant instalment; ASM really was the most consistently good Marvel title of the 60s, right from the beginning (not that I'm biased or anything). Everything about this issue is better than the Vulture's first appearance: better artwork, better character moments, better action; this is pure Lee and Ditko magic.

The Vulture himself is even more of a dangerous opponent than he was in his debut; not only are his new wings more powerful - and resistant to the anti-magnetic inverter used to defeat him last time - but he's become even more cunning in his aerial acrobatics: he flies low to the ground to avoid being picked up on police radar (as well as putting civilians in the line of fire if a cop was to try and shoot at him). Of course, we still get plenty of high-flying Vulture action, and Steve really outdid himself with this one; after two issues of decent but unspectacular battles, he comes back strong with some of the greatest fight scenes of the era: the initial conflict between Spidey and the Vulture, in which the web-head is knocked out of the air and takes a painful tumble onto the rooftops below is brilliantly impactful, thanks to the way in which Steve paces out the action, emphasising Spider-Man's desperate struggle to get one of his web-lines to connect, only for each of them to fail. The tension may be fantastic in this scene, but the sense of fast-moving fun and carnage during the final Vulture fight through the Daily Bugle building is off the scale. Spidey and the Vulture are leaping and soaring through the air, papers are flying all over the place, Jameson is yelling up a storm and the Bugle employees stare on in terror and confusion as their place of work is completely ransacked. It's a magnificent action sequence, with clear storytelling and gorgeously Ditko-esque acrobatic action.

But apart from the action, this issue just has so many delightful little moments that you would only ever find in a Ditko Spider-Man issue. Spidey having to wait almost twenty minutes to leap into action out of his bedroom window because their are too many pedestrians in the street that might see him is hilarious, but my favourite scenes have to be from the Bugle. The Bugle characters are some of my favourites, and even if not all of them have been introduced yet, the early interaction between the core trio of Peter, Betty and Jameson is lovely. The romance between Peter and Betty continues to develop nicely, thanks to a beautiful final page by Ditko, and we get some absolutely classic Jameson moments, including his nervous refusal when the Vulture demands that he hand over his money, and the iconic panel in which Spider-Man shoots a web over the blustering publisher's mouth in order to shut him up.

The Vulture's return is another highlight of these early Lee and Ditko issues, and much like ASM #4, I always forget just how good it is. The cover doesn't lie: this is Spider-Man as you like him, fighting joking, daring, and all with an arm in a sling whilst battling one of the most dangerous foes he's faced so far. By now, Lee and Ditko have proven that they can craft the perfect Spider-Man cocktail: action, humour and drama (although not much of the latter just yet), and things just get better and better from here.

Rating: 4.5/5

Next time, we get a brief return to a split book featuring two stories: in the first, Spider-Man battles the robotic menace of the Living Brain in the halls of Midtown High, and in the second, he tries to steal the Human Torch's girlfriend. Wait, what?

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #6

 "FACE TO FACE WITH...THE LIZARD!"

Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: Steve Ditko/Inker: Steve Ditko/Letterer: Art Simek/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Steve Ditko

Synopsis: Peter Parker travels to the Florida Everglades to track down a rampaging monster known as the Lizard...

Review: ASM #6 will always hold a bit of a special place in my heart, as it was the first Spider-Man comic I ever read (after Amazing Fantasy #15). The year was 2012, and the first Andrew Garfield Spider-Man movie was about to be released in cinemas; I would have been 13 years old, and my obsession with the wondrous world of Spider-Man was only just beginning. To tie into the release of the film, a trade paperback - Spider-Man: Secret Origins - was released, containing issues that apparently informed the direction that the new film was going to take, and seeing as the Lizard was making his first big screen appearance, it was only natural that his first story from the comics be included, and the experience of reading it was nothing short of dazzling; really, I have this very issue to thank for making me the Spidey fan I am today. It's not quite a top tier story, but I have a great deal of affection for it nevertheless.

The real highlights of this issue for me are not the action scenes, which, much like the previous issue, don't quite pack the usual Ditko punch. The best moments in this issue come from the characters, as is so often the case with Spider-Man. I love seeing the relationship between Peter and Betty grow closer, I absolutely adore seeing Spidey suspend Jameson by a web from his office ceiling, and I get a huge kick out of seeing Peter and Jameson travelling to Florida together to cover the Lizard story; it offers some fantastic displays of Jameson pettiness, like complaining about how Peter owes him the money for a plane ticket and half the hotel bill. You've also got to laugh at Liz's sudden infatuation with Spider-Man, prompting Peter to think to himself: "Only a guy with my nutty luck could end up being his own competition!" We're starting to see Lee and Ditko become really confident telling stories with these characters, and it's a delight to read.

Of obvious interest too is the Lizard, who, like practically every Ditko creation (save for the Molten Man), remains one of my favourite villains, and he provides a nice change from the more typically evil characters Spidey's been pitted against so far. Yes, he does plan to take over the world with an army of reptiles - for reasons that are never made abundantly clear - but deep down, he's more of a victim than the web-head's other foes, a well-meaning and good-hearted scientist transformed into a monster after an experiment goes awry. This means that Spider-Man has to take care when fighting him - which would explain why the fight scenes themselves aren't too spectacular - and develop an antidote to cure Curtis Connors rather than shipping him off to the local police. As for the Lizard's design, this is one occasion where I think other artists improved upon Ditko's original; here the Lizard looks more like a man with reptilian skin, and I generally prefer him with a lizard's snout complete with sharp teeth for a more monstrous look, but I still love Ditko's rendition all the same, and you can never go wrong with the iconic white lab coat and purple trousers ensemble.

I guess the main thing I want to see in this issue is more. More action between Spider-Man and the Lizard, more attacks from the Lizard's reptile army, more of Peter and Jameson's holiday double act. It's a really fun issue, and as stated, one that I have a lot of fondness for, but it's just missing that extra something that would make it truly special. With that said, I love the Lizard, I love the change of scenery that the Everglades provides - especially that Spanish fort where the final battle is waged - and I love those wonderful little character moments that are becoming more and more common as the issues progress.

Rating: 4/5

Next time, we get our first returning villain, as the Vulture takes to the skies once more, this time in a full-length story! 

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #5

 "MARKED FOR DESTRUCTION BY DR. DOOM!"

Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: Steve Ditko/Inker: Steve Ditko/Letterer: Sam Rosen/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Steve Ditko

Synopsis: Doctor Doom hatches a plan to defeat his sworn enemies, the Fantastic Four, by capturing Spider-Man and holding him for ransom...

Review: And so we come to the first truly average issue of ASM. There's nothing particularly bad about this issue - save for a few oddities and inconsistencies that I'll get to - but there's also nothing that great about it either, other than Ditko's artwork, and let's face it, that was always going to be stellar, leaving this story with very little to make it stand out, beyond the novelty of having Spider-Man fight arguably the greatest villain in the Marvel Universe, and this is hardly the only time the two come up against each other anyway. The fight scenes themselves are certainly enjoyable - I particularly like Spidey blocking an instant-freeze chemical using his webbing, and the tussle between the two foes as deadly bolts of energy swirl around them - but they lack the punch and excitement of the past three issues' brilliant battles.

Doom himself is rendered beautifully by Ditko, but we're still at a fairly early point in his history. Several decent Doom issues had been published in the pages of Fantastic Four by this point, but the crucial FF Annual #2 - in which we are not only treated to a cracking Doom story, but also his origin for the first time - wouldn't be released until the following year, after which practically every Doom story was guaranteed to be a winner: I'm talking Issues #39-40, #57-60 and #84-87; all classics of Silver Age Marvel. Here, he's a far more basic character, an imposing and cool-looking, but ultimately kind of generic supervillain who's only there to market ASM to FF readers.

There are still some nice scenes of Peter interacting with his fellow students - although I don't know why he's hanging out with them at a bowling alley when he's supposed to be a social outcast at this point in the comic - plus Jameson and Betty (and we start to see the first seeds of romance blossom between Peter and Jameson's secretary), but none of it feels all that substantial, and the subplot involving Flash dressing up as Spider-Man to scare Peter feels rather juvenile; maybe teenagers behaved this way in 1963, but I doubt it. It does however, lead to a fun mix-up when Doom captures Flash instead of the real Spider-Man, and the subtle way in which Ditko indicates that Flash's costume isn't the real Mc-Coy, by covering it with small creases, is the work of a true master.

This isn't a bad issue by any means, but it's a few marks away from being a good one. Nothing stands out as being very good, and there are a handful of plot holes - Doom blowing up his first hideout, but conveniently not blowing up his second one, enabling Flash to escape; Doom running away from a fight with the Fantastic Four, when he wanted them to turn up in the first place - drag the issue down a bit, not to mention this is the second time a villain has conveyed a message to Spider-Man using his spider-sense, only this time, Doom uses an actual spider in a glass jar, which he just happened to have (was he saving it for a special occasion?). And so, we're left with an issue that feels decidedly middle-of-the-road, but it could have been a lot worse. It's harmless enough.

Rating: 3/5

Next time, Spidey is taken away from his New York stomping grounds and travels to the Florida Everglades, where he finds the terrifying, rampaging...Lizard!

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #4

 "NOTHING CAN STOP...THE SANDMAN!"

Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: Steve Ditko/Inker: Steve Ditko/Letterer: Sam Rosen/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Steve Ditko

Synopsis: The slippery Sandman is on the run from the police, and decides to hide out at Midtown High...

Review: ASM #4 is another highly significant issue in the pantheon of Spider-Man, and another triumph for Lee and Ditko; I'd forgotten just how good this story is. Here we see the first example of how Peter's activities as Spider-Man interfere with his personal life as Peter Parker, when his quest to hunt down the Sandman prohibits him from taking Liz Allan out on a date. The soap opera elements that we all love Spider-Man for start here, and although this is a fairly simple start, it's a nice added complication to Peter's life (and it only gets crazier from here). We start to see Peter's tendency to brood and grow maudlin as the weight of his responsibilities grows heavy; the final panel is an absolutely beautiful depiction of teen angst and isolation; I know I wax lyrical about him in every review, but Ditko really is the best, and he gets better with every issue.

The supporting cast is starting to grow and develop as well: we get to see more of Jameson, Flash, Liz and Aunt May than ever before, plus we get a brief debut for Betty Brant, although it wouldn't be until next issue that her mutual attraction to Peter starts to develop. Jameson is now firmly entrenched as the comic relief of the book, flying into thunderous rages at the slightest provocation, and needing to change his trousers after Spider-Man webs him to his office chair (a scene that, despite its silliness, raises quite the chuckle from me). I also love the scenes with Aunt May here; this is where she starts to really fuss over Peter, insisting that he take his umbrella with him to school in case it rains, and not to exert himself too much. Spider-Man has always been an unconventional superhero, and this issue really hammers that home in such a delightful and amusing way; I particularly love the scene in which Peter has to haphazardly sew his mask back together in his bedroom after his first fight with Sandman.

Of course, a hero has to have a villain, and what an impression the Sandman makes in his first appearance. He may not be Doc Ock, but Flint Marko is still a formidable opponent, able to change his shape or consistency at will, and as expected, the Ditko fight scenes are just gorgeous and brilliantly inventive, with tons of varied moves for Sandman to pull against Spidey. Even when he's standing still he makes for an imposing villain; Ditko does a beautiful job of making Sandman really look as if he's made out of sand or rock; his skin looks coarse and rough, an effect achieved simply through expert application of pencil and ink. The fact that he's beaten by being sucked into a vacuum cleaner is just priceless as well; a nice example of Spider-Man outsmarting a foe, as well as a humorously mundane method of dispatching a super-villain.

Really, this is another stone-cold classic from the early days of Spider-Man. The villain is terrific, the character drama is starting to come through, and the combination of action and humour is spot-on. I also love the fact that the big fight between Spider-Man and Sandman takes place at the high school; not enough issues made use of this location, but here we get to see the battle rage through classrooms, corridors, the gymnasium, and finally, the basement; it's all fantastic stuff. Even Principal Davis makes a good impression, selflessly standing between the Sandman and a class of students. Things are only just starting to come together to create the perfect Spider-Man cocktail, but this is a pretty wonderful beginning.

And how stunning is this splash page:

Rating: 4.5/5

Next time, Spider-Man faces one of the most dreaded villains in the Marvel Universe...the legendary Doctor Doom!

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #3

 "THE STRANGEST FOE OF ALL TIME...DOCTOR OCTOPUS"

Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: Steve Ditko/Inker: Steve Ditko/Letterer: John Duffy/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Steve Ditko

Synopsis: After a radioactive explosion fuses his four metallic arms to his spine, Doctor Otto Octavius is reborn as the evil Doctor Octopus...

Review: To my mind, there are two contenders for the crown of Spider-Man's arch-nemesis: the original Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus. Whilst personally I favour the Goblin, due to the significant loss he deals to Spider-Man by murdering Gwen Stacy - not to mention his personal connection to Peter Parker - I wouldn't disagree with anyone who put Doc Ock forward instead. Even in this first appearance, it's clear just how brilliant of a villain he is, and I feel that a large part of that is down to Ditko's design (as is the case with so many of Spider-Man's enemies). Ock is such a visually exciting character, whether in a fight scene or simply performing one of his experiments; each of his metallic arms is always busy doing something; he's a truly inspired piece of Ditko genius. Ditko imbued his characters with heaps of personality, but Ock is one of his greatest triumphs, a villain whose lust for power and supreme arrogance are obvious even without Stan's dialogue, and these first battles between Spidey and Ock are beautifully rendered; easily the best fight scenes we've seen so far.

I feel that this is the first truly 'complete' issue of ASM; it tells a story in which Peter actually learns something. We begin with him taking down a trio of crooks in just a couple of panels, boasting to himself that crime-fighting is almost too easy when you have spider powers. Pretty soon he's taken down a peg or two when he confronts Ock, only to be callously tossed aside without much effort at all on the villain's part, and the ease with which he is defeated causes him to have a period of crisis in which he debates hanging up his web-shooters for good. I'll admit that he starts having doom and gloom thoughts rather quickly - he doesn't even pick himself back up to face Octopus again straight away - but considering he's a teenager, and every emotion is heightened, I'd argue his actions make sense, and it's still early days for him anyway; he's not yet had to face someone as powerful as Ock before. Of course, he battles the villain again, this time using his head rather than going in gung-ho, and emerges not just triumphant, but wiser, the foolhardy cockiness with which he began the issue has been tempered by experience.

Once again, we get a cameo from a member of the Fantastic Four, this time just the Human Torch alone, marking the start of the character's long-standing friendship/rivalry with Spider-Man. It's a brief appearance, and one that actually serves the story rather than the pretty shameless marketing ploy that we got in ASM #1, though I feel that the Torch is oddly out of character, urging the students of Midtown High to stick to their studies and do well in school; the Johnny Storm I know cares more about sports cars than schoolwork. Regardless, it's a fairly unintrusive cameo, and I'm glad that Stan and Steve had the sense not to team the two heroes up to go against Ock, instead allowing Spidey to take him down alone. It's worth noting that while Ditko draws a pretty great looking Human Torch, every other Marvel artist at this point in time struggles to make Spider-Man look as dynamic as Ditko does.

Doc Ock's first appearance is appropriately brilliant, and remains one of my favourite ASM issues. Not only does it introduce a fabulous new villain, giving us some of the best fight scenes of the Ditko era, but it allows Peter Parker to mature just that little bit further, to become the hero we know him to be. The way in which he defeats Ock in the end is another great example of Peter as a science whiz as well as a superhero. The supporting cast don't get much of a look-in - Jameson, Flash and Liz only appear briefly - but I really don't mind when the quality of story and art are this high. An absolute triumph for Lee and Ditko's first full-length Spidey story.

Rating: 5/5

Next time, Spider-Man has to fight on home ground when the Sandman attacks Midtown High!

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #2

 "DUEL TO THE DEATH WITH THE VULTURE!"

Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: Steve Ditko/Inker: Steve Ditko/Letterer: John Duffy/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Steve Ditko

Synopsis: New York is suffering a one-man crime wave in the flying form of the Vulture, and only Spider-Man stands in the villain's way...

Review: Spidey's first encounter with the Vulture is one of the most significant stories in the web-head's canon. This is where we start to see a lot of the recognisable elements coming into play; this is where Spider-Man starts becoming Spider-Man. We see him going up against a super-powered foe; whilst the Vulture's method of flight may be artificial, he's certainly a step-up in the threat department from the rather tame menace of the Chameleon from the previous issue. I've always loved the Vulture; he's such a beautifully characterful example of Ditko design. The beaked nose and wizened face, combined with that classic green costume makes for one of Spider-Man's most memorable adversaries; it's no wonder that he was chosen as the first villain to return in five issues' time. His ambitions here are rather simple - all he does is rob people - but for a first outing, that's all you really need; his true aim is clearly to prove how superior he is to the denizens walking the streets below him, and that works fine enough as a motivation for me.

Spider-Man himself has also received an upgrade. It's clear that Ditko has become more confident in drawing the character since the first issue, as the iconic costume looks better than ever before; he's a more striking, powerful figure, pulling dynamic poses, yet retaining that offbeat Ditko weirdness. To put it another way, this is when you really start to hear the theme song from the 90s Spider-Man cartoon playing in your head during the action scenes. Here we see Peter start to take his role as Spider-Man more seriously: he crafts extra web-fluid cartridges to be placed on his belt, and invents a device - the quick-fix 'anti-magnetic inverter' - with which to bring down the Vulture. I always enjoy seeing Peter use his scientific knowledge to overcome a problem; it reminds us that even before he got his powers, he was a sharp and intelligent individual.

We also get to see Peter sell his first photos to Jameson, although the photos are to be printed in NOW Magazine, rather than the Daily Bugle. This is curious, considering it was established in the previous issue that Jameson publishes the Bugle, with no mention of NOW Magazine, and by the next issue, things revert back to the Bugle again, and NOW gets no further mention until it was revived in the 80s (but that's a story for another time). The scenes between Peter and Jameson here lack the humour that they become known for - indeed, Jameson doesn't really start becoming a figure of fun until Issue #4 - but he's a more than welcome addition to the comic: J Jonah Jameson is my favourite of all of Spidey's supporting cast.

It may have a simple plot, but this is still a really fun little story that brings Spider-Man closer to the character we know today. He's still not really taking an active role in bringing down supervillains - he only goes after the Vulture initially to take some pictures of him to earn some money - but he's more recognisable as the hero we know and love. And, even if the Vulture's plan is basic, and there are much better Vulture stories to come later, there's no denying that he makes an immediate impression, thanks to Ditko's gorgeous artwork, and a marvellous scene in which he steals a shipment of diamonds by doing exactly what a bunch of armed guards aren't expecting him to do: come up from below. Another great story from Lee and Ditko.

Rating: 4/5

"THE UNCANNY THREAT OF THE TERRIBLE TINKERER!"

Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: Steve Ditko/Inker: Steve Ditko/Letterer: Artie Simek/Editor: Stan Lee

Synopsis: Whilst aiding a local scientist in his experiments, Peter undercovers a plot to take over the world, perpetrated by the craggy-faced Tinkerer, and...aliens from another planet...

Review: Retcons get a lot of flack, and in many cases, deservedly so, but sometimes, they can be a wonderful thing. A prime example of the latter is Roger Stern's retconning of this story to be more in line with what we'd expect from a Spider-Man tale; he too, clearly thought that a hero generally grounded in reality - as much as a superhero can be, I suppose - battling aliens was a bit of a stretch. The aliens themselves look fantastic, and bear a remarkable resemblance to an earlier Ditko creation, The Changing Man, from Tales of Suspense #8, but I can't deny it's completely bizarre seeing Spider-Man fighting such an otherworldly enemy.

There is a precedent for this, however. Plenty of the Marvel heroes fought aliens in their earliest stories, coincidentally or not, often in their second issue. Iron Man, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four (admittedly, they fight aliens on a more regular basis) all faced extra-terrestrial menaces in their second stories, and Thor fought the alien Stone Men in his very first appearance. I'm assuming that there was still a market for sci-fi stories in the early 60s, after they had received a big heyday in the previous decade, and so Marvel having their new, successful superhero characters fight aliens probably didn't seem so odd back then as it can do now, depending on the character. There was probably a degree of experimentation going on, seeing what worked for different characters, and what didn't. It's interesting to note that Daredevil, who was little more than a Spider-Man knock-off in his early years, didn't come up against a single alien in his first appearances; I think Stan had learned his lesson after this story not to pit the more grounded heroes against beings from another planet.

This particular story is nothing spectacular considering its out-there premise, but I wouldn't exactly call it bad either. As expected, the artwork is lovely - featuring the first use of Ditko's iconic half-Peter, half-Spidey method of depicting spider-sense - and there are still some nice moments of action, but this is easily the least involving story featuring the wall-crawler thus far. It feels more in line with the kind of stories that Lee and Ditko were producing in Amazing Fantasy, complete with a twist ending (which was also retconned over a decade later), and Spider-Man was shoehorned into it. There's an undeniable charm to it, and I must admit to finding it less egregious on this revisit than I have done in the past, but I would hardly call it a triumph; the fact that I have so little to say about it is an indication of that.

Rating: 2.5/5

Not a bad second issue; a great story, a mediocre story, and a gorgeous cover. Thankfully, we won't be seeing any more split issues from a while, barring Issue #8. From Issue #3 onwards, ASM receives a full length story each and every issue with few exceptions, allowing for more complex and interesting plots than before. Next time, Spidey comes up against the strangest foe of all...Doctor Octopus!

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

 "SPIDER-MAN: FREAK! PUBLIC MENACE!"

Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: Steve Ditko/Inker: Steve Ditko/Colourist: Stan Goldberg/Letterer: Jon D'Agostino/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Steve Ditko

Synopsis: After the death of his Uncle Ben, Peter Parker returns to performing as Spider-Man to earn enough money to support his Aunt May, but the influential newspaper publisher, J Jonah Jameson, aims to discredit the wall-crawler in any way he can...

Review: This may be bias talking, but I've always felt that Spider-Man holds up to a modern reader far better than any other Marvel comic of the Silver Age.  Take a look at the Silver Age adventures of Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, or the X-Men; none of these characters exactly thrived during the 60s, and in each case, I would argue that it took completely different creative teams to really get the most out of them. Yes, Fantastic Four is also a hell of a lot of fun, but it took Lee and Kirby a year or so before they started telling consistently great stories. This is not the case, however, for Spider-Man, whose stories are practically perfect from the off. Yes, it'll take Stan and Steve a few more issues to build up the supporting characters, and to start introducing some of the major villains, but in terms of the quality of storytelling, I'd say they couldn't have made a much better start.

I think this is all down to the fact that they focused so heavily on Peter Parker as a character. Comics like Iron Man, Hulk, and even Thor (in his earliest stories) were far more plot-based, and left little room for characterisation, so breathless was the pace at which the stories would rollick along. This first story, from Spider-Man's first issue, is different. It's a rather slow-moving tale, concerned more with exploring our hero's emotions as he is faced with the struggles and prejudice of the world. There isn't even a supervillain for him to fight; the closest thing this story has to an antagonist is J Jonah Jameson, and he can hardly be called a supervillain.

As much as I adore Spidey's rogues' gallery, I must confess that I think this approach was the right one. It gives us more time with Peter as a character, getting to understand him as a person, instead of just a guy who puts on a flamboyant costume and goes out fighting criminals. We see his angst, his pain, his uncertainty about what direction he wants to take his life (or where fate is steering him). This is perhaps best depicted at the end of page 6, in which Peter violently hammers his fists against a wall in his frustration at the fact that he can't support his aunt in the way he wants to.

I feel that the story's attention to continuity is significant as well; it would appear to start immediately after the tragic end of Amazing Fantasy #15, with Peter alone in his bedroom, hurling his Spider-Man costume against the wall and cursing its very existence. We also get a brief recap of the origin story, which curiously omits the detail that Spidey allowed the Burglar run past him at the TV studio, thereby completely ignoring the whole 'with great power, comes great responsibility' thing.

This is a minor quibble in the grand scheme of things, and is really the only one that I can level at this story, because everything else is so strong. It might seem a bit odd that Lee and Ditko chose to begin Spider-Man's adventures proper without any crime-fighting (Spidey doesn't even think of this as a possible avenue for himself), and instead focus on a story in which he struggles to find a job, suffers bad publicity, and is the subject of a witch-hunt, but Spider-Man has always been completely unique in the world of superhero comics, and I love this rather offbeat start to his ongoing adventures.

Rating: 4.5/5

"THE CHAMELEON!"

Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: Steve Ditko/Inker: Steve Ditko/Colourist: Stan Goldberg/Letterer: John Duffy/Editor: Stan Lee

Synopsis: The Chameleon, master of disguise, plans to frame Spider-Man for the theft of some top secret missile defence plans...

Review: For my money, Spider-Man has the best rogues' gallery in all of comics, and I feel that the Chameleon is one of his more underrated adversaries. No, he may not have the most exciting of abilities, but he has a beautiful, somewhat eerie design thanks to Steve Ditko, and he's featured in some truly great stories over the years. I must confess that this is not one of his finest outings, but I'm still rather fond of it, as fond as I am of the Chameleon's use of a vest stuffed to bursting with masks and wigs (this is long before he gained the ability to shapeshift).

It's a rather directionless tale, one that boasts a whole heap of the kinds of oddities you will only find in early Marvel comics of the Silver Age: Peter's surname being misprinted as 'Palmer', the Chameleon using a device to send a message to Spider-Man via his spider-sense (how the Chameleon even knows spider-sense exists, I'm not sure, but that's hardly the more perplexing question), and a strange scene in which Peter is visiting the spider exhibit at a local museum (perhaps he's trying to find out more about how his powers work? Maybe?). These little quirks can be either charming or distractingly silly depending on how you look at them. They certainly drag the story down from being something really good, but I must confess that I get a bit of a kick out of seeing the comic finding its feet in its early days.

Less charming (at least for me) is the appearance of the Fantastic Four. Now, obviously, the FF appear on the cover of this issue in order to get people to buy it. The FF were already a great success in their own book, so why not use them to bolster the sales of this new one? The problem is that the brief tussle with the Fantastic Four is completely pointless, and comes across as little more than the clear marketing ploy that it is. The fight scene itself is pretty fun, admittedly, and Spidey's desire to join the FF in order to make some money is at least in keeping with what we've seen of the character so far, but I start enjoying the story a lot more once the Chameleon is introduced.

Spider-Man's ultimate showdown with the Chameleon is nothing too spectacular, although I like the scene where Spidey rips the door off the villain's escape helicopter, and I absolutely adore the final moments, in which the Chameleon tries to escape under cover of darkness; the blue-toned Spider-Man using his spider-sense to locate the villain in the dark is gorgeously rendered by Ditko. This second story ends with a welcome return to the themes of the first, with the police quick to believe the worst of a man dressed in a spider costume, causing the hero to flee into the night, tearful, angry, and wishing he had never got his powers in the first place. It's an effective and solemn end to a mixed bag of a story, and readers at the time must have been on tenterhooks to see what choice the character would take next. This first encounter with a supervillain isn't great by any stretch - and the presence of a communist submarine dates it rather badly - but it's a fun little romp nonetheless, with the typically brilliant Ditko art, and the typically snappy Lee dialogue.

Rating: 3/5

So overall, a pretty resounding success for a first issue, despite a couple of hiccups. Next time, Spider-Man faces his most deadly enemy yet in the form of the Vulture, and things get really strange when he pays a visit to the Tinkerer's shop!