"KRAVEN THE HUNTER!"
Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: Steve Ditko/Inker: Steve Ditko/Letterer: Art Simek/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Steve Ditko
Synopsis: After narrowly escaping Spider-Man's clutches, the Chameleon contacts an old friend, Kraven the Hunter, requesting that he travel to New York to hunt the most dangerous game of all: Spider-Man...
Review: First of all, that cover is absolutely beautiful. The dramatic pose as Spidey tries desperately to tear himself free of Kraven's net, whilst the Hunter himself prepares to strike, all with the sombre night sky above their heads and the New York skyline in the background. It's gorgeous; one of my favourite Spider-Man covers of all time. The story within is also another great turn from Lee and Ditko - by this point, they were turning out really strong stories with practically every issue - and is always one I point to whenever fans say that Kraven was always a pretty weak villain until the iconic 'Kraven's Last Hunt' storyline. Kraven has always been high on my list of Spidey villains, and Lee and Ditko set him up for success with this issue. Ditko creates a truly powerful, intimidating figure. Spidey may have faced tough foes before, but Kraven is the first one that looks truly scary; you wouldn't want to run into him in a dark alley. There are some truly stunning panels where Kraven moodily sits atop a building, observing his quarry from a distance that emphasise the power and the cunning of the character perfectly. Ditko's cityscapes often feel eerie and atmospheric, and never was that more the case than in this issue.
The fact that Spider-Man himself is genuinely afraid of Kraven after their first encounter goes a long way to establishing the Hunter as a significant threat as well. Kraven's not only strong, but he has an arsenal of hunter's tricks at his disposal, like the potion he infects Spidey with, giving the hero a chronic case of shivering - a nice metaphor for the character's fear at having to face Kraven again. The final hunt in the park is magnificently tense, with Spidey at the mercy of Kraven's high-tech handcuffs, and I just love the idea of using the park as a stand-in for the jungle; the occasional sight of lampposts, or skyscrapers peering over the tops of the trees, is a lovely clash of nature and civilisation. I also really appreciate how, for the last portion of the fight, we actually follow Kraven's train of thought rather than Spider-Man's, once the web-head has turned the tables on his enemy, and the hunter becomes the hunted. Whichever way you slice it, Kraven makes an impressive debut, and I like how they brought back the Chameleon to serve as an ally to the titular villain; though he doesn't do much, the master of disguise is a very welcome presence.
There's also the usual personal drama for Peter to contend with - a welcome inclusion after it was largely absent in the previous issue - and here we start to slip into sitcom territory as Peter is embarrassed by having Betty and Liz meet each other for the first time; for once, Betty's assumptions that something's going on between Peter and Liz aren't too ridiculous, considering how Peter doesn't exactly discourage Liz as she fawns all over him. There are some lovely moments with Jameson this issue as well; his anguish as he finds out that Peter didn't take any photos of Kraven's tussle with a horde of wild animals at the pier - why are they there? - is hilariously drawn by Ditko, and I really love Jameson's definition of a 'bonus' - a bar of chocolate - when Peter finally brings him some pics at the end of the issue. And, of course, this story gives us our first mention of Mary-Jane Watson, although she won't fully appear until Issue #42. I had to smile at Peter's thought that she's "probably a refugee from a horror movie!" Oh Peter, if you only knew!
Kraven's first appearance remains one of his best - dare I say that I might actually prefer this to 'Kraven's Last Hunt'? That's probably my adoration of this era talking, but I really do think this issue has a lot going for it. The team-up of Kraven and the Chameleon, the genuine menace that Kraven exudes, the terrifically tense stalk-and-strike sequence in the park, and all the funny sitcom-esque antics with Peter and his supporting cast. Another winner in an unbroken streak that started with ASM #9.
It also contains one of my favourite panels in all of Spider-Man:
Rating: 4.5/5
Next time, we'll be taking a quick break from regular ASM issues as we take a look at the first Amazing Spider-Man Annual! When six of his greatest foes form an alliance, Spider-Man is in for the fight of his life...
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