The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #66

 "THE MADNESS OF MYSTERIO!"

Writer: Stan Lee/Breakdowns: John Romita Sr./Penciller: Don Heck/Inker: Mike Esposito/Letterer: Artie Simek/Cover Art: John Romita Sr.

Synopsis: Mysterio returns for his ultimate revenge against Spider-Man...

Review: The Mysterio two-parter that begins with this issue should be one of my favourite Spidey stories ever. It features one of my top Spider-Man villains, some gorgeous artwork by John Romita - particularly in the next issue - and also has plenty of developments in the book's ongoing subplots, but for some reason, I can only ever read these two issues and say, "Yeah, they're pretty good..." I'm not entirely sure what it is that stops me from loving them, and to be fair, I haven't re-read Issue #67 yet, but for whatever reason, these are never my go-to Mysterio issues. I much prefer his appearances during the Ditko run, and he has some fantastic storylines during the later Marv Wolfman and Roger Stern runs as well.

I will admit that it's really nice seeing Mysterio in his own story again, rather than a team-up like we get in the likes of ASM Annuals #1 and #4, and unlike his turn as Dr Ludwig Reinhart in ASM #24, he's actually wearing his signature costume this time around. Romita does his usual great job at rendering another classic Spidey villain, and both Heck and Esposito are more than worthy of building on Romita's layouts by this point, though I feel the artwork in the following issue - by Romita alone - is far stronger. I also feel that a big positive in this issue's favour above previous Mysterio encounters is that the fight between Spider-Man and Mysterio takes advantage of the potential that a villain like Mysterio has in such a situation: there's a greater emphasis on the mind-bending nature of his illusions, and I particularly like the moment where Spider-Man pounces, thinking he's tackled his enemy, but it quickly turns out to just be Mysterio's cloak, which wraps itself around the wall-crawler, ensnaring him. It's a brief fight scene, and largely features Spider-Man fruitlessly lashing about in some smoke, but it has some nice moments here and there.

What I can't compliment is the attention to continuity: Mysterio appears on the TV demanding that Spider-Man meet him at the site of their first battle, which Spider-Man takes to be the movie studio where he defeated Mysterio in Issue #13. The weird thing is, he's right, and Mysterio is there waiting for him, even though the actual site of their first battle was atop the Brooklyn Bridge. Stan wrote that first Mysterio issue and he can't even remember what happened in it? I suppose he did have a pretty major workload in the Silver Age, but you would have thought someone at Marvel could go back and check to make sure he was getting his facts straight.

As I said above, there are some nice subplot developments here, the most noteworthy of which being that Peter and Gwen finally reconcile and rekindle their relationship. Really, this is their relationship beginning properly, rather than the brief flirtations that we've seen before, and it's great to finally see the two of them together. I must confess that Gwen is not my favourite character, as I find her to be a bit dull at times, but I absolutely love Peter and Gwen as a couple; they're so emblematic of young love, and there's an innocence to their courtship that I really appreciate, especially in hindsight when you know how things end up. Seeing them here, unable to stop smiling and gazing into each other's eyes, is a real treat, and I bet John Romita was pleased that he could finally start drawing some real lovey-dovey moments.

Elsewhere in the issue, we have another snippet of Norman Osborn's memories of the Green Goblin returning to him, and this time, he's put on the old costume, sans mask, though he still can't remember that Peter is Spider-Man. This scene, whilst good on the face of it, does present a continuity error when you take the upcoming second issue of The Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine, where Norman fully becomes the Goblin again with all his memories intact; more on that when we get there, but suffice to say, unless this issue takes place in tandem with that one, we've got some fan theory-ing to do. There's also a nice moment of Robbie and Captain Stacy meeting for lunch to discuss starting a joint effort to investigate Spider-Man, which is a great scene taken on its own merits, and there will be many more such scenes over the course of the next couple of years until Issue #90, nothing ever really comes of this, save for a moment at the end of that aforementioned 90th issue, but more on that when we get to it. It's a great idea for a subplot, with potential for a lot of suspense, but sadly, this never really get realised, and the scenes between Robbie and Stacy end up being little more than filler to get each issue to 20 pages.

Mysterio's plan is revealed at the end of the issue in a great final splash page: he has used some high-tech laser beam to seemingly shrink Spider-Man down to six inches tall, and dropped the web-slinger in the middle of a scale model of an amusement park. As said, the splash page is great, but I think this may be where my somewhat mixed feelings about this two-parter come from: I have general apathy, if not an outright dislike, for shrinking stories. They're rather overused in sci-fi and superhero fiction in my opinion - or at least they were in this era - and the actual concept behind them is just a bit boring in all honesty: it's essentially just relying on the reader/viewer thinking how incredible it is that what was once small now seems huge. Sorry, I'm just not the kind of reader to find that incredible. With that said, this is still an enjoyable issue and well worth reading, even if it does pale in comparison to Mysterio stories of the past.

Rating: 3.5/5

Next time, Spider-Man is cornered at every turn as he tries to evade the traps and illusions waiting for him in Mysterio's carnival, and return himself to normal size...

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #65

 "THE IMPOSSIBLE ESCAPE!"

Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: John Romita Sr./Inker: Jim Mooney/Letterer: Artie Simek/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: John Romita Sr.

Synopsis: An unconscious Spider-Man is transported to a prison infirmary where he can recover whilst he awaits trial...

Review: ASM #65 makes for a bit of change of pace from the usual fare we're used to seeing by this point, and I think the issue benefits from this; it's very much the precursor to the simple, minimalist issues that you see quite a lot of in 80s Spider-Man, particularly from writers like Peter David. Spider-Man is trapped in a prison; he's not locked up in a cell, but he is in every other sense of the word, a prisoner, and has to escape. It's not only a nice, simple idea that can be told in just 20 pages, but is also new territory for the character; he's often touted by the people of New York - most obviously Jameson - as a criminal menace who should be locked up, and now he basically is, though he's allowed to keep his mask on for fear of violating his civil rights by removing it.

Of course, Spidey's escape attempt doesn't go quite according to plan, as a group of convicts are also trying to break out of the prison and take Captain Stacy as a hostage. This allows Romita - providing some beautiful full pencils once more - to deviate from his usual staggeringly attractive characters and give us some grizzled looking heavies, although even they look a little too pretty for my taste; Ditko was far more proficient at giving his petty crooks some personality simply in the way they looked, whilst Romita's cons all look pretty identical. I do like the idea that some of these bad guys are criminals that Spider-Man himself helped put away, even if nothing is really done with this idea beyond a passing remark. We also get to see Spidey pretend to join the bad guys so that he can get close enough to them to rescue Captain Stacy, which provides some nice tension. One thing of special note is the moment just before Spider-Man - still weak after his battle with the Vulture - emerges from the infirmary to confront the escapees for the first time; his grogginess giving way to his determination and resolve not to let Stacy down is just wonderful, and the pose and angle on the last panel is one of the most powerful images of the character ever created; give it a look:

Jim Mooney's inks work wonders here, especially in that fourth panel; the subtle blacks on Spider-Man's neck and hands add so much detail and realism to the piece.

There isn't a whole lot of action in this issue, but Romita gives us a really well executed little tussle between Spider-Man and the crooks during their first confrontation, and the whole sequence where Spidey shuts the lights off so he can pick them off in the dark one by one is just sublime; seeing the web-head crawling on the ceiling, ready to pounce on the unsuspecting bad guys below is such a stunning image, and the colourist does an exceptional job in only rendering these panels in blue, heightening the mood, whilst Mooney's inks really lean into the deep blacks and bring out the best in Romita's line work.

We get a few breaks from the prison stuff to check in with the supporting cast, but these scenes all feel a bit pointless really, giving us nothing new other than a second look at MJ's vile new hairdo. Harry's still worried about his father, Gwen's still worried about Peter, Aunt May's worried about Peter, and Jameson still hates Spider-Man, although we do get his marvellously funny line: "Personally, I can't stand anyone who carries a grudge!" The main focus of the issue rarely deviates from all the stuff going on inside the prison, and I think the result is all the better for that; it's a memorable story to be sure, continuing on from the Vulture two-parter, but still managing to tell a tale all its own. A bit of a classic in its own way.

Rating: 4/5

Next time, Mysterio is back, with a plan to cut Spider-Man down to size...

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #64

 "THE VULTURE'S PREY"

Writer: Stan Lee/Breakdowns: John Romita Sr./Penciller: Don Heck/Inker: Mike Esposito/Letterer: Artie Simek/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: John Romita Sr.

Synopsis: The Vulture, eager to maintain his winning streak in battle, takes on an injured Spider-Man above the streets of New York, as a horrified crowd watches on...

Review: First things first; we have to talk about that cover. Simply gorgeous; these two Vulture issues have featured some of the very best artwork of the high-flying villain ever seen, and this rather simplistic but highly effective cover is yet another example. The use of black and white for the background whilst Spidey and the Vulture are highlighted in bold colour really makes the characters pop and makes the action that much more intense.

The issue itself is largely one massive fight between Spider-Man and the Vulture. Normally I'm really not a fan of this sort of thing, as I prefer my Spider-Man stories to feature more of a balance between the mundane and the fantastical, the yin and yang of Peter's personal life and his activities as the wall-crawler, but here, I make an exception, because this fight scene is just executed so well. Incredible, dynamic action poses where you feel the impact of every single blow, every bead of sweat on the characters' foreheads. Huge panels showing just how strong Romita's figure work is, and you'd be forgiven for thinking Romita had provided the entire pencilled artwork for this one, as it really does look identical to his usual style, but Don Heck's name is on the credits, so I'm assuming he had something to do with this. If so, then hats off to him - and Mike Esposito as well - because this is a truly phenomenal looking book. I also feel that the battle is a great showcase for each of the combatants. It shows off just how powerful and deadly the Vulture can be as he pummels Spider-Man again and again, but it's likewise a fantastic demonstration of Spider-Man's resilience and determination, that willpower to just keep going and hold out a little bit longer; it's stuff like this that makes Spidey the hero that we love.

Whilst the action's going on, we get some top notch moments for Jameson and Robbie, who are watching the battle unfold from the rooftop of the Bugle. When Robbie is hurt by a cascade of falling rubble, the anger in Jameson's voice sends chills down my back, and honestly had tears welling up in my eyes; this is the first time we see how much Jameson truly cares about his beloved city editor, the closest thing the old goat has to a best friend, despite how much they may disagree about Spider-Man. Jameson's so enraged, he retaliates by pinning Spider-Man's arms behind his back so the Vulture can hurt him some more; we don't often see Jameson go full-on crazy like this, and I'm gratified that it happens here as a result of Robbie being injured.

There are two detours from the fight scene: one to Aunt May and Anna Watson, who are visited by Mary Jane sporting an absolutely hideous - and thankfully, short-lived - new haircut, and another to Gwen and her father, who informs his daughter that he now conveniently remembers that he was brainwashed by the Kingpin and so Peter didn't really mean to hurt him back in Issue #60. Gwen is overjoyed, though we won't see any real payoff for this until a couple of issues' time. These scenes are certainly welcome, but they do feel as if they're just here to pad out the page count, particularly the Aunt May and Anna Watson stuff, which serves no purpose other than to introduce MJ's ghastly new look. I assume this decision was taken to try and visually differentiate her from Gwen, as the two had very similar hairstyles up to this point, but it just leaves MJ looking unrecognisable as the same character.

ASM #64 is another fine instalment in the life of our favourite web-slinger, and even though the Vulture ends the issue in defeat - not to be seen again for quite a few years - we leave Spider-Man himself unconscious and at the mercy of the crowd that is eager to unmask him. It's a cracking cliff-hanger, and a great way to end the issue. As said, one-big-fight issues rarely hit the mark for me, so I can't quite give this full points, but if you are going to do a one-big-fight story, this isn't a bad way of going about it.

Rating: 4.5/5

Next time, Spider-Man is taken into police custody and sent to prison, where he must plan the impossible escape...

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #63

 "WINGS IN THE NIGHT!"

Writer: Stan Lee/Breakdowns: John Romita Sr./Penciller: Don Heck/Inker: Mike Esposito/Letterer: Sam Rosen/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: John Romita Sr.

Synopsis: The original Vulture is alive and well after everyone thought he had died in prison, and he seeks to re-assert himself as the true Vulture by battling his replacement, Blackie Drago...

Review: Before we get into the meat of the issue, let me just begin by talking about this:

ASM #63 features quite possibly my favourite splash page in the history of Spider-Man, and easily my favourite image of the Vulture ever produced. The hunched over pose, the distinctive bald head and beaked nose, the way the fingers on his right hand are clenched and gnarled with anger, the way the rain hammers down on the perched figure, running off him in rivulets; everything about it exudes menace and a brooding bitterness. Here is a man who believes himself superior to every ant-like figure in the street below him, and yet there's a sadness to the silhouette as well; so twisted, so hateful and ugly is he that we can't help but feel that the society below has cast him out, has forced him to live high above on the rooftops like a lonely gargoyle. It's a truly beautiful image, and I applaud everyone involved in its creation: John, Don and Mike, you all deserve a round of applause.

The big question to ask about this issue is this: is it only worth reading for the epic fight scene between the two Vultures? I'd argue no. While yes, that fight scene is absolutely phenomenal, every single scene in this issue is a standout for me, so let's delay our look at the aerial donnybrook for now - Christ, I'm starting to sound like Stan himself - and examine what else is going on this issue. We're still dealing with the fallout of Peter and Gwen, and there's an absolutely gorgeous moment here where Gwen is trying to ignore Peter as much as possible when they encounter each other at the ESU campus. This scene perfectly captures the longing, the heart-rending pain of being so close to someone you love, and yet being unable to say a word to them; we really feel the agony that both characters are going through in the wake of their separation, and the artwork goes a long way with this as well. Heck has finally sussed out how best to finish off Romita's breakdowns, and Esposito's inks are never less than perfect.

It's also a memorable issue for two of the title's most memorable dads: both Captain Stacy and Norman Osborn make good turns here, even if Stacy only appears in one panel whilst on the phone to Peter, and the scene with Norman is more or less a repeat of what's been happening to him for the last few issues, only this time with a bit more intensity. It's nice to see how forgiving and fatherly Captain Stacy is to Peter during this time of crisis with Gwen, and yet there's still that underlying tension that Stacy knows, or has at least suspected, Peter's secret. The scene with Norman really sent chills down my back on this revisit: his snarling at Peter when the two lay eyes on each other really gets the hackles up, as does the revelation that Norman's memories may be returning to him more fully; he now thinks of the Green Goblin every time he sees Peter. Even with a big main event like two Vultures in one issue, Stan and John still make room for these subplots simmering away in the background that only add to the tension of the story.

But of course, that cover advertises a story featuring both Adrian Toomes - still unnamed as of yet - and Blackie Drago, and it certainly doesn't disappoint on that front. There's actually very little Spider-Man action in this issue, as the web-head injures his arm early on during a spout of bad weather - a nice reminder of the sort of mundane problems that only Spidey has to deal with - and so the bulk of the spectacle comes from the two Vultures, not that that's a problem when the artwork is as exciting and dynamic as this: the two villains are flying rings around each other, swiping each other with their wings, hurling each other into buildings; everything you could possibly want from this premise is here. It isn't just superficial action, however; there's a nice theme running through this fight that brings us back to why the original Vulture was such a good villain to begin with: his young opponents always mistake him for a feeble old man, only for him to take them by surprise, and to see him kick Drago's arse pretty thoroughly is very cathartic for anyone like me who was sad at seeing the old buzzard get seemingly replaced back in Issue #48.

Adding to the excitement we also get some really funny scenes with Jameson dragging Peter up to the Bugle's rooftop to take photos of the fight; Jameson's indignation when Peter asks what he'll pay for the news pics is priceless: "Pay you? You should pay me! Who brought you up here?" I do feel that Jameson comes across as a bit too heartless when a kid is put in danger by the two Vultures, thinking only of the photo opportunity and not of the child's life; the J Jonah Jameson I know would never be quite that callous.

The events of ASM #62 are now nothing more than a bad memory because Stan and John bring it right back with a bang: two Vultures for the price of one, and plenty of subplots to keep you interested. I think it was pretty brave of them to create an issue where Spidey doesn't really get involved in any of the action, but just you wait until next issue! As well as being a really great story jam-packed with engaging scenes, this is also a superb showcase for the Adrian Toomes Vulture; still alive and ready to soar again, and it's about time. Sorry Blackie; you're relegated to the history books, because the real Vulture is back.

Rating: 5/5

Next time, Spider-Man faces the Vulture in mortal combat above the streets of New York... 

The Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine #1

 "LO, THIS MONSTER!"

Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: John Romita Sr./Inker: Jim Mooney/Letterer: Sam Rosen/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Harry Rosenbaum and John Romita Sr.

Synopsis: Mayoral candidate Richard Raleigh has become the target of every mob in the city, and now he's also got a giant minster after him, but is everything as it appears...?

Review: The first of only two issues of The Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine is in many ways the one that stands out more strongly, even if I consider it the weaker of the two. The lush, gorgeous artwork may be provided by John Romita, but the monochrome look is totally unlike anything we've seen in a Spidey comic before; the usually bright, vibrant, colourful world feels just a little bit more grown-up, and that's reflected in the story as well.

I will applaud Stan for trying something rather different with this plot, as it can't have been the kind of thing that was going to appeal to kids back in the day, but then, SSM was always intended to be geared more towards adults - that's the impression I have, anyway. Here we get a plot involving a corrupt, deceitful politician, the gullibility of the masses, and the bias of the media, with a fair bit of political satire thrown in for good measure. It's pretty weighty stuff for a kid to get their head around, but as an adult, I appreciate what Stan was trying to do here in aging up Spider-Man just that little bit whilst retaining the exciting adventures the character is known for. This wouldn't be the last time Stan tackled social issues in the pages of Spidey either, as pretty soon we'll start to see more politically aware stories turning up in the pages of ASM as well, but it all started here. We get some of Stan's most profound dialogue in this story; Captain Stacy's cutting admonishment of Jameson - "May heaven protect us from those who know all they need to know...about anything" - has always stuck with me, and I use this quote on a pretty regular basis in today's politically divided world.

Contrasting with the more grounded and grown-up political content is the incredibly cartoony giant monster, who smashes and crashes his way through Romita's huge panels on a supposed quest to destroy Raleigh. The monster isn't really the most inspiring of villains, despite some nice allusions to Frankenstein's monster, and he doesn't even get a proper name - we'll have to wait until Gerry Conway's retelling of this story for that - but I can't fault Romita's dynamic action scenes, which are full of power and impact; really exciting stuff. I particularly enjoy the sequence where Peter webs up a cracked ceiling that is about to collapse on the crowd at a Raleigh event; everything happens so quickly that he doesn't have time to change to Spider-Man, and I always get a kick out of seeing Peter swinging into action without his costume. Raleigh himself is also a little on the cartoony side, what with his plan of taking over the world with an army of monsters, but once again, I admire Stan picking a completely non-powered character to be the big villain of the story - and that's no spoiler, Raleigh outs himself as a psychotic madman in the first scene he appears in - and the type of villain that the reading public was more likely to be affected by in the real world.

It also seems to me that this story was intended for people who had never read a Spider-Man comic before - although obviously seasoned veterans can dive right in as well - as Stan and John take the time to introduce every single major supporting character with the exception of Flash, who presumably is away in Vietnam during the events of this story. Speaking of continuity, where exactly is this story placed? It can't fit into the current events over in ASM, because Peter and Gwen are like two lovebirds in this, a stark contrast to Gwen's anger with Pete in the wake of the Brainwasher Saga. The Marvel Wiki doesn't have any answer - they posit that this issue takes place in-between ASM #59 and #60, which is completely impossible - so I'm going to say that it takes place between Issues #67 and #68, as there isn't a more convenient spot to put it, and once we get to Conway's revamp of the tale: boy, oh boy, that's going to be a continuity headache.

The first attempt at a spin-off book for Spider-Man is a pretty resounding success, on the whole. It's never going to be an all-time great story, and it's a bit tonally inconsistent what with it's political commentary clashing with cartoony villains, but it's a minor classic in its own right, simply for taking the wall-crawler into territory that he hadn't been before, and the black and white artwork is absolutely beautiful, leaps and bounds above what was being put out in ASM every month at the same time. Romita's pencils are as strong as ever, but Jim Mooney's inks work real wonders here and make everything pop. But, for me, I think the true hero of this story is Stan, who gives us a more adult take on the character, without sacrificing the tone and spirit that we've come to know and love.

Rating: 4/5

"IN THE BEGINNING--"

Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: Larry Lieber/Inker: Bill Everett/Letterer: Artie Simek/Editor: Stan Lee

Synopsis: A retelling of the origin of the Amazing - sorry, Spectacular - Spider-Man...

Review: And, in addition to the main event, we also get a brief, very truncated retelling of the origin story - Stan even admits that this new version doesn't exactly cover the original beat for beat. It's understandable why this is here, as back in 1968, not everybody and their dog knew the origin of Spider-Man, and so a recap would have been necessary, especially if Stan was banking on this first issue being picked up by a lot of new readers.

There are a few additions that I quite like: I enjoy the scenes of Uncle Ben's funeral acting as a bookend to the origin itself, and the moment where Peter discovers his spider strength after some tough guys hassle him on the street is a welcome inclusion, but the whole thing can't help but just feel like a lesser version of the original. We lose the wrestling scene with Crusher Hogan, the burglar running past Spider-Man happens before the web-head makes his TV debut; it's nice that it's a little bit different, but that doesn't make it better, or even a tenth as good as the Lee/Ditko classic. Lieber's art is solid, but he's no Steve Ditko, and some of Stan's revisions to the iconic dialogue of the original are genuinely kind of painful: the chilling, "There's no place on earth where you can hide from me!" becomes, "There's no place on earth you can run--to escape me!"

This will be a common complaint I make whenever they do a retelling of the origin story over the years, and you'll probably all get sick of hearing it, but no matter how many revisions and adjustments they make to the story, no matter how strong the retelling may be, it's never going to be as good as Amazing Fantasy #15. The concise but effective storytelling that Lee and Ditko managed in just 11 pages can never be matched, not even when Lee himself is still on dialogue duties.

Rating: 3/5

Next time, we're journeying back to ASM with Issue #63, where a figure we all thought we'd seen the last of takes to the skies once again to reclaim them as his own...

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #62

 "MAKE WAY FOR...MEDUSA!"

Writer: Stan Lee/Breakdowns: John Romita Sr./Penciller: Don Heck/Inker: Mike Esposito/Letterer: Sam Rosen/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: John Romita Sr.

Synopsis: Medusa has arrived in New York to discover whether her fellow Inhumans are safe to live among humanity again, but things soon go awry...

Review: I'm afraid this review isn't going to be very positive. This issue has long been the one I cite as the worst of the Lee and Romita era; heck, I think it could well be the worst issue of the Silver Age. There's barely anything here worth talking about, but I started this blog to talk about Spider-Man - even the issues I don't like - so that's what I'm going to do.

The bulk of the issue revolves around Medusa and her quest to find out whether humans are safe to live among again. The Inhumans can be really cool characters when featured in the pages of Fantastic Four, and the very first Hulk annual has a fantastic mash-up of the green goliath and the residents of Attilan, but with Spidey...I don't know; it feels very strange seeing Medusa going up against the web-head. I don't know why this is; it's not like we haven't seen Spider-Man teaming up - or, in this case, battling - other Marvel characters before, but for some reason I find Medusa's presence kind of incongruous here. Maybe it's because I associate the Inhumans so much with the FF and Jack Kirby; whatever the reason, she feels out of place.

The plot is woeful as well; Medusa gets plucked by the greedy CEO of Heavenly Hair Spray to star in their new advertising campaign, which she soon grows tired of and leaves, prompting the CEO to lie to Spider-Man, telling him that Medusa attacked them; he hopes that footage of the battle between the two will boost sales of their hair spray; how, exactly? It's just dumb as rocks, and is little more than an excuse for the two superhumans to fight each other, something that regular readers will know I'm not a fan of. The CEO isn't even an amusing caricature either; he's reminiscent of B.J. Cosmos from ASM #14, but without any of the wry satire that made that character work.

The only positives I can really glean from this issue are the scenes that don't deal with Medusa: Peter going to the Stacy house and vainly trying to get Gwen to listen to him, Harry continuing to struggle with his studies, and best of all, Norman is still suffering from flashbacks to his final hour as the Green Goblin; I love that his recurring nightmare features an unmasked Spider-Man whose face becomes clearer and clearer with each passing night; Stan really did a great job of building up this subplot and mounting the tension. Shame he couldn't have spread those energies around to benefit the A-plot of this issue.

ASM #62 is an issue that I really don't have a lot to say about. It's the definition of filler, an issue that exists solely because they didn't have anything better to fill a month, and it shows. Stupid plot, incongruous guest star, lacklustre attempts at humour, a pointless fight between characters, and even a sexist joke from Spider-Man all combine to make this not worth your time reading. The best thing about it are those brief detours away from the Medusa plot, just to remind you that things of importance are indeed happening.

Rating: 1.5/5

Next time, we'll be taking a look at the first ever spin-off Spider-Man title: The Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine #1, in which we get a very different type of enemy for the web-head to match wills with...

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #61

 "WHAT A TANGLED WEB WE WEAVE...!"

Writer: Stan Lee/Breakdowns: John Romita Sr./Penciller: Don Heck/Inker: Mike Esposito/Letterer: Sam Rosen/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: John Romita Sr.

Synopsis: Gwen and her still-brainwashed father go on the run after Captain Stacy is photographed stealing police records, but the Kingpin aims to silence his now useless pawn...

Review: Whilst not quite as good as the previous issue, I still feel that this is a really enjoyable conclusion to the Brainwasher Saga. In fact, having said that this was probably my least favourite Kingpin storyline of the Lee and Romita era, I must confess that upon re-reading it, I've grown to appreciate it a lot more. It's pretty solid stuff once you get past that first instalment.

This issue continues the escalating tension and drama that the previous issue laid down, with Gwen and her dad becoming fugitives so that Captain Stacy won't be arrested for crimes he wasn't really aware he was committing; whilst Gwen is clueless about the brainwashing scheme, she knows that her father would never steal police records, and assumes that he must be ill. It's a nice little detail about Gwen that we didn't see prior to Captain Stacy being introduced; her loyalty to and unconditional love for her dad is rather touching, and it's nice to see her being more proactive and getting involved in the plot, even if she does just become a damsel in distress by the end. What I can't entirely fathom is Peter's reasoning for taking the incriminating photos of Stacy and allowing Jameson to print them in the Bugle; he claims that he did it to expose the Kingpin's brainwashing plot, but how exactly is it achieving that? Is he hoping that Stacy will remember something about the brainwashing process should he be apprehended by the police and interrogated? Like a lot of plot details in this storyline, this is a bit of a stretch, and just makes it feel as if Stan was just making things up as he went along, developing scenes and ideas that would have dramatic impact but not really thinking them through logically. Then again, he was writing the vast majority of Marvel's titles at this point in time, as well as being their editor-in-chief, so I can see how things like this could be overlooked.

Some far stronger character moments come from both Norman and Harry Osborn; here we see the first signs that Norman may be starting to remember his past as the Green Goblin, although in this issue all that amounts to is his anxiety at seeing a picture of the Goblin in a newspaper. Stan set up Norman's relapse into becoming the Goblin really well, seeding it carefully throughout the forthcoming issues, until finally bringing the arch-villain back in The Spectacular Spider-Man #2. We also get a neat little insight into Harry's psyche, where he bemoans how little he feels able to help his dad due to his lack of scientific prowess, and how he wishes he had the same level of intellect as Peter. I always like it when we delve into the pettier, more jealous aspects of Harry Osborn, as that's where I feel the character becomes the most interesting, if not always entirely likeable. Here, though, you can't help but feel for him, as he's essentially surrounded by people who are all good at something, and he's just sort of...there.

We get the same exciting action that we've become accustomed to from Lee and Romita, with a couple of really fantastic fight scenes; one near the start where Spidey lays into a trio of the Kingpin's hoods, and towards the end, as the Kingpin prepares to kill Gwen and her father. It's always a pleasure to see Spider-Man and the Kingpin duking it out, and Norman Osborn even gets in on the action, as the Kingpin has abandoned his prior hideout at the Gloom Room A-Go-Go and set up shop at Osborn's chemical plant. He tries to justify this by saying no one will look for him there, but I still feel he's taking a colossal risk; what's to stop Norman or any other technician just wandering into the lab that Kingpin is using as a base of operations? It's another leap in logic, but I do quite like the revelation that Winkler, the Kingpin's scientist, has been working for Osborn this entire time, and as said, the climax to the issue is really sensational, finishing with the brainwashing machine exploding - from one bullet, natch - and Spider-Man swinging in to save Gwen and her dad from being crushed by a falling chemical vat, as the cover depicts; it's rather chilling in hindsight to see Spider-Man so passionately scream that he won't let Gwen die.

It's not perfect, but ASM #61 is just about as enjoyable as the last issue, if featuring a few more plot holes. It boasts plenty of great action and drama, but makes the time to insert some much welcome character insights as well. The Brainwasher Saga is far better than I remember it being, although I still kind of balk at the idea of the Kingpin being featured in such a flagrantly sci-fi plot. He may still be a wonderful adversary, but he really doesn't suit this kind of caper.

Rating: 4/5

Next time, the Inhuman Medusa tackles Spider-Man, and that's about it, really...  

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #60

 "O, BITTER VICTORY!"

Writer: Stan Lee/Breakdowns: John Romita Sr./Penciller: Don Heck/Inker: Mike Esposito/Letterer: Sam Rosen/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: John Romita Sr.

Synopsis: Peter takes measures to protect Gwen and her father from the Kingpin's brainwashing scheme, but he may end up doing more harm than good...

Review: I'll need to revisit ASM #61 first, but this is probably my favourite of the three issues that make up the Brainwasher Saga. It's certainly a vast improvement on the previous issue, due in no small part to the fact that it's free from having to set up the story, and free from having to wrap up others. This is actually pretty great stuff that we get here, and it's all topped off with an absolutely sublime cover from Romita; just one of the best images of Spider-Man vs the Kingpin ever.

The issue kicks off with a bang with the scene that the cover is based on: a brief but exciting battle between Spider-Man and the Kingpin. I love this fight; you've got Spidey leaping onto the Kingpin's back, Kingpin hurling the web-head into an electrical generator; the whole thing only takes up just over two pages - not including the opening splash page - but it's tremendous fun. It's also worth noting that Don Heck is improving when it comes to finishing Romita's breakdowns; the artwork throughout this issue is far more dynamic and exciting than anything we've seen from a Heck-Romita collaboration before.

This is probably the most emotionally charged instalment in the Brainwasher storyline, as we go into full over-the-top superhero melodrama mode again, as Peter realises just how much he cares for Gwen in a scene that has always remained one of my favourites: his sudden shock at his admission of love for the young Miss Stacy is just perfectly portrayed by Lee, Romita and Heck. They impeccably capture the intense emotion of such a self-discovery, with Peter deciding that he won't be able to sleep now that he's realised how he feels, and he leaves the apartment to visit Gwen's house to make sure that she and her father are alright after seeing Captain Stacy wired up to the brainwashing machine earlier on. There are times in the Lee and Romita era that really capture that vibe of late-night introspection and aimless wandering through darkened streets - something I myself indulged in regularly whilst at university - and this is one of the finest examples. This is also the first time that Peter really feels like he's in love; with Betty, I always got the impression that they were attracted to each other, but it never went any deeper than that. Here, you feel the longing and anguish boiling inside Peter as he realises that Gwen's dad may have been put under the Kingpin's influence, and it only serves to make the story that much more dramatic.

Of course, things don't go quite as Peter intended when he arrives at the Stacy household. Captain Stacy is alive, but not well; he's been brainwashed by the Kingpin into becoming one of his agents, and as soon as Peter starts to become suspicious of Stacy's behaviour, the retired police captain lashes out with his cane, but Peter's spider-sense reacts too quickly, and Stacy is unthinkingly struck across the face in self-defence. Gwen walks in at the exact moment that Peter hits her father, and obviously, Peter can't tell her the real reason why he struck out without revealing that he's Spider-Man. It's a classic piece of Lee-Romita melodrama, as Gwen orders Peter to get out, and that she never wants to see him again. It is a bit odd that Gwen herself doesn't notice anything strange about her father, considering how most similar situations in fiction have the closest relatives of a brainwashed/replaced individual immediately able to tell that something is amiss - Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a good example - but I suppose her rejection of Peter wouldn't feel quite as believable if she did suspect that anything was wrong.

Another highlight of the issue for me is the immediate aftermath of the confrontation with Captain Stacy, when the old man contacts the Kingpin to tell him that Peter is getting suspicious. Enraged, the Kingpin sends two of his hoods out to Peter's apartment to kill him, and this is just crazy; I'd forgotten that this scene was even here, but I'm not sure how, because it's a really big, dramatic moment: real, dangerous criminals breaking into Peter and Harry's apartment, with orders to kill. Mercifully, Peter isn't there at the time - actually, that would have made for a great scene, too - but that doesn't stop the place from being wrecked and Harry being threatened. Stan and John really knew what they were doing with this issue when it comes to heightening the tension: the Kingpin has Captain Stacy under his thumb, Gwen wants nothing more to do with Peter, the bad guys know where Peter lives and are out for blood; everything's being dialled up to eleven, and I love it.

I think the big reason why this issue feels so much better than the previous issue - and actually makes me forget about the problems with that issue - is that it focuses less on the plot and more on the characters; it's more about how Peter reacts to the Kingpin's plan than the details of said plan, which, let's face it, are pretty sketchy. Whilst not one of the finest issues of ASM you'll find, this is really enjoyable, and I particularly love how the drama is so quickly and insanely heightened. Great reading all around.

Rating: 4/5

Next time, Spider-Man takes the fight back to the Kingpin to put a stop to his brainwashing scheme once and for all...

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #59

 "THE BRAND OF THE BRAINWASHER!"

Writer: Stan Lee/Breakdowns: John Romita Sr./Penciller: Don Heck/Inker: Mike Esposito/Letterer: Artie Simek/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: John Romita Sr.

Synopsis: With his memories returned, Peter re-unites with his friends and family, but danger is around the corner, as the mysterious Brainwasher has designs on the city's top officials, including Gwen's father...

Review: And so we begin the next multi-issue storyline, and it's...fine? I don't want to get too ahead of myself as we're only just on part one, but the Brainwasher Saga has never been one of my favourites, although it's far from bad; it's just kind of middle of the road, and this issue is pretty indicative of that. Nothing you could call terrible, but nothing you could really call great either.

One big hurdle facing Stan and John with this issue is the fact that they still have some wrapping up to do regarding Peter losing his memories and becoming a missing person. The issue begins with him visiting Aunt May in the hospital, before heading down to the police station, where we get a two-page scene of him being questioned by police officers who want to know everything he knows about Spider-Man. Obviously he spins them a false story, and is escorted out of the station by Captain Stacy - more on that soon - before meeting up with Gwen and Harry, so the whole gang is back together, minus Flash, who has returned to the army by this point. You have all these wrap-up scenes to wade through, so that you get to almost halfway through the issue before any kind of plot begins to present itself. As I say, I don't really envy Stan and John the task of wrapping up every loose end they've left hanging from the past couple of issues, but that doesn't change the fact that this issue loses out on telling a new story for several pages, as it's so busy dealing with previous ones. We do get the first kiss between Peter and Gwen, though, so I suppose that's something of significance.

When the plot does arrive...oh, boy, where do we begin? So, the unseen, Machiavellian Brainwasher has opened up a nightclub called the Gloom Room A-Go-Go - you'd be hard pressed to find a groovier name than that - and plans to invite important city officials there, whereupon they will have their photographs taken, which will put them under a hypnotic spell, leading them to wander down to the nightclub's basement where they can have their minds altered using a brainwashing machine. The first question I have is: why does the Brainwasher think that all these fusty middle-aged to elderly men will want to go to a nightclub? My second question is: why does the Brainwasher think that all of these fusty middle-aged to elderly men will want to have their photograph taken? He's pretty adamant that nobody can resist having their photograph taken. Sorry to burst your bubble, Brainwasher, but I wouldn't allow a nightclub to take my picture - I wouldn't be seen dead in a nightclub to begin with - even if the service was free. It's a plan that feels pretty weak on the ground, but surprisingly, it works, because I guess if it didn't, we wouldn't really have much of a story here, would we?

The one element that I do like in all this is that Mary Jane has been hired by the club and is the one chosen to take pictures of the city officials, though she has no idea of their sinister purpose. This could have been a good chance to get MJ more involved with the plot for once, but sadly, this doesn't happen; all she gets to do besides act as the bad guy's patsy is briefly get held hostage before Spider-Man saves her, in an admittedly lovely moment; he quip to him, enquiring if he has any brothers, always makes me laugh. In fact, the issue in general improves greatly once Peter decides to investigate proceedings as Spider-Man, and the action begins to kick off. There is a nice scene earlier on where Peter meets Captain Stacy for the first time, and we get the first glimpses of Stacy's suspicions that Peter knows more about Spider-Man than he's letting on, but generally, the issue doesn't really get going until it's nearly over, with some fun scenes of Spidey running rings around the Brainwasher's henchmen. With all this extra muscle, I have to wonder: why didn't the Brainwasher just arrange for the city officials to be kidnapped and then brainwashed? I suppose his current plan is less conspicuous, but as said, it's hardly believable.

At this point, I'm going to stop calling the villain of this story 'the Brainwasher' and start calling him by his true identity: the Kingpin. The final panel reveals that it's really been Kingpin behind this scheme the entire time, and much as I love the character, I have to say that this is my least favourite of all the Lee and Romita stories featuring the villain. The plot is way too out-there and sci-fi to really feel appropriate for the Kingpin, who generally stars in more grounded stories rooted in organised crime, although to be fair, this was only his second appearance, so the hallmarks of what a Kingpin story usually entails wouldn't have been quite so fully formed at the time, but in hindsight, it just looks a bit strange having Wilson Fisk paired up with a mad scientist type with big goofy glasses babbling on about a brainwashing machine. Also strange is the fact that throughout this issue, the Kingpin's henchmen constantly refer to him as 'Brainwasher,' as if they were aware that his reveal at the end of the issue was meant to be a surprise, and they don't want to give the game away.

ASM #59 is by no means a bad issue, but it can't help but feel like set-up. This isn't helped by the fact that a third of the issue is taken up with a resolution to the story threads left over by the previous few issues. The plot is pretty contrived, as I've said, but once things get going, I can at least be entertained by all the usual Lee and Romita brand of action and thrills. Not bad, but nothing spectacular.

Rating: 3/5

Next time, Peter discovers how truly dangerous the Kingpin's brainwashing procedure is, when he has his second meeting with Captain Stacy...