The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #107

 "SPIDEY SMASHES THRU!"

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

Synopsis: With Spider-Man captured, there's nothing stopping Spencer Smythe and his new criminal allies from carrying out Smythe's sinister plan...

Review: And so, this latest Spider Slayer Trilogy ends on a really solid note, which is something of a relief after the slight downgrade of the middle portion of the story. It's not going to set your world alight, but it's good old-fashioned Lee and Romita fun. What Spidey fan wouldn't be happy with that?

There's a much greater emphasis on action than either of the previous issues, and Romita delivers the goods as he always does: not only do we see Spidey facing off against the latest model of Spider Slayer, but he also has to tangle with the crooks who have joined forces with Smythe. Perhaps surprisingly, it's the fight with the bog-standard hoodlums that feels more impactful here, as unfortunately, we don't actually get all that much of a battle between Spider and Slayer. It's a shame, as this new version is probably the best yet: it's essentially the same mechanical spider design we saw in Issue #105, only on a much larger scale, so large that Smythe himself has to operate the thing from a cockpit. I absolutely love the moment on page 4, where the Slayer's movements are accompanied by loads of clakks and clangs; always nice to see an action amplified all the more by impactful lettering. Despite the lack of any real showdown between Spider-Man and the Slayer, Romita makes the most of every panel, and every action scene has his trademark kinetic crunch.

There's a fantastic moment from the supporting cast as well, with Flash reaching out to Gwen for help in his hour of need (although we're still none the wiser as to what his problem is). This is a real gear-shift for Flash's character, and is by far the most vulnerable we've ever seen him up to this point; he goes all shy and forlorn as he confesses that his feelings for Gwen go beyond friendship. Gone is the gadabout Flash Thompson who wouldn't hesitate to flirt with any attractive young woman in the room; here, we're presented with a man who feels as if he's opening up for the very first time. We've seen smatterings of him over the years, but finally, the real Flash Thompson is beginning to show himself. As a big fan of Flash, this makes me very happy, and though it's a small scene between him and Gwen, it may just be the highlight of the issue.

There's one big sticking point I have with Issue #107, and that's just how quickly everything gets wrapped up. Smythe and his cronies are using the spy cameras that Smythe installed around the city in order to carry out a big bank robbery. Their plan is foiled when Spider-Man phones the police and tells them to remove the cameras from every building, which the police just...do. With question, without evidence, without any kind of explanation, they just go ahead with an anonymous tip and remove a bunch of devices that surely cost the city a lot of money to have commissioned and installed. Also, New York isn't exactly a small place; would they really manage to get them all before Smythe's plan went into action? And how would they know which cameras to dismantle in order to foil the robbery? Did Spider-Man overhear which bank they were planning to rob? I guess I'm willing to believe that, at least. What I'm not willing to believe is that Smythe and his gangster friends would have Spider-Man, captured and helpless in Smythe's headquarters, and not ONE of them thinks about unmasking him. What kind of villains are these, anyway?

Despite a few logical leaps and bounds, plus the lack of any real fight with the Spider Slayer, ASM #107 manages to close out the trilogy in very entertaining style, with plenty of action, but not scrimping on the character drama; that scene with Gwen and Flash is really something terrific. And even though this story may be over, the saga of Flash Thompson is only just beginning, as a military vehicle turns up at the end of the issue to escort him somewhere. Where? We'll have to wait until next time to find out...

Rating: 4/5

Next time, Flash Thompson's secret is revealed, as someone from his past seeks revenge...

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #106

 "SQUASH! GOES THE SPIDER!"

Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: John Romita Sr./Inker: Frank Giacoia/Letterer: Sam Rosen/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: John Romita Sr.

Synopsis: Spencer Smythe unveils the next phase of his plan, but before he can put it into action, he'll have to rid the world of Spider-Man for good...

Review: ASM #106, whilst still decent, is a definite downgrade from the previous issue, and represents a bit of a clunky middle chapter in this Smythe trilogy. It's riddled with plot holes and logical leaps, but there's still some fun to be had with it, so let's dive in.

John Romita is back on art duties, and it's always a joy to see his work grace the pages of a Spider-Man comic. The somewhat moody edge that Gil Kane's artwork is gone (for now, at least), and now everyone and everything is ridiculously attractive again, Spencer Smythe included. Whilst I generally prefer Romita's work to Kane's, on this occasion I feel that ASM #106 lacks the kinetic energy that Kane imbued into the previous issue. Romita's panel layouts and pencils, whilst very good, and up to his usual standard, feel rather static by comparison. Kane's work on the previous issue represented something of a bold step forward for the book; this feels very much like it's rooted in the past. Still, I can never fault Romita's artistic chops, especially when he's giving us such great angles and poses for the web-slinger, and his storytelling skills have never been in any doubt.

It's a shame then, that the story he's been given feels like something of a pause after the fully loaded previous issue. Spider-Man doesn't fight anyone or anything at all in this, which isn't necessarily a bad thing (some of my all-time favourite Spidey issues are very light on action), but here it makes the story slump every so slightly, as if Stan is just killing time until the next big battle with the Spider Slayer. We do of course get a resolution to the cliffhanger from last time, in which Peter unwittingly revealed his secret identity to Smythe through one of the villain's spy cameras, but even this is pretty weak. Realising what's happened, Spidey goes to see his old friend Curt Connors to make - I kid you not - a realistic mask of his own face which he flashes in front of another of Smythe's cameras to make Smythe think it was all a ruse. I'm not sure why Curt Connors would even have the materials necessary to make a synthetic, Mission Impossible-style mask, or why this was even the first idea Spidey came up with. It's certainly creative, but perhaps too much of a stretch credibility-wise. Stan also glosses over the fact that Smythe has actually met Peter twice before, during the Ditko run, but to be fair, that was a long time ago at this point, even on a floating timeline, and the two only ever had very brief encounters.

We see Smythe unveil his master plan in this issue: he aims to forge an alliance with the major gang leaders of New York, and use his spy cameras to aid them in their crimes. It's not a bad plan as evil schemes go, and it's a more subtle piece of social commentary from Stan; CCTV installations in New York were a relatively new thing in the early 70s, so the fears about the invasion of privacy, or that such devices could be used for nefarious purposes feel very of the time. What doesn't feel quite so plausible is that these crime bosses would be using the cameras to evade police after bank robberies - the example Smythe gives. I'm no expert on organised crime, but I feel like bank robberies are a bit low-level for them; it's a crime far more likely to be committed by a few independent operators looking to get some cash, not a seemingly well-oiled and experienced criminal organisation.

Where the issue really sings is in the scenes depicting Peter and the supporting cast. We get a really nice little moment where Peter gives Harry some advice on dealing with Mary Jane ignoring him, and another appearance for Flash after his return last issue. It's clear to everyone at this point that there's definitely something amiss with the young Mr Thompson; Gwen wonders if it could be anything to do with the war. This is really excellent stuff: I will always be a sucker for Vietnam War history, especially its impact on domestic America, and seeing a beloved established supporting character in Spider-Man return from the conflict a changed man is something I can really get behind. We'll see this story unfold over the next few issues, so I'll save my full thoughts until then, but let's just say I'm a fan of this approach to Flash's character. The old rivalry between Peter and Flash flares up again when Peter gets suspicious as to why Gwen is so concerned about Flash, before Gwen promptly reminds him that Flash is their friend - why wouldn't she be concerned about him? It's a nice, humbling moment for Peter which reminds us that, despite being the hero, he's just as fallible and imperfect as anyone.

ASM #106 is the slightly weaker middle chapter of the Smythe Trilogy, boasting no real action to speak of, and a lot of contrivances. Romita's art is typically excellent, if lacking the dynamism of Kane's contributions last issue, but he at least ends on an absolute stunner of a final splash page. It's a flawed issue to be sure, but I still got some fun out of it, and if nothing else, we get to stare agog at Peter's unspeakably hideous 70s suit:

Rating: 3.5/5

Next time, Spider-Man faces off against Smythe's biggest, baddest Spider Slayer ever, and someone comes looking for Flash Thompson... 

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #105

 "THE SPIDER SLAYER!"

Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: Gil Kane/Inker: Frank Giacoia/Letterer: Artie Simek/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Gil Kane

Synopsis: J Jonah Jameson teams up with Spencer Smythe once again to defeat Spider-Man, but Smythe has his own plans for his latest, deadliest Spider Slayer...

Review: We're into the home stretch (for real, this time). Stan's run on ASM will very soon be coming to an end, but he wasn't done serving up great Spider-Man stories, as this issue proves. After the gothic horror of the Six-Armed Saga (which I liked), and the King Kong-esque fantasy adventure of the Savage Land two-parter (which I didn't), this story feels as though the web-head is really back in full force, with his co-creator back on writing duties. We get action, humour, and characterisation in equal measure, and it's pretty great, in all honesty.

The big thing to mention, of course, is the return of Spencer Smythe, who hasn't been seen since ASM #58; combined with the return of the Green Goblin in the drug addiction trilogy, and Kraven during the Savage Land story, this really did seem to be a time for bringing back villains that hadn't been seen in ages. This story marks the transition point for Smythe's character, however, as he fully embraces the role of supervillain. Not content with merely defeating Spider-Man, he now wants to become 'Master of All', by installing spy cameras throughout New York and using them to spy on people to gain their secrets. It's much more elaborate than anything we've seen Smythe do up to this point, and it's clear that he's really gone off his rocker this time. I know some people aren't a fan of this sudden shift in Smythe's character, and I do see why, as it doesn't really track with his previous appearances, but I must confess to enjoying the barmy mad scientist he becomes from this point on.

The Spider Slayer itself has received a much needed upgrade. Ditching the notion of humanoid robots that appeared in the previous two Spider Slayer tales, this third model resembles a robotic spider, and I couldn't be happier. This, to me, is what a Spider Slayer should look like. Though it's nice to have a bit of variety every now and again, I will always have a preference for a Spider Slayer that looks like a mechanical spider. Maybe this stems from my love of the 1994 Spider-Man cartoon growing up, where every Spider Slayer was a massive mechanical arachnid of some sort, but whatever the cause, I can't get enough of this design. It may be quite small, but it's much more nimble than previous models, not to mention being able to shoot webbing just as well as the wall-crawler himself.

But the thing that really makes this issue for me is the character interaction that makes up the first half. Harry Osborn returns home from the hospital for the first time after coming down from his excessive drug use, with Peter and gang throwing him a surprise party. I'm not sure if being surrounded by a load of people is what I would want if I had just come out of hospital, but this scene does give us an opportunity to check in with everyone, Flash Thompson included. Fearless Flash has been fully discharged from the army, and is back for good. It's only a brief appearance, but it is an absolute joy to have him back in the fold, even if Peter does sense something off about him (more on that in the following issues). As a little aside, it genuinely brought a tear to my eye when Peter tells Flash that everyone's missed him; it just shows how far these two have come since their high school years. The party scene is just fantastic: Peter and Aunt May's usual rapport, Harry returning, Flash returning, Mary Jane trying to come on to Peter; seeing the classic Lee and Romita gang assembled will always make me happy.

The only bit of character drama that falls a bit flat for me is the protest that occurs at the start of the issue. Randy Robertson as his friends are staging a march outside the Bugle, protesting against...what, exactly? They seem to be annoyed that the Bugle is printing a story about the Savage Land, claiming that neither Jameson nor the paper care about oppressed minorities or the common man. I don't really understand this logic, to be honest; it just seems like an excuse to include Randy at the start of the story, and whilst I like the character, he always just seems to be wheeled out for Stan to make a bit of social commentary, before being promptly forgotten about again. Usually, the social commentary works (such as during the Petrified Tablet Saga or the Green Goblin/Drug Trilogy), but here, it just feels like padding to get the book to its required page count.

Quibbling aside, ASM #105 is a triumphant return for Stan, containing all the elements that made his time on the book a success. Great action, soapy character drama, and the typical Spidey humour, plus a long-awaited returning villain as a bonus. Gil Kane continues to excel as a Spider-Man artist; his panel layouts are so exciting and dynamic in this issue; even something as simple as Spidey leaping and swinging through the city is made that much more impactful by Kane's pencils and layouts. I also really like the cover for this issue, with several scenes from the story being segmented by the ominous presence of the Spider Slayer in the middle. The ending is a real shocker as well: Peter caught unmasking whilst being monitored by one of Smythe's spy cameras, unwittingly revealing his secret identity to the mad scientist. Obviously, we know he'll find some way out of this predicament, but it's a great final panel all the same. A pretty fantastic start to Stan's twilight issues.

Rating: 4.5/5

Next time, Smythe's criminal ambitions only grow, as he now holds the secret of Spider-Man's identity...

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

The third annual in a row to contain nothing but reprints, but this is probably one of Marvel's best offerings so far. As with my previous reviews of these 'reprint annuals', I'll just give some brief thoughts on each story in question, as well as links to my original, more in-depth reviews.

First up, we have Spider-Man's first meeting with the Shocker from ASM #46. Regular readers will know just how much I love the Shocker, and that love goes all the way back to this very first appearance; it's a beaut of an issue, containing some terrific fight scenes, as well as some good old-fashioned Lee and Romita soap opera shenanigans. I'm not sure why this of all issues was chosen to be reprinted in an annual, but it's very nice to see it here all the same.

Next we're gifted another top tier story in the form of Spider-Man No More! from ASM #50. It does seem a bit odd that only this issue was selected and not the two that follow it, considering this is only part one of a trilogy, but who am I to argue about including one of the most iconic and memorable Spider-Man stories of all time?

Last, and most definitely least, we have a story I've not actually covered on this blog before - "On The Trail of the Amazing Spider-Man!", from Tales to Astonish #57. It's quite nice that this was reprinted here, as it would have been long out of print by the time this annual was published, so to get an early crossover between Spider-Man and Giant-Man is very welcome. That doesn't mean it's particularly good, but it's by no means bad, either.

Giant-Man's arch-enemy Egghead has hatched another scheme to attack his mortal foe, this time tricking the size-changing superhero (plus his lover, the Wasp) into fighting Spider-Man. The resulting crowd and police presence that such a fight would draw will mean that an armoured car on the other side of the city will be less well-guarded, leaving Egghead and his hoods to swoop in and make off with it. It's a simple enough scheme, although rather convoluted and confusing in places thanks to some wonky scripting, and once again, it's predicated on the three heroes in question being incredibly stupid, and not stopping to figure out why they're fighting each other.

One other thing to note here is just how dreadful Dick Ayers' rendition of Spidey is. Look at those ludicrously beefy muscles and the generally strange proportions. The web-lines are a tad messy, the mask looks like something you'd buy in a Halloween store, and Ayers clearly has no idea how the web-head is supposed to move; there's none of the grace or dynamism that we would expect to see from Spider-Man. It's an odd thing, but until John Romita came along, it seemed that only Steve Ditko was capable of drawing Spider-Man and making him look great; anytime another penciller had a go in a different comic, it always ended up looking a bit lacklustre.

It's not a great story, but it is a fun slice of early Silver Age Marvel, which I have a huge soft spot for, and hey, it does feature the first appearance of the Wasp's trademark stinger weapon, so it has some canonical importance as well.

All in all, a pretty fantastic annual for 1971, despite the laziness of not even providing some new artwork for the cover (not to mention that dismal new logo they slapped on it). A top notch selection of stories: two absolute classics, and a diverting enough bonus, despite the shoddy appearance of our favourite web-slinger.

Next time, we're back to ASM proper, as Stan returns on scripting duties, and Spencer Smythe returns with a brand new Spider Slayer...

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #104

 "THE BEAUTY AND THE BRUTE"

Writer: Roy Thomas/Penciller: Gil Kane/Inker: Frank Giacoia/Letterer: Artie Simek/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Gil Kane

Synopsis: With Gwen captured by Kraven the Hunter and his alien servant Gog, it's up to Spider-Man and Ka-Zar to save the day, and the Savage Land...

Review: Roy Thomas rounds out his incredibly brief stint on ASM with an entertaining enough issue that manages to improve on the previous one, even if the story still doesn't really feel all that suited to Spider-Man.

The big positive about the issue is the return of Kraven, only briefly shown in the last issue. It had been far too long since we last saw the Hunter in action (in a Spider-Man book, anyway), so seeing him turn up again in all his glory is a real treat, especially when Gil Kane draws him so well, capturing all the regal pride and bestial ferocity of the character that we all know and love. The only real issue is...he doesn't fight Spider-Man! The web-head deals with Gog, whilst Ka-Zar gets to battle with Kraven. Now, I get that Kraven had fought Ka-Zar a couple of times in the Ka-Zar feature of Astonishing Tales (which Roy Thomas also wrote). To be fair, the two do make for natural enemies. But as a Spider-Man fan, and this being a Spider-Man book, I kind of want to see the web-slinger fighting the big villain, and not some giant alien monster that feels out of place in ASM to begin with.

At least Kraven himself is acting more or less in character, although I'm slightly confused as to why he would want Gwen to be his jungle bride, considering the two have absolutely no history together (unless you count the time he crashed a party she just happened to be attending). I guess you can chalk it up to the guy being ever so slightly insane, which I'm willing to accept as an explanation. I do also like Kraven's plan to best Ka-Zar and rule the Savage Land for himself: desiring the rule of a jungle kingdom populated by all manner of beasts to hunt, plus a group of natives ready to fall down and worship your every deed feels very in character for Kraven. Perhaps the most interesting aspect to the villain this time around, however, is the bond he forms with the alien Gog, after saving its life from a doomed spaceship that crash-landed in the Savage Land. Though we don't see much of it, this tender side of Kraven is definitely something interesting, and it'll be explored further in his next appearance in ASM.

Gog himself meets an untimely end unfortunately, after being tricked into drowning in quicksand by Spider-Man. Not exactly the web-head's finest hour, but at least he admits to feeling sick about doing it. I'm not entirely convinced things needed to end this way, as Spidey only does this to avoid leading the pursuing Gog back to where Gwen is - surely with spider-speed on his side, he could have picked her up and got out of there pretty quickly, couldn't he? Oh well, it does at least make for a dramatic conclusion to the issue, which on the whole boasts some great action scenes: despite my misgivings, the fight between Ka-Zar and Kraven is pretty great, Spidey leading Gog through the jungle is fun, and I rather enjoyed the brief tussle between Gog and a T-Rex (another of Roy's little homages to King Kong). One odd thing that I feel the need to point out is that Gil Kane seems to have forgotten how to draw Spider-Man's eyes: they just look like vague teardrop shapes rather than the classic Spidey eyelet we all recognise. It's the only black mark on an otherwise beautiful looking comic.

With Kraven seemingly plunging to his death (yeah, right), and Gwen saved, it's time to head home to New York and back to some stories that actually feel appropriate for a Spider-Man comic. This issue is definitely an improvement on the last one, and I actually had some fun with it on re-read. The artwork is lovely as always, Kraven is always a welcome addition, and there are some nice little moments peppered here and there, like Spidey's struggle to escape the quicksand, or Jameson's relief at seeing Peter and Gwen alive and well being quickly replaced with his typical grumpiness, complaining that the two are necking on the Bugle's time. As with the last issue, it's definitely not what I want to see from Spider-Man, as it strays too far from that classic blend of grounded character drama and urban superhero action, but it's harmless enough, and kept me reasonably engrossed throughout.

Rating: 3/5

We'll never know just how things might have turned out had Roy Thomas stayed on ASM for longer than these four issues, and to be honest, I'm glad. Not because the Savage Land story isn't to my taste (remember I really like the Six-Armed Saga), but because if things had taken a different route behind the scenes, we most likely wouldn't have had the Gerry Conway run, and I would never want to lose as wonderful an era for Spider-Man as that. Roy ably produced four issues whilst Stan took a break, and that's all he needed to do. The fact that in the process he co-created a character with as long a legacy as Morbius is to be commended, and let's face it: his contributions to the wider Marvel Universe ensure he'll be remembered.

Next time, we're revisiting some more well-remembered stories (plus one not-so-well-remembered one) with the eighth ASM annual... 

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #103

 "WALK THE SAVAGE LAND!"

Writer: Roy Thomas/Penciller: Gil Kane/Inker: Frank Giacoia/Letterer: Artie Simek/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Gil Kane

Synopsis: Desperate to find some way to recover the Bugle's failing fortunes, J Jonah Jameson drags Peter and Gwen off on a trip to the Savage Land, in search of a monster...

Review: The second and final Roy Thomas tale begins here, and unfortunately, it's a major downgrade from his previous effort. In many ways, I feel his Savage Land two-parter demonstrates a problem that was also present in the Six-Armed Saga, just nowhere near as egregiously: Roy Thomas doesn't really get Spider-Man. He's a dab hand at imitating Stan's dialogue, yes, but the tone and style of his four ASM issues is a little off, giving us stories that would feel far more at home in his X-Men or Hulk runs. This worked in the Six-Armed Saga's favour, as that story had this dark, brooding, gothic quality to it that helped it stand out. This adventure just feels like a rather outdated, hackneyed take on King Kong.

The artwork is as beautiful as ever, and Kane gives us a pair of truly dynamic splash pages in this issue: one on the first page as Spidey kicks his way through a gang of bad guys, and later on, when the monstrous Gog towers over Peter and Gwen; the perspective and figure work in this second one in particular are just sublime. Kane also makes each environment stand out from one another, from the litter-strewn streets of Manhattan to the snowy Antarctic landscape to the lush jungle of the Savage Land itself; if there's one big positive I can point to in this issue, it's Gil Kane, but then that was kind of a given.

The plot is really where everything falls apart. As said, the whole thing is basically a riff on King Kong, with Jameson in the role of Carl Denham, Peter as Jack Driscoll, and Gwen as Ann Darrow. Now, I like the original King Kong; it's a very fine film. The problem is that this sort of adventure just doesn't work for Spider-Man, a hero most at home among skyscrapers and urban sprawl, not a dense, fantasy-esque jungle, doing battle with giant serpents. The characterisation has always felt kind of off in this issue as well; Jameson calling Peter 'Pete' just feels far too chummy, and Gwen is reduced to little more than a dumb blonde ready to get captured by the monster. There are some nice moments: I like that the question of Peter and Gwen getting hitched is raised again, and I genuinely love that Jameson agrees to go on this dangerous trip with his young companions, rather than just staying at the office where it's safe. He's not such a bad guy deep down.

This issue also sees the return of two old faces, the first being Ka-Zar, accompanied as always by his faithful friend Zabu. If you've read my review of ASM #57, you'll know I'm no big fan of Ka-Zar, but his inclusion here does at least make sense - doing a story set in the Savage Land and not including Ka-Zar would have irked me more. The much more exciting familiar face, however, belongs to Kraven the Hunter, making his first appearance in ASM since Issue #49. It's honestly about time he showed his face again, and even though he only appears in a few panels in this particular issue, we can rest assured that he'll be back in full force next time. Much like Ka-Zar, Kraven actually fits this environment perfectly, and he helps somewhat in mitigating the very un-Spidey elements, grounding the story with a recognisable villain.

ASM #103 is just a bit of a blah issue for me, a sentiment I'm fairly confident will be echoed in my review of the next one. It has some gorgeous artwork as always, and there are some nice comedic moments with Jameson, but it's a bit of a slog to get through, personally; Spidey just doesn't fit in this brand of adventure. Admittedly, this is just the kind of story I wouldn't be much interested in even if the starring hero did feel perfectly at home; it's just not my cup of tea, I suppose.

Rating: 2/5

Next time, Spidey and Kraven reunite, with Ka-Zar and Zabu stepping in to lend a hand (or paw)...

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #102

 "VAMPIRE AT LARGE!"

Writer: Roy Thomas/Penciller: Gil Kane/Inker: Frank Giacoia/Letterer: Artie Simek/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Gil Kane

Synopsis: Spider-Man forms an unlikely alliance with the Lizard to hunt down Morbius, who may hold the key to curing the web-slinger of his six-armed problem...

Review: I'm not sure why this issue was chosen to be slightly longer than normal. I can guess that the whole Six-Armed Saga was originally meant to carry on for three issues, but scheduling/editorial mandates meant that it had to be shortened to just two (I'm not including ASM #100), but with the allowance for a slightly beefed up second part. Whatever the reason, this makes ASM #102 the first regular issue, and not an annual, to have an extended page count. Was it (and the inflated cover price) justified?

One thing I have to congratulate Roy Thomas on is finding something new to do with the Lizard. All of the Lizard stories Stan was involved with were essentially the same plot recycled again and again: Curt Connors becomes the Lizard, Spider-Man has to find some way of stopping him. It all became increasingly tiresome and convoluted, especially in ASM #76-77, which was clearly the point when Stan completely ran out of ideas. Here, Roy Thomas had a really nifty idea: make the Lizard an unstable ally of Spider-Man, rather than an enemy. Explained away using vague technobabble, the Lizard in this issue has Curt Connors' brain, meaning he's essentially just Connors in the Lizard's body, and thus is willing to help Spider-Man find a cure for his condition. The only problem is that every now and then, the primitive Lizard part of the doc takes control again, leading to a slightly shaky working relationship with the web-head. It's great stuff, honestly, and possibly my favourite thing about the issue, adding some nice tension, and coming at the Lizard from a new perspective. Gil Kane also gives us the best looking Lizard so far: finally he has teeth! Eight years after his debut, and at long last, he's looking truly menacing.

We also get treated to Morbius' origin, which takes up the middle portion of the issue. It retains the dark, brooding, tragic element we saw in the character last time, and does a good job of making the reader feel some sympathy for him, despite the crimes he's committed. I especially enjoy the moment where, after his transformation, he considers slipping into his wife's bedroom and draining her of blood, savouring the thought of its warmth, before coming back to himself with disgust at what he almost did. As said in my review of the previous issue, this story gets pretty grim in places, with a much stronger emphasis on gothic horror than anything we've seen before in the pages of Spider-Man. I can't say that Morbius lends himself to exciting action scenes, due to his fairly limited powers, but his tragic background is enough to keep him an engaging presence throughout the story.

The plot itself is pretty contrived, with Spidey and the Connors-Lizard discovering that Morbius' cells contain an enzyme that could remove the web-slinger's extra appendages: rather convenient, if you ask me. What's baffling is that whilst looking for a way to remove Spider-Man's unwanted arms, the pair are also looking for a way to revert Connors back to his human form. Uh...didn't you find that formula in the previous Lizard stories? Did Connors not write it down somewhere, or make up a handy supply, just in case his reptilian alter ego makes a reappearance? I mentioned this in one of my previous reviews of a Lizard story, but it bears repeating here just because of how convoluted this story becomes. It's great to have this dynamic duo of Spider-Man and the Lizard, but the only way we get it is through incredibly contrived means that just ignores the continuity of previous issues. Oh well, at least we get an entertaining story off the back of it, which is more than I can say for the last time the Lizard showed up.

ASM #102 is a solid conclusion to the Six-Armed Saga. The plot may require the reader to swallow a few too many contrivances, but the experience of reading the issue is enjoyable enough to make things a little more palatable. It's nice to see something new being done with the Lizard for once, and the tragic story of Michael Morbius makes for an effective story, right the way through to his apparent demise at the issue's end. The thing that I perhaps like most of all about this story is how it centres its action on three characters who have all had monstrous transformations befall them through their own scientific meddling; it creates quite a nice sense of narrative cohesion. All in all, a strong two-parter from Thomas and Kane.

Rating: 4/5

Next time, Peter, Gwen, and Jameson travel to the Savage Land, where they meet a couple of old acquaintances...

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #101

 "A MONSTER CALLED...MORBIUS!"

Writer: Roy Thomas/Penciller: Gil Kane/Inker: Frank Giacoia/Letterer: Artie Simek/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Gil Kane

Synopsis: Desperate to find a way to rid himself of his newly-grown extra arms, Spider-Man makes use of Curt Connors' Long Island laboratory, unaware that the building is soon to become the hideout of Morbius, the Living Vampire...

Review: Roy Thomas, despite being a major figure in the history of Marvel Comics, is more of a footnote in the history of Spider-Man. He enjoyed successful runs on the Avengers, the Hulk, the X-Men and more, inheriting the legacy that his mentor, Stan Lee, left behind. Strange then, that he penned only four issues for Marvel's flagship character whilst Stan took a well-earned break. Whether Stan always intended to return with Issue #105, I don't know, but return he did, and so the four Roy Thomas issues exist as something of a curiosity in ASM canon. Of those four issues, I think this one is easily the best, and the Six-Arm/Morbius Saga is the better storyline of the two he worked on.

As the last panel of the previous issue promised, Peter is not dreaming. There is no fake-out. He now has four extra arms, becoming more like a spider than ever. The first seven or eight pages of the issue are dedicated to Peter coming to terms with this change, and I absolutely love this. It allows the reader to process all the implications at the same time as the character; rarely have we felt so 'in the moment' with Peter as a character before, as he switches from wide-eyed horror, to manic hysteria, to glib humour, to scientific pragmatism, all in the opening moments of the story. It's brilliantly done, and Gil Kane's artwork has rarely been better; I love the facial expressions he gives Peter as the poor guy is confronted with his mutation, and the sight of a swinging Spider-Man with six arms is one of the most visually exciting things we've ever seen in the pages of any of his comics. I especially like the detail that Spidey has to learn to swing on a webline again, compensating for the added complication/weight of his extra arms.

There is a far greater emphasis on horror than anything we've seen before in ASM, and to be honest, even in the aftermath of this issue, it's a genre that Spider-Man comics rarely flirt with. When they do, it's usually a sci-fi type of body horror, such as the Tarantula's monstrous transformation in the Roger Stern run, or the Jason Macendale Hobgoblin becoming a literal goblin during Marvel's Inferno crossover. The horror we get in this issue is much more gothic, right down to the creepy old house that serves as Curt Connors' lab. I especially get a kick out of the moment when Spidey's spider-sense flashes a warning as he first arrives at the place; it gives the story this really powerful, ominous feeling that fits very well with Peter's predicament and mental state.

Of course, the big new addition to Spider-Man canon in this issue is Morbius, the Living Vampire. Though he may be the subject of ridicule now, thanks to the character's infamous big screen debut, he was a pretty big deal back in the early 70s, and Marvel was taking every opportunity to push him in reader's faces. He made frequent appearances in Marvel Team-Up and The Spectacular Spider-Man, as well as a starring role in the anthology title Adventure into Fear. The Comics Code had relaxed their regulations by this point, allowing for more monstrous characters and experiments with the horror genre, and Marvel were very keen to capitalise on this, producing Werewolf by Night around the same time.

In this story, we don't get much information on Morbius himself, but the character is very well introduced nevertheless, with a very cool sequence inspired by the voyage of the Demeter from Bram Stoker's Dracula, as Morbius kills everyone on board, draining them of their blood. Really, this is probably the darkest issue of ASM yet; we've never seen a mass murder in the comic before, and Morbius' obvious remorse at what he has done, the horror at what he is, is pretty harrowing. The man openly confesses that he wishes he were dead. Gnarly stuff for a superhero comic in 1971, even one that had been gradually introducing more adult themes and ideas over the past couple of years. The fight between Spider-Man and Morbius is very brief, but it's cool enough, and Kane delivers his typically exciting and cinematic angles, including a fantastic splash page as Morbius knocks Spider-Man from  the balcony to the lab floor below.

Things only get more complicated for the web-slinger from there, as Curt Connors enters the scene, becoming so traumatised by what he sees that he reverts back to his Lizard form, meaning our hero has to deal with two inhuman monsters who want to see him dead. Oh well, at least it'll give him something else to think about besides his extra arms. This is a truly brilliant issue, not so heavy on the supporting cast, but giving us some great moments with Peter as the reality of his situation sinks in. Not only that, but we get an intriguing new villain into the bargain, and an old favourite turning up to make things even more complicated. Every page is beautifully rendered by Gil Kane, and Roy Thomas does an admirable job with the characters he's been given to work with. As the first issue of ASM not written by Stan, I'd say it's a success.

Rating: 4.5/5

Next time, it's Spider-Man in an unlikely team-up with the Lizard as the two go into battle against the bloodthirsty Morbius...