Wayne Markley

by Wayne Markley

Marvel Masterworks: Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1

Recently I finished reading the first five volumes of the Amazing Spider-Man Masterworks. These five trade paperbacks collect the first 50 issues of Amazing Spider-Man and the first three Annuals. Within these books are a run of some of the best stories ever told and a blueprint on how to tell good stories, even multi-part stories. Stan Lee shows here why he is considered one of the grandmasters of comic storytelling. He wrote all the stories in these first five volumes and he established a voice for Marvel Comics that was unlike anything else at the time. Steve Ditko, who plotted and drew the first 38 issues, was at his finest showing a storytelling style that has rarely been duplicated and his plots are so interwoven and tight, not to mention creative, it is hard to find a run by any other artist that compares (except for Jack Kirby). Then there is John Romita who replaced Ditko with issue #39. The art style was different but just as dynamic and good in a different way. Lee took over plotting with Ditko’s departure and it becomes clear how much Ditko contributed to the villians Spidey met up with.

Within the first fifty issues of Amazing Spider-Man we are introduced to such a wide variety of villains as Doctor Octopus, Vulture, Green Goblin, Enforcers, Sandman, Lizard, Kraven the Hunter, Molten Man, Rhino, Mysterio and others, and all this was all in the first 38 issues. And let’s not forget the one villain who became a major part of the Marvel Universe many years later, and was created (visually at least) by John Romita Sr., The Kingpin. In just the first four years of this book Lee/Ditko/Romita were able to create more memorable villains than most comic book heroes have in 40 years.

Marvel Masterworks Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 2

In addition to the great and colorful villains Lee and Co. came up with, they were able to add a soap opera dynamic to the book that ran and developed over time. Peter Parker was a science geek who did not fit in at high school and was bullied by the jocks and lived a very simple life. He took pictures as a side job and sold them to the Daily Bugle. These three settings – the high school, the Daily Bugle and his home – set up months and months of ups and down and soap opera. Whether it was being harassed in school by Flash Thompson and not being able to fight back for fear of revealing he was not a 98 pound weakling, to always being tight on money and hoping to make a sale of photos so he could pay his rent and help buy his aunt May’s medicine, or which girl liked him and did he like her. His romantic interests included Betty Bryant, Gwen Stacy and of course Mary Jane Watson.

Within a 22 (later 20) pages issue Lee was able to set up the story, introduce the villain, and have two or three pages of soap opera and a fight with a major villain and resolution. That’s really an amazing feat considering these days it takes many writers six issues to do the same thing. One of the great things Lee and company did was the slow tease. Mary Jane Watson was constantly referred to (for over two years) but never seen. There were constent teases where we would “almost” get to see her, but there was always something at the last minute that would prevent us from seeing her. By the time we finally see her (as drawn by John Romita) it was like WOW! And the character immediately became one of the central characters. Lee also did a very slow build with the Green Goblin. For issue and issue after he would taunt Spider-Man, sometime in the background as the mastermind behind some other villain Spider-Man was fighting, and at times confronting Spider in person. The Goblin’s alter ego was shown multiple times, but not revealed until issue 40, where the Goblin also discovers Peter is Spider-Man. But after a multi-year build, like with Mary Jane, it was a shocker. Also in these first fifty issues Peter graduates high school and goes to collage, he hurts his arm in a fight with the Lizard and then has to come up with excuses for why his arm is in a sling, and he also has to deal with poor aunt May’s continuing health crisis. And each year in the Annuals he meets other characters of the Marvel Universe such as the Avengers in Annual #3.

Marvel Masterworks: Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 4

Another thing Lee did in these issues was he had fun and he brought the reader along with him (much like the current Daredevil by Mark Waid). A couple of things that stood out to me were one sequence where the narration by Lee says they are going to let letterer Artie Simek shine and they have a two page battle with nothing but fighting and sound effects (this was long before the Batman TV show). A second trick he did is there was a panel with Peter and the gang and Lee says in the narration that they are going to let the readers fill in the dialogue and the word balloons are blank. For a one panel deal, this was great and made the book feel interactive. Lee did not overdo these tricks, and I do not think there would have worked in the Fantastic Four or Thor, but the tone and atmosphere in Amazing Spider-Man was perfect for these little diversions. It was a nice way to make the book more fun for the readers and it did not distract from the storytelling or seem like a gimmick.

I wanted to discuss these early Spider-Man issues because they are great reading and really remind me of a time long gone and a form of storytelling I really think could be revisited. I have complained loud and often about the tone of DC’s New 52, and having just re-read these first 50 Amazing Spider-Man issues, I wish the writers of the New 52 had also read them and took away a few things. A story does not have to be more than one issue. It is fine if it is an epic story, but to have every story be six issues is too much. There is nothing wrong with a slow build over time to tell a story; even something as subtle as introducing a new supporting character. You can take a year of teases and make the character impactful instead of throwing everything against the wall and seeing what sticks. And finally, it is OK to have fun in comics. Everything does not have to be dark and violent.

Marvel Masterworks: Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 5

That is all for this time, as always everything here is my opinions and do not reflect the thought or opinions of Westfield Comics or its employees. Any thoughts or comments can be sent to MFBWAY@AOL.COM. Now go out there and read some classic Spider-Man material.

Thank you.

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Amazing Spider-Man Masterworks

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