1985...the
world as I knew it was in turmoil. Coca-Cola had changed it's
formula, with the dreaded “New” Coke being the only one available
until the Fall of 1985 when Coke Classic came out. Still, things
would never be the same, as they switched sweeteners to high fructose
corn syrup. I turned 12 when issue 107 was the new issue on the
stands. My voice started changing around this time as well. None of
which has anything to do with these comic books.
ESSENTIAL
PETER
PARKER, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN VOL.
5 (Marvel, 2011;
Softcover)
Collects
Peter
Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man
Nos. 97-114 and Peter
Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual No.
5 (cover dates December, 1984- May, 1986)
Writers:
Al Milgrom (97-100), Cary Burkett (101, 102), Peter David (103,
105-110, 112, 113, and Annual 5), Bill Mantlo (104), Len Kaminski
(114), and Jim Owsley (111)
Artists:
Herb Trimpe (Penciler, 97-99), Jim Mooney (Inker, 97-99, 102), Larry
Lieber (Penciler, 102), Rich Buckler (103, 107-111), Luke McDonnell
(Penciler, 105, 106), Bob McLeod (113), Mark Beachum (Annual 5, 112)
I
bought every single one of the issues off of the spinner rack at the
7-11 two blocks from my house, with the exception of issue 97 and
104, which were bought at the Book Bin in Lincoln Park, MI. While I
have nostalgia for some of these issues, I have to admit that the
11-12 year old me didn't think much of the bulk of the issues
collected in this here phonebook.
Things
start off well enough, with issues 97-100 (released in
September-December, 1984) building up to, and finishing off, a
storyline that Al Milgrom inherited from Bill Mantlo: the Black Cat's
acquisition of bad luck powers from the Kingpin, and the
ramifications of those actions. There is, of course, lots of
adventure amidst this character development. The Spot is introduced
in issue 98, and I must admit that I have a soft spot (no pun
intended) for this goofy villain. Issue 100 was such a high point for
this series (or so I thought at age 11).
Issues
101 and 102 were obvious inventory stories, with a few panels' worth
of thought balloons re-written to coincide with current goings on.
Issue 101 has a very cool John Byrne cover, with the black and white
costume against a black and white background. It's is a visually
interesting piece that has absolutely nothing to do with the
story inside, as Spidey wears his traditional red and blue rags in
this issue. I didn't know what an inventory story was in 1985, so
I'll fill you in now. Back in the days when issues shipped on time or
else heads rolled, editors often commissioned stories from writers
and artists not typically affiliated with the title to use in a pinch
if the regular creative team missed their deadline.
Little
did my 11 year old self realize that he was seeing the writing debut
of a future superstar writer in the form of Peter David in issue 103.
I'll admit that I was, shall we say, underwhelmed by that issue when
it came out. The cover was so badass, and the story was so...not. As
an adult, I realize how amazing a writer David was right out of the
gate. A fully formed story idea with plenty of wit without
cliches...not a bad first turn at bat. Issues 105 and 106 are a two
part story featuring the Wasp and Paladin, and are again surprisingly
fully formed even if some of David's early dialogue was a bit
sophomoric.
One
gripe that I had at the time of publication and that I still have now
is how David portrays Spider-Man as a weakling. Lower rung villains
and nobodies make mincemeat out of ol' webhead. Annual 5 is a prime
example of this, with Michael Jackson look-alike villain Ace giving
Spider-Man a run for his money. The same Spider-Man who, that same
summer over in Amazing Spider-Man, gives Firelord a beat down.
Firelord, a herald of Galactus, couldn't defeat Spider-Man, but
Ace...now there was a foe to be reckoned with! I wonder if Ace
was supposed to be a mutant or something. Mark Beachum's artwork is
so uneven that it's unsettling. He draws some photo realistic stuff,
but his anatomy, specifically in action sequences, is all off.
The
crown jewels of this book are issues 107-110, The Death of Jean
DeWolff. This arc is available in a nice hardcover, and will be
reissued in trade paperback via a new printing early next year.
People point at Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns as
the start of the grim and gritty, psychologically probing comic
books, but I'll point to this era as a whole. There was a sea change
in comics going on in the mid-1980s. Rich Buckler's artwork is
fantastic in issues 107-109, but 110 was obviously running late, as
it has inking by M. Hands. M. Hands was short for Many Hands, a
Marvel in-joke, where multiple people, or “many hands” finished a
book that was running behind schedule. The drop in quality is
noticeable.
Issue
111 was a Secret Wars II crossover where the Puma goes after
the Beyonder. The way that this book is set up is unsatisfying,
though, as this plotline was building and was continued over in
Amazing Spider-Man. I implore Marvel to merge all 3 lines of
Spider-titles at this time into one line, as events are referenced
and, in some cases, continued and rectified in other titles. Issue
100, for example, was continued in Web of Spider-Man No. 1,
not included here. Nor is issue 100 included in Essential Web of
Spider-Man Vol. 1. Once the Marvel Masterworks line
reaches this point we are going to have a mess on our hands. Only one
cohesive line, or a line of Omnibus hardcovers, could
alleviate this forthcoming problem. Masterworks Editor Cory
Sedlmeir has stated that he will do them as separate lines, which I
believe is a mistake that will come back to haunt Marvel.
Issue
113 has terrific Bob McLeod artwork, while issue 114 was an inventory
story through and through. From it's generic “iconic image” cover
by Detroit's own Keith Pollard to the story, everything screams
filler. Marvel resorted to “iconic image” covers in the Aughts,
and they all sucked. A cover should have something, anything to do
with the story inside.
This
was a fun trip down memory lane. I am mentally ill, however, because
I bought this black and white phone book when I still have the
original comic books. I must be either insane or I just hate my
money.
Junk
Food For Thought rating: 3.75 out of 5.
The
OCD zone- Marvel's Essential line of phonebook-sized
trade paperbacks are inexpensive ways to catch up on a character's
history, or just to get a generous chunk of reading (typically 500+
pages) for MSRP $19.99.
Linework
restoration rating: 4 out of 5. There are a few pages with
linework dropouts.
Paper
rating: 2 out of 5. The cheap pulp paper is what makes these
collections so affordable. Lack of color is the other thing that
keeps the costs down. Some folks won't buy these books for their lack
of color, while others praise this line for being able to see the
artwork without the primitive, limited four color printing process'
palette.
Binding
rating: 4 out of 5. Typical glued binding. Many of the earlier
Essentials from ten or more years ago had glue issues. I have
a first printing of Essential Marvel Team-Up Vol. 1 where the
cover came clean off the first time that I read it. No one remembers
the books that hold up over the years, only the ones that fall apart.
Cardstock
cover coating rating: 5 out of 5. Typical Marvel wax-coated
cardstock which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It's pretty
durable when handled with reasonable care.
