Review- SPIDER-MAN BY ROGER STERN OMNIBUS

SPIDER-MAN BY ROGER STERN OMNIBUS (Marvel, First Printing, 2014; Hardcover)

Collects Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #43-61, 85, The Amazing Spider-Man #206, 224-251, and Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16, 17 (cover dates June, 1980- May, 1984)

Writers: Roger Stern with additional writing by Marv Wolfman, Steve Leialoha, Bill Mantlo, Marie Severin, Jan Strnad, and Tom DeFalco off of plots by Roger Stern

Artists: Pencilers- John Romita, Jr., Ron Frenz, John Byrne, Denys B. Cowan, Bob Hall, Ed Hannigan, Greg LaRocque, Rick Leonardi, Steve Leialoha, Luke McDonnell, Al Milgrom, Jim Mooney (also inking), Marie Severin, Jim Shooter, and Mike Zeck

Inkers- John Romita, Sr., Terry Austin, Brett Breeding, Vince Colletta, Gene Day, Kevin Dzubian, Frank Giacoia, Al Gordon, Dan Green, Dave Humphrys, Klaus Janson, Bob Layton, Pablo Marcos, Steve Mitchell, Bruce Patterson, Josef Rubinstein, Dave Simons, Frank Springer, and Bob Wiaceck

I've bought and read these comic books so many times across various formats over the past 35 years. I go into greater detail in my previous reviews of this material: Essential Spider-Man Vol. 10 and Vol. 11, Spider-Man: Nothing Can Stop The Juggernaut, and Spider-Man: Origin Of The Hobgoblin.

If you are done reading those nostalgic ramblings linked above then you are about to be subjected to more. I feel lucky to have been a 9.5 year old kid on that cold morning of January 9, 1983, when my mom let me get one of those Whitman three-packs of Marvel Comics at Farmer Jack (RIP). I didn't realize that I was witnessing the dawn of a villain who would go on to dominate the next four years of the title, or that I was reading something by a writer whose run would go down in history as one of the best in the history of the character. I was just a kid who liked reading comics and was bit by the collector bug that day.

Stern starts off slow over in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man, but over the course of his 19 issue run he finds his voice with the character. By the time he gets promoted to the flagship title, The Amazing Spider-Man, he has shifted into high gear. We see the rebirth of The Vulture, an outstanding issue with the Foolkiller, and a two-part Black Cat story which would set the stage for what Al Milgrom would build on over in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man.

Stern did lots of two-parters. 229-230 are the legendary Nothing Can Stop The Juggernaut, which are possibly the most inspiring underdog comic books of all time. I am sucker for the Cobra/Mr. Hyde two-parter (231-232) ever since I got a quarter box copy of 231 back in 1983. 238 and 239 were the introduction of The Hobgoblin, with 240 and 241 showing the Vulture as a major contender, something not truly seen since the '60s.

After that Stern plays it a little looser, running subplots behind the main issue's action, all building toward #250. Then Stern decided to jump ship for reasons I'm unsure of. Tom DeFalco comes on board without missing a beat, and his run is as much a favorite of mine as Stern's.

I can't wait to buy this material again when the Marvel Masterworks reach this era. Kill me now.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- This is the part where I go into tactile sensations and materials used in physical media. Those with heart conditions, high blood pressure, or women who are pregnant should exit my blog at their earliest convenience, as their safety cannot be guaranteed beyond this point.

Linework and Color restoration: This is the Blu-Ray/4k version of these comics. While they have been remastered before for various collections, many of these issues were remastered again by the same team which does the state-of-the-art Marvel Masterworks.

Left: Nothing Can Stop The Juggernaut PHC restoration. Right: This book's restoration. Night and day. 

Paper stock: Lightweight coated stock with a slight sheen to it. Marvel switched to a thinner paper in their Omniboo back in 2013 and I don't like it as much. The only plus that I can give this paper stock is that it makes the book lighter. This book is nearly 1,300 pages as it is, and it was still a heft beast.

Binding: Sewn binding. The book lies completely flat, a real feat when you are dealing a book this size. The downside with Marvel's more flexible binding is that the heavy book block has a tendency to sag a pinch when stored vertically. Many collectors advise storing these book horizontally, while others customize Post-It note pads to the exact height necessary to support the opposite end of the binding. I'll be dead and gone before this is a concern and my kids can deal with this crap.

Dustjacket and Hardback cover notes: The dustjacket has the same high quality lamination and weight as always, but it's the casewrap which has been decontented with the 2013-on Omnibus book. Gone are the faux leather grain and dye foil stamping, in are paperwrap with a chintzy coating which is easily scuffed.