Review- THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN OMNIBUS VOL. 2

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN OMNIBUS VOL. 2 (Marvel, First Printing, 2012; Hardcover)

Collects The Amazing Spider-Man #39-67, Amazing Spider-Man Annual #3-5, The Spectacular Spider-Man #1, 2, and the Spider-Man stories from Not Brand Echh #2, 6, 11 (cover dates August, 1966- December, 1968)

Writer: Stan Lee

Artists: John Romita, Sr. with Don Heck, Larry Lieber, Jim Mooney, Marie Severin, Mike Esposito, Bill Everett, and Frank Giacoia

While I love Steve Ditko, I prefer the artwork of John Romita, Sr. a whole lot more. I remember teenage me arguing with some nerds at the comic shop circa 1987. This guy said Ditko all the way. I argued that Ditko is great and laid the foundation, but it was John Romita, Sr. who defined the contemporary Spider-Man that we know and love. This was right before Todd McFarlane would do a hard reset and make Ditko the only acceptable reference point for the character for decades to come. Those of us who were Bronze Age children know Romita's version as the one who adorned t-shirts and luncboxes.

This stuff is art of the highest order. There are too many highlights for me to do a blow by blow, but I'll take a shortcut and tell you that if you are not familiar with this run that it is top shelf material and it belongs in everyone's library.

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.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FOLLOWING APPLY TO THE 2012 FIRST PRINTING OF THIS BOOK.

Linework and Color restoration: There are a couple of issues here which look like they could be improved upon if better source material surfaced. I am uncertain if the second printing of this book used any original artwork which may have surfaced since this book was released.

Paper stock: Coated stock with a slight sheen. This is closer to glossy than matte.

Binding: Sewn binding. Like many older Omniboo, this has developed the dreaded Omnibus sag due to gravity and the weight of the book block. Some folks use post it note pads to prop up the block, others store them spines down. I like to live dangerously and store my books vertically.

Dustjacket and Hardback cover notes: Laminated dustjacket. The hardback has faux leather grain and dye foil stamping. The second printing does not have that.

The hardback has ugly creases on it after reading it.

Review- IRON MAN 2020

IRON MAN 2020 (Marvel, First Printing, 2013; Softcover)

Collects Amazing Spider-Man Annual #20, Astonishing Tales: Iron Man 2020 #1-6 webcomic, Death's Head #10, Iron Man 2020 #1, Machine Man #1-4, and the Iron Man 2020 story from What If... #53 (cover dates October, 1984- May 13, 2009)

Writers: Fred Schiller, Ken McDonald, Tom DeFalco, Simon Furman, Walt Simonson, and Daniel Merlin Goodbrey with Barry Windsor-Smith and Bob Wiaceck

Artists: Mark Beachum, Herb Trimpe, Barry Windsor-Smith, Btryan Hitch, Bob Wiaceck, William Rosado, Lou Kang, Manny Galan, Craig Yeung, and Jim Amash

The Iron Man of 2020 is Arno Stark, the cousin of Tony Stark from the far flung future of 2020. This seems amusing to me here in the future present of 2019, but back when I first encountered the character in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #20 in late July of 1986 I figured that we would be living on the moon by 2020. Then-13 year old me sat there and wondered what I would be like in the year 2020. Would I be married? Have kids? Would Judas Priest still be around? Turns out the answers are divorced, yes, and, most surprisingly, yes.

Even 13 year old me thought that the artwork in ASM Annual #20 sucked.

Aside from the four issue mini-series by Tom DeFalco with Herb Trimpe and Barry Windsor-Smith, this is all pretty forgettable stuff . A lot of this book is just this middle of the road, mediocre stuff which began to plague comics circa 1986. This seemed to be around the time when Marvel began stretching themselves thin with the New Universe and endless mini-series.

This is one of those collected editions which, on the surface, seem like a hodge-podge scattershot of issues compiled between two covers. Once you read it, though, you realize that it is indeed a seamless story, albeit one which was published over two dozen odd years. It's worth a read but won't change your life.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 2.75 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: Very good linework restoration and a color palette faithful to the original issues.

Paper stock: The same matte coated stock found in softcover Masterworks, Epic, and Classic lines. This is my favorite paper stock in the world.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Laminated cardstock cover.

Review- SPIDER-MAN: THE COMPLETE ALIEN COSTUME SAGA BOOK 1

God bless Marvel's collected editions program. If you sit back and look you can see the pieces of the puzzle being assembled across multiple formats. The Spider-Man By Roger Stern Omnibus bumps right up to these two chunky trades which bump into the Epic line. You can get almost four straight years of Amazing Spider-Man, with the gaps before and after those years being rapidly filled in.

Back in 2003 I descended down this rabbit hole of madness stumbled upon the Essential line at the now-defunct Borders Books And Music in Oakland Mall. I dreamed of owning the entire run of Amazing Spider-Man in such a format. Within the next few years we will likely have the first 30 years of Amazing Spider-Man completely restored and available in collected editions.

SPIDER-MAN: THE COMPLETE ALIEN COSTUME SAGA BOOK 1 (Marvel, First Printing, 2014; Softcover)

Collects The Amazing Spider-Man #252-258, Marvel Team-Up #141-145, Marvel Team-Up Annual #7, and Peter Parker,The Spectacular Spider-Man #90-95 (cover dates May- November, 1984)

Writers: Tom DeFalco, Al Milgrom, Cary Burkett, Tony Isabella, David Michelinie, Jim Owsley, Louise Simonson, and Roger Stern

Artists: Pencilers- Ron Frenz, Greg LaRocque, Rick Leonardi, Al Milgrom*, Paul Neary, and Bill Sienkiewicz*; Inkers*- Josef Rubinstein, Bill Anderson, Brett Breeding, Sam De La Rosa, Mike Esposito, and Jim Mooney

Journey into nostalgia with me as we head back to the magical land of 1984, where a 10 year old kid was spinning the spinner rack at 7-11 around on a cold wintry day that February and stumbled upon a bizarre cover: Amazing Spider-Man #252. Try to imagine (or remember if you are old enough) a world with little access to the Direct Market (comics specialty shops as they were referred to at the time), no real media hype or interest when changes happened to canonical characters, and actual honest to gosh surprise when you saw the issue cover and had no idea what was about to happen. It was magic. Each issue was the moment that you lived in. No past, no future, only the current issue on the spinner rack determined if a series lived or died.

I read all of the new Amazing Spider-Man issues dozens of times in 1984. I started picking up Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man with #92 and read it monthly through 1989. Aside from the Annual, all of these Marvel Team-Up issues were new to me. I wouldn't pick that series up until #147 that fall.

I loved watching the entire saga unfold, with Peter learning about the costume along the way. #258 blew my mind when it came out. I was also reading Marvel Superheroes Secret Wars back then. Many people erroneously claim that Marvel Superheroes Secret Wars #8 was the first appearance of the black alien costume symbiote. This is false. ASM #252 was the first issue that the costume appeared in.

Puma was a favorite of mine when he was introduced. I loved watching The Answer/Black Cat/Kingpin/Silvermane/Cloak And Dagger saga unfold over in Peter Parker,The Spectacular Spider-Man. These are some of my all-time favorite comic books even if I realize that they are not among the greatest comic books ever made in a big picture sense.

I didn't realize at the time that panel 4 was a Ron Frenz homage to Steve Ditko. Kraven The Hunter and Spider-Man were posed in a similar manner by Ditko. 

The solitary nature of this hobby circa 1984 is something a fan could never have today. Spinner racks with no Previews (or even Marvel Age, which at the time was a comic shop exclusive), no Internet to discuss and speculate, only the imagination of a 10-going-on-11 year old kid driving things. While I love the Internet and interacting with other fans, I really feel that this hobby (and the world in general) traded off a lot of things in the process for better and sometimes worse. It is what it is, but I'm glad that I was a kid in the old world. And I am glad that I was there when these comic books were originally released.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.75 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: Excellent throughout. There is an odd dropout in a word balloon or two but nothing any sane person would notice.

Paper stock: I love the matte coated stock that Marvel uses in their trades of material with flat coloring. It looks and feels like a comic book but doesn't feel cheap. It also smells nice.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Laminated cardstock cover. 

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. 

Review- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: WORLDWIDE VOL. 7

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: WORLDWIDE VOL. 7 (Marvel, First Printing, 2018; Softcover)

Collects Amazing Spider-Man #29-32, 789-791 (cover dates August, 2017- January, 2018)

Writers: Dan Slott with Christos Gage

Artists: Stuart Immonen, Greg Smallwood, and Wade Von Grawbadger

Colorists: Marte Gracia, Jordie Bellaire, and Rain Beredo

I borrowed this book from my local library.

Crossovers can be an exciting thing. Done from time to time, and done right, they can generate excitement and entice new readers to jump on board and discover titles that they might have otherwise overlooked. Done wrong, they serve to make entering comics impenetrable and aggravate long time readers, giving them the perfect jumping off point with endless relaunches.

Marvel was in full panic mode as the PR disaster known as Secret Empire sent longtime readers packing. The “Superior” Doctor Octopus proved to be an interesting adversary, but then we got slapped right into the middle of the Secret Empire crossover with fake Hulk, etc. Then it's back to Doc Ock and the fallout of Parker Industries. This is what Dan Slott will be remembered for, aside from being a Twitter bully. The years long fan fiction garbage that he kicked off before#700 which sent me and many other readers packing. Don't believe me? Well numbers don't lie.

Behold! The carnage of Dan Slott's Spider-Man run in units and dollars!

Issue 32 didn't feature Spider-Man at all unless you count Norman Osborn's hallucination of him. It was a good issue nonetheless, as it is the turning point in which Norman Osborn is bound and determined to undo the cure for the Goblin Formula so that he can once again become the Green Goblin.

The Mockingbird as Spider-Man's girlfriend bit is already tired and needs to be done away with. The battle with the Human Torch in #791 is one of the dumbest things I've ever read. Slott really outdid himself making a horrible issue this time out. And then we have the return of Sandman who is now...not a man? She-Sandman? Sandwoman? Sandgirl? Did Flint Marko become transgender? I haven't a clue because s/he appears without any context or explanation. Clowntown!

I've plowed through seven Amazing Spider-Man Worldwide trades. They were free from the library and I still feel ripped off. I feel sorry for anyone who paid to read this crap.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 2 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.

Library copies are fascinating studies in the durability of these books. I look at them like science experiments, as the average human handles their books like the Samsonite Gorilla when compared to how I handle my books.

Paper stock: Fair weight coated stock with a glossy sheen. I would stop short at calling it full on glossy stock.

Binding: Perfect bound paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Laminated cardstock cover.

Review- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: WORLDWIDE VOL. 6

Alex Ross homage to John Romita Sr.'s brilliant painting for the cover of The Spectacular Spider-Man #2.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: WORLDWIDE VOL. 6 (Marvel, First Printing, 2017; Softcover)

Collects Amazing Spider-Man #25-28 (cover dates May- August, 2017)

Writers: Dan Slott with #25 back-up stories by Christos Gage and others

Artists: Stuart Immonen and Wade Von Grawbadger with #25 back-up stories by Giuseppe Camuncoli, Cam Smith, and others

Colorists: Various

I borrowed this book from my local library.

Dan Slott starts things start out in full fan-fiction mode, with Spider-Man and current love interest Mockingbird on a mission with an assortment of doppelgangers on the hunt for Norman Osborn. Osborn was dead once again (for the second time?) only he is now not dead again. Who can keep this stuff straight any more?

Silver Sable is also back, and she wants Osborn dead. This brings us to the next fan fiction facet of our tale, with Spider-Man abusing his position as CEO of a publicly traded company to invade the sovereign nation of Symkaria. Look, I don't care who pulled what coup, if Peter Parker had an ounce of “responsibility” he wouldn't have risked the livelihood of his employees along with the money of his shareholders on this grudge match against Osborn. It's possibly the dumbest thing Peter Parker has done since he let that burglar run by him in the television studio many moons ago.

In spite of all of this stupidity, or more accurately because of it, we see a nice throw down between Norman Osborn sans Green Goblin powers and Spider-Man sans spider powers. Norman used some old school Goblin gas to rob Spider-Man of his powers. This battle is one of the few bright spots in this otherwise abysmal dreck.

We also get to see the “Superior” Doctor Octopus, a younger more “Instagramable” looking Doc Ock for this now generation. I'm happy to see him back in action, although his new appearance has everything to do with making him pop on the silver screen with no consideration to his history on the printed page.

Give me a Like on Instagram. 

Man am I glad that I didn't spend money on this book. I'm trying to keep a positive attitude since Spider-Man is my all-time favorite character and I try to keep an open mind with modern comics because my 11 year old son likes them, but man does this arc suck. I shudder to think that this could possibly be someone's introduction to the characte.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 2 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.

Library copies are fascinating studies in the durability of these books. I look at them like science experiments, as the average human handles their books like the Samsonite Gorilla when compared to how I handle my books.

Paper stock: Fair weight coated stock with a glossy sheen. I would stop short at calling it full on glossy stock.

Binding: Perfect bound paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Laminated cardstock cover.