Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus Vol. 1 (The Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus)

Product Information

Am I a Vulture fan? I feel like the Vulture as “old man with wings” has overshadowed how crafty and swift he used to be. The battle in the Daily Bugle office really makes this issue with the ending being a particular fave of mine because Betty Brant is awesome. The elephant in the room, Sins Past. I get it, very controversial. But also, the story isn't that bad at all. Like I said, MJ and Peter are very strong in it so that's a huge positive it has over a lot of stories post-OMD. Unlike a certain other retcon (*cough*Kindred*cough*) it tries to actually explain why and how things happened. And truly, I don't see too much wrong with a story of a young woman making a mistake, trying to fix it and losing her life because the other half of the pairing could not accept his fault in anything. Not saying anyone should like it, but Spidey offices have done much-much worse in this year alone. I am very happy that Marvel decided to reprint this volume, but disappointed at the drop in quality that the Marvel Omnibus name stands for. Ano, forma se ještě trochu hledá, co se týče vztahu text x obraz, a tak dochází k humorným případům, kdy situace zjevná z panelu bývá okomentována pro sichr monologem i vypravěčem.

Two in a row for powerhouse superhero introductions! This is the first story to blend everything: issues with the police, the difficulties of crime fighting, J. Jonah Jameson, the Parker money troubles, school problems, and a supervillain. It also does it in a way that’s both fun, Peter faking the Sandman photos, and sad, missing a date with Liz. It’s also got the first appearance of the great Betty Brant! All this and the fun fight against Sandman in some excellent Dikto panels. Unintended Consequences (#55-56). A nice return to Peter as Teacher, as he sees how one of his students has been affected by his vigilantism. Pulling Ezekiel in to deliver the moral of the story is a little heavy-handed, but I suppose it's good that he's becoming a supporting cast member. Overall, a nice thoughtful piece [3+/5]. I’m always a fan of Peter being desperate, and this issue ends on one of the key moments in Spider-history. Anyone reading it for the first time will probably find it familiar, given that it is often repeated. Much like the Crime Master two-parter, it does a good job of using all the elements of Spider-Man’s life to drive the tension. I do wish the Master Planner’s identity had been revealed with more gravitas, but honestly, I can’t complain.

SPIDER-MAN: CLONE SAGA OMNIBUS VOL. 1 [NEW PRINTING]

The Amazing Spider-Man never got better than this - ASM 1-38, Amazing Fantasy 15, and Annuals 1 & 2. This represents the entire Stan Lee/Steve Ditko run - a watershed of popular culture and arguably the most important development of "heroes in tights" since Superman's debut in 1938's Action Comics #1.

Honestly, this is a solid issue. Now I’ve hated a Torch issue and liked a Goblin issue! What is happening? This episode has a little of the jealousy plague, but the Goblin’s plan is great as is Spider-Man’s call to Aunt May. This is the kind of Gobby I like. A detail that may have to do with the decrease in quality is that the new edition was PRINTED IN CHINA, whereas to my knowledge all of the the earlier editions of masterworks and omnibuses were printed in the U.S.A. Collecting AMAZING FANTASY #15, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1-38 and ANNUAL #1-2, STRANGE TALES ANNUAL #2, and FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #1.

December 2023

Whereas the previous story redid another issue badly, this issue is essentially the new and improved issue 10. This issue uses both the Goblin and Foswell’s mysteries to craft a new and impressive story. It helps that the Crime Master seems like he stepped from the pulp era. Also, it’s a two parter that has a really good cliffhanger, even the fact that Spider-Man lost his suit plays into this. In this omnibus, the reader is not only introduced to Spider-Man/Peter Parker but a supporting cast including Peter's Aunt May and Uncle Ben (who taught Peter an important lesson with those now iconic words: "With great power, there must also come great responsibility."), Flash Thompson, J. Jonah Jameson, Gwen Stacy, as well as some of Spider-Man's most well-known villains such as the Vulture, Doctor Octopus, Electro, Kraven the Hunter and the Green Goblin. This issue focuses more on Spider-man’s human problems and unconventional hero status, still no supervillains! It continues Peter’s money troubles and complicates them with the addition of J. Jonah Jameson. This has some really amazing shots of Spider-man saving the shuttle. I actually think its weakness might be its brevity. The beginning and end are a little crunched.

S kresbou to také jednoznačné nie je. Romita Jr. občas kreslí otrasne. Pri súbojoch a superhrdinských výjavoch sa to ešte dá prehrýzť, ale z mimiky v civilných scénach občas krvácajú oči. Deodatov záver tohto omnibusu je tak ako balzam na dušu. Je zvláštní porovnávat Ditkovu kresbu na začátku a na konci a stejně tak i progres v Parkerově osobním životě, přihlédneme li, že se dost mluví o tom, jak Lee všechny kreslíře tlačil k tomu, aby kreslili víc jako Kirby a speciálně po Ditkovi požadoval, aby trochu polidštil všechny ty nepříjemné lidi v Parkerově okolí, a tak k zásadním změnám začalo docházet dlouho před Ditkovým odchodem. The Spider Totem stuff is somewhat mixed amongst fans, but I enjoyed the presentation. It helps that Peter remains very clinical about it and doesn't take it at face value. He has a very healthy dose of scepticism about it and that helps keep the story going off the rails. Ezekiel was a nice addition to Peter's life and it's good to see him realise the truth in Peter's whole reason for doing what he does, even if it did have to end in tragedy. The hatred is, of course, all about the darkening of Gwen Stacy's character thrrough the introduction of a severe character flaw: that she would fall victim to the charms of Norman Osborn. And perhaps JMS should have seen that coming, because Gwen Stacy was (and is) such a beloved character. But I find it a believable twist that takes her '60s era saccharine sweetness and gives it just a little depth.

January 2024

If you were to compare Steve Ditko's art to most anything you can find in a superhero comic these days, you would find Ditko's simplicity almost naive. I say, "almost," but then upon further consideration you would understand the difference between Ditko's clean, efficient storytelling, dynamic renderings, and extraordinary layouts, and those of the comic artists working (for the most part) in the superhero trenches today. Spider-man doesn’t remember when Chameleon summoned him with his spider sense? Stan Lee’s memory was pretty bad. Obligatory issue 5 Doctor Doom cameo was a thing then, and Ditko’s Doom looks weird, but the fight is fun, if inconsequential. Doom’s plan is a little weird, but he’s properly menacing, plus bonus points for the Doombot. It continues Peter’s school stuff, but the main new thing is that Spider-man is on the road to his first love interest. You need this book, in other words, if you really want to have a kid to grasp the complexities and nuances of one of the greatest superhero archetypes we still have today. I hope to, myself, some day. The Looter continues the generic Science Fiction villain theme while Gwen re-enacts the early Peter Parker coward comments! Chvilku jsem váhal zda tomu přeci jen nevystřelit "jen" 4, ale to prostě nejde. K takhle starým kouskům se nemůže přistupovat bez nějakých ohledů.

A máme tu hlavně origin Spider-mana provázaný s jeho osudovou lekcí o zodpovědnosti, který se neobešel bez legendárního "S velkou mocí..." řečeným ve žlutém vypravěčském rámečku a ne strejdou Benem. Origin a první výskyt zde nachází i většina slavných Spider-manových záporáků. This is just a fantastic issue. It’s essentially everything a person needs to know about Spider-Man in one marathon bout. Even the blatant ads for the other Marvel comics are fairly well integrated. The card thing is a bit wonky, but honestly, I forgive it. It’s rightly remembered as a great issue, and it’s one of the best Lee & Ditko. Interlude (#37). The best part of JMS' first story arc was the tiny bit of focus we got on Peter as a person (and now a teacher). That's repeated here, with Peter encountering social problems that he can't punch [5/5]. Betty Brant stuff bookends the issue, though it’s not really relevant. I actually like the dream opening. Then, Kraven uses Chameleon tactics, which will have more ramifications in the 80s; otherwise, it’s mostly stuff we’ve seen.

This issue is a memorial of 9/11. Twenty years later, it feels like it's from a different lifetime, and though it's a bit wordy, it's still a moving reminder of what we lost. JMS reacts to the tragedy well, in a way that brings up humanity, rather than tearing it down [5/5]. The writing for Peter is great. His ranting has a wonderful quality to it and gives everything he says so much personality. You can see him take so much responsibility even as just Peter when he starts teaching in the old HS he went to and nurturing the minds of every kid he meets. But the great bit of this story is JMS' new focus on Peter as a scientist. The issue where he gets a job at his old high school is the best one in the volume, and the fact that the Morlun plot twist is based on Peter acting like a scientist is nice too [3+/5]. I'm a big Spider-man fan, but had never read many Spider-man stories from before the late 80s. I thought I should at least get a taste of the early days as Stan Lee and Steve Ditko basically invented from scratch the whole world and characters that other people have mined for decades. I chose this particular volume because I knew it contained two stories that are considered classic, the Master Planner Saga (issues 31-33) and the unmasking of the Green Goblin (issues 39-40). It also has the transition from Steve Ditko to John Romita Sr., so I'd get a taste of both iconic artists.