Tag: mysterio

Amazing Spider-Man Volume 2 Review

Posted MaceLeave a commentPosted in Omnibus Reviews
“Take a look, Parker–a good, long look–it’s the last face Spider-Man will ever see–it’s the real face of the Green Goblin–the face of Norman Osborn!” 
Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus Volume 2 Cover Art

Finally! A book I can review immediately after finishing it instead of reviewing something that I actually read a few months ago. (Although to be completely transparent this is being written on September 30th, even if I don’t end up posting it for a few weeks, sneaky sneaky… I know) 

Well folks lets jump right in cause this was a good one! Every issue seemed to lead into the next, everything is connected. The Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus Volume 2 collects The Amazing Spider-Man #39-67, Annuals #3-5, and the Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine #1-2. 

We jump right back into the thick of things right from the very first issue. The Green Goblin (Norman Osborn) is plotting his revenge against Spider-Man. He catches Peter changing out of his Spider-Man outfit and follows him home and captures him. In his cockiness believing he has defeated Spider-Man he reveals his identity back to Peter. Ultimately Spider-Man ends of defeating him and the battle leaves Norman Osborn with no memory of being the Green Goblin or Spider-Mans identity. 

Peter, now a college student spends a lot of his time with his friends Harry Osborn, Gwen Stacy, and Mary-Jane Watson. He ends up buying a motorcycle and is often viewed as a self-centered conceded jerk because he disappears often and when he is around is usually so deep in thought about his own problems people think he is ignoring them! He also moves in with Harry and Aunt May moves in with Mary-Jane’s Aunt Anna. 

Flash Thompson got drafted into the army and with him leaving so did a lot of the Peter Parker being a huge nerd stereotypes that were common in the first omnibus. Peter is more sociable, has more friends, moved on from Betty and Liz to Gwen and MJ. 

This omnibus had first apperances of the shocker, rhino and the Kingpin, as well as many of Spider-Mans earlier foes showed up for at least an issue or two. The Kingpin I recall as being one of Spider-Mans main foes from the cartoon, and his comic counter-part seems to have the potential to get there as well. He can go punch for punch with Spider-Man but usually gets outsmarted. We saw Spider-Man hilariously try to join the Avengers and both sides mutually decided it just wasn’t a good fit. 

In one story-arc which spanned a couple issues, Doctor Octopus stole some device and Spider-Man naturally tried to stop him. Doc ends up escaping and moving in with Aunt May, not knowing that she is the aunt of Spider-Man. Peter is distraught and attacks as Spider-Man but Doc Ock convinces Aunt May that Spider-Man was trying to rob the home. Spidey hunts Doc Ock and ultimately ends up getting his memory wiped by the technology that was stolen. The doc then convinced him they were partners in crime and thats why Spidey wore a mask to keep his identity a secret. Spider-Man ends up meeting Ka-Zar who through battle and nearly drowning him, helps Peter get his memory back. 

Throughout the book we get glimpses of Norman Osborn, whenever he sees images of the green goblin or spider-man it puts him in distress and he can’t seem to figure out why. Finally in the spectacular spider-man magazine he remembers everything and invites Peter, Harry, Gwen and MJ for a dinner to celebrate him being released from the hospital. Peter starts a fire in the house and the two have another showdown where Peter uses the goblins devices against him to make him suffer from amnesia once again. Though something tells me this won’t be the last we see of the green goblin! 

The omnibus ends with Spider-Man annual #5 where Peter discovers more about his biological parents that his father was a double-agent working for the Red Skull. Peter ends up finding out the Red Skull is also responsible for the deaths of his parents 

Thanks for reading!  

 

Amazing Spider-Man Volume 1 Review

Posted MaceLeave a commentPosted in Omnibus Reviews
“With great power, comes great responsibility”
Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus Volume 1 Cover Art

 Is there really any other way to start a blog about Spider-Man than with his most famous quote?! I would think of all marvel characters that Spider-Man has got to be the most well known by the masses and comic fans alike. Chances are if you’re reading this, you know who Spider-Man is. Be it through the comics, toys, movies, cartoons, games and whatever other forms of spider-man media are out there, you’ve probably already at the very least heard of Spider-Man, so this shouldn’t take too much explanation. You’re likely already aware but Spider-Man is a teenage boy named Peter Parker (for now) and that he was bitten by a radioactive spider which gave him his abilities. He didn’t help stop a criminal when given the chance and that same criminal would end up murdering his uncle Ben, resulting in Spider-man devoting using his power for good and to help others! 

For me, much like X-Men it started with the 90’s cartoon on FOX and eventually the early 2000’s Spider-Man movies with Tobey Maguire. I’ve also caught a handful of episodes of the older 60’s cartoon on late night TV but having now read the first two Spider-Man omnibus (Issues 1-67 and some extras) I have to say the comic is my most preferred format! The first omnibus collects Amazing Fantasy #15; The Amazing Spider-Man #1-38 and Annuals #1-2 which naturally includes the first appearances of Peter Parker, Electro, Doctor Octopus, Mysterio, Scorpion, Vulture, Lizard, Kraven and the Green Goblin. I’m sure there is more but these ones stand out!

I will admit this silver age stuff is very very wordy and sometimes a single issue will take me 30+ minutes to read. Amazing Fantasy #15 was a treat to read, the real beginning and origin story of Spider-Man as we know it today. Some other stand out moments from this book are when Spider-Man goes to cash a cheque but can’t because they won’t open a bank account for a masked man. Spider-Man trying to join the Fantastic Four, countless encounters with the human torch trying to one up one another. Everyone seems to love Johnny Storm but they have mixed feelings over Spider-Man, which seems to come with wanting to hide his identity, which is fair. I would trust somebody whose face I could see over a masked person anytime.

Some of the bigger standout stories for me was Spideys first battle with the sinister six, Spider-Man getting hypnotized at the circus and fighting against Daredevil, and a team up annual with Doctor Strange!

I really enjoyed how much Peter avoided ever meeting Mary Jane, it had always seemed to me that MJ had always been Spideys #1 girl, but in this omnibus he is far more interested in Betty Brant whom he works with at the Daily Bugle and Liz Allen who he goes to high school. Aunt May is constantly trying to introduce Peter to MJ but he is always far too busy as Spider-Man or tied up with his other love interests. This first omnibus really was all about Spider-Man in his high school years. He does graduate, go to ESU and eventually meet Gwen Stacy and Harry Osborn in this omnibus which gets me excited to see how the Peter and Harry dynamic is going to play out in the comics.

We also get a ton of Flash Thompson in this book, he’s constantly taking jabs at Peter and giving him a hard time all the while being Spider-Mans biggest fan. If only he knew they were the same person! By the time I got to the end of this book I could hardly put it down and would recommend it to anybody who wants to learn more about everybody’s favorite webslinger and his true origin stories. You’ve just got to be prepared for some actual reading and not just all cool art and classic spider-man one liners.