This is a review of Marvel Masterworks: Amazing Spider-Man Volume One. I am a Steve Ditko fan. I’ve always liked his art. I read an interview with Jack Kirby, and he spoke glowingly of Ditko, and Kirby’s wife Roz said that many of Kirby’s characters looked Polish, which I thought was funny. Ditko and Kirby were the architects of what is now a multibillion dollar company (Marvel Studios). Kirby’s fingerprints are all over Marvel – The Fantastic Four, The X-Men, SHIELD, The Avengers. Ditko contributed Spider-Man and Doctor Strange. His run on Spider-Man is one of the great superhero runs of the 20th century.
I’m not going to rehash Spider-Man’s origin – if you want that, just watch one of the many movies – but I will say that the reason Spider-Man is so great is that he’s the Every Man. Peter Parker is gifted with amazing powers. Since he needs money (who doesn’t?), he does what 99% of the human race would do and cashes in. Karmic payback comes when the burglar he could have stopped kills his Uncle Ben, and we’re off to the races.
The first volume introduces many of the members of Spider-Man’s rogue gallery, The Chameleon, The Vulture, The Sandman, The Lizard, Electro, and The Enforcers. Also present is Doctor Otto Octavius, aka Dr. Octopus, whom I’ve always viewed as Spider-Man’s greatest foe. I believe The Green Goblin makes an appearance in Volume Two.
What really makes Spider-Man great is the fact that Peter Parker is a loser. I don’t recall if he references the ole’ Parker luck, but it’s true. His luck stinks. Peter’s Aunt May has been in bad health for over sixty years. He’s broke and he can’t get a date. His peers mock him. In other words, he’s one of us, but when he puts on that Spider-Man costume with the underarm webbing, magic happens.
A must-read.
Abandoned Places 