Reprints Amazing Spider-Man #224-230
Written by Roger Stern and Jan Strnad.
Penciled by John Romita Jr. and Rick Leonardi.
Inked by Pablo Marcos, Bob Wiacek, Jim Mooney and Dave Simons.
Note from your trusted blogger:
This post reviews a hardcover collection released in 2013 that reprints 7 issues of Amazing Spider-Man. I point this out because another reprint book with the same title was published in 1989, but that one only reprinted ASM #229-230.
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| Variant Cover |
Some great 1980s adventures of the Amazing Spider-Man!
An elderly man named Adrian Toomes moves into Restwell Nursing home. He meets and befriends Nathan Lubensky (who happens to be the boyfriend of Spider-Man's Aunt May). Unbeknownst to Nathan, Toomes is the Vulture, an old enemy of Spider-Man.
An elderly man named Adrian Toomes moves into Restwell Nursing home. He meets and befriends Nathan Lubensky (who happens to be the boyfriend of Spider-Man's Aunt May). Unbeknownst to Nathan, Toomes is the Vulture, an old enemy of Spider-Man.
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| The Vulture flies again! |
The Vulture goes on a crime spree, robbing banks and jewelers, while using the nursing home as a hideout. Spider-Man eventually finds the Vulture, but their battle puts Nathan's life in jeopardy.
Later, two FBI agents are brutally murdered in the Bowery. The perpetrator is the Foolkiller, who has made it his mission in life to kill everyone he considers a fool. Foolkiller targets some alleged fools who are close to Peter Parker, which brings him into a conflict with Spider-Man.
Later, two FBI agents are brutally murdered in the Bowery. The perpetrator is the Foolkiller, who has made it his mission in life to kill everyone he considers a fool. Foolkiller targets some alleged fools who are close to Peter Parker, which brings him into a conflict with Spider-Man.
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| Foolkiller shows an FBI agent what he does to "fools". |
Next up, the Black Cat escapes from a mental hospital. She'd been faking insanity until she was able to break free. Black Cat wastes no time in getting back into her old habits and steals a rare painting. When Spidey chases her down, he learns that she stole it from a Maggia mob boss who had stolen it himself. The Cat says he can take the painting to the police.
Spider-Man then meets with his best friend in the NYPD, Captain Jean DeWolf and tells her that the Black Cat wants to go straight. DeWolf agrees and fills out the necessary paperwork that will grant the Cat amnesty for her crimes. But will the Black Cat's own foolishness (and kleptomania) get in the way of her freedom?
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| Spider-Man & Black Cat take out some gangsters. |
Spider-Man then meets with his best friend in the NYPD, Captain Jean DeWolf and tells her that the Black Cat wants to go straight. DeWolf agrees and fills out the necessary paperwork that will grant the Cat amnesty for her crimes. But will the Black Cat's own foolishness (and kleptomania) get in the way of her freedom?
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| Spider-Man leaps & swings all over New York's rooftops I love the panel on the right with the multiple Spideys! |
Later, a series of murders hits New York City. There's one common piece of evidence linking the crime scenes: spider webs. This causes many (especially Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson) to accuse Spider-Man of being the killer. But the real perpetrator is a scientist who has developed a machine that causes venomous spiders to kill people. To complicate matters, this machine is also driving the webhead crazy. Can Spidey capture the real killer and prove his innocence?
Last but definitely not least, the super-villain duo of Juggernaut and Black Tom Cassidy are docked in New York Harbor. Tom has learned about the existence of Madame Web. She's a psychic who has called on Spider-Man to stop crimes from occurring before they happen. The villains believe her precognitive abilities can help them commit crimes and defeat superheroes. Juggernaut decides to walk to Manhattan (on the ocean floor!) and capture Madame Web.
But Spider-Man is there to stop him. Juggy gives the webhead one of the worst beatings of his life, but Spider-Man keeps coming back. Juggernaut is out of Spidey's class. He's held his own against the Hulk.
None of the other NYC-based heroes are around, so it's up to Spider-Man to stop Juggernaut...or, in his own words, "die trying!".
Review:
An excellent hardcover collection from a great era of The Amazing Spider-Man.
Story:
I said in a recent review that Roger Stern was the best Spider-Man writer since Stan Lee and this book is another fine example. It contains the beginning of Stern's run on Amazing Spider-Man and it's among the best of all time.
Stern writes the definitive Juggernaut story here. I think this story put Juggy in the upper-echelon of Marvel villains, as he walks through buildings, survives a gas truck explosion and rips Spider-Man's webbing to shreds. And Spidey here knows he out-classed but he's willing to put his life on the line against Juggernaut. Their battle is one of the best stories in Spider-Man's long history.
The Black Cat's evolution from mentally disturbed burglar to Spider-Man's love interest begins here. While the Black Cat "dies" here, it obviously didn't "take" since she's still around 30+ years later.
The other stories here also very good. The Vulture had always been depicted as a very old man. Stern gives us a story where the villain uses that to his advantage.
The Foolkiller was a fairly obscure villain, but Stern gives us a great done-in-one story built around him.
And we get plenty of scenes that feature Peter visiting the Daily Bugle, interacting with colleagues and friends such as JJJ, Robbie Robertson, Glory Grant and Betty Brant.
Aunt May and her fiance Nathan Lubensky are also used well in this book. Giving May a boyfriend (and eventual husband) was a nice touch, and Stern doesn't go to the overused "Aunt May has a heart attack" plot here.
In addition to Stern's work, we get an offbeat stand-alone story written by Jan Strnad. It's a good down-to-earth murder mystery featuring a one-shot villain. But it fits in nicely with the rest of the book.
Art:
John Romita Jr. had been working at Marvel for a few years, but this is where he begins to pencil in the style that would make him famous. The pressure must have been tough on him, penciling the series that made his father, John Romita Sr., a comics legend. But "J.R. Jr." was more than up to the challenge. This remains some of his finest work. Romita is inked by Pablo Marcos, Bob Wiacek and Jim Mooney. They all do a nice job without obscuring Romita's work.
The fill-in story written by Strnad features good art by Rick Leonardi and Dave Simons.
How does it look?:
The reprinted pages look great, as all the above scans would indicate. I don't see that any weird re-coloring has been done here. Here's another scan from the book:
Spider-Man: Nothing Can Stop The Juggernaut contains some classic Spidey tales and is highly recommended. I've read some of these stories many times over the past 30 years and they're still very enjoyable. I think newcomers to these stories will appreciate the book as well.
J.A. Morris' rating:
4 Sals!
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| Spider-man rescues a women who has been attacked by Spiders. |
Last but definitely not least, the super-villain duo of Juggernaut and Black Tom Cassidy are docked in New York Harbor. Tom has learned about the existence of Madame Web. She's a psychic who has called on Spider-Man to stop crimes from occurring before they happen. The villains believe her precognitive abilities can help them commit crimes and defeat superheroes. Juggernaut decides to walk to Manhattan (on the ocean floor!) and capture Madame Web.
But Spider-Man is there to stop him. Juggy gives the webhead one of the worst beatings of his life, but Spider-Man keeps coming back. Juggernaut is out of Spidey's class. He's held his own against the Hulk.
None of the other NYC-based heroes are around, so it's up to Spider-Man to stop Juggernaut...or, in his own words, "die trying!".
Review:
An excellent hardcover collection from a great era of The Amazing Spider-Man.
Story:
I said in a recent review that Roger Stern was the best Spider-Man writer since Stan Lee and this book is another fine example. It contains the beginning of Stern's run on Amazing Spider-Man and it's among the best of all time.
Stern writes the definitive Juggernaut story here. I think this story put Juggy in the upper-echelon of Marvel villains, as he walks through buildings, survives a gas truck explosion and rips Spider-Man's webbing to shreds. And Spidey here knows he out-classed but he's willing to put his life on the line against Juggernaut. Their battle is one of the best stories in Spider-Man's long history.
The Black Cat's evolution from mentally disturbed burglar to Spider-Man's love interest begins here. While the Black Cat "dies" here, it obviously didn't "take" since she's still around 30+ years later.
 |
| Spider-Man meets Star Wars:Spidey attends a costume party dressed as a Jawa. How cool is that?! |
The other stories here also very good. The Vulture had always been depicted as a very old man. Stern gives us a story where the villain uses that to his advantage.
The Foolkiller was a fairly obscure villain, but Stern gives us a great done-in-one story built around him.
And we get plenty of scenes that feature Peter visiting the Daily Bugle, interacting with colleagues and friends such as JJJ, Robbie Robertson, Glory Grant and Betty Brant.
 |
| Peter Parker visits the Bugle;Betty Brant returns to her old job & mends fences with Peter. |
Aunt May and her fiance Nathan Lubensky are also used well in this book. Giving May a boyfriend (and eventual husband) was a nice touch, and Stern doesn't go to the overused "Aunt May has a heart attack" plot here.
 |
| Vulture & Spidey battle in a nursing home; Vulture takes Nathan as a hostage. |
In addition to Stern's work, we get an offbeat stand-alone story written by Jan Strnad. It's a good down-to-earth murder mystery featuring a one-shot villain. But it fits in nicely with the rest of the book.
Art:
John Romita Jr. had been working at Marvel for a few years, but this is where he begins to pencil in the style that would make him famous. The pressure must have been tough on him, penciling the series that made his father, John Romita Sr., a comics legend. But "J.R. Jr." was more than up to the challenge. This remains some of his finest work. Romita is inked by Pablo Marcos, Bob Wiacek and Jim Mooney. They all do a nice job without obscuring Romita's work.
The fill-in story written by Strnad features good art by Rick Leonardi and Dave Simons.
How does it look?:
The reprinted pages look great, as all the above scans would indicate. I don't see that any weird re-coloring has been done here. Here's another scan from the book:
Spider-Man: Nothing Can Stop The Juggernaut contains some classic Spidey tales and is highly recommended. I've read some of these stories many times over the past 30 years and they're still very enjoyable. I think newcomers to these stories will appreciate the book as well.
J.A. Morris' rating:
4 Sals!
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