Golden Age Tarantula (John Law) Appreciation 2021

[SIZE=1]NOTE: This thread is to serve as continuation of the previous "Golden Age Tarantula (John Law) Appreciation Thread"(s), which can be found at [URL="https://community.cbr.com/showthread.php?123093-Golden-Age-Tarantula-(John-Law)-Appreciation-(2019)"]https://community.cbr.com/showthread.php?123093-Golden-Age-Tarantula-(John-Law)-Appreciation-(2019)[/URL] and [URL="https://community.cbr.com/showthread.php?107166-Golden-Age-Tarantula-(John-Law)-Appreciation-Thread"]https://community.cbr.com/showthread.php?107166-Golden-Age-Tarantula-(John-Law)-Appreciation-Thread[/URL]

[/SIZE]By the way, even before Roy Thomas made use of this Golden Age character in [B][I]All-Star Squadron[/I][/B], DC had previously brought up the character in various comic books.

There was a "Fact File" on Tarantula in several comic books cover-dated December 1968 [SIZE=1](this one from [B]Batman #207[/B])[/SIZE]:[img]https://i67.servimg.com/u/f67/18/91/37/14/fact_f10.jpg[/img]

And in the November 1971 issue of [B][I]World's Finest Comics[/I][/B] (November 1971), there was a reprint of an old Golden Age Tarantula story[SIZE=1] (which was my first exposure to the character)[/SIZE]:
[img]https://i67.servimg.com/u/f67/18/91/37/14/world_15.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i67.servimg.com/u/f67/18/91/37/14/world_14.jpg[/img]

The cover of [b][i]All-Star Squadron #24[/i][/b] (August 1983), the issue where Tarantula would get a new costume.
[img]https://i.servimg.com/u/f67/18/91/37/14/-_003_21.jpg[/img]

[QUOTE=MajorHoy;5311567]The cover of [b][i]All-Star Squadron #24[/i][/b] (August 1983), the issue where Tarantula would get a new costume.
[img]https://i.servimg.com/u/f67/18/91/37/14/-_003_21.jpg[/img][/QUOTE]
I generally prefer characters as created, but Tarantula's redesign was a marked improvement.

Writer turned superhero. I'm surprised more hasn't been done with this concept.

[img]https://i67.servimg.com/u/f67/18/91/37/14/tarant17.jpg[/img][SIZE=1]
cameo appearance of [I]pre[/I]-Tarantula Jonathan Law from the Sandman's origin story in [B][I]Secret Origins #7[/I][/B] (October 1986) [/SIZE]

From Tarantula's first appearance in [B][I]Star Spangled Comics #1[/I][/B] (October 1941):
[img]https://i67.servimg.com/u/f67/18/91/37/14/_001_012.jpg[/img][SIZE=1]

To be continued . . . [/SIZE]

[QUOTE=MajorHoy;5341376]From Tarantula's first appearance in [B][I]Star Spangled Comics #1[/I][/B] (October 1941)[/QUOTE][img]https://i67.servimg.com/u/f67/18/91/37/14/_005_011.jpg[/img]

[QUOTE=MajorHoy;5311567]The cover of [b][i]All-Star Squadron #24[/i][/b] (August 1983), the issue where Tarantula would get a new costume.
[img]https://i.servimg.com/u/f67/18/91/37/14/-_003_21.jpg[/img][/QUOTE]

I was just a kid when this came out but I recall thinking the new Tarantula costume was awesome.

[QUOTE=TimberWolf;5386338]I was just a kid when this came out . . . [/QUOTE][SIZE=1]I feel ancient now . . . [/SIZE]

From Tarantula's second adventure in [B][I]Star Spangled Comics #2[/I][/B] (November 1941):
[img]https://i67.servimg.com/u/f67/18/91/37/14/_0200110.jpg[/img][SIZE=1]

To be continued . . . [/SIZE]

More from [B][I]Star Spangled Comics #2[/I][/B] (November 1941):
[img]https://i67.servimg.com/u/f67/18/91/37/14/tarant20.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i67.servimg.com/u/f67/18/91/37/14/tarant19.jpg[/img]

[img]https://2.bp.blogspot.com/KBXBp1QmAQ6t9emTRWlC0tUK5iCRe_AF39sxTjZHAbIBicK3mBsq1x2Hyo6cK1n6zQttggKiv9Ou=s0[/img][SIZE=1]
from [B][I]Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe Vol. XXIII[/I][/B] (January 1987):[/SIZE]

Interesting, now that's what I call reaching into the vault. Good find.

They obviously came up with a great concept with the wall-crawling/walking and the web gun but unfortunately they didn’t put too much effort into his original costume design. Just kind of the standard mystery man look. Didn’t even give him a symbol. If only the original would have had a more memorable design, who knows what could have been. In some alternative universe people are lining up to watch Tarantula: Far From Home ;)