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  1. #46
    Fantastic Member Turlast's Avatar
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    Just read Web of Spider-Man #29-30. Pretty good. I always enjoy reading a story from the past that eventually received significant changes in the future. We get to see how Leeds behaved behind the scenes as the Hobgoblin, we get a look into the Rose's origin and see that he isn't really all that bad. He actually wants to take down his father's criminal empire, but realized he had reached the point of no return and decided to work for Kingpin instead. Peter is going through one of his usual "I let everyone down as Spider-Man, so I should just give it up" episodes, but Wolvie is there to remind him that he could never stop being Spider-Man. The pep talk succeeded and the two team-up once again.

    One of the best things about reading Spider-Man is when you come across a fun story that isn't talked about much.

  2. #47
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    Quote Originally Posted by oldschool View Post
    I am continuing to plow through the old PP:SSM series and just completed up to issue #71, which is IMO one the greatest (yet underrated) issues ever, the gun control issue written by Bill Mantlo "With This Gun….". This is truly one of the best one-and-done issues in Spidey history and also comes at the beginning of Bill Mantlo's second (and much better) stint on PP:SSM which also includes the first (and best) Cloak & Dagger appearances, a great Boomerang/Kingpin story, the epic Ock/Owl gang war and some great artwork by Ed Hannigan who, while he admittedly was aping a young Frank Miller, still designed some dynamite covers around this time (1982) and had the first interiors that took Spidey a little darker and grittier. Just a great time for this title and why I wish Marvel would start offering these old PP:SSM issues digitally.
    One of my favorite Mantlo issues by far. Also loved how Hannigan pushed the envelope with his covers. A great time for Spidey and Spectacular indeed.

    Quote Originally Posted by Turlast View Post
    Just read Web of Spider-Man #29-30. Pretty good. I always enjoy reading a story from the past that eventually received significant changes in the future. We get to see how Leeds behaved behind the scenes as the Hobgoblin, we get a look into the Rose's origin and see that he isn't really all that bad. He actually wants to take down his father's criminal empire, but realized he had reached the point of no return and decided to work for Kingpin instead. Peter is going through one of his usual "I let everyone down as Spider-Man, so I should just give it up" episodes, but Wolvie is there to remind him that he could never stop being Spider-Man. The pep talk succeeded and the two team-up once again.

    One of the best things about reading Spider-Man is when you come across a fun story that isn't talked about much.
    Some great stuff by Owsley (Priest) there. Very fond of this era in general. Have you read Priest's slasher issue yet?

  3. #48
    Fantastic Member Turlast's Avatar
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    Haven't checked that one out yet. How is it?

  4. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by Turlast View Post
    Haven't checked that one out yet. How is it?
    I thought it was great! Check it out--more in the gritty vein and one of the finest Web Of issues, IMHO.

  5. #50
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    Quote Originally Posted by oldschool View Post
    I am continuing to plow through the old PP:SSM series and just completed up to issue #71, which is IMO one the greatest (yet underrated) issues ever, the gun control issue written by Bill Mantlo "With This Gun….". This is truly one of the best one-and-done issues in Spidey history
    4/10, compared to the 5.5/10 rating, issues 70 and 72, achieved in my old Rating Spider-Man 1962-1989 thread.

  6. #51
    Fantastic Member Turlast's Avatar
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    Just finished reading ASM #105-107 a few days ago. Seems like Smythe just can't win no matter how tough his Spider Slayers are. What's interesting is seeing Smythe's drastic change. Dude was such a nice guy in his first appearance, then he just grew more and more bitter throughout the series.

  7. #52
    Loony Scott Taylor's Avatar
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    Reading Spider-Man 2099. Its uncanny how the old series compares with the new series in terms of tone, dialogue and the voices of the various characters. PAD really has these characters in his head, and I hope the new run lasts at least as long as the old run.

  8. #53
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    Quote Originally Posted by Darth Kal-el View Post
    Just got all the volumes of the clone and Ben Reilly saga, started on them. Also plan to re-read Slott's whole run starting with Big Time to see if I can see where he started building to the brain switch and also plan to read JMS and buy the Rodger Stern omnibus. Never read Stern before but hear it's amazing. My friend told me it's better than Michiline/McFarlane and that would be hard to beat
    Huh, you don't hear people praise that early Michelinie run often, but I also enjoyed it.

    Stern's run is just amazing though. The original Hobgoblin storyline is just so perfect and serves as an illustration why it's ok to let certain things go and build off of them. It's jsut great.

    Quote Originally Posted by Cheesedique View Post
    In terms of sheer writing chops, plotting and characterization, Stern's run is one of the best. I think Michelinie / McFarlane is only better in terms of sheer spectacle and for the use of nearly all the major Spider-man rogues.

    Either way, you simply have to read the Stern run.

    I think I posted already either in this thread or another--the most recent comics I've been reading were PAD's Friendly Neighborhood Spider-man trades. This series was fantastic, really. Proof that PAD can write a good to great Spider-man story probably 9 times out of 10, no matter what the status quo at the time is. The Mysterio taking over Peter's school story after the identity reveal is probably the height of this run. The Vulture story was pretty damn good. Even the "Jumping the Tracks" time travel stuff came off better on a second read. I've read through to the end of Back In Black and the end of this series, but I need to pick up that final trade (pretty sure it was collected along with JMS' Back In Black issues). Anyway, just great stuff all around, with some fine art by Wieringo and Nauck and others. The Iron Spider costume was kinda badass.
    The only writer I think wrote a better Spider-Man than PAD is Stan Lee himself. To me, he's higher than DeMatteis or Stern as just the best non-Stan Spider-Scribe of all time.

    But I was underwhelmed by FNSM. Maybe I expected too much after he knocked it out of the park with his 80s stuff and the early Spider-Man 2099 work, but even this most recent 2099 work just feels better to me. I don't know what it is. It doesn't start well, of course, with that time travel nonsense, but I think I just wanted a bit more drama out of those issues. JMS wasn't touching on how Peter revealing his identity affected the others in his life at all, so it was good to see PAD deal with it some, but I really wanted him to dive into it.

    Maybe that's just a personal thing though. The revelation of a superheroes secret identity and people's reaction to it is an area that I dont' think is explored fully enough and I just love it in concept. You can really get into a person's head if the story has been going on long enough, but for whatever reason no one's really been interested in doing that. PAD does do a pretty good job with the JJJ stuff that does touch on it, but the other supporting character's don't quite get the moment I was hoping for.

    Quote Originally Posted by oldschool View Post
    I am continuing to plow through the old PP:SSM series and just completed up to issue #71, which is IMO one the greatest (yet underrated) issues ever, the gun control issue written by Bill Mantlo "With This Gun….". This is truly one of the best one-and-done issues in Spidey history and also comes at the beginning of Bill Mantlo's second (and much better) stint on PP:SSM which also includes the first (and best) Cloak & Dagger appearances, a great Boomerang/Kingpin story, the epic Ock/Owl gang war and some great artwork by Ed Hannigan who, while he admittedly was aping a young Frank Miller, still designed some dynamite covers around this time (1982) and had the first interiors that took Spidey a little darker and grittier. Just a great time for this title and why I wish Marvel would start offering these old PP:SSM issues digitally.
    I think you're overselling "With This Gun..." a tad, because it is a little preachy, but it IS much better than it has any right to be. I mean, it's essentially just 22 pages of Mantlo on his soapbox about gun control, but he really does write a story around it and keeps the characters in a place they should be. I do like it, but I don't think it deserves a top 25.

    Quote Originally Posted by Scott Taylor View Post
    Reading Spider-Man 2099. Its uncanny how the old series compares with the new series in terms of tone, dialogue and the voices of the various characters. PAD really has these characters in his head, and I hope the new run lasts at least as long as the old run.
    Good Writing is always impressive.

    It's such a tease though. How can the greatest non-Stan Spider-Scribe have never gotten his own long term run on the main book? It's an injustice I tell you. An INJUSTICE!!!!!

  9. #54
    Mighty Member oldschool's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Xenon View Post
    I think you're overselling "With This Gun..." a tad, because it is a little preachy, but it IS much better than it has any right to be. I mean, it's essentially just 22 pages of Mantlo on his soapbox about gun control, but he really does write a story around it and keeps the characters in a place they should be. I do like it, but I don't think it deserves a top 25.


    I might be guilty of that…..yeah, it doesn't belong in a Top 25 but, damn, it is a great issue and I suppose I still view it through the prism of 1982 when such tales were few and far between. It is definitely a wee bit preachy and of course leans left but---to Mantlo's credit---he raises the eternal "but if they're illegal, only outlaws will have guns" argument with even the wise Robbie Robertson left with no answer. Just a solid issue; if not a "best ever" Spidey tale, certainly a highlight of the era and a shining example of an "out of continuity" one and done.

  10. #55
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    Quote Originally Posted by oldschool View Post
    I might be guilty of that…..yeah, it doesn't belong in a Top 25 but, damn, it is a great issue and I suppose I still view it through the prism of 1982 when such tales were few and far between. It is definitely a wee bit preachy and of course leans left but---to Mantlo's credit---he raises the eternal "but if they're illegal, only outlaws will have guns" argument with even the wise Robbie Robertson left with no answer. Just a solid issue; if not a "best ever" Spidey tale, certainly a highlight of the era and a shining example of an "out of continuity" one and done.
    Indeed. It's only a bit preachy and it isn't completely one sided. Far better than what it could have been.

  11. #56
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    Quote Originally Posted by Xenon View Post
    The only writer I think wrote a better Spider-Man than PAD is Stan Lee himself. To me, he's higher than DeMatteis or Stern as just the best non-Stan Spider-Scribe of all time.
    You certainly speak the truth here.

    Quote Originally Posted by Xenon View Post
    But I was underwhelmed by FNSM. Maybe I expected too much after he knocked it out of the park with his 80s stuff and the early Spider-Man 2099 work, but even this most recent 2099 work just feels better to me. I don't know what it is. It doesn't start well, of course, with that time travel nonsense, but I think I just wanted a bit more drama out of those issues. JMS wasn't touching on how Peter revealing his identity affected the others in his life at all, so it was good to see PAD deal with it some, but I really wanted him to dive into it.

    Maybe that's just a personal thing though. The revelation of a superheroes secret identity and people's reaction to it is an area that I dont' think is explored fully enough and I just love it in concept. You can really get into a person's head if the story has been going on long enough, but for whatever reason no one's really been interested in doing that. PAD does do a pretty good job with the JJJ stuff that does touch on it, but the other supporting character's don't quite get the moment I was hoping for.
    I was underwhelmed by it too the first time. It was a lot better on the second read. Of course, it doesn't stack up to his previous Spider-man work.

  12. #57
    Spectacular Member JTait's Avatar
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    I recently read the penultimate issue of Superior Spider-Man Team Up. Definitely worth a read for Buscema and Frenz's retro infused artwork alone. Absolutely terrific.

    The story was interesting. The expansion of Doc Ock and Norman Osborn's relationship felt appropriate and was handled well enough for the most part. The cliffhanger felt a little jarring and over the top, but it's difficult to pass any real judgement without reading the conclusion.

  13. #58
    Fantastic Member Turlast's Avatar
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    So I just finished reading Green Goblin Reborn and The Six Arms Saga. Both of these stories were very, very good. I really liked how Harry was so pissed with MJ's flirtation behavior towards Peter--as well as Peter for being okay with it. This ultimately led to Harry turning to drugs, which was bad--but actually was why Norman was able to overcome his Goblin persona. I like the way Norman was back then, constantly shifting from the Green Goblin to his normal self.

    The Six Arms Saga was quite strange but also fun. I liked seeing the Lizard not being out of control and teaming up with Spidey to find Morbius. These older stories are real classics.

  14. #59
    Extraordinary Member Derek Metaltron's Avatar
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    Don't know if anyone else here has read the special 700.1 to .5 issues they released to feature Peter's Spidey in flashback stories? Borrowed the trade from the library and I read the awesome two-part story 'Frost', which has Peter struggling to maintain his hero lifestyle in November shortly before the storm of the century hits New York. What's lovely about it is that there's no super criminal to fight, just people trying to survive the elements, and it takes the classic cliché of 'I gonna help Aunt May!' and manages a very touching human take on it. Whilst not as good there's also the two-part 'Black Lodge' story which answers the question of 'how do New York's super villains heal up so fast?' And a collection of one off stories too, nice collection if you're a Peter Parker fan and want a nice collection of self contained Spidey stories.

  15. #60
    Ultimate Member Mister Mets's Avatar
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    I just read the Ultimate Spider-Man arc (Miles Morales Ultimate Spider-Man #1-7.)

    Basic gist is that Norman Osborn escapes at around the time a guy who may or may not be Peter Parker back from the dead wants his webshooters back from Miles.

    It's not something that usually bothers me, but I thought it was odd how Bendis was playing with the reader's affections for Peter Parker, who had appeared in 160+ issues including some of the best Spider-Man comics ever. It's odd how litlte attention this story got, as the follow-up to the Death of Spider-Man arc a few years back.

    It was a it padded as a monthly title, although it read well in one sitting. Some of the fight scenes dragged a bit, especially when it became clear what Osborn's weakness was.

    There was a bit of a deja vu for Miles as he seemed to go through Peter Parker's greatest hits (the conversation with his girlfriend, getting shot by the police, fighting Norman Osborn in the same place Peter died.)

    Two rather important characters died without much notice. In the last issue, everyone's parents seem to have secrets. A subplot about imposter Spider-Men has some fun scenes, but doesn't really go anywhere.

    I'm conflicted on this one. It was certainly well-told. Bendis excels in humor and the character interactions. The art was great. It just might not be a story worth telling.
    Sincerely,
    Thomas Mets

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