Comic Book Review: Essential Spider-Man Vol. 5 created by various people.
It turns out I’ve never reviewed a Spider-Man comic book on this website before, so let’s quickly go over his origin. Peter Parker is a nerdy high school student, bullied by the “popular kids.” One day while visiting a science exhibit, Peter is bitten by a radioactive spider. Because this is comic books, the irradiated venom gives Peter superpowers. Peter sews his own costume and makes webshooters to eject a web-like substance he’s created in his spare time.
Peter decides he can best use his new Spider-Man persona to make big bucks as a celebrity. This has some initial success, and goes to his head. As a result, he doesn’t bother stopping a thief being chased by a guard. But when Peter arrives home hours later, he discovers that his beloved Uncle Ben has been murdered. Tracking down the murderer, Spider-Man is shocked to discover it’s the same burglar he could have stopped earlier.
“With great power–must come great responsibility!” Spider-Man’s career path becomes that of the superhero, but it will never be easy for him.
Volume Five collects Amazing Spider-Man #90-113, a pivotal time for the series. It opens with a rematch against Dr. Octopus that isn’t going so well because Spider-Man’s out of web fluid. Spidey barely escapes and has to go lie down for a while to recover from the beating. Peter is helped out by Police Captain George Stacy, father of his current girlfriend Gwen Stacy. The way Captain Stacy talks, though, makes Peter suspect the policeman may have realized his secret identity.
Peter adjusts his next batch of web fluid with an extra compound that somehow blocks Dr. Octopus’ mental link with his metal tentacles, making them go wild. As an unplanned side effect, one of the tentacles smashes into brickwork, sending it hurtling toward the civilians below. Captain Stacy, on the scene, sacrifices his own life to save a child. With his dying breath, the old man reveals that he in fact knows that Spider-Man is Peter Parker, and asks him to look after Gwen.
Naturally, most people just assume that Spider-Man directly killed Captain Stacy, rather than being indirectly responsible. Publisher J. Jonah Jameson uses his control of the Daily Bugle newspaper to call for Spidey’s head. Politician Sam Bullitt makes capturing Spider-Man the centerpiece of his mayoral campaign, and Gwen (who definitely does not know Peter’s secret) joins the bandwagon despite knowing her father hated Bullitt.
Bullitt’s actual “law and order” agenda turns out to be more influenced by racism than by hatred of Spider-Man, and this is exposed. Gwen decides to head for England for a while.
Meanwhile, Mary Jane Watson and Harry Osborn are having some difficulties in their own relationship. MJ is flirting with Peter now that Gwen’s out of town, and Harry is succumbing to the stress of college and not being able to trust his girlfriend. It doesn’t help that Harry’s father Osborn abruptly remembers that he’s the supervillain Green Goblin.
Harry overdoses on drugs (in an issue that didn’t have the Comics Code stamp, one of the first cracks in their system) but does not die. Norman returns to his amnesiac state, and Gwen finally returns to New York.
Issue 100 has Peter decide that he can’t trust his current good situation will continue, and try a new serum to cure himself. Instead, it gives him four extra arms!
Roy Thomas takes over writing chores for the next few issues, as our newly weird hero battles Morbius the Living Vampire (first appearance) with the help (kind of) of Dr. Curt Connors, the Lizard. Cured of the extra arms, Peter joins an expedition to the hidden Savage Land in Antarctica.
Stan Lee took back the reins for a reappearance by Professor Smythe and his Spider-Slayer robot, this one enhanced by a network of computer-controlled cameras installed by the police. (An idea whose time had not fully come yet.)
Flash Thompson (Peter’s bully in high school) came back from Vietnam a much better person than when he left, but with a dangerous secret that needs Dr. Strange to help out.
After that was the first appearance of the Gibbon, a sad sack character who the universe hates even worse than Peter Parker.
Gerry Conway became the new full-time writer, and brought back Dr. Octopus for the first time since Captain Tracy died. After a hard-fought battle with no civilian casualties, Spider-Man finally defeats the mad scientist, but now must face…Hammerhead!
John Romita and Gil Kane produce some stellar art.
While the through-line is strong, there tends to be severe tonal shifts between stories, especially when the writers swap out. The tendency towards long-running subplots increased in this time period.
This large, inexpensive black and white reprint volume is well worth looking up in your local library, or buying if you really like it.
