I never buy comics out of a sense of nostalgia, but Superman vs. Spider-man is the exception that disproves the rule. Of this recent spate of '70s TE reprints, I buy only the ones I never had or those I somehow lost tracl of over the years. Yet I bought this one, even though I still have the original, just for the opportunity to read it on better paper stock. Yes, it has been reprinted at least twice on better paper stock (and yes, I have both of those), but this is the first time it's been reprinted on better paper stock and at full size.
To be perfectly honest, I wasn't all that impressed by the original in 1976. I was intrigued, sure, but the end result was less than spectacular. For one thing, I didn't become a fan of Ross Andru's artwork until 2012. Now that I have grown to appreciate it (thanks to an essay written by the TE's writer, Gerry Conway), I'm looking forward to reading it again. And next month (February 4th, to be precise), I'll be able to buy Supes & Spidey's second team-up guilt free because I have only the regular size '90s reprints.
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My recollection of this is that it wasn't bad, but that I liked the second one better.
I preferred the first one-- maybe it was the novelty-- but the second one had a more interesting plot.
Well, that was enjoyable. It's a straight-forward, action-oriented yarn. I have a vague memory of re-reading this back when Marvel and DC collaborated on All Access, which was in 1996. If not, it's been more than 30 years since I last read it. Despite my (relatively) recent appreciation of Ross Andru, I couldn't help but be a bit disappointed with the art. In a perfect world, it would have been penciled by Curt Swan and inked by John Romita. But Gerry Conway and Ross Andru certainly worked "Marvel method," and I'm not sure if Curt Swan ever worked that way. (I doubt it.) Still, breakdowns and inks by Romita and pencils by Swan would have been nice.
The facsimile has three different covers: the original; the original in foil; and the original painted. Over-size publications don't sell well at my LCS, so I didn't even see the painted version. I doubt I would have bought it, but I might have.
Is it the same oversized book that Marvel and DC were doing way back when? I really didn't care for that format, though I did buy a few.
Yes, it's a facsimile of the old "treasury edition" format, but on better paper stock.
I bought it back in the day, but was not impressed. Even though I really wanted it to be good.
I would still buy it again today if it was published at its original size and in hardback, just to have it on my bookshelf that way. It's famous! But I have the original in a plastic bag somewhere in an acid-free box ... and don't need to buy it again in the same format, just to do the same with a new one.
And I'll tell you one of the reasons I didn't care for the original: I don't care for the art of Ross Andru.
I've grown to appreciate some artists I disliked on first sight. Like Mike Sekowsky, Frank Thorne and Tom Sutton.
But there are some I didn't like at first sight, and still don't like now. Like Frank Robbins, Herb Trimpe and Jack Sparling.
And Ross Andru.
No, no, don't argue with me. It's not a matter of objective argument. It's a matter of taste. Some people here love Andru. Or like the work. Or just tolerate it. One way or the other, people on that side of the spectrum want to tell me how NOT bad Andru is.
But it's like coconut. I don't like it, and never will. It doesn't matter how you cook it, or prepare it, or present it. It's coconut, and I won't like it. Something about the texture, maybe. Or some sort of subliminal taste. Whatever it is, I can detect it down to the micro-gram ... and if it's in a candy bar, or a drink, or a dish, I won't like it.
It's the same with Andru. I just don't like that work. And I grit my teeth through anything I'm reading that he drew.
I would still buy it again today if it was published at its original size and in hardback, just to have it on my bookshelf that way.
Yes, I have Superman vs. Muhammad Ali, Superman vs. Wonder Woman, Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes and The Amazing World of Superman in that format. what makes it better is that I didn't buy any of these back in the '70s.
I've grown to appreciate some artists I disliked on first sight. Like Mike Sekowsky, Frank Thorne and Tom Sutton.
Add Gene Colan to my list of such artists.
No, no, don't argue with me.
I wouldn't dream of it. ;)
Not arguing, but Ross Andru (and Mike Esposito) were born to do Metal Men.