What's Your Favorite Spider-Man Era?
From the "Coffee Bean Years" to "Spider-Island"
By Andrew "Captain Comics" Smith
Contributing Editor
February 2012: In the words of Maggie Thompson, “the Golden Age of Comics is age 10.” That being the case, a character that’s been around for 50 years like Spider-Man has had a lot of Golden Ages – each one unique and specific to each unique, specific reader.
When I web-swing down Memory Lane, my Golden Age is what I call “the Coffee Bean years,” which roughly correspond to when John Romita, Sr., was drawing the character (Amazing Spider-Man #39-119, Aug 66-Apr 73). There are a lot of reasons for that, which I’ll get to later.
Because, as I sat down to write about my own Golden Age, I began to wonder what eras other fans loved most about the wall-crawler. I set the proposition before the Legion of Superfluous Heroes on my website, fully expecting to be chastised for not swooning over the Lee-Ditko period, which everyone knows is the greatest, wonderfullest, awesomest, and amazingest. Right?
Well, no. To my delight, fans offered love for virtually every Spider-era. Sure, as often as not, Legionnaires favored their own Golden Age. But not always.
First, they gave Ditko his due. “As a fan of the Silver Age,” wrote Rich Steeves of Bridgeport, Conn., “I heard so much about the ‘Master Planner’ arc, and especially [Amazing Spider-Man] issue #33. I finally tracked it down (well, in Masterworks form) and read it. Quite often, these ‘epic’ stories which are over-hyped don’t live up to the legend. But that sequence with Peter under the machinery might be the best spread of pages I’ve ever read.”
George Poague of Clarksville, Tenn., agreed. “Douglas Wolk described that as the comics equivalent of the Odessa steps sequence in the movie Potemkin. It seems to have had an impact on everyone who’s read it, and to have influenced everyone who’s drawn comics since. Who knew a mere comic book could provoke such emotions? Thank you, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.”
Thanks indeed! Here at CBG we usually note the importance of the Master Planner Saga by simply referencing Peter David’s column where he opined that after Amazing Spider-Man #33, no more Spider-stories need ever have been written. It was that issue, David says, in which the adolescent Peter Parker completed his “hero’s journey” and became a Spider-Man.
Following Ditko and Romita Sr., the next major Spider-era was largely defined by artist Ross Andru, never one of my favorites. Nevertheless, Legionnaire Philip Portelli of College Point, N.Y., rose mightily in defense.
“While I fully appreciate the Ditko and Romita eras as truly ‘amazing,’ I started reading Spidey after his Bronze Age began,” he wrote. “Funny, it began with Harry [Osborn ] as the second Green Goblin and ended with the third Green Goblin (#136-180, Sep 74-May 78), with mostly Gerry Conway and Len Wein stories and Ross Andru artwork. Still, in my mind, Andru was THE Spider-artist. The villains were there, the controversies were there, and the silliness was there. Spider-Mobile? Doc Ock marrying Aunt May? JJJ falling in love? Clones, weddings, deaths, returns, soap opera, crime drama. It was all there and I loved every issue.”
Once he got rolling on his Andru-Mobile, Portelli was hard to stop.
“Spidey’s supporting cast truly supported the book and was just as important as Peter. There were guest stars (Nova, Nightcrawler, The Punisher), old villains, new villains, and twists at every turn. Also I would add Marvel Team-Up [which began in 1972] as a wonderful addition to the Spidey saga, especially #38-51, and the first 20 issues of Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man [which began in 1976]. Not to mention I was reading Marvel Tales, too!
“When you look back, Spidey didn’t have that many ‘down’ times. I’m sure I’ll be gently mocked for my pick, but I stand by it, and those great Spidey tales!”
I agree with everything you say until the last, Philip – I won’t mock you, and anyone who tries will have to deal with me! As noted, I was no fan of the work Ross Andru and inker Mike Esposito did on Spidey, probably because I had grown so accustomed to them over at DC, where they had been mainstays on Wonder Woman, Metal Men, and the war books, and they just looked “wrong” to me at Marvel in 1973. But Andru had actually drawn the web-spinner as early as Marvel Super-Heroes #14 (May 68), which ranks him among the very few that drew Spider-Man in the swingin’ ‘60s. How he looked to the adolescent Captain shouldn’t keep him off the Spidey Mt. Rushmore, if anyone ever builds such a thing.
Meanwhile, Legionnaire Jason Marconnet of Tallahassee, Fla., brought us closer to the present with an artist who went on to “Ultimate” fame:
“My favorite era would be the mid-‘90s, right up to the clone era,” Marconnet posted. “I’m a big Mark Bagley fan, and he was the main artist during this time.”
And speaking of the present, Chris Fluit of Penfield, N.Y., came way out of his own Golden Age to praise what we might call the “Dan Slott era,” for today’s most prominent Spider-writer.
“I’m enjoying Spider-Man now more than ever,” he wrote. “Although I grew up with the David/DeFalco/Stern Spider-Man, and it will always have a warm place in my heart, I love what’s happening with the title right now. I love the playfulness and wit. I love the fast-paced action. I love the way in which Peter uses his scientific mind to further his work as Spider-Man. I love the frequently changing status quo. I love the supporting characters. I love the mix of new villains and old ones. For my money, Amazing Spider-Man has been as consistently entertaining as it has ever been.”
Speaking of writer Roger Stern (which Fluit did in passing), his era was the biggest winner, even in comparison to the Romita Senior years.
The long-running Legionnaire Kelvin Childers said, “I can only say the ‘best’ era of Spider-Man was … in the ‘80s. I hold the warmest regard for the Roger Stern/John Romita Jr./Jim Mooney stint, as well as Peter David’s run, which included “The Death of Jean DeWolff.”
Steeves chimed in again with “my favorite period had to be the Roger Stern Hobgoblin period. The twists and turns of that saga blew my pre-adolescent mind. I thought the storytelling was fantastic and I couldn’t wait month to month to see what each new development brought me.
“I have been lukewarm on the character for most of the last 20-25 years or so,” he continued, “but I bring out those back issues from time to time. The way the storyline ended did not live up to my expectations, but I loved it as it happened.”
Mark Stanislawsky of West Haven, Conn., kept it short and sweet: “Roger Stern’s run on Amazing and Spectacular is a classic … which, of course, includes the two-part Juggernaut story. I’ll never tire of reading those!”
I remember the Juggernaut story as a gem, too, Mark – especially the clever way Spidey stopped the unstoppable villain. (Spoiler: It involved lots of cement!) Meanwhile, Legionnaire Lee Houston, Jr., also has a couple of specific favorites from that era:
“I didn’t start reading Spider-Man comics until Amazing #180, so I have to lean towards Marv Wolfman, Roger Stern, and Peter David as writers, as well as Keith Pollard as artist. I was even there for the starts of Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man and Web of Spider-Man [1985]. The Spidey Marvel Team-Ups with Red Sonja and the Not Ready for Prime Time Players are forever etched in my memory.”
Speaking of fondly remembered stories, two Legionnaires brought up one of the most famous: “The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man” (Amazing Spider-Man #248, Jan 84). Doc Beechler of Indianapolis, Ind., fondly remembers thanking Stern in person for “Kid.” And Kirk G. of Athens, Ohio, had a heart-warming anecdote:
“I read this story onto audio cassette for a blind comic fan when it came out, and I admit I started to cry when I got to the last panel,” he wrote. “My voice cracked as the cassette ran out, and he heard the emotion. His comment on the return tape was that it was the most moving thing he had heard … but I wasn’t sure if he meant my reaction, or the plot and the big reveal.”
I won’t spoil the story here, but no one who ever read “Kid” will ever forget it.
Meanwhile, others joined the Captain in his applause for the Romita Senior era. One of which will be mighty familiar to readers of this magazine:
“It’s hard to vote against Ditko and how his vision helped set the foundation in place, but for sustained excellence, it’s hard to pick against Romita’s run,” wrote Craig "Mr. Silver Age" Shutt, who took time from his own column to chime in here. “The fact that his Spidey is the one that’s usually merchandised indicates that lots of people agree.
“I have to say that Romita took over on the best issue possible, with a lot of dramatic turns to work with,” he continued, referring to the shocking “How Green Was My Goblin!” in Amazing Spider-Man #39, where hero and villain learned each other’s identities. “And I seriously doubt that MJ would’ve been quite the jackpot she turned out to be on the final page [of Amazing Spider-Man #42, Nov 66] without Romita.”
As I recall, my reaction to earlier Ditko cameos of Mary Jane was “What a huge caboose!” Maybe her derriere just seemed large because of those 1950s-style flower-print or polka-dot sundresses Ditko put her in. Regardless, I must agree, MSA: Former romance-book artist Romita was a much better choice to depict MJ’s face and full figure for the first time, as I never, ever found a single Ditko woman attractive.
Meanwhile, Doc Photo of Rochester, Mich., added: “As time has passed, I have come to appreciate Ditko’s run, but as a young comic reader it was Romita’s arrival on the scene that made me a regular reader of Amazing Spider-Man. Romita brought a bright, more open look to the character and his world which was quite different from Ditko’s more brooding approach. It might seem like sacrilege, but as someone who was reading DC Comics almost exclusively at the time, Romita brought a DC-like look to Spider-Man that made him much more appealing to me than the previous rendition.”
Legionnaire Poague was of like mind: “The Romita Senior era, which included some terrific fill-ins by Gil Kane, was my favorite,” he wrote. “I missed the Ditko era and had to catch up with it through reprints. It’s great, great stuff, but I don’t have the emotional connection to it that I have with the Romita issues, which I read as they were coming out. Romita’s art was prettier and more accessible than Ditko’s (and Romita could draw beautiful women, which Ditko couldn’t). Under Romita, Amazing Spider-Man became Marvel’s best-selling title. I doubt that would have happened if Ditko had remained.”
Once again, I have to nod in unison. As noted above, the boy Captain found Ditko’s work to be genuinely unattractive. Not just the women, but everything in New York seemed a bit old-fashioned, a little dated, somewhat shabby and shopworn.
To some degree this adds verisimilitude to the early Spider-Man stories, where Peter and his aunt lived from one Social Security check to the next. Everything they owned should have looked a decade old and on its last legs.
But why would the offices of Now Magazine look like they were from 1952? Why would all military equipment look like Korean War surplus? Why would cars still have fins in the 1960s, and why would women’s clothing look more appropriate for Rosalind Russell than Twiggy?
Ditko fans will no doubt argue with me vehemently, but to the Li'l Captain it appeared that Ditko’s style wasn’t keeping up with the world. When Romita arrived, it seemed like Spidey’s New York burst into the 1960s – and that pretty women were allowed out in public for the first time (and quickly did a lot of shopping for hipper clothes)!
But having said all that, I don’t think those are the main reasons I look back on the Romita years with such nostalgia. I think primarily it’s because, like my own college years, those days are gone and can’t come back.
Of course, Peter Parker doesn’t age like we do. But his status quo has shifted profoundly since Romita Senior was on the book, in ways that can’t be revisited today.
One of the hallmarks of Spidey’s college years was the best supporting cast in comics (and I even include Riverdale when I say that). Not only was each character interesting in his or her own right, but they were all interconnected in a (cough) web of social links. Even the Green Goblin was part of the gang, in a way.
Peter was dating Gwen, whose father was retired police Captain Stacy, who was hanging out with Robbie Robertson, the pair coming close to figuring out Spider-Man’s secret ID in a nerve-wracking subplot, while Robbie worked for J. Jonah Jameson, for whom Peter worked as well, as did Peter’s ex, Betty Brant, who was dating Ned Leeds, who also worked for Jameson and had an uncomfortable relationship with Peter, who, despite dating Gwen, whom Flash Thompson once tried to date and was trying to date again, was in an evolving romantic triangle with Gwen and Mary Jane Watson, who was dating Peter’s roommate Harry Osborn, who was very much noticing this, and whose behavior was becoming more erratic, reminiscent of his father Norman, who had been the Green Goblin until he lost his memory, but that memory was clearly coming back, leaving a cloud of foreboding over every Coffee Bean get-together, pleasant social exercises with delicious pools of lust, resentment, and jealousy seething just beneath the surface.
Also, Spider-Man fought crime.
This was an enormous amount of fun at the time, because the readers (and from later interviews, Stan Lee) really had no idea how any of this was going to play out. But in the end, nothing played out. Instead, the writers – which included beloved scribes like Lee, Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, and Roger Stern – went on a murder binge. Most of this stellar cast was simply killed off – often, it seemed, to achieve nothing more lasting than a shocking cover (Captain Stacy) or a lame twist ending (Leeds). Gwen’s fate is famous, but reflects to me a failure of authorial imagination as to what to do with her (and the romantic triangle). And while both Osborns managed to escape their graves, they were gone long enough for their positions in the Parker social hierarchy to be filled by other characters or made moot.
Heck, even Professor Warren – who taught Pete and Gwen at Empire State University – went crazy, became a super-villain, cloned everybody, and got killed off. He wasn’t even a very important character in the Coffee Bean years, but he was the only ESU professor whose name we knew!
The result for me is warm nostalgia for a thrilling theme-park ride I remember but can never take again, and also a poignant sense of “what if” for the plot twists, dramatic confrontations, and resolutions that never happened. Also, just like in real life, I feel a sense of loss for the “friends” – the life stories – cut short by the Reaper.
Which is probably also connected to the fact that my Golden Age (of 10) occurred sometime during the Romita years. And that’s something all Spidey fans can understand!
Andrew “Captain Comics” Smith has been writing professionally about comics since 1992, and for Comics Buyer’s Guide since 2000.
Comments
Aw, I'm blushing. Not only did I NOT know that I was going to be highlighted in this column, but I would have also paid homage to the outstanding (if mis-named) "Master Planner Saga". I was fortunate enough to have picked up a run of Spidey books at a white elephant sale at my elementary school and got all three parts of this epic. Even as a new comic reader, it spoke to me, and every time that I reread it, it moved me. Stan Lee has said the same thing, that Ditko just took a line in the plot, "Spidey get's trapped under machine but overcomes the weight"... and turned it into a page upon page epic struggle. Well done, Steve!
What Mr. Fluit said, Cap. Simply a wonderful article. My Golden Age definitely would be the early 80s, with the Stern / JR jr run in ASM and the Silver Age stuff being reprinted in Marvel Tales.. My very first comic was Amazing Spider-Man #193, but I was a fan even before that, with the 60s cartoon running on Saturday mornings in these parts all thru the 70s and early 80s, and the newspaper strip by Lee and Romita being carried by the major provincial daily newspaper from day one.
...I think Ditko could draw attractive women , but they were distinctly NOT mide/late-Sixties thru likewise idea of attractive women Seventies women , the " pissed-off secretaries " that , a la his former studiomate Eric Stanton of bondage/dominating housewife soft X fame ( Eric says they spelled each other , which is what comics artists who share studios generally DO , Steve denied it !!!!!!!!! ) he liked...they ran against the Age Of Flower/Jimi/Singles Bars grain , as Steve's politics did .
Of course , Johnny's MJ/Gwen shared a similarity with Betty & Veronica of being essentailly " the same girl with differnt hair colors " , and not even B&V's identifing " good girl " bun vs. " naughty " straight-but-not-straitlaced lake !!!!!!!!!!! ( I have sometimes wondered whether popular 1940s actress & pop singer Betty Hutton was a bit of an influence on the less wussy early Betty , a " good girl " with some more spunk who could get to - within the proprieties - huggin' and 'a sparkin' when the situation called for it . :-) ! )
Thanks for the shout out, Cap. And thanks for the leisurely stroll through Spidey's history of great creators, great moments and great runs.