Now that Marvel Comics has picked over the bones of its original lineup until there is not a sliver of meat left on them, it is refreshing to reread the original stories and realize what a mighty, graceful beast Marvel once was, back when its writers and artists gave a damn.

"The Essential Spider-Man" harkens us back to the early 60s, when an angst-ridden teenager first was bitten by a radioactive spider and learned that with great power comes great responsibility. Stan Lee is often ridiculed for his overwrought prose, but his Spider-Man tales remain extremely poignant and affecting some four decades after they were written, while their postmodern successors seem dated already.

Perhaps the most amazing thing about the amazing Spider-Man is that Lee creates a supporting, non-superpowered cast which is often more compelling than the heroes and villains. Flash Thompson, Peter Parker's archenemy, is also Spider-Man's biggest fan, willing to undertake reckless acts of courage to keep his hero's name from being dragged through the mud. Betty Brant, whose brother died after an ill-considered criminal career, loves Peter Parker but despises his alter ego, building a wall between her and Parker that neither can breach. "The Essential Spider-Man" is packed with such realistic contradictions.

The collection covers Amazing Fantasy # 15 (the first appearance of Spider-Man) through Amazing Spider-Man # 20 and Annual # 1. The tales feature some incredibly fluid artwork by Steve Ditko, Stan the Man's superlative writing, and the first appearances of such characters as Sandman, Kraven the Hunter, Dr. Octupus, and the Green Goblin. Lee and Ditko's creativity is to be marveled at, given the number of characters they created during these twenty issues which are still viable in 2000.

If you're sick of the gorgeous garbage that passes for comics today, pick up this collection and see what the medium is capable in the hands of men who love it.

I would have sold my soul to Satan to have this book when I was 10 years old, Their in black and white..... who cares! This book has the first 22 Spider-Man comic books ever made! The actual comics themselves would cost thousands, this book is only 11 dollars! It was really a great thing and meant a lot to me, I was obsessed with Spider-Man when i was younger and would constantly wonder what the first few Spider-Man comics must have been like, i would have paid 11 thousand dollars for this book without blinking an eye, this is truly a great gift by the Marvel Comics people and any Spider-Man fan should buy this, or they simply arent a Spider-Man fan at all. I would have killed for Amazing Fantasy 15 alone, let alone the rest of them!! And they are really great stories, its kind of sad to see how Peter and Betty split up after time, and amazing to see the first appearances of Spider-Man's worst enemies, though the Green Goblins first appearance was disappointing, but who cares! It is simply the greatest thing anyone could ever get for 11 dollars, fantastic book, but I must warn you if you buy this book you'll be hooked and you'll have to buy the other 4 books or you'll go crazy! INCREDIBLE BOOK!

Very fine stories of young Peter Parker and his alter-ego super hero are present throughout these 400+ pages. The concept of creating a character whose human abilities of quickness, strength and agility are proportional to a spider was definitely a milestone for Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

Each page is well laid out, consisting of several frames per page and with plenty of plot and dialogue to read. The stories were carefully thought out, and they presented the comic fan with plenty to enjoy. It is sad that in modern times, so many comics have big pictures (thus few frames) but few words; such publications are overpriced and are completely read in virtually no time.

It is both amusing and refreshing to see a young boy's triumphs and foibles as he is maturing into his added role as Spider-Man. Initially, he is idealistic and overconfident about his newly found super abilities and becomes bored with the criminal competition, but as the stories progress, the opponents become stronger and harder to overcome. Young Peter then begins to concede that maybe boredom wasn't so bad, after all.

From start to finish, Peter Parker, as a character, is very pure and innocent. These two qualities now seem inapplicable in the many ubiquitous graphic novels where you can't really tell the good guy apart from the bad one.

After observing how seemingly simple Peter Parker appeared in this volume and knowing that many of the stories were created before Kennedy's assassination and the Vietnem War, some may regard The Essential Spider-Man as outdated. I may agree, but only in the sense that you don't see very many works of art, comic book or otherwise, that contain messages or moments of inspiration that somehow communicate to the reader to, regardless of the difficulties that he or she is facing, NEVER, EVER GIVE UP! Somehow, this spark is widely present in this soon-to-be-forty-year-old collection, and it makes so many contemporary stories missing this element seem so lifeless in comparison.

My first real taste of the works of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko came in the 80's, when Marvel Comics began reprinting the early exploits of Spider-Man, in a series called Marvel Tales. I had already been reading the "modern" Spidey comics of the day for some time, therefore, I was familiar with the character and some of the history. But to read the stories that started it all, that was a highlight of my monthly reads. For a variety of reasons, I have long since stopped reading and collecting individual titles, and have sold my entire comic book collection. I still like to dabble in the occasional graphic novel or special reprint collected editions featuring my favorite characters from either the Marvel or DC Universes. Spider-Man remains one of my favorites ever created for Marvel Comics

After seeing the first Spider-Man feature film in 2002, I have been trying to track down a book like this. I am pleased that Marvel and DC have both published collections of this type. Marvel Masterworks: Spider-Man Volume 1 reprints the wallcrawlers first appearance in the final issue of Amazing Fantasy #15 and the first 10 issues of his own series, The Amazing Spider-Man

These stories are just straight forward tales of good versus evil. Some of them were really good, like spidey's initial encounters with Dr. Octopus, the Vulture, and Electro. While his match-ups with Dr. Doom, the Lizard, the Tinkerer, and the threat of the living brain were less so...but still fun in some respects if hokey. The art by Steve Ditko (and the legendary Jack Kirby for issue #8) really is quite remarkable in its simple style effective renderings Thanks to the book's glossy pages and the reconstruction it stands out even more now then it did in Marvel Tales. Volume 1 will be a fun trip down memory lane for those familiar with the web man's early adventures from '62-64. It will also serve as a fun and fantastic introduction for those just discovering him for the first time. The book also features an introduction from Stan Lee, written in 1987, the covers from each issue, and rare alternates by Ditko. The book has 248 pages.

One of the things that Lee/Ditko did with Spidey was to make him an average guy with problems, who, just happened to have amazing powers. In the end that made Spidey someone with whom readers could identify and relate. With this book, readers can do it all over again

Finally, if you'd like to have the very first 11 issues of amazing Spider-Man youhave to look no further of pay thousands of dollars for orignal 60's comics, this collection presents the first issues of Spider-man. Get to know his origins, the first villians he fought and his life a super hero. Printed in high quality gloss paper, in full, glorius colour, the pencil here may not be what newest readers are used to. These are simple, straight forward drawings that are now cult classics. The text by the master himself, Stan Lee, are interesting, yet funny and direct enough. I read it really fast, I only wish they would release the next issues. This book is for readers who maybe owned the original comics back in the 60's or 70's and want to relive those moments. Great also for fans of Spidey who want to witness his origins. Definetely a must.

"With great power must also come...great responsibility."-Stan Lee.
With those words, Stan Lee closed the chapter on the first story of the Amazing Spider-Man.
Spider-Man was unlike any super-hero before him. He didn't just pretend to be the wallflower like some other boy scout I could name. He was the social outcast, ostracized by his peers, rejected and alone. He was a teenager. Back then, teens were usually the sidekicks. As Peter Parker, he was the epitome of uncool.
And Spider-Man didn't become a hero out of some notion of civic duty, or revenge for a past sorrow. Instead, he was driven by guilt. The guilt of knowing that had he simply stuck out his foot and tripped a passing burglar, his Uncle Ben wouldn't be dead.
That story, and the first ten issues of Amazing Spider-Man, featuring the wall crawler in battle against deadly foes like Doctor Octopus, Doctor Doom, the Sandman, Electro, and The Chameleon, as well as guest appearances by the Fantastic Four.
The oldest and most classic stories preserved for all time here in a hardcover bookshelf edition that you can be proud to show off to anyone. THIS is what comic books are all about.

First of all, I must say that the Essentials series is fantastic. I hear people saying that they hate the idea of no color and hate the pulpy paper. Well, if your a true comic lover, then that doesnt matter. Its all about the story, and its easy to forget that the comics are not in color because the stories are so amazing. Also, where else can you get 20 plus stoires of your favorite super hero in just one book. Ok, now back to The Essnetial Uncanny X-Men. I found this book spectacular, and I highly advise that any X-men fan buy it. I found almsot all of the stories extremely exciting and I found it very interesting how the X-Men evolved throught out the book. Its also fascinating to see the beginnings of many of your favorite X-Men villians, such as Magneto, Toad, The Blob, Vannisher, and others. So, once again, if you like X-men, or if your just looking for some exciting comic book stiories, then get The Essential Uncanny X-Men.

I'm one of those few people that prefer the original X-Men over the new. This book which covers the first 24 issues, is awesome. Granted, it's in black and white, but that's the only thing wrong with it. I'm still waiting for Marvel to make a Volume 2(c'mon Marvel, get with it!) so I can read more of these classic adventures like the first appearance of Banshee. I'd also like them to make Essentials for more Marvel characters like Daredevil and Sub-Mariner(God knows they deserve it).

For those of us too young to have even been alive in the '60's, this book is an excelent way meet some of the legends of the comic realm for the first time. Yes, the lack of color is something of a detraction, but having grown up on manga, I can't say that it' s enough to put me off of this book and others like it. In fact, I think the lack of color lets the characters stand out on their own. The only complaint that I have is that they haven't come out with a second collection of the early X-men.

I was excited to find out (from Amazon.com) that Spider-Man issues 21-43 were reprinted in one book. The first 20 issues have been reprinted many times but I had a hard time finding anything after that(at least nothing affordable). I remember reading the early Spider-Man comics as a teenager and at age 43 wanted to read them again (especially the #39 & 40 Green Goblin story). So I bought The Essential Spider-Man Vol. II. I will admit I was disappointed to find the stories were reproduced only in black and white. But once I started reading the stories, it didn't bother me much. In fact, the artwork (by Steve Ditko and John Romita) is actually nice to look at in B/W. The covers of each of the issues are also reproduced and I appreciate that! I've ordered Volume III from Amazon.com today (although at this writing it is not yet published) so I'll have more exciting Spidey memories to relive. If you don't mind back and white - this is a good, nice-sized volume to get!

This second volume holds a wide range of early Spider-Man stories, and shows a transitional period in the character's history.

The stories range from the epic Master Planner storyline, which builds strongly and contains very memorable scenes, to ephemeral stories like hat of the Looter and a guy named Joe. Villains from the past return, and this book includes some essential stories of Spidey's big name foes, Dr Octopus and the Green Goblin.

The book also takes Peter Parker from his high school days to college, incidentally introducing both Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson while leaving behind earlier romantic interests such as Betty Brant and Liz Allen.

During this volume, we see the period when artist Steve Ditko took over the plotting of stories, which lent the book a more moralistic air. Towards the end, Ditko leaves and is replaced by John Romita, making the book more clean-lined but less visually interesting.

This volume is a mixed bag, albeit of good quality material, and shows a comic that has largely outgrown its original premise but struggling to find a new one.

Volume 2 of "The Essential Spider-Man" offers up issues #21-43 of the "Amazing Spider-Man" along with the original stories from Annuals #2 & 3. These are the issues that offer some big changes for both the character and the comic book. For the character, besides the introduction of new villains we see Liz Allen and Betty Bryant replaced in Peter Parker's affections by Gwen Stacy and (at long last) Mary Jane Watson. For the comic book it is artist John Romita (Sr.) taking over for Steve Ditko with issue #39, "How Green Was My Goblin." Of course, this is one of the most famous Spidey issues of all time as Spidey and the Green Goblin are both unmasked and things become very, very interesting.

I understand why some would complain that these reprints are in black & white but I have discovered at least one benefit to reading these comics without color, and that is a greater appreciation of the artwork of Steve Ditko. When I was reading these comics in 1965-67, I was happy to see Romita replace Ditko as an artist. However, as I re-read the Spider-Man comics drawn by Ditko I realize that although his figures are not exactly drawn in the most realistic style, he is a master of composition and pacing. Just look at the cover of #24 for example, but leaf through any of his issues and study what he is doing and I think you will be as impressed as I am as you watch Spider-Man tackle the Beetle, the Clown and his Masters of Menace, Mysterio, the Crime Master, the Molten Man, the Scorpion, the Cat, Ka-Zar, the Rhino, and even J. Jonah Jameson and his killer robot.

Yes, the two-part confrontation between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin that begins Romita's tenure on the comic book is a classic story, which is at the heart of this summer's blockbuster movie (notice they do an homage to the cover of #39 in the film). However, I would make a case that this collection includes another of the greatest Spider-Man stories in issues #31-33. Peter Parker has parted ways with Betty Bryant and Gwen Stacy has appeared upon the scene, but that means nothing because Aunt May is very sick. Spidey gets Doc Connor to help with a formula that can save her life, but then it is stolen by the henchmen of Doctor Octopus. As the last of these three issues begins Spider-Man "is now trapped beneath tons of fallen steel, with the precious serum lying just out of reach, as the fatal second's tick by..." (quoting Stan Lee of course). But Spider-Man already is responsible for the death of his Uncle Ben and he is not going to fail Aunt May. There are other Spider-Man stories as good, but none better than this one, which finds both Lee and Ditko at their peaks. Excelsior!

This is easily one of the top 5 graphic novels I have ever read (and I have read quite a few of them). I'll keep this short and say that both the story and the art are breath-taking. Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee basically made a name for themselves with this series. It shines a new light on the so-called "superheroes," The Inhumans. More about politics, evolution, and power than any real superheroics, The Inhumans is not to be missed.

One other note -- 9 year olds will be completely lost in this story. This is definitely NOT a children's book, not because of content, but for sophistication. It's insulting to all graphic novel readers for Amazon to label them as children's books simply because of their medium.

The Inhumans by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee is an incredible work. Told in 12 chapters, the story takes a bit of time to unfold and new readers will need a while to familiarize themselves with all of the characters. But once these two areas are handled...get ready for a fun ride.

It's impossible to describe the depth of this story. What other writers would present as a simple battle between government soldiers and a race of super-powered beings...Paul Jenkins pulls so much more from. There is slavery, penance, insanity, forgiveness, shame, understanding, heroism, loyalty, blind loyalty, manipulation, emancipation, love, and then there is family.

What makes The Inhumans work so well beyond the immense story is the uniqueness of the characters. The race of inhumans each have their own individuality expressed in their dialogue, their actions, and most powerfully in their appearence. What we might view as deformed...they would view as beautiful...two worlds that meet through a mirror (a symbol that is touched upon in the narrative). Pages could be written about these characters but then that would spoil the read and discovery so I'll confine mine to two characters.

TRITON - In what is probably the strongest chapter of the book, this character reflects back on his witnessing of the sinking of the Lusitania. It was his first encounter with humans in a positive light and lead him to think and rethink his thoughts on these creatures of a different race. The paintings of Triton standing on the decks of the Lusitania in present day are haunting.

BLACK BOLT - The king of the Inhumans who is not permitted to speak because his vocal cords can decimate mountains. He is also not permitted thought balloons because that would rob the character of so much. With the powerful king we have a character that will make you think. The weight of his people rests on his shoulders, and because of his complete lack of dialogue we are kept in the dark as to his motivations just as his closest family members are. Here is a character that could not exist in any other medium save the realm of the comic book (graphic novel to the elite). I found myself staring at every panel with this wonderful character present. The embrace between brothers Black Bolt and 'Mad' Maximus was especially gripping.

All in all I can not praise Inhumans enough. It has a creative energy that helps it stand apart from the typical superhero storyline. Much like each citizen of Attilan, there will never be another story like Inhumans.

Will you love it on the first read? Maybe not. Will you think about it when it's all over...definately. Will you want to return for another read?

This superbly crafted work of super-heroic fiction collects Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee's inspiring 12-issue maxi-series 'Inhumans.'

No doubt this earns a place on the shelf against the likes of Watchmen, Maus, From Hell and select others. Certainly one of the better books of sequential art.

An extraordinary team-up of writer/artist. Very few mesh so well together to drive the story to levels that render emotional vehemence whilst providing undaunted prose (so clearly displayed in issue #9).

No knowledge of Marvel history/continuity is needed.

Please read also 'Sentry' of the same creators. Look for it, it will be here soon.

Volume 3 of "The Essential Fantastic Four" is the one we have been waiting for because with issues #41-63 and Annuals #3 & $ of "The Fantastic Four" we are talking the period where this truly was "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine!" This is also where the FF have their greatest battle, against the threat of Galactus and his herald, the Silver Surfer, and Annual #3 presents the wedding of Reed Richards and Sue Storm. Those stories alone would make this particular collection required reading but during this period Stan Lee and Jack Kirby also created the Inhumans and the Black Panther, substantially adding to the Marvel pantheon. But the clincher is that having come up with the ultimate FF story (everything is anticlimactic after you essentially stop a god from devouring your planet) there is another classic multi-part story as Doctor Doom steals the Surfers cosmic powers. Actually, I like those stories a bit more (check out the classic cover for issue #60), but then it is hard for Lee to go wrong with any sort of Silver Surfer story at this point in history.

Also, from an artistic standpoint I think Jack Kirby clearly reached his heights as an artist during this period, but a large measure of credit also goes to inker Joe Sinnot, who replaced Vince Colletta. Just compare the drawings of the Thing in the first story to those in the last in this volume and the improvement is obvious. If you go back to the first volume of "Fantastic Four" repeats the difference is even more striking. Kirby was also experimenting with zip tones, using photographs, working in a lot more in terms of backgrounds for his panels, and indulging in splash pages in the middle of stories. When you think of how long Kirby had been drawing comic books at that point in his career, the fact that his artwork could suddenly improve so dramatically is astounding. In terms of artwork and stories, this is as good as the "Fantastic Four" ever got in its celebrated history. When I think of the FF, the stories in this volume are the ones I remember best.

Here began the best years of The Fantastic Four. Writer Lee developed real (albeit sometimes hokey) characters (this is, after all, a comic book) who each spoke in a voice unique to them (often lines of dialogue were attributable even without the pictures), and artist Jack Kirby reached his creative Marvel peak. A must for any fan of the genre, but particularly for the FF afficianado.

These stories teach two important lessons about the collaborative medium that is the comic book (particularly the dramatic/action/adventure/superhero book). The first is the importance of writing. Yes, you can tell a story with pictures alone, and Jack Kirby was better than almost anyone else at doing that. It was, after all, Kirby's talent in this regard (along with Steve Ditko's) that led to the development of what came to be known as "The Marvel Method", with artists drawing and often plotting before one line of description or dialogue was written). But just as the sound era made John Ford a better director (THE IRON HORSE is a very good silent picture; STAGECOACH-- made only a dozen years later-- is a great film), likewise Stan Lee's dialogue made Jack Kirby's great art into a great comic book. You only have to read much of Kirby's later work (especially for DC). While incredibly creative, imaginative, and powerful in its artistic vision, the dialogue (written by Kirby himself) is often stilted and, unless adopting an obvious accent, lacks specific characterization.

The second lesson is finding the right inker. Joe Sinnott's inking of Kirby's FF pencils took everything to a higher level: a vast improvement over Vince Colletta's earlier FF efforts. Yet even this is situational. Colletta's inks of Kirby artwork on Thor was the perfect match of inker with penciller with subject, just as the Kirby-Sinnott collaboration was perfect for the FF (and just as Syd Shores' inks were perfect for Kirby's Captain America). Very few inkers are good for all artists on all titles (Frank Giacoa comes to mind as being able to do this, and maybe Tom Palmer, but not many others).

And so in Volume III of THE ESSENTIAL FANTASTIC FOUR, "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine" begins to live up to its billing. See for yourself.

This is not only an excellent book, but it is also a classic study at how important an inker is on the penciller. Starting in issue 44, Joe Sinnott took over as inker of Jack Kirby's work and the result is startling. Sinnott dramatically improved the art and brought out the talent that Jack Kirby has.
The stores themselves and mixed, but the Galactus tale still holds well including the introduction of the Silver surfer. My personal favorite is the battle with Dr. Doom after he stole the Silver Surfer's powers. Doom pontificates in all his bravado and the FF finally realize (du) they are out of their league. If you've ever wanted to see why the silver age of comics was the silver age of comics, get this book!

"The Essential Spider-Man, Volume 4" presents black & white reprints of "The Amazing Spider-Man" #69-89 and Annuals #4-5, which covers the web-head from 1969-71. I was sort of surprised as I read through these issues again that really nothing significant happens. I mean, we have return visits from the Kingpin, the Lizard, the Chameleon, Mysterio and Doctor Octopus, but the new villains are pretty week: Man-Mountain Marko, the Prowler, the Kangaroo, and the Schemer. Make that incredibly weak villains, except for the Prowler, who is just a kid making stupid mistakes.

At this point Stan Lee has his formula for Spider-Man, which is probably encapsulated best by what our hero says at the conclusion of issue #72: "So, I finally nailed the Shocker...Big deal! I'm in the doghouse with Gwen...the tablet is gone again...I just remembered something else...I forgot to take a single picture of the entire battle! So all I get out of it is some skinned knuckles! In other words, the wonderful Parker luck is still running true to form! Nuts!" The best story in this collection is probably "The Parents of Peter Parker!" from Annual #5, although the most memorable moment is when the Black Widow comes up with her sexy new threads of the Seventies.

John Buscema takes over the penciling chores from John Romita (Sr.) at one point before Gil Kane makes his first appearance right at the end. Buscema did some nice work on "Conan," but Spider-Man does not play to his strengths; Kane, however, does manage to adapt his distinctive style to the comic. Fortunately, things improve considerably for Spider-Man as Stan Lee gets a feel for the Seventies. So you can just write off this collection as the quiet before the storm of Harry's drug addiction, the deaths of Captain and Gwen Stacy, and Spider-Man really becoming Spider-Man.

In these issues of Spider-Man, Spidey is a modern day (or at least late 60s)comic book version of Sisyphus - endlessly pushing a boulder uphill that threatens to crush him. While out battling some of his greatest villians, Kingpin, Doc Ock, the Lizard and Electro, he tries (usually unsuccessfully) to juggle a career, a girlfriend and friendships. His undeserved bad rep usually puts a negative spin on even his most spectacular triumphs - with his g/f, his boss and his Aunt May all decrying his "web-slinging weasal" of an alter ego. Even the superheroes who guest star (Quicksilver, Human Torch and Black Widow) take Spidey for a chump - at least intially.

John Romita's art is constitantly good throughout the book (and is, to me, the definitive artist of the web-slinger), while Stan Lee's scripts only occasionally blow up into inflated, awkward rhetoric or 'wannabee hip' 60's cliches. The stories themselves are good, not great. The standouts being his epic battles with Kingpin (issues #69,70, 83-85), Doc Ock (who hijacks a plane in issue #88 - probably more eerie and plausible today than 30 years ago), the story of Peter Parker's parents (in annual #5), and the cool bonus features (such as 'Spidey's Greatest Talent' or Spidey drawn in the style of other comics such as superman, Little Abner and Mickey Mouse - pure fluff but lots of fun!).

On the donwside, there are a few villains who are duds - the Schemer, the Kangaroo, Man Mountain Marko - which really suck the life out of these stories. Spidey is essentially villain-driven. His character, like the Batman, is driven to fight crime because of the murder of a loved one. When the villain is on the money, it works that he nearly loses his girlfriend, job and/or friends every issue. When the villain is weak, the gimmick gets old.

Another complaint is the lack of development of the minor characters. Other than his girlfriend (Gwen Stacey) and her father, there's very little involvement from Harry Osbourne, Flash Thompson or even Aunt May. Spidey needs a strong supporting cast and he doesn't get it in these issues.

In all, classic art, some compelling stories and a few clunkers. Not a bad value for a true Spidey fan.

The Essential Spider-Man Volume 4 is a very good collection of stories that place our super hero and his alter-ego into situations that, in a day and age over thirty years after their publication, seem so relevant to modern-day Americans.

Though Peter Parker was always busy being both an underappreciated crime fighter and a student trying to maintain an active social life, his attempts to keep his super hero identity a secret have taken their toll. Before, Peter's main secret identity challenge was to never let poor Aunt May know that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. In these stories, he is now faced with an added unsurmountable task of keeping this secret away from a much younger, less gullible individual in Harry Osborn, his college roommate.

Throughout the stories, Peter, because of trying to pull double duty as a full-time college student with a girlfriend (who constantly questions his motives and who does not and must not know his secret) and as the ever-loving Spider-Man is bombarded by working 'round-the-clock hours and facing lack of time necessary to keep his grades up. In the earlier issues, he could manage to fight crime and still be the top student in his high school classes; however, this time, he is sleeping less, and after he fights up yet another victory, he returns to a home that is a much smaller setting than Aunt May's place at much later hours and cannot change out of his costume until he has climbed in through the apartment window while Harry is either away or asleep. And in some of the episodes, Peter is so tired that he crashes and ends up falling asleep while lying across the bed as opposed to having properly tucked himself in.

In a day and age of holding down two or more jobs and multitasking each one, we cannot help but sympathize and empathize with Peter Parker's dilemmas. Not only do we feel Peter's exhaustion, but we, in our own way, are like Peter in the sense that it is sometimes impossible to reveal to others who question or criticize us the challenges we put up with, because our situations are either unique or beyond their comprehension.

Pivotal points and issues also make these past stories so relevant. We have the inclusion of minority characters who are trying to improve their living standards through education, and even when they are in college or have just graduated, it seems that opportunities are few, since someone else higher up has already rung up the ladder of success.

Attempts to handle these circumstances, through student protests to improve living conditions and educational opportunities at Empire State University and through one's desperate attempt to take on a masked villain alter-ego to create fear, thus respect, from the big wheels of society, seem no less primitive in this day and age. And we still often wonder if there is any way that a pacifist can truly create change in a society where change is truly needed.

I had never owned any of the original issues in this collection (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #96-98 and 121-122), but I knew the story of Gwen Stacy's death. Gwen was the girlfriend of Spider-Man's alter ego, Peter Parker and had been a staple of this series since the mid-60's.

When writer Gerry Conway determined that he would kill her off, his intent was to show that in the life of a costumed adventurer like Spider-Man, nothing was certain. He felt that the readers needed a shock to wake them up. Nasty things can happen when insane super-villains are about and who's more insane than Spider-Man's archnemesis, the Green Goblin?

The Stan Lee-written drug stories (#96-98) are hokey and it's obvious Stan didn't know the first thing about drugs, but the publication of these issues was a seminal moment for modern comics. Long under the bootheel of the Comics Code Authority, Lee had to publish these three issues WITHOUT the code logo on the cover because of the drug content. He felt it was necessary to speak out against drug use and was willing to take a fairly considerable risk to do it.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #96-98 also lays the groundwork for what was to come. Harry Osborn, son of Norman Osborn (a.k.a., the Green Goblin), is addicted to drugs and gets on a bad LSD trip. Later, in #121, we find that Harry continues to have substance abuse problems. His father is livid and blames Harry's friends, including Peter. His rage drives him back into the role of the Goblin and the fateful climax atop the Brooklyn Bridge which would leave one long-time and much-beloved character dead and another forever changed.

The wonderful art of comic industry icons Gil Kane and John Romita, Sr., make this story a visual treat. Kane's drafting and storytelling prowess shines in this story.

Don't miss out on this story, one of the most involving, dramatic and poignant comic book tales to see print.

Since Spider-Man was such a gigantic hit at the box office, it seems everyone these days is a Spider-Man fan. Naturally anyone who never before knew anything about the Spider-Man universe or backstory is convinced Mary Jane was Spidey's number one love. Well, those same people should definitely consider checking this TPB out. Collecting Amazing Spider-Man #96-98 and #121-122 from the mid 1960's. Gwen Stacy was Peter Parker's first true love and was a staple of the series for years until this shocking (at the time) story was released. We begin with seeing Harry Osborn succombing to a drug addiction he can no longer control. This segment of the story was groundbreaking at the time considering Stan Lee wrote it without the approval of the Comic Code. Later on we see Harry's father Norman overcome with rage over his son's addictions, and he blames Harry's friends and wants revenge. Thus, the Green Goblin returns to seek his revenge on Peter Parker by taking what Pete holds most dear: Gwen. The story itself is very emotional and in its' day made a huge impact, even though the drug addiction theme may seem hokey today. The art by Gil Kane and John Romita, Sr. is among they're best (and they were and are still industry icons), and all in all this is one of the best stories in the Spider-Man universe and comics in general.

The Death of Gwen Stacey is one of the greatest comic book stories...EVER! Having been written over 20 years ago, the sheer power of this story still resonates with readers and comic continuity today.

What can be said? We have a powerful villain in the Green Goblin (Norman Osborn). We have a strong side story in the drug addled battles of Peter Parker's best friend, Harry Osborn. And we have what is possbily the finest hero-villain battle ever between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin on top of the George Washington Bridge.

Sure the title tells us that there is "Death". But the way the death unfolds...very powerful story-telling.

Whenever I think of Spider-Man, the motto "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility" always comes to mind. Never more so than with this excellent storyline.

This book is well,pardon my pun but,essential for anyone new to Iron Man comics!They cover the early adventures of Iron Man,and of course reviel his,and his emimies origons!It contains over 20 issues! After reding about these characters you will want to pick up the current issues for sure,just to see what things are like now.

My first comic book was bought by my mother when I was five and it was Ironman. I thought the cover was cool. While I am only now getting very interested in comic books, I will never forget Ironman being the first comic book I ever had.

That being said, when I went retro and decided to learn more about various wonderful Marvel Comic heroes, I decided to make my first "Essential" purchase Ironman. I was not disappointed.

This collection goes all the way back to the origin of Ironman centering on Anthony Stark and his becoming "The most tragic figure on earth!" The drama here pours out when both the reader and Anthony Stark realize that the only way he can survive is to remain in his iron suit for the rest of his life. The drama doesn't get much better than this.

As for the collection itself, it does lose some in its black and white pages, but if you convince yourself that you are going old school and that in older movies, black and white is better, then you will enjoy it. Also, focus on the drama of the story, not the look and you will have a great time.

If Marvel had continued to produce their Masterworks paperbacks, I would say go there. But they don't, so if you're looking to keep the price down and get a good story, this collection is for you. I'll keep buying.

While some people may knock the Essentials series for many things, including lack of color and cheap paper, I find that the compact form and cheap price far outweighs any of those points. In fact, the stories in these comics and the portable, read anywhere, form of this book are excellent for us folks who just want to read (or re-read) the tales of our beloved Marvel Heroes. The stories in this book begin simple, but evolve quickly, forming the psyche of the tormented Tony Stark and, eventually, Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan. Without a doubt a classic character, this is the perfect way (apart from tracking down the original comics) to enjoy Iron Man!

Once the Dark Phoenix Saga concluded, the X-Men became a victim of their own success, as the sensational collaboration between Chris Claremont and John Byrne began to sag beneath the weight of the artists' egos. The stories became verbose and overwrought as ideas seemed to perpetually recycle, the art lost much of its previous verve, and the title generally settled into a long decline.

There remain some notable highlights in "Essential X-Men Vol. 3", however. The courtship of Dr. Doom and Storm is classic and totally unexpected. The story arc with Cyclops stranded on a desert isle housing his greatest foe is sensational, as is the appearance of Dracula (!). Unfortunately, these high points sink beneath the weight of drecch like Kitty Pryde's fairytale version of the X-Men and the touted return of Dark Phoenix.

If you're a true fan of the X-Men, you'll want this collection to avoid bending the corners of your precious back issues. Otherwise, grab the first two volumes of this series instead.

I bought all of these to back track and read the previous things that had happened within the comic. This serves the purpose but was disapointed that they were not in color.

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"Mutant Genesis" reprints (in color, not b&w) the first seven issues of the second series X-Men (now renamed New X-Men) from 1991. Claremont writes the first three issues, and John Byrne and Jim Lee write the remaining four. Lee provides pencils for all.

The the 3-issue story "Rubicon" represents Claremont's finale as he left the series he'd written for 14 years and made the highest selling comic EVER. It ranks among his best writing (which is saying a lot). The story revolves around Magneto's quest for vengence against Charles Xavier and Moira MacTaggert, involving nearly thirty years of X-Men history, including the effects of the Holocaust, prejudice, nuclear proliferation, and the effects of anger on the human soul. Highly recommended.

If you enjoy this trade, I would recommend Claremont's work in:
"X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills"; "X-Men: Vignettes"; and the four volumes of Essential X-Men b&w reprints.