Spider-Man Comics Read-through Masterpost (The Eighties)
See previous masterpost for more information
Notes:
-The list is a WIP. Numbers will be corrected. Maybe. Someday. When I get to it.
-Eras are divided by artists, but I kept the division by story arc first and foremost.
The Wolfman Era (Part 2)
053 Enter Swarm (SSM 35-37): Here
054 Schizoid Man and Spider Lizard (SSM 38-40): Here
082 Man Hunt (ASM 201-203, WI v1 19)
084 Untitled (SSM 41-43)
086 Black Cat Always Lands On Her Feet (ASM 204-206)
The O'Neil Era
087 Malachi Tooms, Vulture (SSM 44-45, SSM Ann 2)
088 Untitled (ASM 207-213, Ann 14, WI v1 24)
090 Untitled (SSM 46-48)
092 Enter The Smuggler (SSM 49-52)
094 Then We Shall Both Be Betrayed (ASM 214-216)
096 Untitled (SSM 53-58, SSM Ann 3)
097 Mud Thing (ASM 217-218)
098 Untitled (ASM 219-225, Ann 15, WI v1 30)
The Stern Era
101 Beetle, Gibbon (SSM 59-60)
102 Untitled (SSM 61-68)
104 But the Cat Came Back (ASM 226-228, Smokescreen 01)
106 Nothing Can Stop The Juggernaut (ASM 229-232, Ann 16, Savage Land)
107 Silvermane Dies (SSM 69-71)
109 Brand Corporation and Tarantula (ASM 233-237)
111 Octopus and Owl (SSM 72-77)
112 First Hobgoblin (ASM 238-239)
114 The Final Battle (SSM 78-80)
115 Vulture, Wings of Vengeance (ASM 240-243, Ann 17)
116 Stalkers in the Shadows (SSM 81-83)
118 Search For The Green Goblin Formula (ASM 244-245)
119 Untitled (SSM 84-86)
120 Untitled (ASM 246-248)
122 Secrets, Confessions and Endings (ASM 249-251, SM&PP 01)
The DeFalco Era
123 Untitled (SSM 87-89)
125 Untitled (ASM 252-255, WI v1 46)
126 Spidey and Black Cat vs The Answer (SSM 90-93)
128 Puma (ASM 256-258, Ann 18)
129 Cloak and Dagger vs Silvermane (SSM 94-97)
131 Return of Hobgoblin (ASM 259-262)
132 First Spot (SSM 98-100)
133 Untitled (ASM 263-267, ASM Ann 19)
134 Web of Spider-Man (WSM 1-3)
135 Untitled (SSM 101-104)
136 United We Fall (SSM 105-106)
137 Arms and the Man (WSM 4-5)
138 Spider-Man vs The Firelord (ASM 269-272)
139 Death of Jean DeWolff (SSM 107-110)
140 Secret Wars II (SWII 1-9, ASM 268, 273-274, WSM 6, SSM 111)
141 Local (Super) Hero (WSM 7-9, WSM Ann 1)
142 Peter Parker, Vigilante and Victim (WSM 10-12)
143 Untitled (SSM 112-114)
144 Hobgoblin Unmasked (ASM 275-278)
145 All That Glitters (WSM 13-15)
146 Things Fall Apart (SSM 115-117)
147 Ace (SSM Ann 5-6)
148 Missing In Action (WSM 16-19)
149 Silver Sable, Sinister Syndicate (ASM 279-283, ASM Ann 20)
The Michelinie Era
150 Roxxon, England - Ireland with Joy Mercado (WSM 20-22,WSM Ann 2)
151 Untitled (SSM 118-124)
152 Gang War (ASM 284-288)
153 Untitled (WSM 23-28, SMvW 1)
154 Wrecking Havoc (SSM 125-126)
155 Hobgoblin Revealed (ASM 289, WSM 29-30)
156 Spider Slayers (ASM 290-292, ASM Ann 21)
157 Untitled (SSM 127-130, SSM Ann 7)
158 Kraven's Last Hunt (ASM 293-294, WSM 31-32, SSM 131-132)
159 Mad Dog Ward (ASM 295, WSM 33, SSM 133)
160 Doctor Octopus Recovers (ASM 296-297)
161 Return of the Sin Eater (SSM 134-136)
162 Untitled (WSM 34-39, WSM Ann 3)
163 Return of Tarantula (SSM 137-138)
164 Chance (ASM 298-300)
165 Cult of Love (WSM 40-43)
166 Fifth Reich (ASM 301-303)
167 Spider-Man meets Tombstone (SSM 139-142)
168 Reunion (WSM 44, IH 349)
169 The Evolutionary War (Marvel Annuals 1988)
170 Untitled (WSM 45-46)
171 Untitled (ASM 304-314)
172 Lobo Brothers Gang War (SSM 143-154, WSM 47-55)
173 Return of Venom (ASM 315-317)
174 Scorpion (ASM 318-319)
175 Atlantis Attack (Marvel Annuals 1989)
176 The Assassin Nation Plot (ASM 320-325, WI v2 4)
177 Skin Deep (WSM 56-58)
178 Untitled (SSM 155-157)
Recommendations: First Half | Second Half
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The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #30 — Stan Lee, Steve Ditko
Oh, so it's really over now, huh? (Not that it ever really started.)
I do love how Peter becomes more and more deflated as he hears what Betty wants in a partner and comes to the sad realization that it's something he can never fulfill as a boyfriend, let alone a husband, as long as he's Spider-Man.
It's unfortunate that we never actually see these two dating. All their time together has just been consumed by the artificial drama of Betty being jealous of Liz or Peter being jealous of Ned.
Otherwise, this moment would have hit a lot harder. I mean, it's still sad, but it could've been sadder.
What especially sucks is that the beginning of this relationship was so incredibly promising! There was even a moment or two of them being so freakin' cute together!
Such a shame...
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Spider-Man Read-Through 038: A Nova-stic Mystery (ASM 171, Nova v1 12)
MASTERPOST
Ooooh! Another murder mystery! Come along, let's figure this out, unlike last time.
So Nova, aka Rich Rider, goes to see his uncle, but he learns at the train station that the latter has been abducted by a being named Photon.
There's at least two reasons to not believe this Jason Dean. First off, we don't have proof (yet) that anything he says is true. Secondly... look at the clock in the upper middle panel. 2:15. Now look...
Wait... Huh?
See, the clock is very clearly put at the forefront here. But I read it as 3:30, not 2:30... But if Rich says it's 2:30... Okay, let's assume so. The drawing isn't clear, but let's believe it. My theory was that 1 hour and 15 minutes was enough to kill Rich's uncle and clean the crime scene, but I guess this is moot.
The police chief, Rich and Jason Dean go back to the house.
Well, that's certainly not suspicious at all!
What the heck are you doing here, tiger?
Turns out Connors recommended him to check out the uncle's library, and so Peter did. Photon appeared quickly after they talked for a bit.
They also make a special point to emphasize that the uncle was fond of wordplay and especially anagrams. Hm.
Rich calls his dad to explain the situation to him. When he returns to the parlor, Daze says he's still dazed (but call him Happy!) and Rich decides to change into his super-hero self, Nova.
Anyway, Spider-Man gets in his suit and spots someone running away. They fight, and the man lets out that he's happy that the uncle died. Oooh!
Nova spots Spidey and they have a little confrontation.
They get better.
Turns out the strange man was the uncle's lab assistant!
...Wait wait wait wait.
The next page involves the characters talking to each other and using their names... Anagrams.
For reasons hopefully clear enough, we won't include Peter in this little game.
I have no experience trying anagrams. Normal font: my attempt.
Bold: The computer!
Harry Daze: Dear [Rahzy]. Solver inconclusive.
Michael Lincoln: Nonchemical, conman
Jason Dean: Solver inconclusive.
Franklin Risk: Solver inconclusive.
... I'm bad at it, but I feel like Lincoln is the most probably culprit if there's truly a wordplay at bay... Although my solver only searched for singular words.
Let's continue.
Rider, aka the uncle, screamed at 2:25? Jason Dean met Photon at 15, so is it really possible? He arrives at the train station at 30...
Hmm, this is suspicious, but still. The butler suddenly interrupts them, then the suspicious Harry Daze "excuses himself". HMM.
Everyone leaves Nova and Peter alone, and then Photon is back! He declares that one of them saw Photon's true identity. Hmm, really?
What. It feels just as messy as a Murder, She Wrote plot.
I feel like it must be Daze, so that means I'm probably wrong.
Or not?
Time for another discussion! It becomes more and more clear that everybody wanted the uncle's research results for their own evil deeds--A.I.M., the maggia...
Well, who can it be?
Suddenly, the light switch is turned off! When it's back on, the police chief reveals that the butler died before saying who was the culprit. How convenient!
That's a fun way to do it!
And I'm not sure at this point. So let's check out ASM, shall we?
Hmm.
If everybody had disappeared, does it mean that they're all the culprit? Obviously, none of them wants bad press, but they may all be accomplices...
As he leaves to catch them, Nova thinks about the fact that the police chief left out a lot of things in his reports, notably the ties of each character to bad business, which I did notice, but can't quite decide on the meaning. I don't see how he could have killed the uncle if he's the police chief and was at his station the whole time. But he might have a lot of interest in keeping the ties to himself, if he wants to manipulate them later...
MEANWHILE: SLICE OF LIFE!
"I'd sooner die than put the woman I love in danger" HA. HA. HA. Oboy.
That man who wants to confront her, though... Could it be her brother? Raxton? The Molten Man? He's the one that immediately comes to mind. And the get up and footprints also seem to indicate as much.
The bad guys are all gathered in the lighthouse by the coast. Franklin Risk reveals he's the one who pulled the plug back at the house, as he wants to do business with those men.
The "Ms. Marvel" mentioned is Carol Danvers, by the way. Oh, I'm going to see The Marvels in a few hours actually! I'll tell y'all how it was. (Update: It was fun!)
Anyway, Spidey and Nova pay everyone a visit, but they're captured by Photon (and obviously, the suspects have disappeared).
The heroes escape and decide to recap what happened AGAIN. Dear Lord.
Yeah, I noticed the "shot" thing but wondered if it was just a script mistake. Spidey says Dean should have arrived quicker. I don't know. I did notice they said it was a miles away, but you know. Panic. Old vehicles. That kind of stuff.
So everybody gets back to the uncle's house...
Pretty panel.
Rich's dad arrived there! He's taken as hostage by Photon, but Nova jumps around everywhere and knocks Photon down.
OH MY FUCKING GOD. I KNEW IT. I KNEW THE CALENDARS WERE IMPORTANT. I KNEW THEY WAS LINKED TO THE ANAGRAM THING. I EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT DOING THAT EXACT THING.
But I just forgot about it. Oh my Goooooooooooooooooood...
So, I think it was an alright duo of issues, but the plot loses his way around its second half. It introduces too many motives, too many mishaps, a lot of empty talks... And it turns the clues used to discover the culprit's identity were things that showed up in the first three pages of this 40 pages story. I can see the scenarists having the basic clues figured out and needing to fill the rest to get the page quota. How disappointing! Well, it was still fun to try and figure out, and I do like the last clue.
The readers page tell us that WOTW was a popular character, and he came from one of Len Wein's fanzines. That's nice to know! Apparently, Marv Wolfman and Mark Hannerfeld begged him to include the character.
In the next post: White Tiger in SSM! I know her from Marvel Snap, the card game on mobile that has banger music. After that, Hitman's return (which no one asked for) in ASM, mystery villains in SSM, and finally, the Green Goblin's return in ASM to close this run!
I'll reserve my judgment for when I finish it, but so far, it's been sadly unsatisfying. The long plots are very intriguing and interesting, but the individual issues, not so much. I wonder how I'll even deal with that in my Recommendation post...
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