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Too Much Amazing Spider-Man?

Is there really any truth to the words "too much of a good thing"? I don't know and I don't really care.

Amazing Spider-Man has, for many years been my all-time favorite comic book. The first issue I picked up was Amazing Spider-Man #397 back in early 1995. From there I picked up any issues of the comic (and other Spidey comics) that were on the racks that I had the green to pay for. At that point, the oldest issue of Amazing Spider-Man I had was #107, an issue I'd gotten for free from one of the kind ushers at my church (still have it). It wasn't until 1997 that I'd gotten a huge does of Amazing Spider-Man that would strengthen my love for the character and the title. I came across a book that was called at the time, The Essential Spider-Man. For $12.95 (these are now $16.99) I had black & white reprints of Amazing Fantasy #15, Amazing Spider-Man #1-20, and Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1. To a fifteen year old kid, it was the equivalent of stumbling onto a gold mine. I wasn't bothered by these titles not being in color. All I cared about was getting my education to Spider-Man, and that's exactly what this book was made for. Now I've got the first seven Essential Amazing Spider-Man TPBs, and a box of Amazing Spider-Man comics from various runs and eras. If I put anymore comics in that box, it may burst (I really need to get more comic boxes). And you know what? I want more Amazing Spider-Man.



Some folks are satisfied with the reprints, Essentials or actually issues that they've got. I'll never give up my Essential books. That's where I got introduced to old-school Spidey and they hold sentimental value to me. I'll still have them when I eventually buy the Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus vol. 1. This ultra thick baby gives you the entire Lee/Ditko run in color. The regular asking price is $99 but for what you're getting, I think that's a pretty sweet deal, and depending on where you look for it, you can probably get it cheaper. Me, I can get 25% off the book at my comic shop. And you just know Marvel will release a volume 2, which will hopefully give us the entire Lee/Romita Sr. era (with John Buscema doing a few fill in issues). This book has been out for over a year now and if you listened when it was announced, you could hear the sound of millions of fanboys crapping their pants.


I really do prefer to have my comics in my hands in paper form, but I really can't argue with this package. The Amazing Spider-Man Complete Collection has every issue in Amazing Spider-Man from 1962 all the way to through December of 2006 on a single DVD-ROM. The site I've linked to has it for less than $40 with estimated shipping. I'm gonna try to buy this puppy online this week. With such a huge collection, I'll finally be able to read Roger Stern's two part Juggernaut story and see just how bad the '98 reboot really was (people actually tell me Brand New Day is similar to the reboot but much worse). The comics are also printable, which is a very nice bonus. I already spend way too much time on my computer and this really won't help me take time away from it. The price I pay for being a huge dork, I suppose.

Comments

Tommy said…
I've been meaning to pick up more Essentials and that cd for both the purpose of reading these stories and for knowing more when it comes to doing SMURF codes.

If that cd was the one that reprinted the ads too, that's likely the one that will benefit me most. That sounds weird, but it helps when putting a page number for some of the things I SMURF.

While I could easily just count by actual story pages, there are times when the ad pages are counted, and the page number for the story stuff is changed by that.

In the end, I suppose it'll be whatever things evolve towards as I get more done and consult with Jon.
June 28, 2008 at 4:02 PM
Reggie White Jr. said…
What does SMURF, mean? Pleas 'splain.

I think the Essentials are some of the best books Marvel puts out. Great way for catching up on decades worth of old comics. I read Essential X-Men vol. 1 (the start of Claremont's run) and loved it.
June 28, 2008 at 4:51 PM
Tommy said…
Spider-Man Universe Reading Flow

http://www.spiderfan.org/comics/
notes.html#smurf

Essentially, these codes are put into the Spiderfan system which then alters this current continuity guide:

http://www.spiderfan.org/
comics/smurf.html


Although the Marvel Chronology Project exists, I'm trying to make something much more exact by not just going by Spidey's adventures, but knowing what other Marvel characters were doing, so that when they intersect with Spidey (usually during crossovers), I can be that much more certain I've got things ordered right.

I've got a Word document filled with stuff I'm either working on or have explanations for. Some of my orderings are different from MCP's for Spidey, and I'll likely hook up with them at some point and chew the fat.
June 28, 2008 at 7:11 PM
Sol (Frederick) Badguy said…
I know what you mean about preferring printed copies of the comics, but for me since I sit most of the time on my computer I prefer my comics digital. You should consider it a blessing the issues are printable, but they're more expensive than the original Marvel printing.

I have a few questions Reggie:
Is there a thread open in CBR about this DVD?
Are they serious all the issues are in one DVD?
The box is big, what does the rest of the box contain?
Is the Omnibus a CD/DVD or is it a printed book?
What is the Juggernaut rewritten story? In which issue(s)?
June 29, 2008 at 1:51 PM
Reggie White Jr. said…
There is a thread about this at CBR that just got bumped. All issues from Amazing Fantasy #15 to Dec 2006 are on one disc, annuals included. What's in the rest of the box, your guess is as good as mine. I haven't bought it yet.

The ASM Omnibus is a huge hardcover book that collects the entire Lee/Ditko run of ASM.

The Juggernaut story is in ASM #229-230.
June 29, 2008 at 5:35 PM
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