Post by crazyoldhermit on Feb 20, 2015 14:42:01 GMT -5
The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 (1964)
"The Sinister Six!"
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Steve Ditko
Letters: Sam Rosen
Cover: Steve Ditko
Summary: A team of specialists has managed to remove Ock's arms from his body. However, he still has a mental link to them. He summons them to his cell and escapes. Spidey reads about the escape in a newspaper he steals directly from JJJ but his reading is interrupted by Thor almost flying into him.
Across town Ock meets with Electro, Kraven and Mysterio. Since individually the villains almost beat Spider-Man Ock is going to run all of them (plus two more who aren't present) against Spidey to beat him with numbers. And he has the plan to do it.
The next day Peter's spider sense is set off by a man on the street. He's kept from investigating by Flash Thompson, who wants to fight Peter for walking Liz home from school. Peter dodges Flash's punch and Flash flies right into a stranger... Except that stranger is Dr Strange in his astral form. He admonishes Flash for his ignorance and walks off. The teenagers are completely freaked out, they believed Strange to be a myth. Strange's distraction allows Peter to change into his costume and pursue the mystery man but when he catches up to him his body disappears, leaving his clothes in a weak. Unknown to him, it's Sandman and he escaped down a sewer vent. He sneaks through the tunnels towards Ock's secret meeting.
When Peter swings home he sees a light in the attic window. Looking inside he sees Aunt May crying over her and Uncle Ben's wedding photo and other mementos. Standing on the edge of a building Peter loses himself in the memory of his uncle's death once more. But he loses his balance and just barely manages to hang onto a flag pole. His powers are gone! The Fantastic Four pass by in the Fantasticar but don't bother to help him because he's always been a lone wolf and they assume he's just showing off. Spidey manages to get inside the building and head out the front door. He walks home and goes to bed, relieved to no longer have to keep his Spider-Man secret from her but also confused about what to do with himself.
At Ock's lair the final guest has arrived, the Vulture. They all disagree about how best to tackle Spidey but Ock has a plan. He makes them all draw numbers and that is the order Spidey will face them. Each card also has a location listed with each location being ideal for the villain.
The next morning Peter is still feeling depressed. Aunt May suggests he should stay home but he heads out anyway. She wishes he would confide in her and wonders if he's having problems with Betty. At school Peter is a no-show and Flash brags about scaring him off. May calls the school and finds out Peter played hookey. Realizing how bothered he must be she is sure it has something to do with Betty.
Peter is actually wandering the docks ruminating about his life. He realizes that he'll no longer get work as a photographer but wonders if he can finally tell Betty his secret. His navel-gazing is interrupted by Giant Man and The Wasp stopping some crooks. Peter doesn't want to be around criminals and leaves.
May meets Betty outside the Bugle. Electro and Sandman were planning on taking Betty but decide to grab both. Jameson watches the abduction from his window. At Ock's lair Betty asks what they want while Aunt May seems rather taken with Ock.
In his office Jameson tells Peter about the abduction. Vulture shows up and tells Jameson to put a notice in the paper for Spider-Man to meet Electro at the Stark Electric Plant. Peter realizes that Betty was captured because twice now he has risked his life to rescue her. Knowing it will take hours for the next edition to hit the streets and desperate to have his secretary back Jameson calls the Fantastic Four to ask about Spidey. They haven't seen him since yesterday but Reed is concerned and calls The Avengers. Cap can't help since he's never even met Spidey while his teammates are all out. The Human Torch draws a signal in the sky and the X-Men see it but Professor X tells them to ignore it.
At home Peter faces a dangerous situation. His powers are gone but he has to try and save Betty and Aunt May. He dons his costume, preferring to die a man facing his challenges rather than live as a coward. He breaks into the Stark Electric Plant (having to sneak under a chain link fence) and faces Electro. Electro carries a card with the location of the next villain. To get it Spidey will have to beat him. Charging himself with an enormous amount of electricity he throws a bolt at Spidey, who is able to dodge it. Realizing his powers have returned (it was psychosomatic, brought on by his melancholy) he dodges Electro's attacks and ties a a length of wire to his ankle and uses his web to turn off the main power. He leaps at Electro and is impervious to his attacks due to his grounding with the wire. Finishing Electro with one punch, he retrieves the card and leaves Electro in the care of Iron Man.
The card leads Spidey just across the bay from the World's Fair. Kraven is waiting for him with three leopards. Rather than waste time fighting Kraven and his critters Spidey outmaneuvers him and steals his card. He heads to the next location but is ambushed by the Human Torchy. Spidey puts up a fight but Johnny talks him down. He tells Spidey that the whole city is looking for him and that he's here to help. Spidey apologizes for his rudeness but insists it's a personal matter he will handle alone.
Ock watches the ongoing events with disappointment in Electro and Kraven. He brings coffee and treats to Betty and May, who continues to be completely oblivious to the situation.
Elsewhere, Spidey has reached the third location and finds the X-Men waiting for him. They immediately attack him and they fight. Spidey busts up Beast pretty bad. So bad that he breaks apart and is revealed to be a robot. Using his spider-sense to guide him he destroys the robots and finds the hidden room Mysterio is watching from. He busts in and Mysterio sets off his tricks. Mysterio gets dropped but the card drops on a burning section of the floor (ignited by the fake Cyclops' eye beams) and he only barely manages to save the card, having to use his spider-sense to read the damaged message.
JJJ is growing more and more distressed. He sees a spider outside his window and demands it gives him the message from Spider-Man, unaware of his incredulous staff.
The fourth location is a walled in court. Spidey sees the note on a post but before he can grab it Sandman rises up from the floor. He lets Spidey pass through him to get the note but doing so activates the trap: An airtight metal cell forcing Spidey into close quarters with Sandman. But thanks to his spider-sense Spidey is able to dodge his blows while Sandman, who only has a normal lung capacity, runs out of air. With Sandman unconscious Spidey pries the door open and escapes.
At his office Jonah discovers that his staff have collected the newspapers of the distinguished competition. Why? They've been printing Extras all day chronicling Spider-Man's battles! And since JJJ had ordered his staff not to disturb him they haven't published any of their own. Realizing he's been scooped out of his own story Jameson loses it. Meanwhile, Ock is starting to second-guess his plan and comes up with a Plan B, as the only thing standing between him and Spidey is the Vulture.
Vulture faces Spidey and proclaims himself to be the most dangerous of all. Vulture tells him that Spidey must remove his web shooters or Vulture will simply fly off. Spidey agrees and Vulture sprays oil at his feet, using the wind from his wings to blow Spidey off the ledge he's standing on. Vulture lassoes his ankle but Spidey leaps at him, unties his ankle and lassoes him. Climbing on his back he orders Vulture to tell him where Betty Brant is and fly him back to where he left his web shooters. He looks the codger tied to a flagpole.
Ock tells Betty and May that he will be leaving for a short time but he'll be back. Betty is terrified but May is just appreciative of his manners. Outside, Spidey scopes out the lair. It's an old castle imported from Europe. With fully charged web capsules he's ready to go. He breaks into the building and sees Ock without his arms. He takes the opportunity to attack but the arms, remotely controlled, attack him. Spidey defeats them by punching Ock, who momentarily loses control of the arms when he's stunned. The arms are soon functional though and attack once more. Spidey escapes down a hallway while the arms return to their master, who is watching Spidey on a video feed. Ock springs a trapdoor that drops Spidey into a giant boil of water. Donning scuba gear Ock goes in to finish him but Spidey releases all of his webbing, which entangles the arms like seaweed. He pulls Ock out of the bowl and restrains him.
Spidey finds the captives. Betty is relieved to be rescued while May is disgusted by Spidey's costume and lack of manners. Spidey tells them the police are coming and May admits she has no idea whats going on. Spidey heads home and changes into his civvies. When the cops bring May and Betty to Forest Hills they're both happy to see him. May is especially happy to see that Peter is out of his slump (although she admonishes him twice for using slang) and the trio enjoy some happy times.
Human Torches flies by Jameson's office to ask if he's seen Spidey, as he wants to congratulate him on his victory. By this point Jameson looks like a madman and tells Torch that they all should be outlawed. Finally, we see the Sinister Six in a jail cell telling Ock that they'll never listen to him again.
"Gallery of Spider-Man's Most Famous Foes"
This is a fourteen-page pinup gallery showcasing every villain Spidey has faced so far.
"The Secrets of Spider-Man"
This is a nine-page feature giving a top-to-bottom rundown of Spidey's powers, abilities and equipment. There are an additional five pinups: A Spider-Man solo shot, a pinup of Betty Brant and J Jonah Jameson titled "Peter Parker's Favorite Heel and Heart-Throb," a pinup of Midtown High showing off the science lab, Flash Thompson and Liz Allan, a cutaway diagram of Peter's house an a pinup of Spidey with the Fantastic Four and Hulk (drawn in "the somewhat different Ditko style").
"How Stan Lee and Steve Ditko Create Spider-Man!"
The finale is a three page comic showing the creative process behind the series which portrays Lee in a hilariously awful light.
Whew. Thats a lot of comic for 25 cents.
Observations: What a whopper.
First you have a 41 page lead feature. It has everything. Aunt May and Betty Brant in peril, Spider-Man loses his powers, six Spidey villains, a guest appearance from the Human Torch, cameos from Thor, Dr Strange, the Fantastic Four, Giant-Man, Wasp, Captain America, Iron Man and The X-Men (with plugs for each of their books, natch), a retelling of the origin story and a subplot of Jameson losing his mind on the worst day of his life. It's wall-to-wall candy. Everything that made Silver Age Marvel awesome is in this book. Everything that Marvel currently is not is encapsulated by this book. The story is dramatic, funny and exciting. You feel for Peter when he's having a down day (and even Aunt May when she secretly mourns Ben), you laugh at Jameson going nuts and you're with him when he triumphs against six of his baddest bad guys.
Ock's scheme isn't perfect. The obvious approach would be to attack Spidey all at once rather than sequentially. And maybe it's my bias cropping up against but putting the fate of your scheme in the Vulture's hands (wings?) is foolhardy. But hey, this is really like six comics in one. The only character who feels a little shafted is Kraven. Last issue he was truly deadly. Here Spidey doesn't even give him the time of day and how he ends up incarcerated at the end is anybody's guess but since he was the star of the previous issue I give that a pass.
Aunt May's characterization turns a corner with the serious implication that she is going senile. Theres just no other explanation for her obliviousness. She reminds me of Aunt Bethany ("Is your house on fire Clark? Is Rusty still in the Navy?").
As great as the story is, this is really a showcase of Steve Ditko's talent and skill. The main feature has six stunning full page splashes, one for each villain, and they're gorgeous. The entire back half of the issue is built on Ditko's diagrams, pinups and demonstrations. I have no idea how he was able to turn out work this good while simultaneously drawing Dr Strange and Spider-Man. And that cover is just a killer. Ditko's draftsmanship ticks upwards once more.
The three page story with Stan and Steve is impossible to take at face value in light of their professional breakdown. I don't really want to get into a Stan vs Steve debate (they get ugly) but the story portrays Stan as a glory hogging, impossible-to-please bigmouth who dumps the entire workload on Steve. Decades after leaving Marvel Ditko released a comic criticizing Lee for his statements regarding the co-creation of Spider-Man and the impression of Lee he gave was very similar to that of the comic.
This is easily a contender for the best Spider-Man comic ever. 5/5
Other notes:
- Third appearance of Doc Ock and Vulture, second appearance of Electro, Sandman, Mysterio and Kraven.
- Sandman, Electro and Kraven have kept busy since their last appearances. Sandman battled the Human Torch over in Strange Tales, Electro battled Daredevil in the second issue of his book and Kraven battled Iron Man in Tales of Suspense (which explained how he returned to America).
- Peter says Uncle Ben died "months ago." If the universe was progressing completely in real time it would actually have been two years ago. If Amazing Fantasy #15 took place immediately before ASM #1, as I interpreted it, it would have happened about a year and a half ago.
- Peter's powerless walk home takes an hour while swinging would have taken only three minutes. This clocks Spidey's swinging at around 60mph, more if you take into account the more direct route able to be taken by air. This means that from his home in Forest Hills Spidey can reach Manhattan via the Queensboro bridge in around 7 minutes and probably faster if he takes a direct rule.
- The 1964 World's Fair and the Unisphere are shown as Spidey faces Kraven on the shore of Flushing Bay. A very dated reference. Coincidentally, the World's Fair site would later be the site of the Flushing Meadow Zoo, the only zoo that would have truly made sense in ASM #12. Kraven, zoo... Theres something there. No? Nevermind.
- The logo is given a four color treatment for the first time (blue, green, red and black). The word "Amazing" is moved down closer to "Spider-Man" to accommodate for the banner. In a few years this change would become permanent.
"The Sinister Six!"
Script: Stan Lee
Art: Steve Ditko
Letters: Sam Rosen
Cover: Steve Ditko
Summary: A team of specialists has managed to remove Ock's arms from his body. However, he still has a mental link to them. He summons them to his cell and escapes. Spidey reads about the escape in a newspaper he steals directly from JJJ but his reading is interrupted by Thor almost flying into him.
Across town Ock meets with Electro, Kraven and Mysterio. Since individually the villains almost beat Spider-Man Ock is going to run all of them (plus two more who aren't present) against Spidey to beat him with numbers. And he has the plan to do it.
The next day Peter's spider sense is set off by a man on the street. He's kept from investigating by Flash Thompson, who wants to fight Peter for walking Liz home from school. Peter dodges Flash's punch and Flash flies right into a stranger... Except that stranger is Dr Strange in his astral form. He admonishes Flash for his ignorance and walks off. The teenagers are completely freaked out, they believed Strange to be a myth. Strange's distraction allows Peter to change into his costume and pursue the mystery man but when he catches up to him his body disappears, leaving his clothes in a weak. Unknown to him, it's Sandman and he escaped down a sewer vent. He sneaks through the tunnels towards Ock's secret meeting.
When Peter swings home he sees a light in the attic window. Looking inside he sees Aunt May crying over her and Uncle Ben's wedding photo and other mementos. Standing on the edge of a building Peter loses himself in the memory of his uncle's death once more. But he loses his balance and just barely manages to hang onto a flag pole. His powers are gone! The Fantastic Four pass by in the Fantasticar but don't bother to help him because he's always been a lone wolf and they assume he's just showing off. Spidey manages to get inside the building and head out the front door. He walks home and goes to bed, relieved to no longer have to keep his Spider-Man secret from her but also confused about what to do with himself.
At Ock's lair the final guest has arrived, the Vulture. They all disagree about how best to tackle Spidey but Ock has a plan. He makes them all draw numbers and that is the order Spidey will face them. Each card also has a location listed with each location being ideal for the villain.
The next morning Peter is still feeling depressed. Aunt May suggests he should stay home but he heads out anyway. She wishes he would confide in her and wonders if he's having problems with Betty. At school Peter is a no-show and Flash brags about scaring him off. May calls the school and finds out Peter played hookey. Realizing how bothered he must be she is sure it has something to do with Betty.
Peter is actually wandering the docks ruminating about his life. He realizes that he'll no longer get work as a photographer but wonders if he can finally tell Betty his secret. His navel-gazing is interrupted by Giant Man and The Wasp stopping some crooks. Peter doesn't want to be around criminals and leaves.
May meets Betty outside the Bugle. Electro and Sandman were planning on taking Betty but decide to grab both. Jameson watches the abduction from his window. At Ock's lair Betty asks what they want while Aunt May seems rather taken with Ock.
In his office Jameson tells Peter about the abduction. Vulture shows up and tells Jameson to put a notice in the paper for Spider-Man to meet Electro at the Stark Electric Plant. Peter realizes that Betty was captured because twice now he has risked his life to rescue her. Knowing it will take hours for the next edition to hit the streets and desperate to have his secretary back Jameson calls the Fantastic Four to ask about Spidey. They haven't seen him since yesterday but Reed is concerned and calls The Avengers. Cap can't help since he's never even met Spidey while his teammates are all out. The Human Torch draws a signal in the sky and the X-Men see it but Professor X tells them to ignore it.
At home Peter faces a dangerous situation. His powers are gone but he has to try and save Betty and Aunt May. He dons his costume, preferring to die a man facing his challenges rather than live as a coward. He breaks into the Stark Electric Plant (having to sneak under a chain link fence) and faces Electro. Electro carries a card with the location of the next villain. To get it Spidey will have to beat him. Charging himself with an enormous amount of electricity he throws a bolt at Spidey, who is able to dodge it. Realizing his powers have returned (it was psychosomatic, brought on by his melancholy) he dodges Electro's attacks and ties a a length of wire to his ankle and uses his web to turn off the main power. He leaps at Electro and is impervious to his attacks due to his grounding with the wire. Finishing Electro with one punch, he retrieves the card and leaves Electro in the care of Iron Man.
The card leads Spidey just across the bay from the World's Fair. Kraven is waiting for him with three leopards. Rather than waste time fighting Kraven and his critters Spidey outmaneuvers him and steals his card. He heads to the next location but is ambushed by the Human Torchy. Spidey puts up a fight but Johnny talks him down. He tells Spidey that the whole city is looking for him and that he's here to help. Spidey apologizes for his rudeness but insists it's a personal matter he will handle alone.
Ock watches the ongoing events with disappointment in Electro and Kraven. He brings coffee and treats to Betty and May, who continues to be completely oblivious to the situation.
Elsewhere, Spidey has reached the third location and finds the X-Men waiting for him. They immediately attack him and they fight. Spidey busts up Beast pretty bad. So bad that he breaks apart and is revealed to be a robot. Using his spider-sense to guide him he destroys the robots and finds the hidden room Mysterio is watching from. He busts in and Mysterio sets off his tricks. Mysterio gets dropped but the card drops on a burning section of the floor (ignited by the fake Cyclops' eye beams) and he only barely manages to save the card, having to use his spider-sense to read the damaged message.
JJJ is growing more and more distressed. He sees a spider outside his window and demands it gives him the message from Spider-Man, unaware of his incredulous staff.
The fourth location is a walled in court. Spidey sees the note on a post but before he can grab it Sandman rises up from the floor. He lets Spidey pass through him to get the note but doing so activates the trap: An airtight metal cell forcing Spidey into close quarters with Sandman. But thanks to his spider-sense Spidey is able to dodge his blows while Sandman, who only has a normal lung capacity, runs out of air. With Sandman unconscious Spidey pries the door open and escapes.
At his office Jonah discovers that his staff have collected the newspapers of the distinguished competition. Why? They've been printing Extras all day chronicling Spider-Man's battles! And since JJJ had ordered his staff not to disturb him they haven't published any of their own. Realizing he's been scooped out of his own story Jameson loses it. Meanwhile, Ock is starting to second-guess his plan and comes up with a Plan B, as the only thing standing between him and Spidey is the Vulture.
Vulture faces Spidey and proclaims himself to be the most dangerous of all. Vulture tells him that Spidey must remove his web shooters or Vulture will simply fly off. Spidey agrees and Vulture sprays oil at his feet, using the wind from his wings to blow Spidey off the ledge he's standing on. Vulture lassoes his ankle but Spidey leaps at him, unties his ankle and lassoes him. Climbing on his back he orders Vulture to tell him where Betty Brant is and fly him back to where he left his web shooters. He looks the codger tied to a flagpole.
Ock tells Betty and May that he will be leaving for a short time but he'll be back. Betty is terrified but May is just appreciative of his manners. Outside, Spidey scopes out the lair. It's an old castle imported from Europe. With fully charged web capsules he's ready to go. He breaks into the building and sees Ock without his arms. He takes the opportunity to attack but the arms, remotely controlled, attack him. Spidey defeats them by punching Ock, who momentarily loses control of the arms when he's stunned. The arms are soon functional though and attack once more. Spidey escapes down a hallway while the arms return to their master, who is watching Spidey on a video feed. Ock springs a trapdoor that drops Spidey into a giant boil of water. Donning scuba gear Ock goes in to finish him but Spidey releases all of his webbing, which entangles the arms like seaweed. He pulls Ock out of the bowl and restrains him.
Spidey finds the captives. Betty is relieved to be rescued while May is disgusted by Spidey's costume and lack of manners. Spidey tells them the police are coming and May admits she has no idea whats going on. Spidey heads home and changes into his civvies. When the cops bring May and Betty to Forest Hills they're both happy to see him. May is especially happy to see that Peter is out of his slump (although she admonishes him twice for using slang) and the trio enjoy some happy times.
Human Torches flies by Jameson's office to ask if he's seen Spidey, as he wants to congratulate him on his victory. By this point Jameson looks like a madman and tells Torch that they all should be outlawed. Finally, we see the Sinister Six in a jail cell telling Ock that they'll never listen to him again.
"Gallery of Spider-Man's Most Famous Foes"
This is a fourteen-page pinup gallery showcasing every villain Spidey has faced so far.
"The Secrets of Spider-Man"
This is a nine-page feature giving a top-to-bottom rundown of Spidey's powers, abilities and equipment. There are an additional five pinups: A Spider-Man solo shot, a pinup of Betty Brant and J Jonah Jameson titled "Peter Parker's Favorite Heel and Heart-Throb," a pinup of Midtown High showing off the science lab, Flash Thompson and Liz Allan, a cutaway diagram of Peter's house an a pinup of Spidey with the Fantastic Four and Hulk (drawn in "the somewhat different Ditko style").
"How Stan Lee and Steve Ditko Create Spider-Man!"
The finale is a three page comic showing the creative process behind the series which portrays Lee in a hilariously awful light.
Whew. Thats a lot of comic for 25 cents.
Observations: What a whopper.
First you have a 41 page lead feature. It has everything. Aunt May and Betty Brant in peril, Spider-Man loses his powers, six Spidey villains, a guest appearance from the Human Torch, cameos from Thor, Dr Strange, the Fantastic Four, Giant-Man, Wasp, Captain America, Iron Man and The X-Men (with plugs for each of their books, natch), a retelling of the origin story and a subplot of Jameson losing his mind on the worst day of his life. It's wall-to-wall candy. Everything that made Silver Age Marvel awesome is in this book. Everything that Marvel currently is not is encapsulated by this book. The story is dramatic, funny and exciting. You feel for Peter when he's having a down day (and even Aunt May when she secretly mourns Ben), you laugh at Jameson going nuts and you're with him when he triumphs against six of his baddest bad guys.
Ock's scheme isn't perfect. The obvious approach would be to attack Spidey all at once rather than sequentially. And maybe it's my bias cropping up against but putting the fate of your scheme in the Vulture's hands (wings?) is foolhardy. But hey, this is really like six comics in one. The only character who feels a little shafted is Kraven. Last issue he was truly deadly. Here Spidey doesn't even give him the time of day and how he ends up incarcerated at the end is anybody's guess but since he was the star of the previous issue I give that a pass.
Aunt May's characterization turns a corner with the serious implication that she is going senile. Theres just no other explanation for her obliviousness. She reminds me of Aunt Bethany ("Is your house on fire Clark? Is Rusty still in the Navy?").
As great as the story is, this is really a showcase of Steve Ditko's talent and skill. The main feature has six stunning full page splashes, one for each villain, and they're gorgeous. The entire back half of the issue is built on Ditko's diagrams, pinups and demonstrations. I have no idea how he was able to turn out work this good while simultaneously drawing Dr Strange and Spider-Man. And that cover is just a killer. Ditko's draftsmanship ticks upwards once more.
The three page story with Stan and Steve is impossible to take at face value in light of their professional breakdown. I don't really want to get into a Stan vs Steve debate (they get ugly) but the story portrays Stan as a glory hogging, impossible-to-please bigmouth who dumps the entire workload on Steve. Decades after leaving Marvel Ditko released a comic criticizing Lee for his statements regarding the co-creation of Spider-Man and the impression of Lee he gave was very similar to that of the comic.
This is easily a contender for the best Spider-Man comic ever. 5/5
Other notes:
- Third appearance of Doc Ock and Vulture, second appearance of Electro, Sandman, Mysterio and Kraven.
- Sandman, Electro and Kraven have kept busy since their last appearances. Sandman battled the Human Torch over in Strange Tales, Electro battled Daredevil in the second issue of his book and Kraven battled Iron Man in Tales of Suspense (which explained how he returned to America).
- Peter says Uncle Ben died "months ago." If the universe was progressing completely in real time it would actually have been two years ago. If Amazing Fantasy #15 took place immediately before ASM #1, as I interpreted it, it would have happened about a year and a half ago.
- Peter's powerless walk home takes an hour while swinging would have taken only three minutes. This clocks Spidey's swinging at around 60mph, more if you take into account the more direct route able to be taken by air. This means that from his home in Forest Hills Spidey can reach Manhattan via the Queensboro bridge in around 7 minutes and probably faster if he takes a direct rule.
- The 1964 World's Fair and the Unisphere are shown as Spidey faces Kraven on the shore of Flushing Bay. A very dated reference. Coincidentally, the World's Fair site would later be the site of the Flushing Meadow Zoo, the only zoo that would have truly made sense in ASM #12. Kraven, zoo... Theres something there. No? Nevermind.
- The logo is given a four color treatment for the first time (blue, green, red and black). The word "Amazing" is moved down closer to "Spider-Man" to accommodate for the banner. In a few years this change would become permanent.
