|
|
Post by Rob Allen on Jan 23, 2018 12:20:18 GMT -5
The new Marvel Comics Digest series (at a supermarket near you!) started with a Spider-Man volume. These digests all start with a Silver Age story of one or more issues, then a Bronze Age story, then several more modern stories. In the Spider-Man volume, the Silver Age story is one issue by Ditko ("Just a Guy Named Joe"), and the Bronze Age story is a 3-issue arc by Ross Andru (Doc Ock vs. Hammerhead, round two). There's no Romita and no Kane. They apparently thought that these were the best stories to interest a casual fan. I'm not sure which ones I would have chosen.
In fact, there's something of a pattern in these digests:
#1 - Spider-Man with no Romita
#2 - Avengers with no Buscema (either one)
#3 - Thor with no Simonson
#4 - X-Men with no Byrne
I may start a thread about this...
|
|
|
|
Post by brutalis on Jan 23, 2018 13:16:51 GMT -5
The new Marvel Comics Digest series (at a supermarket near you!) started with a Spider-Man volume. These digests all start with a Silver Age story of one or more issues, then a Bronze Age story, then several more modern stories. In the Spider-Man volume, the Silver Age story is one issue by Ditko ("Just a Guy Named Joe"), and the Bronze Age story is a 3-issue arc by Ross Andru (Doc Ock vs. Hammerhead, round two). There's no Romita and no Kane. They apparently thought that these were the best stories to interest a casual fan. I'm not sure which ones I would have chosen. In fact, there's something of a pattern in these digests: #1 - Spider-Man with no Romita #2 - Avengers with no Buscema (either one) #3 - Thor with no Simonson #4 - X-Men with no Byrne I may start a thread about this... Since Archie comics are producing the digests I wonder if they are looking at what is most often reprinted versus newer and lesser re-printed stories? Many of the younger readers could care less about anything which is more than 5 years old and since these digests are focused at new and younger readers then to print older stories might be considered a financial risk in cause for lower sales? Just a thought... |
|
|
|
Post by Rob Allen on Jan 23, 2018 13:33:20 GMT -5
Since Archie comics are producing the digests I wonder if they are looking at what is most often reprinted versus newer and lesser re-printed stories? Many of the younger readers could care less about anything which is more than 5 years old and since these digests are focused at new and younger readers then to print older stories might be considered a financial risk in cause for lower sales? Just a thought... I'm pretty sure that Marvel is making the editorial decisions, and Archie is just handling printing and distribution. Whoever chose the contents, it's interesting to speculate about the reasons for the decisions. The factors you mention were almost certainly considered. |
|
|
|
Post by brutalis on Jan 23, 2018 13:58:34 GMT -5
Since Archie comics are producing the digests I wonder if they are looking at what is most often reprinted versus newer and lesser re-printed stories? Many of the younger readers could care less about anything which is more than 5 years old and since these digests are focused at new and younger readers then to print older stories might be considered a financial risk in cause for lower sales? Just a thought... I'm pretty sure that Marvel is making the editorial decisions, and Archie is just handling printing and distribution. Whoever chose the contents, it's interesting to speculate about the reasons for the decisions. The factors you mention were almost certainly considered. Whoever makes the choices has lost my interest already with only 3 digests in. Not enough contained within them after browsing at the store to to inspire my purchase. While it would be great to have a few digests carried around in the car for quick reads these new digests are really not designed for us old time classic readers. Not necessarily a bad thing as long as the digests manage to pull in newer readers but if folks are just grabbing the occasional digest and not each different digest or inspiring a new reader to search out back issues or buy new monthly issues then the sales won't matter much over all. And for the cost I would much rather spend my dollars on full size reprints. |
|
bran
Full Member
Posts: 227 
|
Post by bran on Jan 26, 2018 10:27:29 GMT -5
No way I am not preaching to the choir here, and this will overlap with what the others said, in a more elaborate way, here it is anyway: - Original Lee's run (regardless of the artist), could be described as exuberant. There is a little bit of fatigue towards the end, but that's normal I guess when you pass 100-issues threshold. - Two "fill-ins" (~3 issues each) by Roy Thomas/Gil Cane combo, first was ~#50 (Savage Land) the second one ~#100 (vampire story). (In Savage Land Peter Parker operates in civilian cloths and with the gun, if I'm not mistaken. This "Conan-ized" Spider-man beats modern day canonized Spider-man if you ask me.) - Claremont's Team-Up issues were entertaining (for the most part). It's spandex fest like you haven't seen. - Roger Stern run was ok, I remember we gave it a pass. It didn't have Lee/Romita spunk, but it was anchored well, not too fragmented. Stern ditched (or toned down) Spidey's "inner monologues", self-loathing and basically whining, which were prominent in post-Lee era (and will come back with the vengeance in post Stern era, unfortunately). To be fair those things plague super-hero comics since forever. - Mantlo's run from Spectacular wasn't bad, I don't remember too much, except the epic scene with Black Cat, when she's grossed out when he takes off his mask :-) All nice and open like a book, squared and sensitive (while Spider-Man is mysterious and attractive, with the sense of humor), she tells him - put it back on haha That aspect (of the original Stan Lee's run) is something that everyone liked - Growing up without parents Peter Parker was a 40 year old man in a body of a teenager (Also Stan Lee was in his 40s when he wrote it, so it's maybe incidental, maybe not, but it works). Now when he assumes new identity all the social stigma drops and he talks differently (more laid back, with the sense of humor) and walks differently (elastic, like a cat); perhaps that's how Lee pictured a free man, man free of social stigma. Ironically Peter's true nature shows when he's operating under assumed identity. To this day in my opinion not a single movie or tv show (or most of the comics) got Peter Parker character right. That's strange since they are re-telling the origin story to death. - One-shot, sort of: Spider-Man: Threat or Menace? by O'Neil/Miller/Janson Vintage Frank Miller, it you like his Daredevil/Elektra runs or DKR, this is a must-read:  Here Spider-Man saves Daily Bugle from a bombing plot, only to be verbally assaulted by Jamison via his columns. Daily Bugle is constantly feeding MU New Yorkers a narrative that Spider-Man is a menace etc etc. Another bit from the original run and also Miller's trade-mark inclusion of contemporary things in super-hero books (media bias and terrorism in this case). The entire story is beautifully framed with newspaper excerpts, sequencing is exceptionally well done (Miller at the top of his game; man positively has installed camera and motion sensors in his head) and it provides a road-map IMO how post-Lee Spider-Man can be awesome. Unfortunately no one bothered to follow. They of course completely ignore "events" nonsense from regular issues, "clone saga" and whatnot. |
|
|
|
Post by Duragizer on Mar 9, 2019 2:20:21 GMT -5
Since creating this thread, I've read everything up to and including The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5. Since Romita Sr.'s run is just so dang long, and I'm quite familiar with Pete's supporting cast and principal adversaries by now, I've decided I'm going to skim through the rest of his run, concerning myself chiefly with the more pivotal storylines until I get to The Night Gwen Stacy Died. From there, I plan on going onto the most important stories/runs of the '70s & '80s, ending my exploration of the Spiderverse with Kraven's Last Hunt (I have no interest in reading any stories past that point).
|
|
Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,220
Member is Online
|
Post by Confessor on Mar 9, 2019 5:55:52 GMT -5
"Skim through" the Lee/Romita run on Amazing Spider-Man?! Say it ain't so!
It's one of the greatest (perhaps the Greatest?) superhero comic runs of all time. There's plenty of great stuff from the latter half of the run, such as the Captain Stacy storyline and the excellent Stone Tablet arc in ASM #68-75, that really shouldn't be skipped.
|
|
|
|
Post by Icctrombone on Mar 9, 2019 7:52:46 GMT -5
I have to be honest and say I haven't read most of Spider-man 1-200. The Ditko issues would make me angry whenever JJJ would harass Spider-man and put me off from reading the other issues. I used to think it's just impossible to constantly and relentlessly attack someone even you had to spin the good things into bad things, Until 2016. I might have to force myself to read 1-200 in the next few months. I agree with what Reptisaurus! said about the whining that Peter did under the Lee run. It seemed that even if he won, something happened to make the win a negative ( he beats the kingpin , but aunt May is in the hospital)It kind of wore on me. |
|
|
|
Post by Icctrombone on Mar 9, 2019 7:57:45 GMT -5
"Skim through" the Lee/Romita run on Amazing Spider-Man?! Say it ain't so! It's one of the greatest (perhaps the Greatest?) superhero comic runs of all time. There's plenty of great stuff from the latter half of the run, such as the Captain Stacy storyline and the excellent Stone Tablet arc in ASM #68-75, that really shouldn't be skipped. I will agree that it was the greatest run for a SINGLE character , but I would rate Avengers 1-231 and Fantastic Four 1-150 to be better. |
|
|
|
Post by Duragizer on Mar 9, 2019 19:35:53 GMT -5
"Skim through" the Lee/Romita run on Amazing Spider-Man?! Say it ain't so! It's one of the greatest (perhaps the Greatest?) superhero comic runs of all time. There's plenty of great stuff from the latter half of the run, such as the Captain Stacy storyline and the excellent Stone Tablet arc in ASM #68-75, that really shouldn't be skipped. I actually wasn't planning on skipping those stories.  But I dunno — I think I actually prefer the soap opera elements over the superheroics much of the time. I like reading about Peter's maturing relationship with Gwen, Captain Stacy's growing interest in Spider-Man, etc. but then the throwaway A-plots with Vulture or Mysterio get in the way and I start losing interest. Maybe I've just been spoiled on serialized storytelling. |
|
Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,220
Member is Online
|
Post by Confessor on Mar 9, 2019 19:44:38 GMT -5
I think I actually prefer the soap opera elements over the superheroics much of the time. I like reading about Peter's maturing relationship with Gwen, Captain Stacy's growing interest in Spider-Man, etc. I'm the same, actually. The soap opera elements in Spider-Man are at least 50% of the reason why I love the character so much. |
|
|
|
Post by Icctrombone on Mar 9, 2019 20:06:56 GMT -5
It really has to be that way because every comic fan knows the hero is going to win in the end. It's the soap opera aspects that keep you coming back for more.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2019 20:07:49 GMT -5
I think I actually prefer the soap opera elements over the superheroics much of the time. I like reading about Peter's maturing relationship with Gwen, Captain Stacy's growing interest in Spider-Man, etc. I'm the same, actually. The soap opera elements in Spider-Man are at least 50% of the reason why I love the character so much. I read some 60s issues recently. And I agree. I almost found the superhero vs. supervillain stuff to be a distraction at times. In my head, it was, 'Okay, this Spidey/Molten Man battle is fun, but I really want to get back to Peter Parker, Jonah Jameson, Aunt May, Betty Brant, etc.' |
|
|
|
Post by Icctrombone on Mar 9, 2019 20:10:59 GMT -5
The Deny O'neil run of Iron Man was more engaging to me because he was struggling with alcoholism, and the hero-villain battles were secondary.
|
|
|
|
Post by aquagoat on Mar 16, 2019 8:40:56 GMT -5
All of the JM Dematteis/Sal Buscema stuff from Spectacular is great...it really, and I mean really, delves into the minds of it's characters, and goes often beyond hero/villain situations and shows it's characters to all be flawed and damaged individuals struggling with their lot. Sal Buscema's slightly jagged, sharp style is a fascinating mix of Silver Age/Marvel House style adapting to the post-MacFarlane era.   |
|
