The Spectacular Spider-Man

This article concerns the various series titled The Spectacular Spider-Man, including Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man (1976). For the 1990s Peter Parker series see Peter Parker: Spider-Man.

The Spectacular Spider-Man is the name of several comic book and one magazine series starring Marvel Comics' Spider-Man.

Magazine

The Spectacular Spider-Man was initially a two-issue magazine published by Marvel in 1968, as an experiment in entering the black-and-white comic-magazine market successfully pioneered by Warren Publishing and others. It sold for 35 cents when standard comic books cost 12 cents and annuals and giants 25 cents.

The first issue (July 1968) featured a painted, color cover with a 52-page black-and-white Spider-Man story, "Lo, This Monster!", by writer Stan Lee, with art by penciler John Romita, Sr. and inker Jim Mooney. A 10-page origin story, "In The Beginning!", was by Lee, penciler Larry Lieber and inker Bill Everett.

The feature story was reprinted in color, with some small alterations and bridging material by Gerry Conway, in The Amazing Spider-Man #116-118 (Jan.-March 1973) as "Suddenly...The Smasher!", "The Deadly Designs Of The Disruptor!", and "Countdown To Chaos!" (with additional inking by Tony Mortellaro on the latter two). These versions were themselves reprinted in Marvel Tales #95-97 (Sept.-Oct. 1978).

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The second and final issue (Nov. 1968) also sported a painted cover, and now the interior was in color as well. Lee, Romita and Mooney again collaborated on its single story, "The Goblin Lives!", featuring the Green Goblin. A next-issue box at the end promoted the planned contents of the unrealized issue #3, "The Mystery of the TV Terror". A version of the Goblin story, trimmed by 18 pages, was reprinted in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #9 (1973), and portions of the "TV Terror" costume were reused for the costume of the Prowler.

Both issues of the magazine were reprinted in their entirety (albeit shrunken) in the collection Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man #7 (ISBN 0785116362).
 

Volume One

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Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #132 (1987). Art by Mike Zeck

Titled Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man on its Dec. 1976 debut, and shortened to simply The Spectacular Spider-Man with #134 (Jan. 1988), this was the first Amazing Spider-Man spin-off series in comic-book form. The monthly title ran 263 issues through 1998.

Its writers included Gerry Conway, Bill Mantlo, Roger Stern, Al Milgrom, James Owsley, J.M. DeMatteis, Steven Grant, Roger Stern, Howard Mackie, Glenn Greenberg and Tom DeFalco. Among its pencillers were Frank Miller, Jim Mooney, Mike Zeck, John Romita, Jr. and Luke Ross. By far its most frequent contributor was artist Sal Buscema, who pencilled and inked more than 100 issues of the title.

One notable storyline was 1985's "The Death of Jean DeWolff" (#107-110) by writer Peter David and penciller Rich Buckler. Eddie Brock, the man who would later become Venom, is first mentioned in this story.

Another significant arc was "The Child Within" (#178-184, July 1991 - Jan. 1992) by DeMatteis and Sal Buscema, which featured the return of the Harry Osborn Green Goblin, who would be killed in #200 (April 1993).

After issue #229 (Oct. 1995), the title was temporarily replaced by The Spectacular Scarlet Spider #1-2 (Nov.-Dec. 1995), where the existing storyline continued, and picked up again with issue #230 (Jan. 1996). The final issue was cover-dated Nov. 1998

Collections

• Essential Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man Vol. 1 (ISBN 0785116826) - Collects issues #1-31
• Essential Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man Vol. 2 (ISBN 0785120424) - Collects issues #32-53

Volume Two

The Spectacular Spider-Man Vol. 2, was a 27-issue monthly series published between 2003 and 2005. Every issue was written by Paul Jenkins except #23-26, by Samm Barnes). Primarily pencillers were Humberto Ramos and Mark Buckingham.

Collections

• Spectacular Spider-Man Vol. 1: The Hunger (ISBN 0785111697) - Collects issues #1-5
• Spectacular Spider-Man Vol. 2: Countdown (ISBN 0785113134) - Collects issues #6-10
• Spectacular Spider-Man Vol. 3: Here There Be Monsters (ISBN 0785113339) - Collects issues #11-14
• Spectacular Spider-Man Vol. 5: Sins Remembered (ISBN 0785116281) - Collects issues #23-26
• The Spectacular Spider-Man, Vol. 6: The Final Curtain (ISBN 0785119507) - Collects issues #21, #22 and #27

UK title

Spectacular Spider-Man is a title published by Panini Comics in the UK. It features a mix of reprinted American material as well as originally produced British material.

Sources

• The Grand Comic-Book Database
• The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators