Spider-Man is one of the most popular superheroes ever created and British versions of his comic have been in print even before the creation of Marvel UK in the form of the Power Comics line in Pow! Some classic stories had also appeared in the various Alan Class titles over the years. However after the launch of Spider-Man Comics weekly Spidey in 1973 has been in continuous publication up to including today.
This particular incarnation of Spidey's UK outings is a real "monster" of a comic being magazine sized and a large page count! The issue kicks off with Death Toy (reprint of The Amazing Spider-Man #359) featuring Cardiac a misguided vigilante who has crossed the line intoto being a villain and really would have liked to be allies with Spidey but that is sadly never to be.
This is followed by one of my favourite classic stories by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko from Amazing Spider-Man #6 which I originally read in one of those US giant reprints Marvel Tales. The extra size of pages really helps bring out Ditko's wonderfully unique and distinctive artwork. The story Face to Face with the Lizard introduces us to the tragedy of Dr Curtis Connors which carries on to this day as his son now appears in the latest series of Panini's The Amazing Spider-Man which has just had a post pandemic launch.
Also featured is Spider-Man 2099 and although I have heard of this line of comics is the first time I've read anything and it's interesting and has a very nineties themed story around evil corporations albeit in the not to distant future. I am totally bemused by the Thor incarnation which erm... was shall we say unusual?
There's also an appearance by Motormouth & Killpower which left me confused about what the hell was going on and then there's a story featuring The Vulture from The Spectacular Spider-Man #188. Can't say i was too keen on the art in that one but one can't have everything.
I must admit I'd pick up more copies of these if I come across them. Good read.
A funny thing, though, Howard. I'd forgotten - until I got to writing that point in Marvel UK's history for my forthcoming 'From Cents to Pence!' tome - that Spider-Man was actually not a regular presence in the UK for several years. After the end of Spider-Man and Zoids in February 1987 that was that, apart from a brief appearance in The Marvel Bumper comic for two weeks during June 1989, until the webhead's return in the wonderfully packed The Complete Spider-Man in November 1990, and then in the immediate sequel discussed here, The Exploits of Spider-Man. Hulk didn't fare much better during that period either (a three week stop-over in the final issues of The Marvel Bumper Comic, and then later in 1989 in his own, brief, The Incredible Hulk Presents), so there was a period where there wasn't really any regular superhero weekly/fortnightly/monthly for a while as the weekly 'Boys' comic' format was more-or-less dying its death.
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