Spider-Rama: Marvel Team-Up #18

Welcome to Spider-Rama! Every Monday and Wednesday, Ben and Duy will look at a Spider-Man issue from the very beginning, in chronological order, and answer questions for various categories, inspired in large part by one of our favorite podcasts, The Rewatchables by The Ringer. Our goal is to make it to Amazing Spider-Man #200. Will we make it? Grab your Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus or crank up your tablet to Marvel Unlimited, and then tune in every Wednesday to find out!

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #125

Spider-Rama

by Gerry Conway, Ross Andru, John Romita Sr, and Tony Mortellaro

Spider-Man vs. the Man-Wolf, who is John Jameson, JJJ's son!

POINTLESS TRIVIA

 

BEN: The previous issue was a team-up between the Hulk and the Human Torch, so we skipped it. And the first appearance of Stegron, the Dinosaur Man!

DUY: Between Kraven and Ka-Zar, I feel I've seen these guys WAY too much. Also, every issue of Marvel Team-Up thus far has had either Spidey or Torch.

WHAT'S AGED THE BEST? 

BEN: Stegron May be a complete copy of the Lizard, but I’m fine with it. Sick burn, Spidey.

DUY: For a villain created in MTU, Stegron has in fact aged pretty well.

BEN: It’s a proven concept.

WHAT'S AGED THE WORST? 

BEN: Two things. 1. I’m pretty sure that webbing is going up his buttcrack. 2. Maybe you stop with the cell-regeneration research, Curt.

DUY: That webbing... is definitely going up his buttcrack.

NITPICKS

BEN: Missing spider emblem.

DUY: Really? He just so happens to be going back to New York?

BEN: I was wondering when they dropped him off, how was he planning to get home.

FAVORITE PANEL

BEN: That’s just a well-done Spidey:

DUY: Yeah, shut up Ka-Zar.

WHO WON THE COMIC?

DUY: Stegron, the Dinosaur Man.

BEN: I feel like if your real name is Stegron, you have to become a dinosaur man at some point.

Leave us a comment below or on our Facebook page. And be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel! Go watch our Spider-Rama videos!

The Top 10 Most Important Superman Artists of All Time

Duy, LaMar, and Paul are back as we draft the 10 most important, most influential, and most definitive Superman artists of all time! Some Superman books these guys worked on: https://amzn.to/31oOAfW https://amzn.to/2TeQnQc https://amzn.to/2IFYTFF

Spider-Rama: Amazing Spider-Man #130

Welcome to Spider-Rama! Every Monday and Wednesday, Ben and Duy will look at a Spider-Man issue from the very beginning, in chronological order, and answer questions for various categories, inspired in large part by one of our favorite podcasts, The Rewatchables by The Ringer. Our goal is to make it to Amazing Spider-Man #200. Will we make it? Grab your Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus or crank up your tablet to Marvel Unlimited, and then tune in every Wednesday to find out!

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #130

Spider-Rama

by Gerry Conway, Ross Andru, Frank Giacoia, and D. Hunt

Hammerhead is back! The Jackal is here! And so is Dr. Octopus! And the Spider-Mobile debuts!

POINTLESS TRIVIA

 

BEN: Villain appearance count:

• Doctor Octopus: 16
• Green Goblin: 13
• The Kingpin: 12
• The Vulture: 9
• Kraven the Hunter: 8
• The Lizard: 7
• Mysterio: 6
• Professor Smythe/Spider Slayer: 6
• Sandman: 4
• Hammerhead: 4
• Electro: 3
• The Enforcers: 3
• The Rhino: 3
• Man Mountain Marko: 3
• Silvermane: 3
• The Chameleon: 3
• The Schemer/Richard Fisk: 3
• The Ringmaster: 2
• Scorpion: 2
• Molten Man: 2
• Shocker: 2
• The Beetle: 2
• Morbius: 2
• The Gibbon: 2
• The Man-Wolf: 2
• Jonas Harrow: 2
• The Kangaroo: 2
• The Jackal: 2

BEN: The debut of the Spider-Mobile.

DUY: Yes! Screw you, Batmobile!

BEN: Is this the first time we’ve seen a Christmas themed issue coordinated with the real-life season?

DUY: For Spider-Man, yes.

WHAT'S AGED THE BEST? 

BEN: Peter Parker being a terrible driver. Three villains running around causing problems was new

DUY: Aside from the awesomeness of the Spider-Mobile and the fact that this issue in general is pretty good, I just want to point out that Andru has been different from his predecessors in terms of perspectives. You don't really get this kind of thing from Ditko or Romita, and it works. That's the second thing I've seen that distinguishes Andru from his predecessors, the first one being MJ's staple ensemble.

BEN: You know I love those high-up angles.

WHAT'S AGED THE WORST?

BEN: Has Harry been weird since his father died?

DUY: He's been extra hostile, but I think it'd be easy to blame it on the drugs.

BEN: I’m just pointing out how inconsiderate his statement is. Of course he’s been weird, HIS FATHER DIED.

NITPICKS

BEN: Back to the Christmas thing, as a fan we just have to ignore the 40 different Christmas stories Spider-Man has had in the years since.

DUY: And that's just it with seasons passing in comics. You'll go through 16 seasons and it'll be a year in their lives.

BEN: How is Doctor Octopus out of jail?

DUY: I've said it before, but just because Hammerhead has a metal plate in his head doesn't mean he needs to just use his head to hit everything.

BEN: His neck isn't metal. Or maybe it is. I don't know.

FAVORITE PANEL

BEN: It doesn’t get more insane than this:

DUY: YES! SPIDER-MOBILE!!!

WHO WON THE COMIC?

DUY: Corona Motors, for the majesty that is the Spider-Mobile.

BEN: I’m saying Ross Andru, because in many ways he was my baseline for the character as a kid. I didn’t have access to that many back issues of Romita or Ditko, but I was collecting these.

Leave us a comment below or on our Facebook page. And be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel! Go watch our Spider-Rama videos!

Watch: Danny Fingeroth on Editing 90s Spider-Man

Danny Fingeroth group-edited Spider-Man for the first half of the 90s, overseeing, among many other things, the departure of Todd McFarlane (7:50) Maximum Carnage (19:39) and The Clone Saga (25:09)! Also, why are secret identities now outdated? (42:25) And is Spider-Man Jewish? (46:56) Get Danny Fingeroth's books here: Stan Lee, a Marvelous Life: https://amzn.to/3j0qH43 Maximum Carnage: https://amzn.to/31bmyo2 Superman on the Couch: What Superheroes Really Tell Us about Ourselves and Our Society: https://amzn.to/3lNiwtH Clone Saga: https://amzn.to/2Hb2ef2 Disguised as Clark Kent:Jews, Comics, and the Creation of the Superhero: https://amzn.to/375IqES

Watch: The Top 10 X-Men Artists of All Time

Joe, Justin, and Ben join Duy as they pick the 10 greatest X-Men Artists of All Time! Preorder the Jim Lee Artists Edition here: https://amzn.to/3j7LbIa

Spider-Rama: Amazing Spider-Man #129

Welcome to Spider-Rama! Every Monday and Wednesday, Ben and Duy will look at a Spider-Man issue from the very beginning, in chronological order, and answer questions for various categories, inspired in large part by one of our favorite podcasts, The Rewatchables by The Ringer. Our goal is to make it to Amazing Spider-Man #200. Will we make it? Grab your Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus or crank up your tablet to Marvel Unlimited, and then tune in every Wednesday to find out!

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #129

Spider-Rama

by Gerry Conway, Ross Andru, Frank Giacoia, D. Hunt

It's the first appearance of the Jackal! That's a big deal! And also some guy named the Punisher.

POINTLESS TRIVIA

 

BEN: Villain appearance count:

• Doctor Octopus: 15
• Green Goblin: 13
• The Kingpin: 12
• The Vulture: 9
• Kraven the Hunter: 8
• The Lizard: 7
• Mysterio: 6
• Professor Smythe/Spider Slayer: 6
• Sandman: 4
• Hammerhead: 3
• Electro: 3
• The Enforcers: 3
• The Rhino: 3
• Man Mountain Marko: 3
• Silvermane: 3
• The Chameleon: 3
• The Schemer/Richard Fisk: 3
• The Ringmaster: 2
• Scorpion: 2
• Molten Man: 2
• Shocker: 2
• The Beetle: 2
• Morbius: 2
• The Gibbon: 2
• The Man-Wolf: 2
• Jonas Harrow: 2
• The Kangaroo: 2

DUY: Wow, the death of Gwen Stacy, death of Green Goblin, and the first appearances of the Jackal and the Punisher, all in the span of nine issues. Conway's legacy is set at this point.

BEN: Mary Jane thought bubbles.

DUY: They're so rare! The question about those specific MJ thought ballons -- when they were written, was it meant to characterize her, or was it meant to have her be lying to herself?

BEN: I think you can say both.

DUY: That's kinda nuanced for a 1973 comic.

BEN: It was probably true at the time, but became nuanced after the retcons.

DUY: The Punisher was designed by John Romita, and was close to being called The Grim Reaper or The Executioner.

WHAT'S AGED THE BEST? 

BEN: Obviously the Punisher went on to become one of Marvel’s most popular characters, especially among those that have never read a comic book.

DUY: The cover is iconic, and has been homaged several times.

BEN: The costume is brilliant.

DUY: The Punisher's costume, for me, specifically, has aged well. It's perfect, right down to the ammo being the teeth of the skull.

WHAT'S AGED THE WORST? 

BEN: I have to agree with the Jackal, what’s it matter how he dies?

DUY: Peter sewed his entire costume from scratch, so this doesn't really make sense.

NITPICKS

BEN: I know Spider-Man’s ability to dodge projectiles depends on the story, but still.

FAVORITE PANEL

DUY: Mine:

BEN: Mine:

DUY: The Punisher has grown to be one of the most feared men in comics, and Spider-Man takes him down in a panel.

WHO WON THE COMIC?

BEN: The eventual “grim and gritty” era of comics. The death of Gwen and the creation of the Punisher will be two important checkpoints towards superhero comics becoming much more dark and violent.

DUY: It's either the Punisher or Gerry Conway.

BEN: Conway is killing it, in terms of creating legendary comics.

Leave us a comment below or on our Facebook page. And be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel! Go watch our Spider-Rama videos!