Spider-Rama: Amazing Spider-Man #60

Welcome to Spider-Rama! Each 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 #60
Spider-Rama
by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr. and Don Heck

The Kingpin is revealed to be the Brainwasher, and he's hypnotized Captain Stacy!

POINTLESS TRIVIA

BEN: Villain appearance count:

• Doctor Octopus: 9
• Green Goblin: 7
• Sandman: 4
• Kraven the Hunter: 5
• The Vulture: 5
• The Kingpin: 5
• Mysterio: 4
• The Enforcers: 3
• The Rhino: 3
• The Lizard: 3
• Professor Smythe/Spider Slayer: 3
• The Chameleon: 2
• Electro: 2
• The Ringmaster: 2
• Scorpion: 2
• Molten Man: 2

BEN: Peter realizes that he loves Gwen.

DUY: And unlike him being "in love" with Betty, this time it's for real. But this is also the first time Gwen will "never forgive Peter" for something that she would eventually forgive him for.

BEN: This looks like it might be the beginning of her melodramatic turn, which is much later than a lot of haters would have you believe. In fact, let’s get a “Gwen Stacy cries” consecutive issue count going.

WHAT'S AGED THE BEST?

BEN: I’m glad they skipped past Harry being mad at Peter for never being around and made him a supportive friend. He’s always giving him the benefit of the doubt when he disappears, and sticks by him when the two thugs wreck their apartment.

DUY: It's a nice moment for Harry. Character growth.

WHAT'S AGED THE WORST?

BEN: The Kingpin is way more hotheaded than he would become.

DUY: He's clearly a prototype of what he'd later become. But my answer is still Aunt May. Holy crap, she's so damn unbearable. "Isn't he a pussywillow, Anna?" Ugh.

BEN:  There’s a dark story where Peter finds May’s murdered body and written on the wall in blood is “For the last time, it’s pussycat!”

NITPICKS

DUY: Kingpin being strong enough to basically be invulnerable to Daredevil makes sense. But for him to overpower Spider-Man is just.... he has to be superpowered, right?

BEN: Kingpin’s strength doesn’t make sense. I’ve been trying to get so fat that I’m super strong, but it’s not working.

FAVORITE PANEL

BEN:  A teenager?!

DUY: I have to give it to Harry telling Pete he's gonna stick by him, posted up above.

WHO WON THE COMIC?

DUY:  No one. Look, we get a lot of flak these days for writers decompressing too much. Sure. But that was around even back then, and this story is running too long and it's not even engaging.

BEN: This is what it sounds like, when doves cry.

DUY: That's it for Spider-Rama this week.

BEN: Thank you, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko—

DUY: —for telling us we aren't the only ones.

Leave us a comment below or on our Facebook page. See you next Wednesday!