Spider-Rama: Amazing Spider-Man #61

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 #61
Spider-Rama
by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr. and Don Heck

With Captain Stacy still under the influence of the Kingpin, Spider-Man has his hands full trying to save both him and Gwen!

POINTLESS TRIVIA

BEN: Villain appearance count:

• Doctor Octopus: 9
• Green Goblin: 7
• The Kingpin: 6
• Kraven the Hunter: 5
• The Vulture: 5
• Sandman: 4
• 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

DUY: “Gwen Stacy cries” consecutive issue count: 2.

WHAT'S AGED THE BEST?

DUY:  I think Gwen being a good daughter who accompanies George even though it's dangerous, like going with him even as he's clearly being kidnapped, is stupid, butpretty cool.

BEN: Everything Gwen does is cool. She need a better comic to be in.

BEN: This is such a slow turn. The low moments of the Ditko run were at least interesting because of how weird they were and how it seemed he and Stan weren't even communicating. This is just like everyone has been phoning it in. "Peter realizes he loves Gwen! Let's take three issues!"

WHAT'S AGED THE WORST?

DUY: Kingpin needs to use Norman Osborn's resources behind his back, and it really downplays his wealth and the amount of resources he would be shown to have eventually.

BEN: He’s not much of a Kingpin so far.

DUY:  And "There are more than two billion people alive today, and half of them are males," at this point, is MJ's defining quote.

NITPICKS

DUY:  Peter used to solve things by inventing cool stuff. This time he.... makes a mask out of his web.

BEN: Who’s got the time to invent?

FAVORITE PANEL

BEN:  Chubbins!

DUY: Osborn remembering the Green Goblin is some nice foreshadowing... and happens in the same story where Peter realizes he loves Gwen.

BEN: Are you suggesting there’s some sort of foreboding connection between the two?

DUY: Why, not at all. What would make you say that?

BEN: I'm not interested in your spoilers. I'm sure she'll be fine.

DUY: Of course she'll be fine. She's a Spider-Woman now, y'know.

WHO WON THE COMIC?

DUY: I guess Osborn wins. We're reminded he exists, we're reminded the Goblin exists, and we're reminded of the internal conflict within.

BEN: Gwen survived her first death trap, she wins.

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!