Spider-Rama: Amazing Spider-Man #108

Welcome to Spider-Rama! Every weekday until the end of May, 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 #108

Spider-Rama 

by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr.

In Vietnam, Flash Thompson met a wise old man and his daughter before things went to hell. Now it's come back to haunt him.

POINTLESS TRIVIA 

BEN: Villain appearance count:

• The Kingpin: 12
• Doctor Octopus: 12
• Green Goblin: 11
• The Vulture: 7
• The Lizard: 7
• Kraven the Hunter: 7
• Mysterio: 6
• Professor Smythe/Spider Slayer: 6
• Sandman: 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
Doctor Octopus: 12
• Green Goblin: 10
• The Vulture: 7
• Mysterio: 6
• The Lizard: 5
• Kraven the Hunter: 5
• Sandman: 4
• Electro: 3
• The Enforcers: 3
• The Rhino: 3
• Professor Smythe/Spider Slayer: 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

BEN: First appearance of Sha Shan, but we don’t learn her name yet in this issue.

WHAT'S AGED THE BEST?

BEN: The birth of a thousand memes.

DUY: Okay, so.... the racism is in fact bad, but... we have a gigantic Asian dude who is portrayed as strong, and we don't have the half-assed attempt at Asian dialect. So overall, this is probably a win for the time period. 

BEN: Don’t ignore the web jizz, Duy.

DUY: Oh yeah, and of course the web jizz.

WHAT'S AGED THE WORST?

BEN: I’m going to have to say the racism aged the worst.

DUY:  To be honest, Peter's never struck me as the most socially conscious, progressive guy. His entire concept is that people shouldn't get hurt or shouldn't die, but I don't think he really puts too much thought into social issues or anything.

BEN: Peter would have to be aware of any thoughts and feelings besides his own to be socially conscious.

NITPICKS

BEN: Peter, YOU ARE A CRIME PHOTOGRAPHER.

DUY: Gonna be honest.... webbing him just by his unbuttoned trenchcoat... probably not the best idea.

BEN: They are supposed to be able to pull him in. 

DUY: That's one hell of a gamble.

FAVORITE PANEL

BEN: Classic Romita Spidey:

DUY: Motion and mood is pretty good:

WHO WON THE COMIC? 

DUY: Do Asians win here for at least getting a foot in the door in terms of representation?

BEN: I’m too white to say, but I can imagine it being a case where any representation at all was exciting.

DUY: I'd probably have found it a positive.

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

DUY: Thank you, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko— 

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

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