Essential Amazing Spider-Man, Vol. 6 (Marvel Essentials) (Paperback)

by Gerry Conway (Author), Ross Andru (Author), John Romita (Author), Gil Kane (Author), Stan Lee (Author), Len Wein (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A collection of Spider-man comics offers classic adventures featuring the Hulk, Gwen Stacy, the Man-Wolf, the Punisher, and Doctor Octopus.

Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Marvel Comics (July 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785113657
• ISBN-13: 978-0785113652
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.7 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #183,335 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 6 in The Essential Amazing Spider-Man Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spider-Man: Nothing beats the original, September 2, 2004

By	L. Potts - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The sixth volume in the Essential Spider-Man series does not disappoint. Though Stan Lee steps down as script writer and artists change, the integrity of the original series is maintained admirably. True, story and art quality tend to be somewhat uneven from time to time, but the overall tone and spirit of the comic still shines through--Spider-Man as the good and decent but always beleagered super hero, eternally faced with agonizing decisions, choices, losses. Characterization in the first Spider-Man series was always unusually good for a comic book, and it is something of a minor miracle that reasonably consistent high quality was maintained through four decades, although the series tended to grow darker and edgier over time. In any case this volume, like the five that preceded it, was a joy to read for a long-time fan like me, who grew up in the sixties and seventies. It's a thousand pities that the second series, which revamped the whole Spider-Man saga, lacks the heart, wit and appeal of the original. With insipid art, sophomoric humor, and cynical tone, the second series is unlikely ever to make it into an "essential" format, nor is the embarrassingly adolescent character now portrayed as Spider-Man likely to win over all the fans the original did. Sarcasm passes for humor, sexy innuendo for tenderness, and a scrawny, awkward-looking little gremlin takes the place of the once-grown man in hero's costume. Luckily the original still lives on in the "essential" volumes, and, with all the comic stores and web sites selling back issues, the original Spider-Man will be with us for a long, long time.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Black-and-white reprints of ASM #114-137, May 28, 2008

By	K. W. Schreiter (Conshohocken, PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This sixth "Essential" volume collects black-and-white reprints of "Amazing Spider-Man" issues #114-137 that Marvel Comics originally published between November 1970 and October 1972. Gerry Conway is the credited writer for all stories and Roy Thomas is the editor-in-chief. John Romita, Sr. provides the penciling for #114-119 and #132 and Gil Kane resumes his run for #120-124. Ross Andru assumed penciling duties for #125, beginning a run that would last until 1978.
Issues #114-115 conclude the three-part Hammerhead story that started in the "Essential ASM #5" collection. Stan Lee gets a co-writer credit for the three-issue (#116-118) reworking of Marvel's short-lived 1968 "Spectacular Spider-Man" oversized magazine. These issues feature a popular yet suspicious mayoral candidate Richard Raleigh promising "change" while the sinister Smasher wreaks havoc on New York.
Spidey tackles The Hulk in a mediocre two-parter before the highlight of this run of issues comes in #121-122: "The Death of Gwen Stacy and Norman Osborn". Another memorable run is #135-137 "The Green Goblin Lives Again" where Harry assumes his father's villainous mantle. Each of these two plotlines was adapted for key elements of the recent Spider-Man films.
#129 features the first appearance of The Punisher and #130-131 features the threat of Aunt May marrying Doctor Octopus. Other appearances include: Luke Cage (#123), Man-Wolf (#124-125), The Kangaroo (#126), The Vulture (#127-128), Molten Man (#132-133) and the Tarantula (#134). Many of these issues were also reprinted as #93-114 of the late 1970s "Marvel Tales" series (and reprinted again in MT #192-193).
I prefer the Amazing Spider-Man DVD-ROM for its complete collection of the entire ASM run in full color PDFs. However, the Marvel Essentials series offers convenient, inexpensive access to these 40-year old Spider-Man comics without needing a computer.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spidey at some of his BEST and worst moments!, November 11, 2006

By	M. E Grant "MacGyver of the Books" (Clinton Twp., Michigan) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Once you get past the black & white pages (there is much to be said about how color enhances comicbook artwork), the Marvel Essentials stories really manage to pull you in.

Volume 6 has some of Spidey's best storylines ever in Amazing Spider-Man. The pinacle would have to be the character defining two-parter with the Death of Gwen Stacy at the hands of the Green Goblin. Powerful stuff even 30 years later. Other classic villains make appearances as well from Doc Ock to The Tarantula to the Molten Man and Hammerhead and the introduction of The Punisher and The Jackal. Of course there's also some rough spots in the reading like the plotline that had Doc Ock marrying Aunt May...shudder...silly...but keep reading and you'll find a good time with every turn of the page.