Amazing Spider-Man #7

Cover Date: December 1963

Plot Overview: The issue begins with a recap of Spider-Man defeating the Vulture back in Amazing Spider-Man #2. The scene shifts to the Vulture in prison where he's become a model prisoner. He sneaks parts out of the machine shop and builds a makeshift flight suit to escape prison.

Peter Parker is playing volleyball at school when he hears a radio bulletin about the Vulture's escape. He fakes a headache to be excused from class. Peter sneaks home and becomes Spider-Man. Meanwhile the Vulture is flying through town in his new suit. He evades a police helicopter and robs a jewelry store. He then flies low over the crowd so the police won't fire on him.

The Vulture spots Spider-Man and decides to trick him. He's fixed the flaw in his suit and Spider-Man's device will no longer short out his suit. He approaches Spider-Man and then pretends to fall when Spider-Man uses his device. The Vulture then ambushes him and pummels him in mid air. Spider-Man falls onto a roof and the Vulture thinks that he's dead and flies off.

Spider-Man gets up and realizes that he's sprained his arm really badly. He tells Aunt May that he sprained it in a volley ball game to cover up his Spider-Man activities. Meanwhile, the victorious Vulture plans to rob the payoll from the Daily Bugle.

Peter Parker is trying to sell some pictures of the Vulture when the Vulture breaks in and holds up JJJ for money. JJJ pleads with the Vulture not to take the money as Peter slips off to become Spider-Man. He uses his webbing to secure his injured arm and wonders if he can beat the Vulture with one hand. Spider-Man chases the Vulture through the offices of the Bugle while the Vulture tries to find an open window.

He finally manages to escape and Spider-Man lets the Vulture grab him. The Vulture threatens to drop Spider-Man and gloats about his victory. At that moment, Spider-Man webs up his wings and then creates a parachute that brings him safely to the ground. Spider-Man stops in at the Bugle and JJJ says he's holding Spider-Man accountable for the damages. Spider-Man webs his mouth shut before becoming Peter Parker again.

Parker finds Betty Brant in the ruined offices and they share some quality time together as the issue comes to a close.

My Take: Really good issue this time out for Amazing Spider-Man. They really allowed the Vulture to show some personality as a villain. It was still your typical generic villain fare but he had some motivation throughout the story and his reactions to JJJ's pleadings at the Bugle were really well done. The end chase scene was really good and had some nice suspense to it. Injuring Spider-Man and then making him deal with it was a really novel idea to me for this issue. It's another example of Spider-Man winning when he has no business winning.

This was a really fun story from start to finish. You have the usual Peter Parker stuff on top of one of his classic super villains. I was at page 18 and I was stunned that the book was done already. That's a rarity for even good Silver Age stories at times. You also got a little development with the Peter Parker/Betty Brant relationship. They've been teasing it for a few issues and it feels like it will actually move towards them being an item. I like seeing some progression with the characters vs. some of the other books that Marvel is putting out right now.

The art on this was pretty good as usual. My only real complaint here is that the Vulture looked a little wonky at times. That's pretty normal for Vulture art though. Aside from that, I thought the art was really good on this issue. Peter Parker's art really had a lot of personality in this issue. He seemed like less of a generic nerd this time around. The other characters seemed to have a more refined look to them as well.

I give this **** out of *****.

Notes: There was nothing of note in this issue.

Next Issue: Journey Into Mystery #99

Amazing Spider-Man #2

Cover Date: May 1963

Plot Overview: In the first story the Vulture has been terrorizing the city with a series of crimes. No one has been able to stop him due to his flying suit. J. Jonah Jameson puts the pressure on his editors to get him some pictures of the Vulture. Meanwhile, Peter Parker sees the request in NOW Magazine. He gets a camera from Aunt May and heads out as Spider-Man. The scene shifts to the Vulture. He plans to steal a million dollars worth of diamonds and he's going to taunt everyone in the city before pulling off his crime.

He finally spots the Vulture and moves in to get a close up shot. Spider-Man carelessly kicks a loose brick and the Vulture springs into action. He stuns Spider-Man momentarily and drops him in a water tank. The Vulture assumes that this will kill Spider-Man and leaves the scene.

Spider-Man escapes the water tank by leaping out. He heads home and realizes that he needs to modify his costume to make it more useful. He creates a belt for extra web fluid and a place to fit his camera. He also has a hunch to how the Vulture's suit works and creates a little device to nullify his flying ability. Later on, Peter heads to NOW Magazine and sells some photos of the Vulture he took.

Peter heads downtown with Flash and Liz to watch the Vulture try and steal the diamonds. Security is tight as the police watch for an attack from the air. Suddenly, the Vulture pops out of the sewer and steals the diamonds. The Vulture makes his escape and heads towards the air. Spider-Man intercepts him. They struggle in the air until Spider-Man uses his small device. The Vulture's wings become useless and he glides to the ground. Spider-Man reveals that Vulture's flying harness was magnetic and his device disrupted that. The police easily capture the Vulture as Spider-Man snaps some photos.

Peter sells the new pictures to Jameson and gets a huge check. He pays Aunt May's rent for a year and offers to buy her some new appliances as the first story comes to an end.

As the second story opens a Dr. Cobbwell arrives at Peter's school and offers him a chance to work in his lab on the weekends. He asks Peter to pick up a radio for him when he comes over the next day. Peter arrives at the lab of the Tinkerer and finds a strange old man there. Peter is suspicious and his Spider Sense goes off. The Tinkerer is working with aliens and placing listening devices in their radio equipment as he repairs it.

Peter retrieves the radio and heads back to Dr. Cobbwell. Cobbwell leaves for a lecture and Peter is still leery of the radio. He opens it up and finds a bunch of strange items in the radio. He heads for the Tinkerer's shop and finds the aliens there. There's a brief battle but the Tinkerer shoots Spider-Man with a ray. They trap Spider-Man in a glass cage and start to suck the air out. Spider-Man uses his webbing to escape. The Tinkerer accidentally starts a fire and the aliens flee. Spider-Man tries to save the Tinkerer but loses him in the fire. Spider-Man flees the scene and witnesses wonder if he started the fire.

A spaceship leaves Earth and later Dr. Cobbwell mentions to Peter that he saw the spaceship but then says that he can't prove it to anyone and to forget it. Peter knows how he feels as he pulls out the mask of the Tinkerer and realizes he can't tell anyone his experience because they would know he's Spider-Man.

My Take: I don't like the double story idea for the first two issues of Spider-Man. I feel it hampers character development ultimately. There's less focus on Peter and his problems in this issue because you have to start and restart in the book.

The stories themselves were enjoyable enough though. The Vulture was a light and fun little story. It showed that Peter can use his scientific prowess to solve his problems and it introduced one of Spidey's more famous villains in the Vulture. It also established Peter working for JJJ and selling him pictures.

The second story I enjoyed but I feel it was a bad storyline. I don't think space aliens are a good mix for Spider-Man. I feel that he is a more street level hero and he works best with street level threats. Marvel had a more sci-fi direction at this time so the presence of aliens as the villains doesn't surprise. Thankfully, they won't throw aliens in there again for a really long time.

The art is still a little on the primitive side but it has it's charms. The Spider-Man comics do seem to be a little more colorful than the other Marvel books that are coming out at the same time. It helps that Spider-Man is a mostly red character with blue mixed in.

I'd give this a **1/2 out of *****.

Notes: This is the first appearance of the Vulture. The Vulture would be one of the more iconic Spider-Man villains. He eventually becomes a member of the Sinister Six and has appeared in most of the cartoons. I wouldn't call the Vulture one of the top Spider-Man villains though. He's more of a B list villain that is well known. The Vulture will always be around in some way shape or form though.

Next Issue: Journey Into Mystery #92