Comments on: A Year of Cool Comic Book Moments – Day 100

By: SXSW Day Two: World-Changing, Waffle Cones and the Watusi

SXSW Day Two: World-Changing, Waffle Cones and the Watusi — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 02:40:27 +0000

[...] really matter. Gamers are empowered by games; so what if, as Spider-Man did, they became aware that with great power comes great responsibility, and set out to change the world for the [...]

By: Responsibility, power and fault

Responsibility, power and fault — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 20:18:57 +0000

[...] power and fault? Amazing Fantasy #15 by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee, August 1962 (image source) ©Thinking about the concept of responsibility lately (I wrote about it here), I found myself [...]

By: Comics Should Be Good! @ Comic Book Resources » A Year of Cool Comic Book Moments – Day 200

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 06:49:15 +0000

[...] cool comic book moment #100, I went with a legendary moment that almost all of us know by heart, so for #200, I figured I would [...]

By: Bob

Bob — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 23:39:12 +0000

Casey, I think Spidey’s mask is just as magical as Batman’s cape ad cowl. Whether it’s attatched or a separate piece depends on the drama of the moment. Example: when Batman needs an impromptu diversion, the cape and cowl come off in one piece. Same when he just wants out of it quick in the cave. But when he wants to take a moment to brood on a rain soaked rooftop, the cowl comes off separate and he stands there holding it in his hand. Spidey’s mask is kinda similiar. Whichever is more convient for the scene.

By: Casey

Casey — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 23:27:09 +0000

Was that the only time Spidey’s mask was depicted as a hood instead of a separate piece of his costume?

By: Mike Blake

Mike Blake — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 06:31:04 +0000

I agree with Cory and John T. In fact, I didn’t even know they’d whited-out Spidey’s little black pupils in current reprints of the origin, and was wondering what happened. It’s a great example of artistic license, like when, from time to time, the facial covering of Batman’s cowl moves to show his expression.

By: John Trumbull

John Trumbull — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 03:07:56 +0000

Too bad this version was the “corrected” version. The original printing, showing the pupils in Spider-Man’s eyes after he realizes what he had done, while an artistic mistake, just hamnmers home the shock that much more.

That’s not a mistake, it’s an intentional effect, and the moment loses a lot of power without it. Ever since I read this story in ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS, it’s never felt like the “real” moment to me without the pupils in Spidey’s mask.

Still one of the all-time great comic stories, though.

By: Bob

Bob — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:40:29 +0000

I think perhaps the coolest part of this entry was behind the scenes. Stan’s boss rejected the Spider-man concept, so Stan snuck it into the last issue of a canceled anthology. Brilliant.

Or is that one of those urban legends?

By: The Rear

The Rear — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 14:50:34 +0000

Whenever I read Lee/Ditko Spider-man stories, I always hear Spider-man’s voice as the voice from the ’67 cartoon. It’s only Ditko’s Spider-man too. Go figure.

By: Cory Strode

Cory Strode — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 05:29:54 +0000

Ditko was such a master of comics that I am lucky to find more of his 50′s and 60′s work so that I can see just how amazing he was at storytelling.

By: JackKing

JackKing — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 05:20:53 +0000

John Seavey: From what I understand, Stan Lee left comics to write novels under his actual last name Lieber. Steve Ditko became a money crazy shill with pretty much no standards. Spider-man just faded away into obscurity. Rather sad, these guys really had something going.

By: chad

chad — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 04:15:39 +0000

could not think of a better moment for one hundred classic Steve Ditko and
Stan Lee at the begining of the mu . perfect moment for one hundred

By: Random Stranger

Random Stranger — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 03:51:01 +0000

“Huh! This is a good choice, if a little obscure. Whatever happened to this character, or the guys who created him for that matter? Sounds like material for a future “Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed”…”

The writer eventually got out of comics and moved to California to become an actor where he only managed to get bit parts in movies like Mallrats.

The artist tried to branch out but only found use for his art as cutting boards.

Rather sad, really.

By: T.

T. — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 03:38:39 +0000

That is an awesome idea Bob. Seigel and Shuster’s original Superman run still is in my mind the character’s storytelling peak. I suppose with all of Bob Kane’s ghosts, original creator week might be a little harder for Batman though.

By: Bob

Bob — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 03:10:37 +0000

Cass, you may be onto something. Not necessarily Spider-man specifically but a week or two dedicated to cool moments from original creators’ first runs on classic characters would be awesome. Siegal and Shuster’s Superman was throwing wife-beaters over tall buildings and making warring national leaders settle thier problems face-to-face. Marston’s Wonder Woman was chained up more times than Betty Paige ever thought of. You just don’t get that level of cool from the classic characters anymore.

How ’bout it, Cronin? Original creators week!

By: Cass

Cass — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 02:45:13 +0000

It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to finish out the rest of a “Year of Cool Comic Book Moments” by drawing entirely from Lee/Ditko Spider-Man, that’s how awesome it is.

By: Bob

Bob — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 02:27:24 +0000

Good choice, but IMO the true “moment” was when he realized it was the burglar from earlier. Batman irrationally FEELS responsible for his parents death…Peter’s feelings are not so irrational. Not sure, but I think that’s a first.

“That–that FACE! It’s–oh no, it CAN’T be!”

Awesome.

By: T.

T. — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 02:05:58 +0000

Great choice, Brian! The origin story from the single greatest creator run of the single greatest superhero in the history of mankind, bar none. Totally made my day.

John Byrne used to say that if he couldn’t do an Untold Tales of Spider-Man comic, because he viewed Stan and Steve’s Spidey as “Spider-BOY.” I say nuts to that idea; Peter Parker became a man (the hard way) in those last few panels.

Wow, Byrne truly did not get Spider-Man in the least, did he? Stan Lee choosing to call him Spider-Man and not Spider-Boy as well as make him a solo lead and not a sidekick or part of a kid team was very deliberate and what made him unique and unprecedented. He was a boy forced to become and act like a man. This is in fact one of the things I think Ultimate Spidey got wrong. He’s so scrawny and acts so immature it seems obvious to other characters that he’s a teenager. Lee and Ditko explicitly made it clear in their run that everyone Spider-Man encountered sincerely believed him to be an adult. In his personal life, in general society and his superhero life he’s catapulted into the role of an adult. With great power comes great responsibility….ADULT responsibility.

By: John Seavey

John Seavey — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 01:59:35 +0000

Huh! This is a good choice, if a little obscure. Whatever happened to this character, or the guys who created him for that matter? Sounds like material for a future “Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed”…

By: Lt. Clutch

Lt. Clutch — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 01:50:40 +0000

Nice one! Even a couple of bald-headed scientists were keen to mock him. Poor guy couldn’t catch a break.