Comics books have come a long way from this, and that's a good thing. ( )

Inevitable double bill given retellings of these stories have formed the basis of the two most recent Spider-Man movies. The first two-thirds, the death of Captain Stacy, is an example of how culture can build up myths. It’s an ordinary Spidey tale, a standard multi-issue scrap with Doctor Octopus, with Gwen’s dad becoming collateral damage, saving a kid from falling debris. Far more interesting is what Stan Lee, Gil Kane and Romita the elder make of the consequences; a ruthless politician using his death as propaganda. It’s fun enough, with all the verve and energy of what’s my favourite Marvel period, but it’s hardly a tale to echo down the ages.

Much better is the death of Gwen Stacy. It uses the death of Peter Parker’s girlfriend to fashion a tale of two madnesses; Norman Osborn’s insanity and Spider-Man’s drive for revenge at any cost. One man becomes lost in his madness, the other abandons friends, provokes the law and enemies… and still ends up doing the right thing, despite the most extreme provocation he could ever face. It’s Spider-Man’s ultimate trial and he comes through, restating his heroic credentials. It’s simple and elegantly told, with Kane and Romita providing plenty of dash to match the power of the story. It resonated with me when I first read it thirty years ago; it’s still one of the all-time Spider-Man highlights now. Really, all the Spider-Man stories since have merely been fiddling in the margins compared with this ( )

Classic Spiderman from when he lost two important people in his life, Gwen Stacy and her father Captain Stacy. Two characters that meant a lot to spiderman and changed how his life ran.

Interesting and thought-provoking. ( )

http://lampbane.livejournal.com/526006.html

"Here's another poorly put-together collection. It's like, four or five issues surrounding the death of Captain Stacy, and then only two surrounding the death of Gwen. Considering which of the two proved to be more important, I think more build-up to Gwen's death would have given it stronger emotional impact.

Also, in the introduction Jerry Conway goes into how much he hated Gwen and preferred Mary Jane, but this collection doesn't really give you enough to agree or disagree with him. So boo on that. The art is lovely though."