This Fireside Book from 1979 reprints The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 1, nos. 42, 43, 82, and 96-98. Stan Lee, as curator of this volume, chose classic stories such as "The Birth of a Superhero!" and "Rhino on the Rampage!", both about the Rhino, "And then Came Electro!", about the titular character, and a three-part storyarc about the Green Goblin and the dangers of drug abuse. Interestingly, while the Office of Health, Education, and Welfare asked Marvel to write an anti-drug story, which Marvel delivered in a manner to avoid appearing overly preachy, the Comics Code Authority refused to sign off on the story. So Marvel published it anyway. It was so well-received that all subsequent reprints received the Comics Code Authority's seal of approval. The art by John Romita and Gil Kane is classic Spidey guaranteed to enthrall fans. While this book from the late 1970s does not feature some of the contents as modern trade paperbacks, such as a cover gallery, it will still appeal to fans and collectors alike, especially with the gorgeous cover art by Bob Larkin. ( )