The Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus (Reviews, opinions, info)

[Will.S]

Recently I got the chance to purchase this hefty sucker and I must say it's an awesome book and it's really well put together. This Omnibus was the one I was most looking forward to next to the FF and X-Men ones so I was incredibly happy to finally own one. I got the Alex Ross cover btw.

Anyway so far I'm up to issue #2 which is a double feature of sorts with one part starring The Vulture and the other half being The Tinkerer and his alien cohorts trying to take over the world. It's incredibly fun and exciting to read as Spider-Man's first adventures in Marvel. I also have a newfound appreciation for Steve Ditko's art which is just really well crafted and stylistically different from Kirby but captures that very same energy in the web swinging and general action.

In fact after seeing the art I see that the people most influenced by Steve's art are David Finch in his rendition of Spider-Man and most definitely Mark Buckingham who's Aunt May and Uncle Ben are almost dead ringers for Steve's versions. The color restoration/re mastering on this is great, very smooth but nothing fancy that alters the art. It's basically re-doing the colors to appear clearer and sharper alongside the line work.

I perused the back for the extras and it has some cool stuff like pictures of the old Marvel bullpen, Steve Ditko original art, unused covers and the actual covers, it even includes all the pin-ups and letters pages.

All in all, this book so far is very much worth the money especially for Spider-Man fans who don't want to spend all that money on the Masterworks or the ones who don't like the black and white essentials.

[Chris N]

It's a great deal, especially if you can find it in the $50-60 range. Holds up really well. Binding seems perfect, which is my main concern with books of that size. It's rather heavy but a good deal, and it's nice to have the whole of Ditko Spider-Man in one compact form.

For about $60, you can get the entirety of what I consider to be the height of the comics medium. (Many would consider that statement hyperbole, but it remains my opinion)

What's great about Ditko is all the poses and images. Almost every comic has a few panels which include poses that have become iconic and would be imitated for decades. I think it takes him about 12 issues or so to get his storytelling abilities down though.

[Will.S]

What's great about Ditko is all the poses and images. Almost every comic has a few panels which include poses that have become iconic and would be imitated for decades. I think it takes him about 12 issues or so to get his storytelling abilities down though.
Hmm I actually really liked some of Ditko's early stuff too.

The action sequence where Spider-Man saves Jonah's son James looked great, especially the panel with Spider-Man on the top of the plane with the clouds right in front. It almost seemed right out of some 50's movie.

[Mister Mets]

I have decent Lee/ Ditko reprints (the four softcover Masterworks volumes Barnes & Noble did a few years ago) so I'm curious as to what the other extras are.

Aside from the Strange Tales Annual 2 Human Torch team up story, and the Fantastic Four Annual 1 back-up.

[Web_Spinner]

It's a great deal, especially if you can find it in the $50-60 range.

Where can I find a deal like that?

Thanks!

[Chris N]

Where can I find a deal like that?

Thanks!

$63 at amazon is what I went for, though I know people have found better

http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Spider-Man-Omnibus-Vol-1/dp/0785124020/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-2460971-7373528?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180683224&sr=8-1

[Chris N]

I have decent Lee/ Ditko reprints (the four softcover Masterworks volumes Barnes & Noble did a few years ago) so I'm curious as to what the other extras are.

Aside from the Strange Tales Annual 2 Human Torch team up story, and the Fantastic Four Annual 1 back-up.

Letters pages for one. The coloring has been remastered since those days and the annuals maybe are in better places. The Masterworks had screwed up pretty badly originally.

There's random things like extra commentaries, a few sketches, photos of the Marvel Bullpen people and a Marvel Tales cover gallery

[Billy Parker]

I got the Alex Ross cover btw.

Ross?! On Ditko's run?! :confused: Bleh!!!

[Will.S]

Ross?! On Ditko's run?! :confused: Bleh!!!Hah well I really liked the painted ones he did, I also got the Ross cover for the FF Omnibus.

[Rix]

I love the book, with one small caveat... The pages are too close to the binding. With my book, anyway. You really have to spread the book wide to read the inner edges near the binding. I had the first volume of Spidey's Marvel Masterworks and it didn't have this problem. I gave it away when I ordered the Omnibus.

[Chris N]

Ross?! On Ditko's run?! :confused: Bleh!!!

Don't worry; it's a variant cover. You don't have to get it.

[Billy Parker]

Don't worry; it's a variant cover. You don't have to get it.

Yah, I'm just playing, though I don't know why they give Ross a spotlight here. Hm?

I just got mine, it's awesome! These are the best Spider-Man comics. And it looks great too.

[Will.S]

Yah, I'm just playing, though I don't know why they give Ross a spotlight here. Hm?

I just got mine, it's awesome! These are the best Spider-Man comics. And it looks great too.
Yeah I liked the remastering of the colors and art.

Something I found pretty funny was in issue #2 Peter Parker is referred to as "Peter Palmer". I can't blame Stan or the guys since they were all working on a billion books at the time but I just thought it was a funny mistake.

[chicainery]

Resurrection from 2007!

I searched and searched and couldn't find an answer to this question, so here is the question I have from the Marvel Omnibus thread on the Marvel Board here at CBR:


A question for those that have the Amazing Spider-man Volume 1 Omnibus by Lee/Ditko:

On page 85 of my copy there are some pencil scribbles in the panel where the Human Torch is giving his motivating speech about never giving up. I first thought that this could have possibly been missed on the Marvel Masterworks clean-up end and then just put in the omnibus, but my copy of Marvel Masterworks Spider-man Volume 1 doesn't have these pencil marks in that panel.

Does anyone else have this in their book?

[Russ840]

Resurrection from 2007!

I searched and searched and couldn't find an answer to this question, so here is the question I have from the Marvel Omnibus thread on the Marvel Board here at CBR:

Hey. I just bought 2 copies so ill check those for you later tonight.

[dingbat46]

I checked my copy and didn't see any such thing.

[chicainery]

I checked my copy and didn't see any such thing.

Thanks for looking. That's very interesting. The pencil marks in my copy appear to be printed that way. I don't think someone actually doodled in my book.

[dingbat46]

You're welcome. Did you purchase your copy sealed?

[chicainery]

You're welcome. Did you purchase your copy sealed?

Yes, I bought it new from CheapGraphicNovels.com fall of 2011 as a Christmas present from my daughter to me (she was only 1). It was new and sealed, a sewn second print. I got it just months before it went out of print and to much higher prices.

If that's the only problem in the book, then I'll still be happy, and it appears to be.