Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine #2 (1968)

[The Confessor]

I didn't know whether to post this in the main Spider-Man forum or not but I decided that I was probably more likely to get the answer I need in this forum.

I really want to get my hands on the Spider-Man story called "The Goblin Lives" which was originally published in issue #2 of the short lived 'Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine' in 1968 (this is not the same comic series as Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man by the way).

Original issues of this comic are VERY expensive, so I'm trying to get my hands on a re-print of the story instead. Now, I know that it's been reprinted a number of times (although not always in it's complete version) in the US but I'm sure I read somewhere a while back that it had also been reprinted in black & white in the UK Spider-Man comic during the 70s.

I just wondered if anyone happens to know exactly which issue of the UK Spider-Man comic this "The Goblin Lives" story appeared in?

You see, I have a stack of old 70s UK Spidey comics up in the attic, buried somewhere under tons of junk. So I'd really like to know exactly which issue I'm looking for before I go exploring :)

[InfoBroker]

Well Confessor, welcome to the Classic Comics Forum. Been to Shadow Hills recently?

I can't help much with the UK reprinting of Spectacular #2, and yea, the first reprint of this tale was truncated massively to fit into the Spidey Annual for 1973, but both issues of the magazine were reprinted in their entirety (with a touch of shrinkage to fit on the pages) in Spidey's seventh Marvel Masterworks collection.

Might be another nifty way to collect them.

-jb the (yes he did indeed color one of his copies of the first issue of Spec) ib-

[The Confessor]

Well Confessor, welcome to the Classic Comics Forum. Been to Shadow Hills recently?

I can't help much with the UK reprinting of Spectacular #2, and yea, the first reprint of this tale was truncated massively to fit into the Spidey Annual for 1973, but both issues of the magazine were reprinted in their entirety (with a touch of shrinkage to fit on the pages) in Spidey's seventh Marvel Masterworks collection.

Might be another nifty way to collect them.

Errr...no, I tend to stay away from Shadow Hill. I find the people up there aren't too friendly towards me! :(

Anyway, yeah, I was aware of the reprint in Marvel Masterworks but I already have all the other stories in that book so I've kind of steared away from buying it. I think I'd rather just go for a single issue reprint if I can. Thanks for the info though.

[swinebread]

Just a wild stab in the dark... Maybe Marvel Tales reprinted it at some point?

[swinebread]

Double post, Sorry

[dan bailey]

I'm sort of surprised to see that neither issue of the mag was reprinted in the appropriate Marvel Essentials (vol 3, presumably); I mean, heck, those stories were already in black & white & everything!

Makes me wonder about any other such notable (to me, at least) omissions in the Essentials line.

[InfoBroker]

Er umm, actually, the second issue was in full color. That's why I could only claim coloring in the first issue.

-jb the (brought to you in living color) ib -

[dan bailey]

Hmmm -- I had no idea. I've never owned a copy of either one (except in the form of the reprint of #1 that Marvel brought out a few years ago ... my lcs had a couple of copies on its half-price tpb shelf awhile back), though I do remember seeing the first one on the stands back when it came out.

[Slam_Bradley]

I'm sort of surprised to see that neither issue of the mag was reprinted in the appropriate Marvel Essentials (vol 3, presumably); I mean, heck, those stories were already in black & white & everything!

Makes me wonder about any other such notable (to me, at least) omissions in the Essentials line.

Well the first issue was reprinted in a slightly altered form in Amazing Spider-Man # 116-118, so it was reprinted in Essential Vol. 6.

40 of the 58 pages of Issue #2 were reprinted in Spider-Man Annual # 9, also in Essential Vol.6.

[The Confessor]

Well the first issue was reprinted in a slightly altered form in Amazing Spider-Man # 116-118, so it was reprinted in Essential Vol. 6.

40 of the 58 pages of Issue #2 were reprinted in Spider-Man Annual # 9, also in Essential Vol.6.

Yeah, that's right. As far as I'm aware the only place that the "The Goblin Lives" story has been reprinted in full and in colour, outside of Marvel masterworks, was in the 'Spider-Man Comics Magazine' #12. This was a smaller than normal size digest format comic book though, but I may end up having to settle for a copy of this. It would almost certainly be cheaper than getting hold of an original copy of Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine #2. Mile High Comics currently have a copy listed on ebay for $168.00.

Incidentally, in response to an earlier reply in this thread, it's never been re-printed in Marvel Tales.

I'm sure I'm not imagining it though...I'm sure that it was reprinted in full in the UK Spider-Man comic at some point in the 70s, only in black & white. I just need to find out in which issue.

[Graham Vingoe]

Yeah, that's right. As far as I'm aware the only place that the "The Goblin Lives" story has been reprinted in full and in colour, outside of Marvel masterworks, was in the 'Spider-Man Comics Magazine' #12. This was a smaller than normal size digest format comic book though, but I may end up having to settle for a copy of this. It would almost certainly be cheaper than getting hold of an original copy of Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine #2. Mile High Comics currently have a copy listed on ebay for $168.00.

Incidentally, in response to an earlier reply in this thread, it's never been re-printed in Marvel Tales.

I'm sure I'm not imagining it though...I'm sure that it was reprinted in full in the UK Spider-Man comic at some point in the 70s, only in black & white. I just need to find out in which issue.

As I read Spiderman Comics Weekly avidly back in the 70's, I can confirm that the Goblin Lives was definitely reprinted in black and White, but I have no actual idea of what issues it was reprinted in.
Not very helpful, I admit but if you can trace the issues you should be ok

[The Confessor]

As I read Spiderman Comics Weekly avidly back in the 70's, I can confirm that the Goblin Lives was definitely reprinted in black and White, but I have no actual idea of what issues it was reprinted in.
Not very helpful, I admit but if you can trace the issues you should be ok

Ah-ha! I knew it!! No, that is a big help actually...it proves that I didn't just dream it up. Thanks.

[dan bailey]

Well the first issue was reprinted in a slightly altered form in Amazing Spider-Man # 116-118, so it was reprinted in Essential Vol. 6.

40 of the 58 pages of Issue #2 were reprinted in Spider-Man Annual # 9, also in Essential Vol.6.

Aha -- thanks for the info. Never would've occurred to me to check for those Essential appearances, since the Spectacular ishes came out 4-plus years before ASM 116-118 & Annual 9.

I'd still have gone with straight reprints of the original newsstand appearances ... but of course Marvel somehow neglected to consult me beforehand. The fools!