The Spider #1 (spoilers)

[The_Dork_Nut]

Well, I got this issue in my mailbox today and sat down to read it this afternoon and man......this was BETTER than The Shadow #1 in my opinion! I loved how callous The Spider is, in one scene he ask's himself what gave him the right to kill the scum he was killing, and his answer was pretty damn blunt, it gave me chills down my spine. The interior art is okay, nothing spectacular but every bit as good as The Shadow, but the story was just so more engaging and really kept me flipping the pages until I got to the tragic ending, which sets up the 2nd issue in an epic way.

Home run Dynamite, HOME freakin' RUN!

Yeah, this was a good start, and I agree it is better than the Shadow also better than all 5 dc books I bought this week, don't know if I can say it was better than the new DD though but still worth checking out for anybody.

[emb021]

Bummer. Guess I'll just make a character inspired by him.

Do it. There are a lot of original 'new pulp' characters, as well as people writing new stories with original pulp characters.

Check out publishers like Moonstone, Airship 27, Wild Cat, Pro Se and the others.

[Dark-Flux]

I felt a little underwhelmed with it tbh. It was perfectly functional and still enjoyable, but just kinda felt like a typical supernatural police-drama comic ala Witchblade with a standard dark-vigilante thing going on. Art didnt wow me either. Impressive on a technical level but it was just kinda plain and all in all unremarkable.
Ill probably give it another issue to sway me.

[Jimmy Bond]

Slightly better than Shadow, I suppose. Interested in seeing where this goes.

[MichaelPaytonMZ]

http://www.fighttheempirestate.com/

New Spider fans should check this out.

[Obregon Kaine]

This is my first exposure to the Spider, even though I'm a long-time comic reader.

I enjoyed it. I'll be back for issue #2.

[MichaelPaytonMZ]

RadioArchive is selling the original pulps as eBooks. "Prince of the Red Looters" is on sale for a penny. (Mobi, PDF and ePub format included in price.) They have an audio book of that novel and Norvell Page's first Spider novel as well. I listened to the samples on their site last night ans was really impressed by the production quality. I'm definitely going to snap up their audio books when I have more cash. I'm hoping they have the rights to all of the novels as ebooks too. They're damn near impossible to find as ebooks unless you get PDFs, which are rather hard to read on my Kindle.

Vintage Library still has a free PDF Spider Kit, which includes paper models for the Spider's ring, mask, gun and even his hat. The original Spider rings are rare and go for upwards of $10K.

Here's a PDF checklist of the 119 novels. It folds up into a bookmark when printed out.

I'm hoping that this new comic generates enough heat for the character that we see more of this stuff. I'm not expecting a feature film and action figure line. But the audiobooks are ebooks awesome. The Black Empire collection is stunning. I'd love to see a reproduction of the ring as well.

[sky dog]

I've been buying the pulp replicas from Girasol (not the double reprints, but the ones that are exact copies of the originals), so I was psyched to see a comic version of the character hitting the shelves.

I just finished reading The Cholera King earlier in the week, so it was hilarious to see that story referenced in this comic. The art was good, but it was almost too good. Would have liked to see what Francesco Francavilla could have done with the interiors.

[MichaelPaytonMZ]

In own one of the replicas. I like it, but for the cost, I'm almost afraid to read it and get fingerprints on the cover. I got into the Spider with the C&C paperbacks and grabbed the set from Vintage Library when they had them in stock.

[sky dog]

In own one of the replicas. I like it, but for the cost, I'm almost afraid to read it and get fingerprints on the cover.

I try to keep them nice as well, bags and boards for sure. But look at it this way, you can get the replicas for $25 or $35 apiece. They're brand new and are printed on better paper than the originals. If you keep them bagged they'll stay in good condition for as long as you keep them. Or you can pay $200 for an original copy from the '30s that's got tears, chipped pages, and will definitely sustain some damage if you don't give them the white glove treatment.

I've got the bug, so simply not buying them or getting paperback book reprints isn't an option for me. The reprints, pricey as they are, are definitely the best avenue. Although once I handed a copy of Spicy Western to someone so they could read an advertisement for booklets of photos showing "men and women together" and "spanking of girls and young women." They folded the page over and would have left a nasty crease if I didn't snatch it back just in time. Made me think twice about ever lending a copy to someone without giving them a dire warning about treating them with care.

I try to limit myself to about three issues of assorted titles once every two months or so, but with tax refunds coming back last month I'm feeling a bit weak and may have to order a few more in the next day or two.

[MichaelPaytonMZ]

I'm okay with the paperbacks and the trades that have come out over the years. I can read more for my money. I'd really prefer them all as ebooks tho. Esp if they have the illustrations. It's easier to rescue a Kindle or tablet from a burning house than my whole bookshelf. :)

[Ed Love]

In own one of the replicas. I like it, but for the cost, I'm almost afraid to read it and get fingerprints on the cover. I got into the Spider with the C&C paperbacks and grabbed the set from Vintage Library when they had them in stock.

Compare it to how much you're paying per issue for the comic and what it will cost to get the full story PLUS the length of time it will take to read the comic. Vs the replicas where you're getting TWO stories and each takes a couple of hours to read.

[MichaelPaytonMZ]

A Spider ebook from Radio Archives is $2.99 (plus the one for a penny) or $4.99 for Vintage Library's PDF line. Even with the current $15 reprints trades and the $17 Black Empire Trilogy book, you definitely get more value for your money from the books that you do for a $3.99 comic. I bought the 8 C&C paperbacks for $20. 16 stories for a buck and a quarter each. There are a few early volumes on Munsey's for free. Not sure if they're in public domain so I don't want to pass out links. (Google Munseys and Grant Stockbridge)

CITY OF FLAMING SHADOWS
EMPIRE OF DOOM
WHEEL OF DEATH, THE
WINGS OF THE BLACK DEATH

[a fire in london]

Thanks for all the info on the pulps. I just ordered the book and I am going to pick up some of the other older material.

[HasbroSlayer84]

This was THE book, I loved Shadow but Spider no1 was the best single book I've read in months, even better than kirby: Genesis and Silver Star! And I love those 3 books. I hate waiting for issue no2, it can't come soon enough and what a cliffhanger too!