Published 1963
Monday, August 01, 2005
Amazing Spider-Man #1 - Cover
One of the most famous and oft-reprinted of the Kirby cover-only books, inked by Steve Ditko (obviously quite heavy on the Spider-Man figure, which looks like almost pure Ditko). I do love the layout, with the Torch's flame circling around the rest of the FF and Spider-Man.
Published 1963
Published 1963
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6 comments:
I read this one with my Spider-Man set of CD's. I love to read them because I don't have to clear a room to save them all. Sure I collected a lot of the Spider-Man comics but I don't have every one of them. Why hasn't DC gone CD or DVD with their comics? I'd buy them in a minute because they save not only shelf space but storage headaches. Just think a few years ago I purchased the complete National Geographic (up to the year 1999) on CD for 12.99 at big box office store on clearance. I bought the first 500 issues of Mad on CD in 1998. More recently the first 500 issues of Spider-Man, The Marvel Comics Library of 100 comics on one CD Rom and the first 550 issues of FF on DVD ...the best format so far...I hope to see more of these DVD collections. Do you know how much space it would take to keep the actual issues?
More on the first Spider-Man cover.. I do believe I first read this as a reprint in one of the first Spidey Treasury Editions. I loved them because they were printed on a oversize paper. It was twice the size of a normal comic. 80 or so pages for only $1.50! That's unheard of today. I have reread a lot of them. I even purchase the DC versions that reprinted the first issues of Batman and Superman. It was one of the best ways to read reprints and I was in comic nirvana each month when they arrived.
Even more on the Spidey cover....
When I think of it, the Marvel Essencials may be the cheapest way of seeing the old comics, however I can't afford them right now so I've been reading my CD's and DVD of the old Spidey and FF comics. I am very surprised that Stan did not approach the new artists and tell them to draw Spider-Man like Ditko. Were there any Ditko imatators? I can't remember any. I can only wish that some smart artist may try to duplicate his style for a retro tribute to Ditko.
and more the Spidey Cover...
We can only speculate as to how Spidey might have been very different if Kirby drew him. Perhaps he'd be more cosmic like Kirby's version of the Panther?
One thing I am surprised at in looking back...why didn't Kirby create a crossover between his version of the Fantastic Four and Thor's world of Asguard? It would have been a major battle to see Thor's father Odin meet with the Silver Surfer or square off against the Watcher or Galactus.
Think of what it would have been like if Galactus attacked Asguard? Or even if the Inhumans took a trip to Thor's home to meet the FF?
I don't know why Kirby didn't have the FF visit Asgard, but that would have to have been approved by Stan Lee. And perhaps the idea just never came up, although it does seem like an interesting idea.
Just today at dialbforblog.com you can see a nice rough ink sketch by Bruce Timm of the FF entering Asgard. Makes you want to think just WHY that never happened.
Maybe the FF are too much SF, and Thor too much Fantasy?
see: http://dialbforblog.com/bruce_timm.jpg
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