Last time on “Keigen Reviews Mighty Marvel Masterworks: Amazing Spider-Man Volumes,” the series clicked for me in a real way. Ditko got a little bit better, the writing annoyed me less, everything generally felt like less of a slog. Volume 3 continued that trend, mostly just by doing things exactly as well, but it’s a flavor that works well, so why mess with it?
Something that continues getting better as the series progresses is the use of the cast. This was already one of the strengths in volume 2, but it stood out differently to me here. With nearly 30 issues behind them, Lee and Ditko have gotten to a point with Amazing Spider-Man where the cast is pretty set, and it starts looking more like a sitcom than more modern solo comics look like today.
The treatment of its cast is key here for a couple reasons, but I think it’s most clear where Jameson is concerned. The way that Jameson is used throughout this collection is basically as a story engine, where his actions are constantly pushing Spider-Man to have to act in turn. Whether it’s paying some guy to capture Spider-Man, or winding up with Peter’s only costume, or just being the editor at the Daily Bugle, Jameson is constantly at the forefront of these stories, and has obviously stuck around: likewise with the rest of the cast.
It’s ridiculous to argue that any one cast member is or was more important than Peter. He’s the star; that much is obvious. However, their existence helps prevent the series from becoming monotonous, and allows for more flexibility. Something I’ve been thinking about a lot is that, even though the series may be named after Spider-Man the character, when I see the title “Amazing Spider-Man“, I have the expectation that far more characters will be in it than just Peter Parker. The series should have an entire cast, and it has dozens of iconic characters that have been developed within it. Modern series seem to fail to grasp this idea, opting to isolate Peter more and more. While I don’t think that is antithetical to Spider-Man as a character or anything, I do think these classic comics thrive when utilizing the cast that’s been built up over years.
Alternatively, this volume did a good job leveraging its cast into further isolating Peter by putting pressure on his keeping secrets. This isolation is something that is a staple of these classic comics, ramping up the melodrama and creating its own conflicts all the time, but it’s also become a staple of the genre in general, which is something I’ve been thinking about in a couple other pieces of superhero media – namely, Ms. Marvel (the show) and Ed Brubaker’s Kill or be Killed.
The isolation in Ms. Marvel is something that was always a highlight in the comics, but has played somewhat differently in the show. Regardless, the biggest difference between Peter and Kamala is that, while Peter hasn’t told anyone (up to the point he graduates high school) Kamala immediately has Bruno who knows, and soon has villains and other allies who know. It stands as a contrast because now it’s not just about keeping secrets from others, it’s about building bonds with her friends, and eventually it means—in the comics at least—that her family knows. Kamala as a character is in a lot of ways an updated Peter, and with that updating, they did new and interesting things with regards to secret identity and isolation that stands out well against these classic stories.
On the other hand, Kill or be Killed plays the isolation of having a secret identity completely straight, and really leans into the horror of that kind of decision. Where Peter gets to still have a social life in this volume, Dylan’s life is destroyed because of the secrets he keeps. In the same way that Ms. Marvel is a reaction to those early Amazing Spider-Man stories, Kill or be Killed presents the stories played as straight as possible.
Looking at the way those series use isolation as a theme helps to accentuate how Spider-Man does, as well, and how well it works as a tool. In this Mighty Marvel Masterworks volume, it’s used well, and highlights the immaturity and inexperience of Peter Parker. It’s a reminder of how young he is, and now limited his worldview is. After some 900 comics it’s grown tired, but I can see why people think it should still work, based on the strength of these comics.
I feel like complaining a little, so I’ll end with asking: why did seven months pass between volumes 2 and 3? I am reading these for the first time, and waiting for the new ones! C’mon, Marvel! It’s not like you’re waiting on pages!
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