First Look Review of Amazing Spider-Man #3
First Look Review of Amazing Spider-Man #3
A new Spider signal, a new super powered villain, the Human Torch visits, and Spidey loses a battle, what more could you ask for in Amazing Spider-Man #3 as our hero takes on Doc Ock? This is actually the first full comic devoted to a single story for the web slinger and I think it succeeds on many levels.
Amazing Spider-Man #3
Spider-Man verses Doctor Octopus by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Published by Marvel Comics, 1963.
The story starts out with run of the mill safe stealing thugs and ends with a triumphant Spider-Man thanking the Human Torch for his inspiration. The thugs are a straightforward one page battle for Spidey as he actually longs for an opponent that would actually challenge him. He’s getting smug in his ability to take down any criminal, so much so that he’s built a Spidey signal like Batman, but this one he shines on the bad guys after he’s caught them.
With his confidence almost bursting outta his skull, we see a villain that will push Spidey to be a better hero being born. Doctor Otto Octavious built a suit that allows him to work with dangerous radiation and chemicals via long metallic arms. But as he’s running experiments, there’s an explosion and the suit becomes fused to his body…he also takes some brain damage that makes him just a bit paranoid. With his arms now controlled by his mind alone, Doc Ock sets out to be the supreme human being on Earth.
As Parker looks to gather pictures for J. Jonah Jameson, it’s with those arms that the brilliant scientist latches on to the overconfident Spidey and POW! Those arms are powerful and quick and with them grabbing Parker’s arms and legs, the Doctor puts the smack down on Spidey and throws him out the window like trash.
His confidence shaken, it takes a pep talk from the Human Torch to snap Peter outta his depression and remind him that the important thing is to never give up. With new determination, Spidey heads to the atomic lab to track down Otto. This time Parker strategizes and hides from the multi armed nemesis. He then puts together some chemical devices to impair the tentacles and heads into the fight. With only 2 metallic limbs to catch the web crawler with, Doc Ock is at a disadvantage and Spidey sneaks a web shot onto Doc’s glasses, blinding him temporarily. Then it’s just a matter of his super strength as Spidey punches the mad scientist into next Tuesday.
This was definitely one of the best issues Marvel put out in 1963, at least of those I’ve read so far. Parker really has a crisis of confidence going from believing no one can stand up to him to feeling that he’s useless as Spider-Man. Fortunately for our hero, the Fantastic Four live in the same town and the Human Torch was giving a pep talk. Ditko does a really nice job drawing this one and with the new gadgets, Spidey picks himself up from defeat to never give in. This was a fun read!
You can find first looks at other issues in this title linked in my January Reading List.
I rate this issue a A.
This comic can be found on Marvel Unlimited, Comixology or at your local comic book shop.