AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #121 - A Masterpiece!
I bought this beat up copy for $90
Back in early 1973, Gerry Conway had taken over writing the Amazing Spider-man after Roy Thomas became EIC, Stan Lee was prepping for Hollywood and John Romita now had his hands full as Marvel's art director. Gerry, like Roy, would go on to write pretty much every main Marvel character and comic, before a very brief stint as EIC. But it was THIS comic (and series) in particular that he will always be known for.
(AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #121 - cover dated June 1973, on newsstands March 13th, 1973 with cover art by John Romita)
The Amazing Spider-man was Marvel's best selling comic, and part of its appeal over the years was SOMETHING big happening. Goblin's Identity revealed in 1966, Peter Parker quitting in 1967, memory loss/Doc Ock team-up in 1968, Crisis on Campus in 1969, Captain Stacy dying in 1970, the Drug Issues in 1971, and... well it had been almost 2 years since a major event happened...
What a great splash page...
(AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #121 - cover dated June 1973, on newsstands March 13th, 1973 with art by Gil Kane and John Romita)
It used to bother me, the way they portrayed Norman Osborn and his mental illness... I always thought, "Oh come on, nobody's THAT delusional." Here in 2020, there are a LOT more Norman Osborns in the world than I could ever have imagined. Now I actually LIKE the way they show his delusion.
(AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #121 - cover dated June 1973, on newsstands March 13th, 1973 with art by Gil Kane and John Romita)
There are people who hate this issue, because of what they did in killing Gwen, and I get that. But looking it objectively, they really hit a home run in pacing, storytelling, so much... the panel below just says so much...
(AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #121 - cover dated June 1973, on newsstands March 13th, 1973 with art by Gil Kane and John Romita)
The issue spirals out of control, the way life does sometimes... where it just starts down a path that you seemingly know is bad and the then... WHAK! This issue captures that so well... you can sense something BAD is going to happen and of course it does...
(AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #121 - cover dated June 1973, on newsstands March 13th, 1973 with art by Gil Kane and John Romita)
Showing the kind of fall it is. This is where artists today fail so badly... this isn't 'cool' or overly flashy or sexy, but man oh man does it tell you so much...
And then maybe one of the most heartbreaking sequences in all of comics. But not just because of what happened... this isn't cheap, like the movie... with all of his power, and all of his bravado, with all of his experience saving others and the responsibility he's put upon his own shoulders... not even HE can escape the inevitable...
(AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #121 - cover dated June 1973, on newsstands March 13th, 1973 with art by Gil Kane and John Romita)
Still just gets me every time...
Back in early 1973, Gerry Conway had taken over writing the Amazing Spider-man after Roy Thomas became EIC, Stan Lee was prepping for Hollywood and John Romita now had his hands full as Marvel's art director. Gerry, like Roy, would go on to write pretty much every main Marvel character and comic, before a very brief stint as EIC. But it was THIS comic (and series) in particular that he will always be known for.
The Amazing Spider-man was Marvel's best selling comic, and part of its appeal over the years was SOMETHING big happening. Goblin's Identity revealed in 1966, Peter Parker quitting in 1967, memory loss/Doc Ock team-up in 1968, Crisis on Campus in 1969, Captain Stacy dying in 1970, the Drug Issues in 1971, and... well it had been almost 2 years since a major event happened...
What a great splash page...
It used to bother me, the way they portrayed Norman Osborn and his mental illness... I always thought, "Oh come on, nobody's THAT delusional." Here in 2020, there are a LOT more Norman Osborns in the world than I could ever have imagined. Now I actually LIKE the way they show his delusion.
There are people who hate this issue, because of what they did in killing Gwen, and I get that. But looking it objectively, they really hit a home run in pacing, storytelling, so much... the panel below just says so much...
The issue spirals out of control, the way life does sometimes... where it just starts down a path that you seemingly know is bad and the then... WHAK! This issue captures that so well... you can sense something BAD is going to happen and of course it does...
Showing the kind of fall it is. This is where artists today fail so badly... this isn't 'cool' or overly flashy or sexy, but man oh man does it tell you so much...
(AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #121 - cover dated June 1973, on newsstands March 13th, 1973 with art by Gil Kane and John Romita)
When you originally read it... did you notice the 'snap'?
(AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #121 - cover dated June 1973, on newsstands March 13th, 1973 with art by Gil Kane and John Romita)
And then maybe one of the most heartbreaking sequences in all of comics. But not just because of what happened... this isn't cheap, like the movie... with all of his power, and all of his bravado, with all of his experience saving others and the responsibility he's put upon his own shoulders... not even HE can escape the inevitable...
Still just gets me every time...
(AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #121 - cover dated June 1973, on newsstands March 13th, 1973 with art by Gil Kane and John Romita)
And then the emotion...
(AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #121 - cover dated June 1973, on newsstands March 13th, 1973 with art by Gil Kane and John Romita)
