In June, Marvel Comics will be adding its own high end collectible book to the already accomplished rosters of IDW’s Artist’s Editions and DC Comics Absolute Editions.  Much as Marvel itself tries to project a larger than life attitude, or persona, with its business model, their new Wolverine Adamantium Edition is larger than its peers.  The book is a slipcased monster measuring 11.5” x 15.5”, bound with 720 pages weighing 16 pounds and will retail for $200.00.  It contains a myriad of high point stories, both collections and a random smattering of single issues from the long and twisted history that is Wolverine.  Now I, of course, am an idiot, so I went ahead and ordered this volume even though I already own everything in it, some of them in already more than one incarnation or printing.  That’s the kind of fan I am.  I want that book that others will ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ over, the really nice, gluttonous, over-priced book that most of you are smart enough not to waste your money on.

With that being said I’d absolutely adore a Spider-man Web Slinging Edition.  So I spend my days thinking about what would make a good collection of Spider-man stories.  A collection of truly representative stories that showcase what it is about Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-man that makes him so "amazing".  In the coming weeks I plan to explore the highlights of Spider-man’s history that I do think are most representative and deserving.  I also worked fairly hard to keep the page count pretty close to the 720 mark, bypassing some stories for others.  The first tough decision I made was to stay exclusively with the 616 Spider-man.  That’s the mainstream history that’s foremost and most recognized.  I love what Bendis and Bagley accomplished with Ultimate Spider-man and once told Brian Michael Bendis that every time a new volume of that came out, I went back and reread from the first to the current book again.  I really enjoyed Miguel and his motivation in Spider-man 2099, and I’m still a huge fan of that costume, yet I can’t justify including it in a volume like this.  For this to be a true representation I’m looking for the source material that inspires everything that comes out of it.  The next decision is that as a representation vs. a "Best of", and that in itself may be a semantic battle, I chose to present the stories in publication order, so that we can see the character growth and development as this rich history unfolds.  In spite of what I think or desire, should Marvel Comics actually ever make this type of book, regardless of what’s in it, I’ll be an idiot and part with my money.

The first story to be included would have to be the seminal Spider-man story:  Amazing Fantasy #15, "Spider-Man", published in August of 1962.  In it we’re introduced to Peter Parker and a handful of his supporting cast that are still around today.  The stage is forever set in a perfect way when Peter discovered that the burglar he let pass was the same man that later murdered his Uncle Ben.  Stunning in its simplicity, Peter Parker carries that guilt, that burden for the rest of his days.  He becomes a sometimes reluctant hero doing his absolute best to make sure that nobody’s Uncle Ben ever again dies like that.  Sometimes he fails and a couple of times he’s even tried to quit thinking it’s all become too much, but he always comes right back to where he started and stands up tall to take on the world again.

As a scrawny, glasses wearing, comic book reading, kid who was shy with the girls, Peter was easy to relate to.  He studied hard and didn’t come from a wealthy home.  He had what he needed and plenty of love from his aunt and uncle, the family he was raised with.  He, too, looked at the group of cool kids from the outside and in Peter I found a peer.  Yet when he put on the mask and became Spider-man it was a complete transformation.  He was flip, and cracked jokes, there’s no way at all anyone could guess that he might be afraid from his body language.  He wasn’t just a super hero.. He was super cool!  If anyone reading the books wasn’t super cool themselves then the fantasy of hiding behind a mask and being that kind of cool sure was appealing.  It also didn’t hurt that Peter’s worst nightmare, the schoolyard bully, girlfriend having, party-going, football throwing, Flash Thompson was Spider-man’s biggest fan.    There has to be a certain thrill to knowing that the person you fear the most is so into you without even knowing it.

As I said, it was a perfect start to a series, which at the time they didn’t even know was going to go on.  It was only the intense fan reaction to this throw away story, in what was supposed to be the last issue of Amazing Fantasy that prompted the creation of The Amazing Spider-man.

Michael R. Murray has been buying and collecting comics for over 35 years.  At one point his collection included two copies of Amazing Spider-man #1, and one copy each of Amazing Fantasy #15, Fantastic Four #2, Avengers #4, Showcase #22, and dozens more high grade and key issues.  The collection has grown to include original art pages, as well as statues and busts, with the current emphasis on collecting original drawings from appropriate artists on the inside of his hard covers.  His personal collection of graphic novels consists of over 2,000 hard covers and trade paperbacks.   He has attended all of the Boston and New York Comic Cons and experienced Philadelphia, Chicago, and San Diego.  He has championed comic books in the local schools and was very proud that both of his children read at least three years above their grade levels, due nearly exclusively to comics.  He’s quick to point out that none of this makes him an expert, but that his love of comics is most enjoyable when he can share it.  Follow on Twitter at mycomicstore001 or like his Facebook page.