Skip to content
Menu
  • Secret Origin!
Menu

ASM 181

Posted on January 18, 2023November 7, 2021 by spiderdewey

It seems like Kingpin’s floating head somehow knows he’s in that smoke. “THE ____ AND THE ____!” is one of the many Stan Lee-isms that got driven right into the ground in the 70s. What sense does this one even make? This issue is basically filler. Yeah, my last ASM from the 70s is totally unnecessary. Which… feels appropriate, really. Not the best decade for Spider-Man. We have here what’s most likely an inventory story, naturally by Bill Mantlo, Sal Buscema, Mike Esposito and Glynis Oliver, retelling not just Spidey’s origin, but basically trying to tell you his entire published history in one issue. Now, that’s  not entirely without merit for the period. It’s not like back issues or trades or, you know, wikipedia were easily accessible in 1978. But for someone who knows it all, not the most exciting reading. A framing device is really the most interesting bit for our purposes…

I believe this is the beginning of the tradition of Peter visiting Ben’s grave every year, which would have surprising legs. And, it must be said, kind of dangerous ones, given the sliding time scale. “Peter marks the night Ben was shot like 14 times a year, actually.” The present is that microscope from AF 15, of course, as a truncated but largely faithful retelling of the origin proceeds. Though it must be said, all the liberties taken with the dialogue are downgrades.

“Or my fists!” doesn’t exactly enhance the proceedings. I like how they’re like “Oh, yeah, this takes place like months ago.” The perils of the inventory story. On a single page, we see how Spidey couldn’t get work in TV anymore and failed to join the FF. Then there’s a rundown of all the times JJJ tried to have Spider-Man taken out, whether by Spider-Slayer, Scorpion, hiring Luke Cage or creating The Fly. Stuff like this…

…the deaths of The Stacys, primers on villains like The Lizard, Morbius, Man-Wolf and The Enforcers. It’s weird how much panel real estate The Enforcers and Man-Wolf got when you see who all got crammed on this page:

Quick mention of how Spider-Man is friends with the FF, Daredevil, Prowler and Punisher (???), and a one-panel intro for MJ before we wrap it up…

Weird ending! Kind of cute, I guess. But due to the out-of-order nature of this blog, we’ve seen how that microscope Peter just gave away forever plays a prrrretty big role in ASM 290, where this clearly never happened. I read 290 as a very young kid, but only read this issue after The Great eBay Hysteria of 2018, so imagine my shock getting to the end of it. Not exactly a crucial continuity error, but a pretty glaring one, once you know about it. And that’s it for ASM in the 70s. But we’ve still got a few more issues in this block.

  • Amazing Spider-Man
  • Bill Mantlo
  • Glynnis Oliver
  • Mike Esposito
  • Sal Buscema
  • Spider-Man
  • Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recent Posts

    • TAC V2 20
    • TAC V2 19
    • TAC V2 18
    • TAC V2 17
    • Avengers 503 & Finale

    Archives

    • June 2025
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • February 2025
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • July 2024
    • June 2024
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • March 2024
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • October 2023
    • September 2023
    • August 2023
    • July 2023
    • June 2023
    • May 2023
    • April 2023
    • March 2023
    • February 2023
    • January 2023
    • December 2022
    • November 2022
    • October 2022
    • September 2022
    • August 2022
    • July 2022
    • June 2022
    • May 2022
    • April 2022
    • March 2022
    • February 2022
    • January 2022
    • December 2021
    • November 2021
    • October 2021
    • September 2021
    • August 2021
    • July 2021
    • June 2021
    • May 2021
    • April 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • March 6

    Categories

    • 1960s
    • 1970s
    • 1980s
    • 1990s
    • 2000s
    • Uncategorized

    Tags

    Alex Saviuk Al Milgrom Amazing Spider-Man Aunt Anna Aunt May Ben Reilly Ben Urich Betty Brant Bill Mantlo Black Cat Bob Sharen Brian Michael Bendis David Michelinie Doctor Octopus Flash Thompson Gerry Conway Glory Grant Gregory Wright Gwen Stacy Harry Osborn Hobgoblin Howard Mackie J. Jonah Jameson Jim Mooney JM DeMatteis Joe Robertson John Kalisz John Romita John Romita Jr Kevin Tinsley Kingpin Liz Allen Mark Bagley Marvel Team-Up Mary Jane Watson Mike Esposito Norman Osborn Sal Buscema Scott Hanna Spectacular Spider-Man Spider-Man Stan Lee Tom DeFalco Venom Web of Spider-Man

    Meta

    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org
    ©2025 | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme