Another month, another enduring concept. It’s really hard to overstate how insane early Marvel Comics are. Just month after month, Kirby, Ditko, Heck and the rest are churning out characters that will still be relevant 60+ years later. This cover really spelling out how dangerous Sandman is before you even get to open the book is pretty unusual. Seems effective, tho. I think it’s also interesting to note how dense the web pattern is on Spidey’s suit in the early days. This approach has more in common with the McFarlane look than what we tend to think of as the “classic” style. At any rate, after a a splash of Spidey punching through a Sandman holding a bag of money, which declares that Spider-Man is already a huge success, we begin.
That’s pretty funny. A cop does show up, and Spider-Man books it. The cop is annoyed with Spidey for fleeing, but also sees through the goons. Spider-Man thinks this is all because JJJ has turned people against, him, and figures he better go pay that guy a visit, but he’s not in his office at this time of night (For a change). Our hero thinks he’ll leave Jonah a souvenir, then he’s out and about again when he sees the cops screamin’ through the street and a guy climbing onto a roof. Assuming they’re after that guy, he gets involved.
The rawness of Ditko’s inks in these early days is really cool to me. People at DC dismissed Marvel comics as looking crude and ugly in these days (Well, for decades, really), and it is kinda crude and weird looking, but it’s got such a character to it. Sandman gets to work, breaking into a bank as only he can, while we find our hero at home, frantically trying to sew up his mask and bemoaning how bad he is at it. Definitely new territory for a superhero in this era. As he does, he sees a news bulletin about the rampaging Sandman that gives us his backstory. He was dangerous criminal Flint Marko, top of the FBI’s most wanted list, when he escaped “island prison” and, fleeing the police, went into an atomic testing site. Guess what?
Surely not the last time our man will be hiding his suit under a robe and/or sheets. Sandman makes a clean getaway, and Peter hears about it on the morning news the next day. Aunt May checks him and declares him fit for school. He’s been up all night sewing his mask, but it’s ready, and he decides to wear the suit to school under his clothes, just in case. Meanwhile, JJJ comes grumping into the office, wanting the latest on Sandman and wondering if can tie this new menace to Spider-Man.
Pictures of Spider-Man! The debut of Betty Brant! A date with Liz! JJJ with no pants! What a page. Of all the billions of superhero characters who’ve made it into movies, none has been more true to the comics than JK Simmons’ J. Jonah in the original Spider-Man movies, and in panel six, JJJ almost even looks like him. Man, that was inspired casting. Clearly, we have not settled on the idea that Spidey’s webbing dissolves in an hour yet.
It’s Chekov’s Vacuum Cleaner! Yes, we’re headed for the very moment Sandman was still mad about in MTU, Vol. 2 # 3. And it gets wackier as Sandman bursts into a full classroom by accident. Finding out the principal is there, he remarks that he never finished high school, and demands a diploma. Bonkers. The principal refuses, earning some respect from the kids, but Sandy’s about to knock his head off for it until The Amazing Spider-Man comes flying through the door and knocks Sandman to the ground.
As the kids are evacuated, Spidey lures Sandman ino the gym so he’ll have more room to maneuver. He tries covering his foe in web, but Sandman just pours right out of it. Then he corners our hero and, harding his chest with Spider-Man’s fist in it so he can’t move, begins headbutting him over and over. Spidey flips backward, sending Sandman slamming into the bannister of a stairway and briefly turning completely to sand. As he recovers, this gives Sandy an idea, and slithers across the room to encase Spider-Man in sand. Spider-Man rolls into a ball, so that when Sandman’s trapped him, he can roll them both right down the basement stairs.
“It can’t be unethical!” Can’t it? Also, why is JJJ here? What reason could he have for personally going down to the scene of the battle? Soon enough, as the cops are preparing to go in, telling JJJ they’re not trying to fight Spider-Man no matter how much he demands it, Spider-Man appears outside with the vacuum containing Sandman, and everyone instantly takes his word for it that Sandman is inside, which is nice. It’s implied for a 2nd time in 2 pages that JJJ publishes multiple newspapers instead of a magazine as he bellows various questions at Spider-Man, which is pretty interesting. Jonah could’ve been a real media mogul.
Man, JJJ is really just running roughshod all over this crime scene. Is this as aggressive as he’s ever been? It’s pretty hilarious. Peter is feeling pretty good about defeating Sandman and selling some photos. Rejoining the other kids, he tells Liz he can take her out tonight, after all, but she’s obviously mad at him and says she’s made other plans. Flash notes those plans are with him and makes fun of Peter for hiding during the fight. Peter snaps, and is about to clock his tormentor when he realizes he might take his head, and then says he’s not worth it. Flash presses the insults, but Peter is too worried to listen to them.
While “soon” is kind of vague, it means ASM is going monthly as of this issue, proving too popular to put out just 6 issues a year. 4 issues deep and already a runaway hit. Like Fantastic Four before him, Spider-Man is so different from the usual superhero fare of the early 60s that he’s more or less an instant classic. Here’s this issue’s 2nd reprint cover. Most of these don’t have visible credits, and I confess, I’m not sure who did them, but this one seems likely to be Tom Raney again.
