A review by lilradridinghood
The Amazing Spider-Man by Steve Ditko, Stan Lee

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I haven't read much of the older comics, but I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. I like Peter's ongoing internal conflict and how he cares most about getting money for Aunt May. I think the pacing's a lot better than some of the more recent comics that can drag a story on for many issues. It's also nice to see some complexity already shown in the side characters too, like JJJ. Even Flash is shown to have a heart pretty early. Liz gets kind of annoying though lol. But I love Johnny Storm always.

The comics themselves would not be worth five stars for me without the additions from Ben Saunders and Jason Reynolds, which help me appreciate how revolutionary these comics were given the context of their time. It's interesting to read about how collaborative the comic making process was between Lee and Ditko. I just wish this collection included at least one more issue of ASM rather than the non-Spidey parts of Amazing Fantasy.