Marvel Comics Library. Spider-Man. Vol. 1. 1962-1964

Stan Lee's Spider-Man was initially met with objections from his boss, but he persisted and the character was eventually published in Amazing Fantasy, which became a best-seller. The series broke the comics mold by featuring a relatable teenage protagonist, Peter Parker, who struggled with everyday problems while using his powers to fight crime. Co-creator Steve Ditko's artwork contributed to Spider-Man's popularity, making swinging through New York City seem like an exciting adventure. This XXL-sized collectors' edition, close in size to the original artworks, features the first 21 stories of Spider-Man from 1962-1964, reproduced with modern retouching techniques and a custom paper stock to simulate the feel of the original comics.

Format: Hardback
Length: 698 pages
Publication date: 07 December 2021
Publisher: Taschen GmbH

Stan Lee's initial pitch for Spider-Man in 1962 faced numerous objections from his boss, Martin Goodman. People disliked spiders, and teenagers were not considered main characters; they were sidekicks. Stan persisted and was allowed to give the unlikely hero a tryout in Amazing Fantasy, which was already slated for cancellation. With Spider-Man on the cover, No. 15 shot to the top of Marvel's best-seller list for the year, and the rest is history.

Amazing Spider-Man, which debuted seven months later, broke the comics mold. Peter Parker lived in an uncool Queens neighborhood, was always broke, constantly worried about his Aunt May, was unlucky in love, and was constantly getting yelled at by his boss, Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson. Spider-Man had the quips and confidence that Parker lacked, but learning to use his powers was not always easy. He often seemed on the verge of defeat against the rogues gallery of classic foes that debuted in the first couple of years: Vulture, Doctor Octopus, Sandman, Lizard, Electro, Kraven the Hunter, Mysterio, and the Green Goblin.

Much of the credit for Spider-Man's greatness goes to co-creator and artist Steve Ditko, who had a knack for portraying teenagers and their problems. His artwork infused Spider-Man with a loose-limbed energy, and while everyone was scared of spiders, Ditko made swinging through New York seem like the coolest adventure ever.

This XXL-sized collectors' dream, close in size to the original artworks, features the first 21 stories of the world's favorite web slinger from 1962-1964. Rather than recolor the original artwork (as has been done in previous decades reprints of classic comics), TASCHEN has attempted to create an ideal representation of these books as they were produced.

Weight: 5054g
Dimension: 325 x 478 x 85 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783836582339