Written by Stan Lee
Art by Steve Ditko; Art Simek; & Andy Yanchus
Cover Art by Steve Ditko
SUMMARY:
Released for May 1983, Marvel Comics reprints June 1964’s The Amazing Spider-Man # 13. The ominous Mysterio debuts in “The Menace of Mysterio!” With Spider-Man repeatedly witnessed unleashing a brazen crime spree, Peter Parker worries if he is somehow committing these robberies in his sleep. He even resorts to briefly visiting a psychiatrist for possible answers. With Spidey’s public reputation crumbling, ironically, only Flash Thompson believes in his hero’s innocence.
Meanwhile, the magician-like Mysterio colludes with J. Jonah Jameson to bring Spider-Man to justice. Bewildered and outmatched in his initial encounter with Mysterio, Spider-Man desperately eludes him in a dive off the Brooklyn Bridge.
Deducing who this Spider-impostor must be, Peter forces a rematch vs. his new foe inside an unsuspecting movie studio. Amidst the mayhem, Mysterio reveals his origin. At the same time, Spider-Man gambles that a change in strategy might even the odds vs. an enigmatic adversary, who can seemingly counter his every move.
Note: Even the cover is a complete reprint of the original issue.
REVIEW:
Re: Stan Lee’s storytelling, this Spidey relic is a master class re: how to introduce a gimmicky Silver Age super-villain. Lee’s scripting is freshly inventive by forcing a mighty yet still-rookie Spider-Man to back-pedal fending off Mysterio’s high-tech arsenal. One choice gibe is Spidey taunting Mysterio that he should have instead impersonated Johnny Storm’s Human Torch, if he wanted somebody more in his dubious league.
Besides smartly-written dialogue, Lee makes an inspired move choosing Flash Thompson as Mysterio’s unlikely skeptic/defender of Spidey’s reputation. The scenes depicted in J. Jonah Jameson’s office are also well-written. Best of all is a hilarious bit of payback time, Spidey-style, in an epilogue of sorts.
Curiously, one scene has New York City’s public openly disappointed in Spider-Man’s “reign of terror,” as if he has been a celebrated teen idol for months, if not years. It’s contradictory to J. Jonah easily winning the battle of public perception with his anti-Spidey vendetta. Yet, here J. Jonah finally clues in that his latest anti-Spidey editorial will backfire, leaving the Daily Bugle’s Editor-in-Chief coming off as a raging buffoon to New Yorkers yet again. Even if Lee’s scripting isn’t always consistent, he does so here with remarkable zip, not mention a surprising amount of depth in his characters.
The detriment, however, is Steve Ditko’s uneven artwork. In some places, his distinctive visual magic sparkles in the Mysterio scenes, as well as occasional close-up panels. Otherwise, Ditko all too weakly goes through the paces (i.e. the Flash Thompson & friends sequences). Suffice to say, this issue’s pendulum sharply swings towards mediocrity, as far as artistic quality goes. It’s a shame, as Marvel Tales # 151 should have been another glorious round exploring the Silver Age Spidey’s greatest hits.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Editor Jim Shooter’s “Bullpen Bulletins” column shares a page with Marvel’s latest issue checklist. There’s also a full-page “Marvel Mails” letters-and-answers column.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6½ Stars
