Product Description
This deluxe hardcover collects Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 17: Clone Saga and Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 18: Ultimate Knights, plus extras. In "Clone Saga," Spider-Man comes face-to-face with the most unexpected fow of all: Peter Parker!But Peter Parker is Spider-Man...isn't he? Who's who becomes a dangerous guessing game as a sinister series of clones turns Peter's life upside-down and forces Spider-Man into a devastating confrontation with one of his oldest foes. Guest-starring the Fantastic Four, Nick Fury, the Ultimates, the X-Men and the all-new, all-different Spider-Woman! And in "Ultimate Knights," Daredevil attempts to enlist Spider-Man in a crusade to bring down the Kingpin - permanently. But with his Aunt's life hanging by a thread, and his serious girl problems with MJ and Kitty Pryde, crimebusting may be the last thing on young Mr. Parker's mind. Collecting Ultimate Spider-Man #97-111. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Ultimate Clone Saga!
The Clone Saga, from the Amazing Spider-Man books, remains at the top of the list of story arcs Marvel would rather forget.So I was amazed when it was announced that Bendis was going to tackle the epic story in the Ultimate universe.The difference, however, is that his story is thought-out, riveting, and concise.There's some pretty big and dramatic twists to the Spider-Man story collected here, and I'm not going to spoil them.It's a great read.

The Clone Saga done right.
Ultimate Spider-man is a fantastic book series to begin with.Couple that with the fact that Bendis took one of the most notorious stories in comic book history and fixed it... well, you just need to read it.The volume contains what would take two trade paperbacks to hold and it looks good on a shelf.Of course it looks best next to the other eight volumes of the series, but you get what I mean.

Why the duplicate book?
First off, LOVE all the Ultimate Spider Man books. Got em all, great stories by Bendis as well as great art... My only problem with this Volume is why did they release that skinny, smaller version a couple of months ago?I thought that it would be like a side story, then continue in Vol. 9.That sucks.So now I have all the Ultimate series on my shelf looking all prestine and sweet then I have this small, skinny SpiderMan and a couple Marvel Zombie books that weren't the same size....I know, small gripe.

Overall though, this has got to be one of my favorite stories.

great continuation of excellent series
This collects Ultimate Spider-Man issues 97-111.More of the same from Bendis and Bagley here - which is a very good thing. One of the most teen to adult accessible comics being written continues a stellar run. This marks the end of Bagley as artist, but Immonen comes in without missing a beat.

Two main arcs are portrayed in this collection. The first one has a rash of Spider-clones, of varying physical characteristics, tearing up Queens. It takes the assistance of the Fantastic Four and S.H.I.E.L.D. to put them down. Bendis continues to play with the 616 Universe mythos, altering the origins of the clone saga and even the powers of legendary villain Doctor Octopus. Throughout this struggle, Peter Parker remains a believable teenager dealing with crap he shouldn't have to. Some of the bits are predictable, such as the Richard Parker scenario, but others surprised me and will have long lasting effects - notably the Aunt May situation (will leave details out to avoid spoiling that).

The second arc deals with Daredevil recruiting various vigilante superheroes to bring down the Kingpin. The group is familiar to readers of the comic (DD, Doctor Strange, Moon Knight, Shang Chi, Iron Fist) but how it all goes down will surprise you. The pacing of this arc is a bit too quick for me - once the mole is revealed, it resolves rapidly. The exposition on motive is also a bit short and doesn't quite hit home. The highlight is Spider-Man standing up to Daredevil and imposing the limits on the group.

Overall an excellent collection that any Spider-Man fan should enjoy - andI continue to recommend this entire series for any new reader to comics.

Terrific Service from Amazon
I pre-order this book a while back. The first book i got was defective due to excessive glue from the binding, which glued a couple of the pages together. Amazon sent a new copy before i had the chance before i sent back my old copy. that's just quality service.

beside that. i found that this 9th series of ultimate spider-man includes the clone series that was released a couple of months earlier. so you might want to save some money if you havent decided to purchase the clone series. i already purchased both, but i have no complaint since i love the artistry. ... Read more

Product Description
The explosive tale of Marvel Comics’ crime-fighting superhero

SPIDER-MAN

It begins with an orphan named Peter Parker, raised by his beloved Aunt May and Uncle Ben in Queens, New York. A quiet student, he works diligently at his studies and pines for the beautiful Mary Jane Watson. But this ordinary teenage boy is about to have his life turned upside down, when he is bitten by a genetically altered spider. Suddenly, he finds himself possessed of spectacular powers. He is now and forever Spider-Man!

Follow Spider-Man’s action-packed journey, from his struggle to harness the extraordinary gifts that will prove to be both blessing and curse, to his fight to save innocent lives while the media tears him to pieces. It all leads up to his ultimate battle high above New York streets, against the death-dealing madman known as the Green Goblin. While the city watches helplessly and countless lives hang in the balance, Spider-Man confronts his archnemesis, and the Goblin puts Spider-Man’s vow to fight crime to the ultimate test . . . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (40)

Peter David brings the movie to life
Peter David, a veteran comic book writer, has brought the movie to life. If you like the movie, you'll like the book too. There isn't too much that's been added or tweaked from the movie storyline, but if there were it wouldn't be the movie adaptation anymore, it would be a different Spider-Man novel.

If you like the movie or the character, you should be happy with this one.

I have a stack of books
I love the movie, I'm sure I'll love the to. I read slow. This starts out in Queens. About the web-slinging before he was.

I loved every bit.
It begins with an orphan named Peter Parker, raised by his beloved Aunt May and Uncle Ben in Queens, New York. A quiet student, he works diligently at his studies and pines for the beautiful Mary-Jane Watson. But this ordinary teenage boy is about to have his life turned upside down, when he is bitten by a genetically altered spider. Suddenly, he finds himself in possesion of spectacular powers. He is now, and forever Spider-Man!

Follow Spider-Man's action-packed journey from his struggle to harness the extraodinary gifts that will prove to be both blessing and curse, to his fight to save innocent lives while the media tear him to pieces. It all leads to the dramatic battle high above the city streets, where the webslinger faces his archnemesis, the madman known as the Green Goblin. While the city watches breathlessly, Spider-Man confronts the greatest challenge, and the Goblin puts Peter Parker's vow to fight crime to the ultimate test.

It's-a web-swingin' !!
The movie is exceptionally good - and even more so this novelization of the film by Peter David at some respect would even seem quite much better, sorta like reminding you the advantage of written format's merits and appeal to tell a story better than any other web-dusty format can.

I've first encountered a work by David from the WEB OF SPIDERMAN comic (mainly a stand-alone spidey story series which MARVEL started publication back in '85 or '86), in particular issue number 13 - with the story titled 'Point Of View', and from that point on I knew P. David is one of the most unsung outstanding writers out there not only in the comic book field - nearly to the level of comicbook writer vet Roy Thomas. Although I've commented that the movie's storyline would've been perfect if they haven't skipped some elements from the comics' plotline from where they were based from- on my review for the film - this noveliazation stands supremely quite alright.

However, it so happens that other reviews for this movie-tie-in book states the same thing about being a clever work from P. David, which i got from a MARVEL paperback boxed set with movie tie-ins for HULK (also rendered by Peter David - and the one I'm currently reading right now along with David's novelization for the sequel SPIDERMAN 2) and X-MEN 2, which is written by Chris Clearmont, who's works in comics I am quite familliar and am fond of, but at this point- the former writers for the first XMEN movie tie-in seems to've done a better job.

Going back to this work of Peter David for the Spidey movie -- it's just as good as reading 'em Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling. Twas one of the best re-renditions ever portrayed not only for the SPIDERMAN mythos that I have encountered , but for the overall conundrum of works for adaptations as well.

More Wise Cracks Than You Can Swing A Web At
Spider-Man is one of my favorite comic superheros. I loved the movie and i loved the soundtrack and i definatley loved the book. the action and comedy of spider-man never stops. You gotta read it.



If you Liked This Book Read Spider-Man 2 & All The comics! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Kids will love Inky Winky
If you wish to help your children learn the alphabet and how to count, then take a look at the Inky Winky Spider series of books and songs. The books are delightful - full of vibrant color with characters that children can't fail to love. Through fun, exciting rhymes Inky shows the letters of the alphabet and the numbers up to 20.

Inky Winky Spider 1, 2, 3, 4 concludes, "'We love, we love our numbers' those little spiders said, Then they all fell fast asleep counting numbers in their head." And I really do think Inky will help instil a love for learning in any child.

To complete the learning experience there is also a fabulous website (www.InkyWinkySpider.com) with coloring pages and Inky Winky tunes to listen to.

Inky Winky Spider is such a wonderful character - he's sure to become a huge hit across America and beyond. ... Read more

Product Description
This guide covers all spiders on a world basis, including structure and size range, classification, life-cycle, reproduction, feeding, predators and how to find and study spiders. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A carefully written introduction
If you are interested in spiders and can obtain a copy of this book, you should.The Preston-Mafhams have written and illustrated a number of very creative and interesting books on the subject of terrestrial arthropods, and this is one of the best.I am familiar with much of the science behind their text, and can assure you that they have done their homework on this one.They cover a broad range of interesting subjects in some detail,and present very current information.They have a related book in the same series on insects that is also very well-done.Sometimes the writers of natural history books reveal that they do not know their subject very well, and they provide misinformation to the less-informed public.The writers of this book do know their subject very well, they have a strong interest in it, and they are accomplished photographers.They also take a scientific approach to the presentation of the information that they have collected for this work. ... Read more

Product Description
A fresh layout, full-color photographs throughout - many of them new - and diagrams of diagnostic features make this a quick and easy guide for use in the field. The spiders are grouped into web-living, ground-living and plant-living species to aid identification. Each family is described in terms of the spiders' lifestyle, habitat, size, behavior and venom potential, and the best collecting methods are given in each case. For those species whose venom is potentially harmful to man, the effects and recommended treatment of bites are discussed. This handy format book will appeal to anybody wishing to gain insight into the daily lives of spiders. It is packed with full-color photos and diagnostic diagrams. ... Read more

Product Description
Buckle up!Miss Spider and her new husband Holley are off to buy a new car!Some cars ZOOM.Some cars WOOSH.Some cars even SQUISH and SQUASH.But none of them are right for Miss Spider and Holley.Miss Spider is in tears.After a day of disastrous test drives, Miss Spider and Holley finally find the perfect CHUGGY buggy.It even makes the right sound!BEEP BEEP!Once again, David Kirk revs up readers' imaginations with his witty verse, vibrant palette, and everyone's favorite spider. Amazon.com Review
David Kirk, creator of the bestselling favorites Miss Spider's TeaParty and MissSpider's Wedding, has created another deliciously quirky,rhyming Miss Spider adventure. This time the amiable arachnid iscar-shopping with her husband Holley. At Mantis Motors, a prayingmantis named Mik is a used car sales-insect: "Mik Mantis crooned,'This honey runs/On Nectar from a flower./Its two-stem engine isequipped/With turbo-bumble power,/And capable of reaching speeds/Nearninety yards per hour!'"

Miss (or is it now Mrs.?) Spider andHolley explore other car lots (including Meg's Wings n' Things) andencounter a few near misses, but all ends well thanks to the help ofbenevolent Moth Sue. The book's clever and original verse is lacedwith subtle ironies that won't be lost on you or your little ones; inthe first spread, for example, a note arrives "snail mail,"because the postal carrier is a snail. Kirk's exuberant, luminouscolors and hilarious, cartoonish depictions of the bug world are trulywonderful. Miss Spider's New Car is the perfect book for anychild who loves cars or bugs--not to mention a clever gift for anyadult itching to buy his or her dream car. (Ages 4 to 8) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

"Let's not read this one again."
My 4-year-old loves the Miss Spider's Sunnypatch world, so we were excited to see this brightly colored book about one of my son's favorite things--cars. But the story turned out to be disappointing. My son had zero interest in seeing Miss Spider and Holley shop for a car. He didn't understand the concept, and the words did not help. To him, there was no story, no plot. He was disappointed that none of Miss Spider's kids were in the book, and the illustrations were not clear enough to get him interested in the vehicles. I think we were both expecting a family adventure in a new car. At the end of the book he said, "Let's not read this one again."

big disappointment and shame on illustrator!
I have a 3yr old and a 12mo old and they both love the Miss Spider books that we have (ABCs, and Tea Party) so I was excited to find this one at a yard sale to add to our collection.This one, while having the beautifully vivid and imaginative pictures this series in known for,it has not only "sinister" pictures (as mentioned in another review) but it also has a TERRIBLE illustration where the "used car salesman" figure is making Miss Spider frown as he helps her into her new car (the matchbox car)....she is frowning as she looks down at his hand on her BUTT(!!!) helping her into the car! Can you believe a children's illustrator would put that into a book? My 3yr old ALWAYS asks why Miss Spider looks sad or upset and I get so angry at having to try to make up something that I have tossed out the book.That is to say that the lurid illustration of the "classic sleazy car salesman groping the woman"is NOT lost on the preschooler, as one must have hoped.There is just NO excuse for putting something like that in a sweet little children's book. The illustator and the editor should be ashamed of themselves.

David Kirk dose it again!
David kirk writes simple & creative verse, which is easy for any child to follow. My toddler loves his books and we got Miss Spiders New Car as soon as it came out! The illustrations are eye catching and whimsical

The Chuggy Buggy is the Best
My daughter loves the line about the Chuggy Buggy and this is her favorite of the Miss Spider books.Of the three it is the one we read the most.She loves it and I have to admit it is pretty fun.

Not the strongest entry in the series
The illstrations, while vivid, are a bit obtuse and difficult to discern.The prose doesn't flow.The book simply can't stand alone the way the "counting Book" and Miss Spider's Mom, do.If your child is hooked on Miss Spider, then this will be a fun addition to your collection, but it shouldn't be your first choice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

THE SPIDER
This book is a deal, a couple adventures of the great pulp mag hero The Spider for a good price and, I'm sure not chosen by accident, one of the stories has a Superman connection and one has a Batman connection. Neat Steranko cover too, he's gotten good at painting.

Good Pulp Action!
Like The Shadow before him, The Spider is a rich playboy by day and a mysterious crime fighter by night. There's a few differences between them, most notably the Spider leaving his symbol stamped on the foreheads of his victims and he seems a little more eager to brandish his twin pistols. But he also comes off a little more the everyman at times as he doubts himself and his chance of success.

As you can see from the summaries, you've got everything you need to make great pulp stories: a hero with a secret identity who's hunted by the police, a girl Friday, a minority man-servant and over the top villains.

Some reviews describe The Octopus as a "villain pulp" but I wouldn't. It definitely seems Dr. Skull/The Skull Killer is the main character here and The Octopus is lurking in the background putting his plan in motion, much like the Vampire King in the second Spider story. It's still a fun story!

If you like pulps this is definitely worth a look, however, I'd refer you to check out the pulp reprints (if you can find them) instead of the paperback to get the full pulp experience.

Spider: The Master of Men returns
As a long-time pulp hero fan, am always looking for more inexpensive reprints of these heroes.While I have all the Doc Savage and Avenger novels, most of the other heroes haven't been as heavily reprinted, one of them being "The Spider".With over 100 Spider novels, its annoying how many have been reprinted by multiple publishers and how many haven't been touched by any.

Actually, this book has 2 Spider novels and the one Octopus novel.Let me explain the Octopus.Its really a 'villian pulp', as the Octopus is a villian.The hero is the mysterious "Skull Killer"/Dr Skull character.This series didn't really succeed, and the second Octopus novel was re-written as "The Scorpion".I really wished Baen had reprinted that novel in their second Spider collection, as I don't have a copy of it.Also, it used to be thought that Novell Page wrote "The Octopus".Recent research has pointed to Ejler and Edith Jacobsen as the REAL authors of "The Octopus/The Scorpion".So Baen publishing all three under Page's name is incorrect.

My main complain is the same as another reviewer.Considering all the Spider novels that HAVEN'T been reprinted in paperbacks in recent years, why reprint 2 that HAVE???Both Spider novels were reprinted by Carrol & Graf in their double-novel books in the 1990s, which I have.

I am planning on getting their second collection.I was surprised they put this out in massmarket paperback.Hopefully they'll do the same with the second one and we'll see more.

Best stories to date!
What great plots on all three stories.The third story was especially scary.Norvell Page was a great author.

Super Reader
This Baen omnibus includes two Spider novels by Norvell Page, and one of the two Skull-Killer stories, the Octopus.

The cover is by Steranko, and references the first Spider novel, with iron men laying waste to New York streets, and there is an amusing little intro piece featuring the author and some details of his work.

Spider - 075 Satan's Murder Machines

The Spider vs Iron Man.


Iron Men, too, if you like. Rather than Ole Shellhead of course, we have a variety fo bad guy here, but with a similar methodology.

Power armour suits to wreak havoc and destruction, as opposed to saving the world.

The only man that can stop them, is, of course, Richard Wentworth, The Spider. That's if the not so swift police acquaintances will stop hassling him long enough to let him do so.

Luckily, the brave, gorgeous, and very smart Nita van Sloan is around to help, not to mention fearless muscular assistant Ram Singh.

The Spider will fight Iron Men under water, and especially will bash them with big things while doing his Iron Man act on top of a bus.

A pretty classic action finish, this one.


3 out of 5


Spider - 026 Death Reign Of the Vampire King

The Spider vs Bat Man.


This one isn't trying to strike fear and terror into the hearts of criminals, either, but quite the reverse.

He is using bats with poisoned sharp bits to slaughter hundreds of innocents in his own crazy crusade against the USA.

The Spider needs help in this one, as he cannot fly on his own like the Bat Man, and a pilot steps up to help, along with the usual crew.

The Spider realises he might have to give the whole flying bat thing a go himself before this is over.


3.5 out of 5


The Octopus - The City Condemned To Hell

Jeffrey Fairchild likely suffers from the same sort of personality disassociation problems as Moon Knight.

As Dr. Skull, a man thirty years older than he actually is, he works with Carol, a nurse, who he is definitely interested in.

He is also The Skull-Killer, and must work hard to stop one of Dr. Skull's colleagues, when he discovers he is The Octopus, turning people into devolved sea monster types with the aid of a purple ray.

3 out of 5




3.5 out of 5 ... Read more

Product Description

Sophie is an artist who wants to spin beautiful creations all day long and, someday, a masterpiece. As a spider, though, Sophie has a hard time finding a welcoming place in which she can be free to live and spin. She's shooed and shuffled all over Beekman's Boardinghouse until one day she finally finds the warm, comfortable, safe home for which she always yearned -- and the inspiration for the masterpiece of her lifetime.Amazon.com Review
Sophie is an artist. She is also a house spider, but one that children will certainly cheer and not fear. The webs she weaves are spectacular--some are stars, or hammocks, or sun patterns--and her mama is very proud of her. When she grows old enough to strike out on her own, however, she is not warmly greeted by the world at large. At Beekman's Boardinghouse, a dull sort of place that "cried out for her talents," she only wants to beautify it with her gossamer artistry. But even as she is spinning a web of curtains for the front parlor, "blending a golden thread of sun into her silk," she is swatted by a screaming landlady! She scampers into the tugboat captain's closet where she sets to work on making him a new suit, day after day, a sleeve here, a collar there. Once discovered there (the captain screeches and climbs out onto the windowsill), she moves on yet again. Now a much older spider, she climbs up a long staircase to settle into a young woman's knitting basket. One day, the woman discovers Sophie... and smiles! Sophie, noticing that her new friend is pregnant and in need of a baby blanket, decides that she will spin one for her baby, a cloth into which she weaves starlight, snippets of fragrant pine, wisps of night, old lullabies, playful snowflakes, and, in the end, her very own heart. Illustrator Jane Dyer, who worked with Eileen Spinelli on When Mama Comes Home Tonight, has outdone herself in Sophie's Masterpiece, painting this bittersweet story in gentle watercolors. She manages to convincingly anthropomorphize Sophie, and paintings like the one of the courageous spider struggling up the long staircase, casting long shadows, will linger long with readers. (Ages 4 and older) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Beautiful word choice
This is a wonderful book to use to teach word choice.There are some passages in the book that one of my students, age 8, said gave her chills. It is a charming story that also helps the students understand the themes of selflessness and being kind to others.

beautiful
sophie the spider goes out into the world to do something great, to create a masterpiece. she settles herself in this boarding house and attempts to help out the people who live there, but none of them accept her gifts and scream at the sight of her. sophie eventually finds a new mother who doesn't scream at the sight of her, but welcomes her. the mother is poor though and sophie sees an old blanket covering the mother's baby. sophie decides to make a new blanket for the baby, her masterpiece. the pictures are beautiful and the story touching. a great addition to the bookshelf.

A lovely book
A friend of mine purchased it for her niece and wanted my opinion. I'll admit that I not a huge fan of children (single, 25 year-old here) or kid paraphernalia, but this is an amazing book! I've gotten copies for several people I know who are having a baby and everyone loves it. Such a sweet story that still gets me a little choked up.

A Blanket of Love
"...Sophie is not just a spider, she's an artist". With just this beginning sentence we are introduced to the very caring character of Sophie, a house-hold spider who sews the most beautiful webs in spider history. When Sophie becomes a mature spider, she decides to go out into the world and share her talents with everyone she meets. However, the world does not want Sophie to share her talents wit them and after consistence swats and shooing, Sophie decides that she's had enough. Yet, one day she meets a young woman who is expecting a baby. She is very poor and has nothing to cover her baby with when he is born. Sophie, now old and frail, feels that she can still do some good for this woman. So she musters up all her strength and begins to make the young woman and her baby a blanket... a masterpiece... a gift of love.

touching tale and elegant illustration
I recommend this to anyone who has a fear of spiders or is trying to teach more compassion to their children related to any subject.Beautifully illustrated and a very touching story. ... Read more

Product Description
Enter into the creepy-crawly world of spiders.General information on how spiders are classified, where they live, and their eating habits is followed by in-depth descriptions on different methods of hunting, web spinning (spider silk is twice as strong as steel thread of the same thickness!), reproduction, the most poisonous spiders (spider venom is 15 times more deadly than a rattlesnake's!), amazing spider myths and legends.All this and spectacular record-breaking facts are surrounded by fantastic colorful photos and artwork that are sure to appeal! ... Read more

Product Description
Ms. Frizzle's class learns all about spiders. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I loved this book because it's a great story.
It had great pictures.It had great facts. I learned about preying mantisand spider traps.Spiders are smart at catching their prey.The next timeI see a spider, I will not be afraid but praise its talent. ... Read more

Product Description
Dragons have inspired fantasy, fear, and heroism. Re-known tattoo artist Spider Webb has been tracing their images in ink and oil, on skin and parchment, for decades, and here gathers the best of his imagery for an inspiring look at the mythical realms of this fantastic creature. Dragons lend their forms to colorful, swirling artwork, playfully and sometimes provocatively displayed to inspire graphic artist, ink jockeys, and fans of the fantastic. ... Read more

Product Description
Peer behind the curtain to witness the birth of a mad genius! Featuring Doctor Octopus's first encounters with both Peter Parker and Spider-Man, the first appearance of Doc Ock's arms, and the true inspiration that led him to build his remarkable appendages - which may have come from a certain web-slinging wall-crawler! Collecting Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One #1-5. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Well written and very engrossing
This book collects a fine, five-issue mini-series that gives Doc Ock his most in-depth origin story yet.Going back to Otto Octavius's preschool days, the first chapter shows him as a pudgy egghead, tormented by cruel kids and big bullies all the way through high school.A side story about an abusive, insensitive ogre of a father rings a bit false, but otherwise the lengthy comparison between Ock's miserable school years and Peter Parker's is an interesting touch.

Mainly it's the quality of the writing and artwork that stand out here; this is a very wordy, yet totally engrossing story, well complimented by Kaare Andrews' fine, fluid artwork.I was glued to this book from start to finish, and thought it was an excellent addition to the ongoing Spider-man saga.Recommended!

The best Doc Ock mini-series from Marvel's summer of '04
Last year when "Spider-Man 2" was due in movie theaters the film was set up by every Marvel Spider-Man comic book when Doctor Octopus showed up as the villain.If that was not enough publicity for the film there were several mini-series published as well, of which "Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One" was the best of the bunch.The advantage that this five-part story by writer Zeb Well sand artist Kaare Andrews had over the others is that it focuses much more on Doctor Octopus.In fact, as you can guess from the title, this is essentially a retelling of the origin of Doctor Octopus.

The original origin of the character in "Amazing Spider-Man" #3 was that Otto Octavius was a brilliant scientist ("atomic genius") who designed his mechanical arms to allow him to work safely with radiation.But an explosion bound his arms to his body and affected his brand, turning the scientist bitter.In Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's story Octavius only has a pair of thought balloons before the explosion and the indications are that he was a brilliant atomic scientist that everyone admired.But in "Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One" the accident does not come until the end of the second issue.

Looking back before that fatal moment Wells and Andrews tell the story of a young Otto Octavius who was already deeply disturbed.He is a smart little boy who is tormented by the other kids and a great disappointment to his sadistic father.Fortunately, even as a little boy Otto knows something about acid, which explains why he would love science.In this story Otto is picked on his entire life and when he and a young Peter Parker have a chance encounter it is clear despite their common problem of having people break their glasses they are destined to go in different directions.

It also turns out that his over protective mother has done more harm than his abusive father, which is proven when she attacks her son's feelings for his young assistant, Mary Alice Anders.When Otto picks his relationship with his mother and his work over his love for Mary, he breaks her heart and literally seals his fate.Confronted with his mother's hypocrisy, Otto is not in his right mind when he gives a demonstration of his four-armed cybernetic apparatus and Doctor Octopus is born.What emerges is Otto's ego unleashed and when he breaks free from his holding cell he almost kills a young Spider-Man.Haunted by nuclear-tinged visions, Doctor Octopus believes he is being called by his creator and decides a nuclear power plant in Queens is where he can set the power of the atom free.Standing in his way, of course, will be Spider-Man.

Overall this story really is about the inner struggles of Otto Octavius and his transference of his obsession about atomic power to his super-powered opponent (the same way he thinks a nuclear reactor is his "mother").Spider-Man is barely a minor character in this story, but that is appropriate for tale being told.Likewise the artwork by Andrews is extremely effective because this is not a Spider-Man story so it should not look like one.Andrews's artwork is better suited for a horror story than a superhero gig (I kept think Mike Mignola's "Hellboy" more than any other artistic point of reference).Granted, this version of Otto Octavius is totally whacked from page one, which makes it both over the top and inconsistent with how the character is usually portrayed in Spider-Man comic books, but Wells and Andrews do such a good job of running with it that you just go along for the ride and enjoy. ... Read more

Product Description
Spiders have been walking the earth for more than 400 million years and are some of the most successful living creatures in natural history. Spiders, looks at the fascinating physiology of these ancient predators and examines the engrossing techniques by which they hunt, kill, and eat their prey. (20020601) ... Read more

Product Description
"Large, hairy and scary -- for many people, spiders are amongst the world's most frightening animals. Perhaps it's the way they scuttle about, or because some spiders are incredibly poisonous. But these clever and cunning hunters can also be useful to us." Find out more in this fascinating read ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Book for grandchild
It was a used book.That is what I expected and what I got. "Nuff said". Thanks. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Calling all Spiderfans
While the book designers are very careful not to copy the colors of the very popular comic book character, the stylistic web (not to mention the big ol' spider) on the cover may entice some young fans to explore the world of Hobo spiders.

Well organized introduction to the habitat, life cycle, enemies, bites, etc of Hobo spiders. Contains great details such as, "Hobo spiders are part of the "funnel-web"family. All spiders in this family weave webs shaped like funnels." Also has lots of interesting facts. For example, did you know that while their bite, won't kill you it may take years to heal?

Contains an exceptional reference section at the end. It is far more detailed than most books for this age group. There is a bibliography, annotated webography, 15 term glossary, and index. Karen Woodworth-Roman, Children's Science Book Review ... Read more