Spider-Man Magazine Vol.2 #2 - Marvel

Oct. 2008 - Before, Marvel's Spider-Man Magazine was an irregularly-released series of one-shots. But just the other day I discovered this, a second volume of the magazine, but now published bi-monthly!

As I've said before when talking about these, I'm so thrilled Marvel is dipping its toe back into the magazine market. Aimed directly at kids, each issue is chockablock with features, including several full-length Spidey stories, like this one that opens up the issue:

...I love Mysterio in his prison jammies.

After this story (which is continued in Spider-Man Magazine #3), we have a Spider-Man team-up with Power Pack, featuring pitch-perfect art by Gurihiru:

Next is a page of Spidey-style Mad Libs, then a 2-page pin-up, then a "Venom Super Maze", all wonderfully kid-centric features.

The next story is a Marvel classic, "Time Runs Like Sand!" from Marvel Two-In-One #86:

...this story, by Tom DeFalco and Ron Wilson, is a minor classic, featuring a history of the Sandman and an extended conversation between the Thing and the erstwhile bad guy, who tells Ben he's trying to "go straight."

Next is another fun feature, "Write Your Own Spider-Man Story!", which is two pages of Spidey comics that you can dialog yourself:

(all story ideas © 2008 Marvel Enterprises)

There's another Spidey pin-up, then one more story, "The New Silver Age" by Jeff Parker, the late great Mike Wieringo, and Wade Von Grawbadger, who turn in a wonderfully smooth, pleasure-to-look-at art job:

These Spider-Man posts always end up being the least popular ones on the blog; and that makes sense because there's not really much to talk about here--each issue features a hodge-podge of Spidey material, all of it aimed at young readers, so what's there to say?

But I keep on talking about these, because I think comics should be in every format imaginable, and none of them--magazines, digests, treasuries--should be off-limits to comics publishers if they want to start to create a new generation of comics readers.

I'm glad to see that Spider-Man Magazine has gone from a series one-shots to a regularly published magazine. And until Marvel tells me otherwise, I can only assume my relentless flogging was the main reason.

You're welcome, Marvel.

Spider-Man Team-Up Magazine - Marvel

January 2008 - I just found this newest issue of Spider-Man Magazine the other day and, as happy as I was to find it, I was frustrated because I wish Marvel would put these things about on some sort of followable schedule!

They seem to just appear on the stands with no prior notice, so I have to keep my eyes peeled. (I even wrote Marvel, asking for an interview with someone up there who works on this magazine, looking to help them promote it, but I never heard anything back. Thanks, Marvel)

Anyway, this is another of the super-fun collections of Spidey and other Marvel stars' stories, mixed in with posters, puzzles, and games. I think it's an ideal way to get younger kids into comics, and its one of the few titles--from any comic company--that I actually see on sale on newsstands and 7-11s.

First off, I love the cover--it looks like Hulk is about to eat Spidey!

The first story, "Finding Zemo" is from Marvel Adventures: The Avengers, and is by Jeff Parker, Manuel Garcia, and Scott Koblish. It opens with a great black-and-white(appropriate for here!) sequence of Cap in World War II.

Next is "The Chameleon Strikes!" starring Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four, byTodd Dezago, Michael O'Hare, and Derek Fridolfs, followed by an Avengers pin-up, a b/w Spider-Girl pin-up(I guess we're supposed to color this), and then a "Super Hero Word Search."

Next is a reprint of a story from the vaults, "A Friend in Need", by Len Wein, Jim Mooney, and Frank Giacoia, from Marvel Team-Up #27. They also run the cover, which is a nice touch:

...man, comic covers in the seventies were awesome.

There's also some Marvel trading cards, another Spider-Man team-up, this time with Cap, in "Stars, Stripes, and Spiders" by Dezago, Lou Kang, and Pat Davidson wrapping up with this cool Spidey pin-up:

Like all the previous editions of Spider-Man Magazine, this is a solid collection of stories and fun stuff for younger kids, and I'm glad Marvel is continuing with them.

I just wish I knew when the next one was coming out!

Spider-Man Magazine #3 - Marvel

What a wonderful surprise awaited me this week when I went comic shopping--a third issue of Spider-Man Magazine!

I was so happy when I came across a second installment of this magazine, and assumed that since it featured Spider-Man and FF reprints, that Marvel was tying each issue into a movie. If I was right, I figured there'd eventually be Iron Man and Hulk volumes, eventually.

Well, I was right about that, since here's Iron Man--although why this is about a full half-year before the movie, I don't know. In any case, I snapped it up as soon as I saw it.

Like the previous issues, this features comic stories, puzzles, games, pin-ups, and other fun stuff like they used to do in comics all the time. It's a perfect magazine for young kids, and I've been buying multiple copies of each issue to give them out to every kid I know.

This volume includes:
"Breaking Up is Venmous to Do!" by Fred Van Lente and Cory Hamscher(from Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man)
"Heart of Steel" by Van Lente, James Cordeiro, and Scott Koblish(from Marvel Adventures: Iron Man)
an Iron Man poster
a Super Hero Word Search
"Mini-Marvels" by Chris Giarrusso
"The Leader Has A Big Head" by Jeff Parker, Manuel Garcia, and Koblish(from Marvel Adventures: The Avengers)
coloring pages
a Spider-Man text story by David Michelinie
a history of Iron Man ala The Handbook to the Marvel Universe
...plus more!

The fact that there's been three of these so far suggests to me they must sell fairly well, or at least well enough to keep doing them. And as long as Marvel does them, I'll be buying them!

Spider-Man Magazine #2 - Marvel

O frabjous day!

When I unexpectedly came across Spider-Man Magazine #1 in my local 7-11, back in May, I said "I plan to buy multiple copies of this and give them out to every little comics fan I know. Maybe I can single-handedly help Marvel realize they've got a winner on their hands..." Well, obviously I was successful, since here's a second issue!

As you can see, Marvel decided to tie their two summer movie franchises together with this (unofficial)second issue, since this book contains both Spider-Man and Fantastic Four stories, as well as The Silver Surfer. I guess they figured the FF wouldn't be able to carry their own magazine, even though they're movie stars, too?(I guess Man-Thing Magazine was out of the question)

In any case, I'm so glad they put out a second issue, since like the first its a fun assemblage of material, old and new, for little kids as well as slightly older readers. The price point of $6.99 is a little high, but what the hey...

Stories include Spider-Man in "Dust-Up in Aisle Seven!" by Fred Van Lente and Cory Hamscher, the FF in "Countdown to Oblivion" by Lente and Hamscher, an all-new Silver Surfer text story with spot illustrations by Karl Kesel, plus the classic "The Surfer and the Spider!" by Stan Lee and John Buscema, from The Silver Surfer #14. There's also a cool Spidey vs. Sandman pin-up by...Mike Wieringo.

Other features include connect-the-dots, finish the drawing, maze, coloring, and other game pages, Marvel Universe bio pages of the FF and Surfer, classic FF covers, and a FF pin-up by George Perez!

Actually, when I think about it, this book is actually mostly FF material, with Spidey bookending it. Like I said, I guess they figured they needed their biggest star to sell a new-format publication like this, but its still sort of a bait-and-switch. Not as bad as, say, Superman Salutes the Bicentennial, but still.

Even if Marvel does the feel the need to feature Spider-Man in every one of these, I really hope they do Spider-Man/IronMan Magazine and Spider-Man/Hulk Magazine next summer. Its not like they don't have the material...

Spider-Man Magazine - 2007

I had planned to do a bunch of Warrens for a while, but that was until I came across this beauty in my local 7-11 while on an ice cream run. I always check out the comic selection there with the idea of picking one up, but then I saw this--Spider-Man Magazine? What?!?

Obviously this was released in conjunction with the movie, but I don't care--the Big Two need to do more stuff like this. It features a story from Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man, a story from Marvel Adventures: The Avengers, special bonus pin-ups (labeled as such!), a two-page pin-up of Spidey's villains, Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius, a page of Marvel trading cards, an Amazing Spider-Girl text story(!!), Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe pages, reprints of classic Amazing Spider-Man covers, and even a puzzles-and-games section! Excelsior!

While the cover price is a little hefty for a throwaway purchase($7!), this is a really great package of features meant to appeal to young kids in a Spider-Man frenzy. This thing harkens back to the classic multi-feature publications of the 70s, when comic companies were still trying to court younger readers. In the indicia, it just says Spider-Man Magazine, not Spider-Man Magazine #1, so maybe Marvel has no intention of doing a second issue. That's unfortunate, but maybe if this sells well they'll do more like this for the slate of Marvel movies they've got planned--c'mon, Marvel, I wanna see Fantastic Four Magazine, The Incredible Hulk Magazine, and IronMan Magazine!

I plan to buy multiple copies of this and give them out to every little comics fan I know. Maybe I can single-handedly help Marvel realize they've got a winner on their hands...