Written by Stan Lee – Art by Steve Ditko – Inks by Steve Ditko – Letters by Artie Simek

The Vulture returns, and Lee and Ditko waste little time getting him back into action. We get a quick recap of his previous appearance, find him planning his escape from prison, and soon he’s back to his old tricks. No new origin story needed. The groundwork has already been laid, so we can get right to it.

That’s becoming one of the strengths of Amazing Spider-Man. Peter’s world is established enough that the book doesn’t have to spend much time setting things up. We know about his life outside the costume, his problems at school, and his complicated relationships with people like Flash Thompson and J. Jonah Jameson. All of that can simply be part of the story now.

Spider-Man loses his first fight with the Vulture and injures his arm. The resulting sling gives Flash another opportunity to tease Peter, who has to come up with an excuse for how he got hurt. It’s a familiar Silver Age Spider-Man complication: the physical consequences of being a superhero follow Peter into his everyday life.

The Vulture eventually targets Jameson’s payroll, leading to a fun fight inside the Daily Bugle. Desks, offices, file cabinets, and the printing press give Ditko a different setting for the action. Spider-Man eventually forces the Vulture to surrender by threatening to bring him down with him. He also gets a little revenge on Jameson by webbing his mouth shut.

The ending gives us a small moment between Peter and Betty Brant, hinting that there might be something developing between them.

Out of every book Marvel is publishing, Amazing Spider-Man feels like the one that has it all figured out. Lee and Ditko have built a world full of established characters and relationships, so they don’t need to spend much time setting things up. They can get right into the adventure while still finding little ways to move Peter’s life forward. Spider-Man has hit his stride, and the series is only getting started.

Marvel in the 60s – Entry #97