tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post4775886836415224929..comments2024-03-12T07:42:50.050-05:00Comments on Bronze Age Babies: Spidey's Zoo: The Gibbon!Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04248324005584963229noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-33160145708538559562012-02-29T08:16:40.526-06:002012-02-29T08:16:40.526-06:00Here's one I haven't read since...well, si...Here's one I haven't read since...well, since I could read! When I was five, my sister and I each got a Spider-Man comic at the Jockey Lot, a huge, multi-acre farmer's market in South Carolina. It seemed so strange, mysterious and serious to me at the time, and I LOVED it. Most likely, it was a Marvel Tales #90; lucky Deb got ASM #179, complete with a Green Goblin! Only recently have I come to realize: my first Spider-Man comic book story at the time was Stan Lee's last! I just may write about it on Amazing Bronze Age of Spider-Man. Thanks for scans of art I haven't seen in so long it'd bring a tear to your eye!Ceasehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16852602817305513997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-8465155185266252732011-03-08T05:26:52.959-06:002011-03-08T05:26:52.959-06:00Karen's comment about cliches brought a smile ...Karen's comment about cliches brought a smile to my face. This issue contains what is probably one of the major all-time comic-book cliches: a big, talking ape as a bad guy (ok, ok, I know he's not really an ape, but close enough).<br />I first came across the Gibbon in that Spectacular Spider-man story much later, and like Fred, I thought it was a pretty cool idea at the time. Of course, I was also into animals/biology back then, and when I made up my own comic book characters they were often named after rather obscure fauna, like Serval, Ocelot, Osprey, Gaur (he would have been a bad guy), etc.Edo Bosnarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-959546453013080992011-03-07T21:56:37.091-06:002011-03-07T21:56:37.091-06:00My collecting of Spidey issues was very sporadic d...My collecting of Spidey issues was very sporadic during this period and I missed this last original story by Stan (not counting the revised Spectacular Spider-Man tale a few issues later), but got issue 111, which opens with Spidey leaving the Gibbon at a hospital. Was many years before I read the actual story, in the Marvel Tales reprints.<br />I actually thought it was pretty cool that there was a character named for gibbons, and I suspect what inspired Stan was acrobatic skills of the apes; yeah, they're not as strong as gorillas or even orangutans, but they're the closest equivalent to Tarzan of any of species of large primates. Besides, Stan already had a guy ina gorilla costume in the guy from the Unholy Three from Daredevil, not to mention an actual gorialla from the Red Ghost's Super Apes. Anyhow, I was reading a lot of books about all kinds of animals back then, so I just enjoyed it when they had these goofy animal-based characters, even if those stories usually weren't among the best. Poor ol' Martin couldn't even win a spot in any of the gazillion X-Men spin-offs. Maybe someone should hook him up with that ape-faced girl from Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol. <br />BTW, as I didn't really start reading Spider-Man regularly until issue 120, when reading the reprints of this era, it's hard for me not to feel a sense of impending dread, knowing that Gwen didn't have much longer to live. As in, "Peter, if you think things are bad now, just wait ...."Fred W. Hillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07602124919964053532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-31529083865250618442011-03-07T16:19:18.264-06:002011-03-07T16:19:18.264-06:00I have fond memories of the second part of this st...I have fond memories of the second part of this story. My aunt and uncle bought it for me along with the first part of the Astonishing Tales Ka-Zar/Man-Thing storyline; this would be around the late summer of 1972.<br />I always thought Martin Blank was a cool name for a comic character. I was intrigued to see on Wikipedia that the Gibbon was married to Princess Python at one point. <br />Looking forward to the feature on the Kangaroo, another quirky favourite of mine.Dougienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-70019980862193761122011-03-07T16:05:03.410-06:002011-03-07T16:05:03.410-06:00Egad.
I quit reading after two paragraphs.
You s...Egad.<br /><br />I quit reading after two paragraphs.<br /><br />You say a "friend" gave you that tripe? Or you were just given it? Like someone threw it at you in a driveby?<br /><br />Friends shouldn't let friends read stuff like that. Really.<br /><br />DougDoughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04248324005584963229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-29340396831739619082011-03-07T15:14:17.002-06:002011-03-07T15:14:17.002-06:00I also quit during the 2nd clone saga, but I was r...I also quit during the 2nd clone saga, but I was recently given this trade:<br />http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Spider-Man-Vol-Coming-Home/dp/0785108068<br /><br />Long story short, Parker meets a guy who knows his secret,has similar powers, tells him he was given his powers by a "magic" spider that just happened to present during the radiation test,he's empowered by "totemistic forces". It mentions how the other "animals" of "Spidey's Zoo" are "totemistic pretenders". here's a summary:<br />http://www.comicvine.com/the-spider-totem/39-56291/<br /><br />The "Spider-totem" was J. Michael Straczynski's baby. Didn't work for me. Spider-man's origin story was fine for 30+ years before this story, it didn't need to be improved. This was another case of Marvel telling me they didn't want my money.J.A. Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15800901321134394272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-90242105074094511882011-03-07T14:52:47.912-06:002011-03-07T14:52:47.912-06:00Whoa, JA!
I'm needing an explanation on that ...Whoa, JA!<br /><br />I'm needing an explanation on that "totemistic" comment.<br /><br />I've been out since the second clone saga.<br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />DougDoughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04248324005584963229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-46854625095411434252011-03-07T14:50:51.357-06:002011-03-07T14:50:51.357-06:00Is the Gibbon a "totemistic pretender" l...Is the Gibbon a "totemistic pretender" like Spidey's other "animal" based foes(Vulture,Doc Ock,etc)? Worst.Retcon.Ever.<br /><br />Yeah,this isn't a great issue,but Romita's artwork is stil great at this point.J.A. Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15800901321134394272noreply@blogger.com