Set Description:
Synopsis: This is a set containing all 26 books with a minimum grade of 9.4. The set includes seven highest graded copies.
Background: The Amazing Spider-Man began publication in 1963 as a bimonthly periodical (as Amazing Fantasy had been), but was changed in mid-1963 to a monthly publication, which continued, with a brief interruption in 1995, until its second volume with a new numbering order in 1999. In 2003, the series reverted to the numbering order of the first volume. The title has occasionally been published biweekly, and was published three times a month from 2008 to 2010. The title ended its 50-year run as a continuously published comic with the landmark Issue #700 in December 2012.
Writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Steve Ditko created the character of Spider-Man, and the pair produced 38 issues from March 1963 to July 1966. Ditko left after the 38th issue, while Lee remained as writer until Issue #100. Since then, many writers and artists have taken over the monthly comic through the years, chronicling the adventures of Marvel's most identifiable hero.
The Amazing Spider-Man has been the character's flagship series for his first fifty years in publication, and was the only monthly series to star Spider-Man until Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man, in 1976, although 1972 saw the debut of Marvel Team-Up, with the vast majority of issues featuring Spider-Man along with a rotating cast of other Marvel characters. Most of the major characters and villains of the Spider-Man saga have been introduced in Amazing, and with few exceptions, it is where most key events in the character's history have occurred. The title was published continuously until No. 441 (Nov. 1998), when Marvel Comics relaunched it as vol. 2 No. 1 (Jan. 1999). But on Spider-Man's 40th anniversary, this new title reverted to using the numbering of the original series, beginning again with issue No. 500 (Dec. 2003) and lasting until the final issue, No. 700 (Feb. 2013).
Due to strong sales on the character's first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15, Marvel gave Spider-Man his own ongoing series in March 1963. The initial years of the series, under Lee and Ditko, chronicled Spider-Man's nascent career as a masked super-human vigilante with his civilian life as hard-luck yet perpetually good-humored and well-meaning teenager Peter Parker. Peter balanced his career as Spider-Man with his job as a freelance photographer for The Daily Bugle under the bombastic editor-publisher J. Jonah Jameson to support himself and his frail Aunt May. At the same time, Peter dealt with public hostility towards Spider-Man and the antagonism of his classmates Flash Thompson and Liz Allan at Midtown High School, while embarking on a tentative, ill-fated romance with Jameson's secretary, Betty Brant.
By focusing on Parker's everyday problems, Lee and Ditko created a groundbreakingly flawed, self-doubting superhero, and the first major teenaged superhero to be a protagonist and not a sidekick. Ditko's quirky art provided a stark contrast to the more cleanly dynamic stylings of Marvel's most prominent artist, Jack Kirby, and combined with the humor and pathos of Lee's writing to lay the foundation for what became an enduring mythos.
Most of Spider-Man's key villains and supporting characters were introduced during this time. Issue #1 (Mar. 1963) featured the first appearances of J. Jonah Jameson and his astronaut son John Jameson, and the supervillain the Chameleon. It also included the hero's first encounter with the superhero team the Fantastic Four. Issue #2 (May 1963) featured the first appearance of the Vulture and the Tinkerer, as well as the beginning of Parker's freelance photography career at the newspaper The Daily Bugle.
The Lee-Ditko era continued to usher in a significant number of villains and supporting characters, including Doctor Octopus in No. 3 (July 1963); the Sandman and Betty Brant in No. 4 (Sept. 1963); the Lizard in No. 6 (Nov. 1963); the Living Brain in No. 8 (Jan. 1964); Electro in No. 9 (Mar. 1964); Mysterio in No. 13 (June 1964); the Green Goblin in No. 14 (July 1964); Kraven The Hunter in No. 15 (Aug. 1964); reporter Ned Leeds in No. 18 (Nov. 1964); and the Scorpion in No. 20 (Jan. 1965).
Of course, Spider-Man is also probably the most popular superhero ever in TV and movies with nine featured films starring three different actors already released.
Our Collection: I am honestly not sure how this set won the banner last year, as it is not the best set even if you disregard CC’s set, which has been sold, but not dropped from the registry. Still, I feel it is a respectable effort and it is 100% complete, so I guess I will leave it public, even though it does not top the registry.
This set features the earliest ASMs from 1963-1965, which are some of the most coveted and iconic issues in all Comicdom. Consequently, these books when available have always been expensive in high grade, which has forced us to lower the bar on census standing for these books, as a number of our books are third highest graded copies.
Our immediate goal with respect to ASM is to compile a set with 9.4s or better of Issues #1-5, and 9.6s or better for the remaining books in this and the #1-100 set. Currently, we need only a 9.6/9.8 copy of Issue #9 to achieve that goal. Long-term, we would like to upgrade as many books as possible to 9.8s, but right now that goal falls down our list of priorities.
Current Stats:
26/26 Books
7 9.8s-6 Highest Graded
14 9.6s-1 Highest Graded
5 9.4s
3 WP
21 OW/W
2 OW
7 Highest Graded
15 Second Highest Graded
4 Third Highest Graded
3 Pedigrees
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Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 1 |
Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 1 |
Grade: |
CGC |
Cert #: |
1174950001
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Owner Comments
Issue #1 features the first appearances of J. Jonah Jameson & Chameleon, along with the first Fantastic Four crossover. The book also retells the Origin of Spider-Man. It is definitely one of the most valuable books we own. No, it is not highest graded, but it is a clean 9.4 copy of the #1 issue in our favorite run of comics ever and features the Fantastic Four, as Spidey applies for membership, but wants the top salary to join the Fan 4. OK, it was not the best plot ever, but still it is one of the most recognized and coveted covers in comics.
Our 9.4 is tied with nine other copies for third highest graded trailing five 9.6s and a single 9.8, making it one of the top 16 copies out of over 4100 ever certified by CGC. I am also proud to say that, unlike many of our acquisitions, we bought this book well. What we have found is that, with respect to books like this that are very valuable, but not extremely rare, sooner or later you will hit the right auction where many bidders wanting the book do not show up. It still was not cheap, but we could make a nice profit on this one.
We acquired the book from the September 2013 CL auction.
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Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 2 |
Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 2 |
Grade: |
CGC |
Cert #: |
1198624002
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Owner Comments
Issue #2 features the first appearances of the Vulture, Adrian Toomes, and the Terrible Tinkerer, Phineas Mason. The Vulture was not one of the most original or sexy Spidey villains, although Michael Keaton gave him a neat twist in his cinema appearance. But he is the oldest recurring Spidey Super-villain and a founding member of the Sinester Six, who made their way to Broadway in the ill-fated Spidey musical-not expecting a revival of that one anytime soon LOL.
Our book is a nice 9.4 copy, which is tied with six other books for third highest graded example, trailing four 9.6s and a single 9.8, making it one of the top !2 copies out of almost 1800 in the census. We purchased the book in the June 2014 CL auction.
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Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 3 |
Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 3 Universal |
Grade: |
CGC |
Cert #: |
2065130013
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Owner Comments
Issue #3 features the first appearance and origin of Doctor Octopus, alias Otto Octavius, one of Spidey’s most infamous rivals and the cinema star of Spider-Man 2, in which he was played by Alfred Molina. Doc Ock is also Spidey’s nemesis in three of the first dozen Spidey issues, reappearing in issues #11 and #12, along with numerous later appearances. He was also a founding member of the Sinester Six, who debuted in the first Annual.
Our 9.6 comes from the Pacific Coast Collection and is one of the gems in our collection. The book is tied with eight other books for second highest graded, bested only by a pair of 9.8s, one of which recently sold for $130,000. Who knows what Mitchell Pritchett’s prized mint copy might have graded if it had not been dropped in a puddle before he could sell it in Season 5 of Modern Family. Let’s hope they used a fake and not the real deal LOL.
We acquired the book in the 12/10/2015 ComicConnect auction.*
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Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 4 |
Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 4 Universal |
Grade: |
CGC |
Cert #: |
0013768007
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Owner Comments
Issue #4 features the Origin and first appearances of the Sandman, William Baker, alias Flint Marko, and Betty Brant. The Sandman has always been one of my favorite Marvel villains. While this issue marks his first appearance, he would reappear in Strange Tales #115, which is itself a great cover, along with ASM #18 and #19. Stan Lee continued to make use of the Sandman in several later Spidey issues, along with major appearances in the Incredible Hulk and the Fantastic Four. With respect to the FF, the Sandman was a founding member of the Frightful Four, who first appeared in FF #36. He was also a founding member of the Sinester Six and made his cinematic debut in Spider-Man 3, where he was played by Thomas Hayden Church.
I particularly like the four panel cover of ASM #4. Admittedly, the plot itself was a little weak, as Spidey captures the Sandman with a vacuum cleaner, but it nevertheless remains one of our favorite issues.
Our 9.4 is one of just eight copies trailing a trio of 9.6s in the census. We acquired the book from the October 3, 2015 ComicConnect Auction.
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Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 5 |
Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 5 Universal |
Grade: |
CGC |
Cert #: |
0967795001
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Owner Comments
Spidey squares off with Fantastic Four nemesis, Doctor Doom, in ASM #5. This issue marks the first Doctor Doom crossover and also features a brief appearance by the FF. Our 9.4 is tied with 14 other copies for third highest graded trailing ten 9.6s and a single 9.8. We acquired the book from the August 7, 2014 Heritage Auction.
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Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 6 |
Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 6 |
Grade: |
CGC |
Cert #: |
1198623003
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Owner Comments
I can still remember buying this issue in the local drugstore and reading it in the back seat of the car on a family trip to Florida. I guess that memory sticks out because the Lizard was a Florida resident, if memory serves. I still have that copy, but it is unfortunately not the book displayed, as like many of my originals, I proudly stamped it with my name to keep my brother from stealing it.
The Lizard had an interesting origin story, as Dr. Curtis Connors was a gifted surgeon who enlisted in the U.S. Army where he performed emergency battlefield surgery on wounded GIs. However his right arm was terribly injured in a wartime blast, resulting in its amputation
After his return to civilian life as a research technologist, Connors became obsessed with uncovering the secrets
of reptilian limb regeneration and developed an experimental serum taken from a reptilian. The serum successfully regrew the missing limb of a rabbit, so then Connors chose to test the serum on himself. He ingested the formula and he did indeed grow a new arm.
However, the formula had an unfortunate side effect. Connors was subsequently transformed into a reptilian humanoid monster. Spider-Man discovered this situation during a trip to Florida to investigate newspaper reports of the Lizard after his employer the Daily Bugle challenged him. After discovering the Lizard's true identity and origin, Spider-Man used Connors' notes to create an antidote to restore him to his human form and mentality.
Of course, as any Spidey fan knows, the cure proved to be temporary and the Lizard reappears in a number of later ASM issues.
Dr Connors and the Lizard appeared in Spider-Man 2, just as the good doctor, and in Amazing Spider-Man 2, in which the Lizard plays a prominent role. He was portrayed by Dylan Baker (as Curt Connors) in the 2004 film Spider-Man 2 and its 2007 sequel Spider-Man 3, and by Rhys Ifans (as Curt Connors and the Lizard) in the 2012 film The Amazing Spider-Man.
Our 9.6 is tied with nine other copies for second highest graded trailing a trio of 9.8s we acquired the book from the November 19, 2015 Heritage Auction.
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Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 7 |
Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 7 Universal |
Grade: |
CGC |
Cert #: |
2065130012
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Owner Comments
The Vulture reappears in issue #7, which features a spectacular mid-air cover. Our 9.8 is one of two highest graded copies out of over 1,600 books certified by CGC. We acquired the book from the November 19, 2015 Heritage Auction.*
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Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 8 |
Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 8 Universal |
Grade: |
CGC |
Cert #: |
1000500001
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Owner Comments
Issue #8 features the first appearance of the Living Brain, along with a Fantastic Four appearance. Our WP 9.8 comes from the Small Southern Town Collection and is one of six highest graded examples in the census. We acquired the book from the 6/17/2022 Heritage Auction.
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Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 9 |
Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 9 Universal |
Grade: |
CGC |
Cert #: |
0901176002
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Owner Comments
Issue #9 features the first appearance and Origin of Electro, Max Dillon. As Electro becomes a major Marvel villain and a member of the Sinister Six, this issue is far more valuable than either #8 or #10. Also, in my opinion, it is one of the most striking covers in this title. Our 9.4 is tied for third highest graded trailing nine 9.6s and a pair of 9.8s. We acquired the book in the 11/21/2011 CL auction.
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Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 10 |
Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 10 |
Grade: |
CGC |
Cert #: |
1257455002
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Owner Comments
Issue #10 features the first appearance of the Big Man, Fred Foswell, and the Enforcers (Montana, Ox and Fancy Dan). Our 9.6 is tied for second highest graded trailing nine 9.8s. We acquired the book in the 9/11/2014 CL auction.
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Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 11 |
Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 11 Universal |
Grade: |
CGC |
Cert #: |
1054899006
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Owner Comments
Doc Ock returns in issue #11, after serving out his jail sentence arising out of his capture in Issue #3. This issue also features appearances by Betty Brant and her brother, who become entangled with Doc Ock.
This issue has long been viewed as the rarest early ASM in high grade. There are no 9.8, as of this writing, and this copy is one of only seven 9.6s. We acquired the book in the November 19, 2015 Heritage auction.
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Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 12 |
Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 12 Universal |
Grade: |
CGC |
Cert #: |
4068910001
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Owner Comments
Issue #12 features the third appearance of Doctor Octopus. Our WP 9.8 is tied for highest graded and was previously owned by Colorado Comics, whose Spidey collection set all-time price records in the September 2021 Heritage Auction. We acquired the book from the 11/10/2021 Pedigree Comics Auction.*
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Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 13 |
Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 13 Universal |
Grade: |
CGC |
Cert #: |
1254734001
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Owner Comments
Issue #13 introduce Mysterio, a recurring villain and original member of the Sinister Six. He makes his first cinematic appearance in Spider-Man Far From Home, where he is portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal. Our 9.6 is tied for second highest graded trailing a single 9.8. This issue has always a been an expensive book and we were outbid quite a few times before we finally grabbed this 9.6. We acquired the book in the 11/10/2021 Pedigree Comics auction.
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Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 14 |
Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 14 Universal |
Grade: |
CGC |
Cert #: |
1218475001
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Owner Comments
Issue #14 is a mini-key in that it features the first appearance of the Green Goblin, Norman Osborn. It also features an appearance by the Enforcers and the first meeting of the Hulk and Spider-Man. Our 9.6 is tied with 24 other copies for second highest graded trailing a single 9.8. We acquired the book from the 12/9/2010 Pedigree Comics Auction.*
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Slot: |
Amazing Spider-Man 15 |
Item: |
Amazing Spider-Man 15 |
Grade: |
CGC |
Cert #: |
1200756001
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Owner Comments
Issue #15 features the first appearance of Kraven the Hunter and the second appearance of the Chameleon. It also contains the first mention of Mary Jane Watson. Our 9.6 is tied with six other copies for second highest graded trailing a pair of 9.8s. We acquired the book in the 8/31/2014 ComicConnect auction.
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