Calling all Spider-Man fans! On October 11th, Marvel Comics and The Quarto Group are due to release an epic tome that celebrates the 60th anniversary of the character in an all-encompassing, packed to the rafters book that is an essential purchase for the legions of fans around the world.
Spider-Man: A History and Celebration of the Web-Slinger, Decade by Decade explores Spider-Man’s development through behind the scenes anecdotes, images and rarely-seen interviews. Written by Matthew K. Manning, Robert Greenberger and Peter A. David, this book is bursting with amazing facts, artwork to die for and a writing style that will appeal to both hardcore aficionados and newcomers alike. See below for further details.
From the comic page to the big screen and beyond, Spider-Man has thrilled fans for generations. Since swinging onto the scene in 1961, in the pages of AMAZING FANTASY #15 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the world’s most famous wall-crawler has captivated the world, starring in millions of comics, over twenty different films and animated series, numerous blockbuster video games, and one Broadway show, as well as appearances in countless other mediums.
In celebration of his illustrious and expansive history, Spider-Man: A History and Celebration of the Web-Slinger, Decade by Decade is a comprehensive collection of exciting art and expert commentary that brings Spidey’s backstory out of the archive and into the arms of fans worldwide. Organized by decade, you will:
- Relive the origin and adaptations of Spider-Man, along with his friends and enemies, through comic books, films, TV shows, toys, and more
- Spark your memory with “remember when?” moments (the Spider-Mobile, anyone?)
- Recall the most interesting and shocking plot points of the comic
- Meet the creators who worked on Spider-Man’s adventures throughout the years
So, what is the book actually like? In short, fantastic! Covering 60 years worth of history from the world of comics, tv and film, toys and many more is no mean feat, and this creative team have knocked it out of the park and then some. Every page explodes with a huge amount of vibrancy and colour. Whatever your level of Spidey-fandom may be, this book will certainly appeal to you. Every major comic book event of the last 60 years is covered in detail, with classic artwork from the big hitters of the comic book world to enhance the text. The evolution of the character is charted in an expert fashion.
The writing style is a joy to behold. Everything is broken up into easy to digest sections, with sentences that are concise and easy to digest. Despite the book containing an extraordinary amount of information and references, it never feels like the reader is consuming an encyclopedia. Instead the enthusiasm conveyed by the writing team makes this book feel like a fan is gleefully regaling you with tales about the history of their favourite character, displaying a keen sense of love and affection alongside the statistical facts and figures.
All bases are covered here, as befits a character that has crossed over into popular culture with such impact. If the multimedia side of Spidey is as much your bag as the comic book world, then this book has you covered! Huge chunks are dedicated to the depictions of the character on the tv and cinema screens, from live action to animation and everywhere in between. It made this particular reader very happy indeed to see the Nicholas Hammond incarnation of the late 70’s given as much reverence as the current Tom Holland era. The countless animated versions of the character are given excellent coverage too, which made me smile from ear to ear as I journeyed down Memory Lane with each turn of the page.
Conclusion
This is quite simply an essential read for any self-respecting Spider-Man fan. Suitable for all ages and all types of fans, this joyful read is just marvellous. No matter how much you think you know about the character, I guarantee that you will find out several things in this book that will surprise and enthral you. Since acquiring a copy, I haven’t been able to refrain from diving into it at any spare moment. Available from October 11th from all good book retailers, this deserves a prominent spot on anybody’s shelf.
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