COMIC DETAILS
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Comic Description:
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Amazing Spider-Man 96 Universal
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Grade:
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6.0
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Page Quality:
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OFF-WHITE TO WHITE
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Certification #:
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2003586002
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Owner:
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StephenWA
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SET DETAILS
Owner's Description
ASM 96, May 1971. Thought by some to be the first ASM comic of the Bronze Age. If so, this is possibly because it was the first "above ground" comic book to be published without the clearance of the Comic Book Authority Code.
Story synopsis: Spidey and the drug scene! A new chance for Peter! Mary Jane makes it! And, to top it off - here comes the Green Goblin! Merely Marveldom's greatest!
Story summary: Returning home from England, Peter Parker goes to the Daily Bugle and sells his pictures to Joe Robertson, whose responses to Peter's pictures of Spider-Man in action make Peter wonder if maybe Joe knows of Peter's secret identity. Returning to his classes, Harry asks Peter to join him out to see Mary Jane's performance on an off-Broadway show. Peter reluctantly agrees when Harry offers to pay Peter's way in. While web-slinging as Spider-Man, Peter thinks about Harry's father Norman and their past as foes, when Norman was the Green Goblin. He decides to take Norman up on his offer for a job, deciding it's about time he got a real job. He meets with Norman who takes Peter's request into consideration and tells Peter that he will be attending the show as well.
Web-slinging across town, Spider-Man stops on his way to MJ's show when he spots someone strung out on drugs and saves him from falling off a building. He turns him over to paramedics where the druggie is resuscitated. Spidey quickly leaves and changes into Peter Parker to join the others. When Randy Robertson finally joins them, he gets into a brief argument with Norman Osborn about the reality of drug abuse in the city.
Peter ends up getting the ire of Harry when Mary Jane ends up paying more attention to Peter. During the show, Peter's spider-sense warns him of danger, slowly becoming aware that Norman Osborn is acting very strange. When Harry abruptly leaves with Mary Jane in a jealous fit, Peter decides to follow after Norman Osborn as Spider-Man. Following Osborn into one of the Green Goblin's old safe houses, Peter is shocked to find that Norman's Green Goblin memories have returned and that he's waiting for Spider-Man in full costume.
This is the first "above ground" comic book to be published without the clearance of the Comic Book Authority Code. At the time of its publication, the Code was strict on depicting drug use in comics, and that any works that featured the use of drugs (regardless of context) would be rejected. Since this story dealt with the negative aspects of drug use and depicts people suffering drug overdoses from drug use, the code rejected the story. Stan Lee felt that the story (which reflected drug use in a negative light) was too good to pass up, and had the story published without Code approval. The story was a milestone story, and due to its success, its publication ultimately led to the loosening of restrictions that the Comic Authority Code imposed on creators in terms of story content.
Cover price: 15c
Stan Lee - creator and writer
Steve Ditko - co-creator
Gil Kane and John Romita - interior art
Gil Kane - cover
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