Welcome to casually comics the channel where we examine a variety of comics from all eras
and well keep it casual.
Any comic could be someone's first maybe it's even this one Superman vs Spiderman or rather
vs the amazing spider-man we have to get his adjective right because depending upon the
comic that's the nicest thing anyone is going to say about him.
If you think spidey could use a break hit that like button, that poor poor menace.
Now this comic is actually from way back in 1976 but hey it could still be someone's first
and could have been for some older folks out there.
This is as you probably gleaned a crossover comic.
Between the two comic giants Marvel and Dc it wasn't the first though it was the first
superhero crossover and it wouldn't be the last, even if at the time of this recording
a crossover may seem impossible.
So how did this happen and why Spidey and Supes well the two were extremely popular
back in the day and so David Obst approached Stan Lee if marvel and carmine infantino of
dc that the the two companies needed to do a teamup film with the two characters.
An idea that was thrown out not because you should never cross the streams but because
dc was already developing a superman movie the first in the now famous christopher reeve
franchise and Marvel had big tv plans for spider-man so they settled on an oversized
or giant sized crossover comic instead.
Written by gerry Conway who had worked with both characters with some minor input from
Stan Lee and drawn by Ross andru although famed mainly dc artist neal adams snuck in
and redrew a bunch of the superman action frames a fact kept quiet for years so as not
to make andru look bad.
Then it was off to the races.
So what is the comic even about well this story takes place in what dc would later come
to call crossover earth and marvel would dub Earth 7642.
A world wherein the dc and marvel universe just coexist they always have no explanation
and metropolis is apparently really close to new york.
Those poor cities.
So the comic is made up of 3 prologues one establishing each character before we get
to the main chapters.
The first sets up Superman fighting Lex 1970s lex so pre business man and still firmly in
the mad scientist I stole 40 cakes stage.
that's as many as 4 tens and that's terrible.
Before Superman catches him they have time to monologue about how they used to be friends
and Clark still wants that, that's right smallville didn't invent these two having a history but
it did deepen it.
if you read the panels here it sounds like a large part of the reason these two fell
out is because Clark made lex lose his
hair
His glorious ginger locks I too would turn to a life of villany although let's be real
bald lex is best lex accept no substitutes.
Meanwhile in New York Peter is lounging hard when Doc Ock begins his crime spree and Peter
defeats him but fails to get any good pictures which puts him on the outs with Jameson.
But what else is new.
The Third prologue is where our villains team up in jail deciding that together they can
take out their respective foes also Lex goes full Klingon and has his weapon bits tapped
to his arm.
The two escape giving the world the glorious panel of Lex riding Otto like a horse.
With the groundwork laid out it’s time for the chapters starting with the duel of titans.
Which sees both our heroes attending the world news conference.
Cause the daily planet and the bugel are that legit, I don’t know what other reporting
the bugle does other than that spider-man is a menace but it must be good.
Also at this point Clark was a broadcaster, a presenter.
Bit none of that matters what matters is Peter’s sweater it’s glorious, and needs to come
back in style look at the pattern lovingly drawn in each panel.
He also tells off Jameson for treating him badly while Clark quails at the prospect of
being replaced.
Peter meets Lois who manages to have a cat fight with MJ one that;s guessed as a feminist
exchanged and oh boy has it aged poorly, read panel.
Yep MJ’s right Lois should use a term that will totally never go out of style like MS.
Being topical what could possibly go wrong except for absolutely everything.
All is awkward until “superman” it’s Lex shows up and kidnaps the ladies, and we’re
graced with Peter asking the king of phone booths himself where one is so he can change.
This is all leading up to the moment you’ve been waiting for )
now you may be thinking spider-man has no chance against superman and yes you’re right,
but the story evens the odds by shooting Spidey with a red sud gun that means his blows pack
more of a punch.
So you get to see your friendly neigbourhood spider-man roundhouse kicking supes.
It works well until the gun wears off leading to that famous out of context panel.
So now you have context and the jokes ruined, you’re welcome.
Now we’re in chapter 3 the team up portion they’ve fought we saw it now they can team
up and get their girls back.
And break into the villains lair to witness the fact that lex only has one chair so Otto
has to stand.
It turns out the villainous duo are actually in Africa, why, why not.
So superman flies the two of them there spidey on a pair of web made air skies.
Yes to everything about that sentence.
Now it’s time for Supes to mingle with the locals and it’s actually not as painful
as you may be imagining in fact it’s more embarrassing for clark who starts the whole
we come from the sky bit only to have one of the warriors go oh look superman.
The real reason they go here is padding really the whole section could be cut but this issue
is giant sized and we’re filling every page dang it.
Which leads us to chapter 4 and the final confrontation in spaaace.
On the injustice gang satellite.
And they say crime doesn’t pay.
Here we see Lex’s true plan to hack a satellite and threaten the earth with lasers and just
look how happy he is about it.
Pure joy.
I don’t remember the last time I was this happy about something.
I’ve got to steal more satellites.
Well superman can’t let lex be happy and neither can Peter, so we get the cool panels
of Lex fighting spiderman and doc ock fighting superman and if you like crossovers which
I know not everyone does, this is cool to see.
It all falls apart when Octavius realizes Lex is willing to destroy the world rather
than let Super man win and he has one of those wait i live there too moments and switches
sides.
Alls well that ends well and it looks like Lois and mj bonded during their kidnapping
i mean might as well not much else to do up in there in space while people are monologuing
or in ock's case getting their glasses broken.
The issue ends with the two clasping hands in not really a handshake more of a Predator
arm wrestler friendship hold, and saying they hope they meet again with Spidey practically
begging for it.
Then there’s an epilogue where Clark and peter meet and go on a double date.
If you like crossovers this one is really solid, it does drag a tiny bit filling out
it’s giantsizedness but the art is dynamic the characters are all well in character and
plot while thin is standard and sustains itself.
What really sells it is the concept of this world where the two have always existed
together.
Which paradoxically is why some people don’t like it, they like their universes separate
or require some kind of explanation for how they came to be together it can’t just always
have been that way.
Answers some people demand them.
I’m just happy this exists.
The art is solid again standard but in a good way, lots of dynamic action panels especially
of the two in action, and of course of Peter’s sweater.
It’s a fun one nothing too deep, a good starter though not the best gateway since
it is a crossover, but it could still get you interested
and this wasn’t the last time these two companies would team up and not even the last
time Superman and Spider-Man would team up.
So that was our crazy crossover and casual comic of the day.
Had you read this one before do you want to, I only skimmed the surface of the zany.
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and be sure to enjoy your comics whether you’re hardcore or super cas.
I’m Sasha and I’ll see you again soon here on Casually comics.