The Amazing Spider-Man #253
Date:
June 1984
Publisher:
Marvel Comics Group
Cover Price:
60¢
2013 Price Range:
$2.00 – $15.00
Stats:
23 color pages plus ads and Bullpen Bulletins
Writer:
Tom DeFalco
Artists:
Rick Leonardi, Bill Anderson, Joe Rosen and Glynis Wein
Notable Notes:
1st appearance of The Rose!
Football in Comic Books?
I am a fan of major league football – especially the Oakland Raiders! This issue of Spider-Man has a story about a quarterback with a (fake) major league team – and I think that is the first time I’ve seen such a story in a comic book! It turned out to be a pretty good story, and served nicely to get me in the football mood for this fall. If you’re a fan of football and comics then this is an issue you won’t want to miss!
Synopsis:
I felt a little bit let down by the story in
The Amazing Spider-Man #252
– I mean the new suit was cool, but the story of Spidey showing New York to some kids wasn’t too exciting. This issue gets the ball rolling again with a story about a major league football star who is intentionally throwing his team’s games. Why? Because he is being manipulated by a new villain who goes by the name of The Rose. Well, it is a good thing for this quarterback that Peter Parker has been assigned as the photographer for his latest games, because when Peter and a reporter go to see him they stumble upon a plot by The Rose to keep the losing streak going – even if that means hurting innocent people! Ta-da! Enter Spider-man in his new, black, mind-reading threads and behold the power of a super hero to put the hurt on a group of gun wielding thugs in a seedy neighborhood’s run down warehouse! Yes it is a little bit formulaic, but all ends well when the football star makes a decision that will change his life forever!
How I Rate This Issue:
-
Story:
– This was a one-shot filler story, but it was a good one! A football story combined with the first appearance of a new villain made for a great story!
-
Art:
– I was pretty happy with the art of newcomer Rick Leonardi. He drew some some really funny panels which made me laugh out-loud! There were, however, a few panels that looked really weird.
-
Fun Factor:
– This issue was great fun to read! There were some classic comic book scenes as Spidey beat up a gang of evil-doers, but the sports corruption story and the introduction of The Rose made it even more of a page turner!
Where To Get Your Own Copy:
