Amazing Fantasy
Amazing Fantasy | |
---|---|
Creative team | |
Written by | (1961–62): Stan Lee, et al. (1995): Kurt Busiek (2004): Fiona Avery, Fred Van Lente, Simon Furman, et al. (2021): Kaare Andrews |
Artist(s) | (1961–62): Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, Don Heck, Paul Reinman, et al. (1995): Paul Lee (2004): Various (2021): Kaare Andrews |
Inker(s) | (1961–62): Dick Ayers, et al. |
Amazing Adult Fantasy, retitled Amazing Fantasy in its final issue, is an American
Publication history
The science fiction-
Lee in 2009 described these "short, five-page filler strips that Steve and I did together", originally "placed in any of our comics that had a few extra pages to fill", as "odd fantasy tales that I'd dream up with
With issue #15 (Aug. 1962) Amazing Adult Fantasy was retitled Amazing Fantasy.[3] This issue's lead feature introduced the superhero Spider-Man, written by Lee and drawn by Ditko, although Lee rejected Ditko's cover art and commissioned Jack Kirby to pencil a cover that Ditko inked.[3] As Lee explained in 2010: "I think I had Jack sketch out a cover for it because I always had a lot of confidence in Jack's covers".[4] In numerous interviews Lee has recalled how the title had been slated for cancellation, and so with nothing to lose, publisher Martin Goodman reluctantly agreed to allow him to introduce Spider-Man, a new kind of superhero – one who would be a teenager, but not a sidekick, and one who would have everyman doubts, neuroses and money problems.[5] However, while this was indeed the final issue, its editorial page anticipated the comic continuing and that "the Spiderman [sic] ... will appear every month in Amazing".[3][6]
Regardless, sales for Amazing Fantasy #15 proved to be one of Marvel's highest at the time,[7] so the company launched the series The Amazing Spider-Man seven months later.[8]
The DVD release of the collector's edition of the Spider-Man film included a copy of Amazing Fantasy #15. In 2001, Marvel published the 10-issue historical overview The 100 Greatest Marvels of All Time, with Amazing Fantasy #15 topping the list.
In 2008, an anonymous donor bequeathed the Library of Congress the original 24 pages of Ditko art for Amazing Fantasy #15, including Spider-Man's debut and the stories "The Bell-Ringer", "Man in the Mummy Case", and "There Are Martians Among Us".[9][10]
Continuation in 1995
For decades, no attempts were made to relaunch the title or to continue it with an issue #16. However, in 1995, Marvel editor Danny Fingeroth decided a story gap existed between Amazing Fantasy #15 and The Amazing Spider-Man #1. In an attempt to fill that gap, Marvel published three Spider-Man flashback stories in Amazing Fantasy #16–18 (Dec. 1995 – March 1996), each written by Kurt Busiek and painted chiefly by Paul Lee.[11]
Volume 2
The second volume of the series ran 20 issues (
The first arc ran through (vol. 2) #1–6 and featured a new teenaged heroine,
The final arc, in (vol. 2) #16–20 (Feb.-June 2006), introduced Death's Head 3.0, a revamp of the Marvel UK character, written by the original version's creator, Simon Furman. Issues #18–19 contain two "Tales of the New Universe" stories as backup features, while #20 featured a Western backup, "Steamrider".[12]
Volume 3
The third volume ran for five issues (cover dated September 2021 - February 2022). Written and drawn by Kaare Andrews, it follows numerous characters who wake up on a mysterious island with no memory of how they arrived.
Collected editions
Volume 1
Title | Material collected | Published date | ISBN |
---|---|---|---|
Amazing Fantasy Omnibus | Amazing Adventures #1–6, Amazing Adult Fantasy #7–14, Amazing Fantasy #15 | July 2020 | 978-1302922702 |
Untold Tales of Spider-Man Omnibus | Amazing Fantasy #16-18, Untold Tales of Spider-Man #1-25, -1, Annual 1996-1997, Strange Encounter and material from Amazing Spider-Man Annual #37 | May 2021 | 978-1302928612 |
Untold Tales of Spider-Man: The Complete Collection Vol 1 | Amazing Fantasy #16-18, Untold Tales of Spider-Man #1-14 | November 2021 | 978-1302931773 |
Amazing Fantasy #15 has been reprinted many times, sometimes just reprinting the Spider-Man story.
Volume 2
Title | Material collected | Published date | ISBN |
---|---|---|---|
Arana Volume 1: Heart Of The Spider | Amazing Fantasy (vol. 2) #1-6 | January 2005 | 978-0785115069 |
Arana: Here Comes the Spider-Girl | Amazing Fantasy (vol. 2) #1-6, Arana #1-6 | October 2020 | 978-1302926465 |
Scorpion: Poison Tomorrow | Amazing Fantasy (vol. 2) #7-12 | November 2005 | 978-0785117124 |
Captain Universe: Universal Heroes | Material from Amazing Fantasy (vol. 2) #13-14 and Captain Universe: Daredevil, Incredible Hulk, Invisible Woman, Silver Surfer, X-23 | February 2006 | 978-0785118572 |
Amadeus Cho: Genius At Work | Material from Amazing Fantasy (vol. 2) #15, Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #100, Incredible Hercules #126,133,135,137 | April 2016 | N/A |
Death's Head 3.0: Unnatural Selection | Amazing Fantasy (vol. 2) #16-20 | August 2006 | 978-0785121084 |
Volume 3
Title | Material collected | Published date | ISBN |
---|---|---|---|
Amazing Fantasy | Amazing Fantasy (vol. 3) #1-5 | April 2022 | 978-1302931483 |
Sales of Amazing Fantasy (vol. 1) #15
- In September 2000, Metropolis Comics in New York City brought the only known CGC-graded 9.6 (near-mint plus) copy to market and sold it for $140,000.[13]
- In October 2007, a near-mint copy sold for $210,000 in an online auction on ComicLink.com and in 2017 a NM- 9.2 sold on ComicLink.com for $460,000.[14]
- Price results accelerated leading up to the Spider-Man: Homecoming film and a CGC 8.0 sold for three times the price it has ever sold for before when it hit $261,000 in a ComicLink.com auction in May 2017.[15][16]
- A near-mint CGC-graded 9.6 copy sold for $1.1 million to an unnamed collector on March 7, 2011, making the issue one of only three comic books to have broken the million-dollar mark (the others being the debut of #27).[17]
- In June 2015, a record price of $200,000 was paid for an example of Amazing Fantasy #15 in CGC 9.0 condition on ComicLink.com.
- In September 2021, a CGC NM+ 9.6 copy sold at auction for $3,600,000.[18]
See also
References
- ^ Amazing Adult Fantasy at the Grand Comics Database. Accessed September 2, 2008
- ISBN 978-1-60010-542-5, p. 9
- ^ a b c Amazing Fantasy (Marvel, 1962 series) at the Grand Comics Database. "[T]he decision to cancel the series had not been made when it went to print, since it is announced that future issues will include a Spider-Man feature".
- ^ "Videotaped Deposition of Stan Lee". United States District Court, Southern District of New York: "Marvel Worldwide, Inc., et al., vs. Lisa R. Kirby, et al.". p. 37.
- ISBN 0-8109-3821-9.
- ISBN 978-0785124580.
- ^ Daniels, p. 97
- ^ The Amazing Spider-Man at the Grand Comics Database
- ^ "Library of Congress Receives Original Drawings for the First Spider-Man Story, 'Amazing Fantasy' #15". Library of Congress press release. April 30, 2008. Archived from the original on March 10, 2010.
- ^ Raymond, Matt (April 30, 2008). "Library of Congress Acquires Spider-Man's 'Birth Certificate'". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on May 5, 2010.
- ^ Amazing Fantasy (Marvel, 1995 series) at the Grand Comics Database.
- ^ a b c d "GCD :: Series :: Amazing Fantasy". comics.org.
- ^ "Metropolis Sets Record for Amazing Fantasy #15!". Scoop. Gemstone Publishing/Diamond International Galleries. May 29, 2004. Archived from the original on May 23, 2011. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
- ^ "Amazing Fantasy #15 CGC 9.2, First Appearance of Spider-Man, Sells For Record $460,000 At Comic Link". January 16, 2017.
- ^ "An Amazing Fantasy 15 CGC 8.0 Has Sold For A Record Breaking $261,010 At ComicLink". June 2, 2017.
- ^ "Spidey's Huge at ComicLink". Scoop. Gemstone Publishing/Diamond International Galleries. June 23, 2007. Archived from the original on May 23, 2011. Retrieved July 23, 2007.
- ^ Moore, Matt (March 8, 2011). "Spider-Man Debut Sells for $1.1 million". Associated Press via The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 12, 2012.
- ^ "Amazing Fantasy #15 (Marvel, 1962) CGC NM+ 9.6 Off-white pages.... | Lot #93001".
Further reading
- Lee, Stan. ISBN 0-7851-0551-4
- Lee, Stan, and George Mair. Excelsior!: The Amazing Life of Stan Lee (Fireside, 2002) ISBN 0-684-87305-2
- Raphael, Jordan and Tom Spurgeon. Stan Lee and the Rise and Fall of the American Comic Book (Chicago Review Press, 2003) ISBN 1-55652-506-0
External links
- Comics: Spider-Man at Marvel.com
- Archive of McQuarrie, Jim, "Amazing Adult Fantasy No. 9", "Oddball Comics" (column), #1151, April 9, 2007
- A review of Amazing Fantasy #15