When Stan Lee first pitched the idea of Spider-Man in 1962, his boss was full of objections: People hate spiders. Teenagers aren’t lead characters; they’re sidekicks. He should be glamorous and successful, not a friendless loser. But Stan persisted and Martin Goodman let him give the unlikely hero a tryout in Amazing Fantasy, which was already slated for cancellation. With Spider-Man on the cover, No. 15 shot to the top of Marvel’s best-seller list for the year, and the rest is history.

Amazing Spider-Man, which debuted seven months later, broke the comics mold. Peter Parker lived in uncool Queens, was always broke, continually worried about his Aunt May, was unlucky in love, and was constantly getting yelled at by his boss, Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson. Spider-Man had the quips and confidence that Parker lacked, but learning to use his powers wasn’t always easy. He often seemed on the verge of defeat against the rogue’s gallery of classic foes that debuted in the first couple of years: Vulture, Doctor Octopus, Sandman, Lizard, Electro, Kraven the Hunter, Mysterio, and the Green Goblin. Much of the credit for Spider-Man’s greatness goes to co-creator and artist Steve Ditko, who had a knack for portraying teenagers and their problems. His artwork infused Spider-Man with a loose-limbed energy, and, while maybe everyone was scared of spiders, Ditko made swinging through New York seem like the coolest adventure ever.

This XXL-sized collector’s dream, close in size to the original artworks, features the first 21 stories of the world’s favorite web slinger from 1962–1964. Rather than recolor the original artwork (as has been done in previous decades’ reprints of classic comics), TASCHEN has attempted to create an ideal representation of these books as they were produced at the time of publication. The most pristine pedigreed comics have been cracked open and photographed for reproduction in close collaboration with Marvel and the Certified Guaranty Company. Each page has been photographed as printed more than half a century ago, then digitally remastered using modern retouching techniques to correct problems with the era’s inexpensive, imperfect printing—as if hot off of a world-class 1960s printing press. Three different paper stocks, including an uncoated and woodfree paper, were exclusively developed for this series to simulate the feel of the original comics.

With an in-depth historical essay by Marvel editor Ralph Macchio, an introduction by uber-collector David Mandel, and original art, rare photographs, and other gems, these 698 pages of wall-crawling wonder will make anyone’s spider-sense tingle with anticipation.

Taschen

Taschen

Mid-Century Ads 40th Edition Book

Taschen

40th Anniversary The Adidas Archive Book

Taschen

Marvel Comics Library: X-Men, Vol. 1. 1963–1966

Taschen

Spider Man Marvel Comics Library Vol 2 1965–1966

Taschen

Sneaker Freaker World's Greatest Sneaker Collectors Book

Taschen

Ultimate Collector Motorcycles Book

Taschen

The James Bond Archives, “No Time To Die” Edition

Taschen

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band Hardcover Book

Taschen

Limited Edition James Bond Dr. No Book

Taschen

40th Anniversary Edition 50 Ultimate Sports Cars Book

Taschen

Limited Edition Porsche Racing Moments Book

Taschen

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Collector's Book

Taschen

Peter Lindbergh. Dior Book

Taschen

Mick Rock. The Rise of David Bowie. 1972–1973 Book

Taschen

Mario Testino. SIR. The 40th Anniversary Edition

Taschen

Helmut Newton. Legacy Book

Taschen

Great Escapes Latin America. The Hotel Book. 2022 Edition

Taschen

Great Escapes Africa. The Hotel Book

Taschen

Jean-Michel Basquiat.The 40th Anniversary Edition

Taschen

Acrylic Bookstand

Taschen

Great Escapes Italy. The Hotel Book

Taschen

Sneaker Freaker. The Ultimate Sneaker Book

Taschen

The New York Times 36 Hours, World Book

Taschen

Gaudí. The Complete Works. The 40th Anniversary Edition

Taschen

Modern Architecture A–Z Book

Taschen

The New York Times 36 Hours, Europe. 3rd Edition

Taschen

The Rolling Stones. Updated Edition Book

Taschen

Great Escapes Greece. The Hotel Book

Taschen

Great Escapes Mediterranean. The Hotel Book

Taschen

Contemporary Japanese Architecture Book

Taschen

Great Escapes Alps. The Hotel Book

Taschen

The New York Times 36 Hours, USA & Canada. 3rd Edition

Taschen

The Marvel Age of Comics 1961–1978. The 40th Anniversary Edition

Taschen

Virgil Abloh. Nike. ICONS Book

Taschen

Great Escapes Europe. The Hotel Book

Taschen

Zaha Hadid. Complete Works 1979–Today. 2020 Edition

Taschen

Peter Lindbergh. On Fashion Photography Book

Taschen

TATTOO. 1730s-1970s. Henk Schiffmacher’s Private Collection

Taschen

Marvel Comics Library. Avengers. Vol. 1. 1963–1965 Book

Taschen