Over the past 40 years, the world of Spider-Man comics was never more riveting, dynamic and unpredictable as it was when Roger Stern was writing Amazing Spider-Man. During the early/mid-1980s, Stern churned out iconic story after iconic story combining his spot-on characterization of Spider-Man and his supporting cast, alongside snappy dialogue that made the title inherently readable. He created brand new supervillains that would go on to be fan favorites like the Hobgoblin, reinvented Silver Age villains and made them more sympathetic like the Vulture, and thought outside-the-box to find unique situations and challenges for Spider-Man to overcome, like the epic two-part Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut arc, which is considered one of the writers best. With Gwen Stacy dead and Mary Jane out of the picture, Stern also planted the seeds for the Spider-Man/Black Cat romance. Above all of these is arguably Sterns most famous Spidey story, one that didnt feature superheroics. As a B story for Amazing Spider-Man #248, Stern crafted one of the most poignant and gut-wrenching tales in comic book history, The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man. Written in the style of Will Eisner, this short story depicts Spider-Man interacting with a young fan named Tim Harrison. After showing the two characters goofing off, Stern socks the reader in the gut by having Spider-Man unveil his identity to the child, and then ending the comic with the revelation that Harrison is terminally ill. Prior to his run on Amazing Spider-Man, Stern also scripted 18 issues of Spectacular Spider-Man. In more recent years, Stern has proven that he still has the touch by scripting a couple of outstanding miniseries like The Hobgoblin Lives and Revenge of the Green Goblin, and short arcs, including a sequel to his Juggernaut arc during the Brand New Day era of Amazing Spider-Man.
Mark is a professional writer living in Brooklyn and is the founder of the Chasing Amazing Blog, which documents his quest to collect every issue of Amazing Spider-Man, and the Superior Spider-Talk podcast. He also pens the "Gimmick or Good?" column at Comics Should Be Good blog.
