TITLE: Amazing Spider-Man issue #49
YEAR: June 1967
COMPANY: Marvel Comics
Written by Stan Lee
Artist: John Romita
Letterer: Sam Rosen
Recently, the latest Spider-Man film titled “Spider-Man: Homecoming” was released on home video and for those who saw the movie, saw one of Spider-Man’s major enemies, the Vulture.
While there are many people who have been the Vulture in the comic books, one of the well-known characters is Adrian Toomes, but there was also Raniero “Blackie” Drago, a prison cellmate of Adrian Toomes who stole the Vulture harness and costume. And Blackie would become the second Vulture and use the harness/costume and earn money via air piracy.
In issue #48, Peter Parker was suffering a major cold and was ill and he had to fight the Vulture and he was defeated. Vulture would go on to tell everyone that he has killed Spider-Man.
With issue #49, Spider-Man is laying in the ground and in bad shape. Fortunately for him, where the freezing cold would kill any human, the reverse happened and it would give him enough strength to slowly get home.
And quickly get to bed, but not knowing Harry is home, gets into bed with his costume still on.
Meanwhile, Kraven the Hunter is not thrilled that Vulture has killed his nemesis before him and now Kraven has vowed to hunt down the Vulture.
As Peter gets rest, he is visited by Aunt May and Mary Jane’s aunt, Anna. And then Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson come to visit the ill Peter Parker, Aunt May as always, so worried because she considers Peter as very frail and wants a doctor to check on him immediately.
Meanwhile, Blackie continues to steal up above, the latest is a helicopter carrying travelers and while bragging about his latest theft, Kraven manages to catch the Vulture and both get into a fight.
While Peter Parker is resting in bed and starting to feel better, he hears on the radio that Kraven and the Vulture are fighting and have crashed through the skylight into the Explorers Exposition. This worries Peter and he quickly puts on his costume and goes into action in hopes to go against two of his enemies.
And with Peter now feeling better, how can he beat two powerful enemies?
For the most part, it’s a predictable storyline but a very entertaining storyline that manages to include two enemies, the Vulture and Kraven the Hunter but also Harry, Gwen, Mary Jane, Aunt May and her friend Anna.
And it was part of the charm that you would expect from Stan Lee and by this issue, John Romita Sr. was the artist and Sam Rosen as the letterer. These three men cranked out comic books like crazy during the late ’60s as a team and yet consistently maintained a quality and entertaining storyline that made reading an old school “Amazing Spider-Man” story so fun and so entertaining, which many writers/artists have struggled with decades later.