It is impossible to imagine American popular culture without Marvel Comics。 For decades， Marvel has published groundbreaking visual narratives that sustain attention on multiple levels: as metaphors for the experience of difference and otherness; as meditations on the fluid nature of identity; and as high-water marks in the artistic tradition of American cartooning， to name a few。

This anthology contains twelve key stories from the first two years of Spider-Man's publication history （from 1962 to 1964）。 These influential adventures not only transformed the super hero fantasy into an allegory for the pain of adolescence but also brought a new ethical complexity to the genre-by insisting that with great power there must also come great responsibility。

A foreword by Jason Reynolds and scholarly introductions and apparatus by Ben Saunders offer further insight into the enduring significance of The Amazing Spider-Man and classic Marvel comics。

The Penguin Classics black spine paperback features full-colour art throughout。