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Spider-Man The Icon by Steve Saffel
01/12/2007 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
pub: Titan Books. 320 page illustrated hardback. Price: £29.99 (UK). ISBN: 978-1-84576-324-4. Buy Spider-Man The Icon in the USA - or Buy Spider-Man The Icon in the UK  check out website: www.titanbooks.com
With the release of the third Spider-Man movie this year and recent DVD, it should hardly come as a surprise that a book looking over the web-slinger's career was long over-due. Not only is Peter Parker's history looked over as it changes from decade to decade, but there are stacks of pictures not only from the comicbooks but the merchandise as well. There's a fair bet that some of us older Spidey fans are going to look and spot things we own or wish we had as well some we're glad we missed. About the only one I spotted which wasn't shown was the first Spider-Man porcelain statue from 1990 Marvel Collection.
The same could be said for not featuring 'Not Brand Ecch!'. Author Steve Saffel also didn't make the connection that the Punisher was based on the vigilante Mac Bolam from 'The Executioner' book series rather than 'The Destroyer'.
Notice, I'm pointing out a couple omissions and one mistake first to get them out of the way befor the full praise. Reading this book is really a travel through time from the early 60s when Stan Lee and Steve Ditko brought Spider-Man to life contrary to publisher Martin Goodman's comment that people don't like spiders. Famous last words in the end but they have to be bitten by a radioactive spider. That and blending super-hero derring-do with an up-and-down social life, the collaboration brought together a more grounded comicbook character compared to the competition that kids and teens could relate to. Although not exactly a formula, this idea has perpetuated throughout Peter Parker/Spider-Man's life. This book also extends this take to show it being applied to the animation series and assorted films that you might have come across. There's also an interesting take showing a Japanese version of Spider-Man using an oriental character. Spider-Man survives internationally by virtue of the fact that people can sympathise with a character that has a less than perfect life and has to resolve issues that affects him. In short, its probably the same effect that is used in soap-operas. There is more a kinship for the characters if you can care for them.
Something I do like about the way Saffel wrote this book is that he doesn't entirely focus on Spider-Man. When it comes to merchandise, he gives a small history of the various companies who did it and some of their other products to indicate the development and show things weren't exclusively Spidey material. This shows a firm grounding. If anything, this makes the book a rather interesting history of how models and toys have developed over the decades and the advancing technology that is applied to them. Saffel is also honest in his remarks on some of the more, shall we say, tackier merchandise which should make some of you raise your eyebrow in agreement.
It would have been all too easily for a book of this nature to gush all the way through and bearing in mind Saffel's own connection to Marvel that would have been very easy to do. As it is, he brings some honest observation of what has been done with Spider-Man that made this book live up to the gleam I had in my eye when I realised I was going to be reading this book. If you like Spider-Man then you definitely want to own this book if for no other reason to show your kids that you grew up with such an interesting character.
GF Willmetts
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