J.M. DeMatteis Archive

Remembrance of Comics Past: Amazing Spider-Man #223

June 22, 2017Remembrance of Comics Past2 Comments

To most observers and Spider-Man fans, Amazing Spider-Man #223 is the quintessential “forgettable” issue. It marks the final installment of the lame duck Denny O’Neil-era on the book and O’Neil didn’t even script his plot, instead leaving it to a fill-in writer, J.M. DeMatteis (who was still a few

Clone Saga Callback: Smoke and Mirrors

By Mark Ginocchio

March 10, 2015Random Runs of SpideyNo comments

If you thought I was done with my “Clone Saga Callback” series just because I never wrote about the “Web of Death” storyline in which Doctor Octopus saves Peter Parker’s life before getting murdered by the mysterious Kaine, think again. I actually wrote about “Web of Death” two summers

Spider-Man, Daredevil and Back from the Edge

By Mark Ginocchio

April 21, 2014Remembrance of Comics Past2 Comments

As I’ve discussed countless times in the past, different comics have varying levels of significance to different people. For some, the 1994-95 arc “Back from the Edge,” which was published in Amazing and Spectacular Spider-Man, was just another mid-90s story that in all likelihood, got lost in the shuffle since it

Top 10 Green Goblin Storylines: #2

By Mark Ginocchio

March 19, 2014Top 10 Lists3 Comments

In celebration of Superior Spider-Man’s “Goblin Nation” arc, over the next two months, I’m going to acknowledge what I consider to be the 10 best Green Goblin/Spider-Man storylines. I’m creating this list based on a full array of arbitrary, unscientific criteria: namely historical significance, artwork, creativity and my overall enjoyment of the

Superior Spider-Talk Chats with J.M. DeMatteis

By Mark Ginocchio

August 28, 2013PodcastsNo comments

Comic book industry legend J.M. DeMatteis, who wrote such Spider-Man stories as “Kraven’s Last Hunt,” “A Child Within/Death of Harry Osborn,” and “The Gift,” sat down with Dan Gvozden and I at the Connecticut ComicCONN event in Trumbull, CT, this past weekend. The interview has just been released as

Web of Death and Rethinking the 90s

By Mark Ginocchio

August 28, 2013Reading Experience1 Comment

I recently had an epiphany of sorts about a time in my life that I had long tried to forget. I’ve derided the Spider-Man “Clone Saga” so much on Chasing Amazing, that I’ll universally dismiss storylines that took place during this time period despite the fact that I haven’t

Dispatches from ComiCONN

By Mark Ginocchio

August 26, 2013Adventures in BloggingNo comments

I’m 32 years-old, been reading/collecting comic books since I was 7 years-old, and am obsessive enough about my hobby to launch my very own blog and co-host a comic book podcast, but this past weekend’s ComiCONN event in Trumbull, CT, marked the very first time I ever attended an

Guest Blogging: Gimmick or Good? – Spectacular Spider-Man #200

By Mark Ginocchio

July 16, 2013Guest BlogsNo comments

While it’s fun to get a chance to write about comic book series other than Spider-Man, I’ll be the first to admit that I have the most fun when I’m talking about my all-time favorite comic book hero, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man! Fortunately, in today’s Gimmick or Good? column

Superior Spider-Talk Episode 3

By Mark Ginocchio

May 23, 2013PodcastsNo comments

Episode 3 of the Superior Spider-Talk podcast is live and ready for you to download. Check it out on our Podomatic website or on iTunes (and if you haven’t yet, be sure to rate us and leave a review, which will read on air during the recording of Episode

Kraven’s Last Hunt (Part II): The Will to Live and Die

By Mark Ginocchio

May 13, 2013Reading Experience, the big box of comics3 Comments

JM Dematteis and Mike Zeck’s presentation of death and rebirth, and how they often mirror each other is one of the themes that elevates “Kraven’s Last Hunt” from a great storyline to a legendary one. One of the most controversial aspects of the arc is its ending – or