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MARVEL MASTERPIECES: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN - THE BLACK COSTUME YEAR ONE GALLERY EDITION RON FRENZ ORIGINAL FIRST ISSUE COVER

Illustrated by Ron Frenz, Marvel Various
Cover Design or Artwork by Ron Frenz
Hardcover
9-1/4"W x 13"H | 20 oz | 8 per carton
On sale Jun 10, 2025 | 464 Pages | 9781302963040
Rated T
The classic saga of Peter Parker and his symbiote suit, boldly re-presented in its original form, ads and all!

  • ALL-NEW DELUXE FORMAT: This hardcover is the inaugural volume of Marvel's new deluxe Masterpiece format, which will collect some of Marvel's most iconic and beloved stories through the years in original format, serving as a time capsule that looks into the pop culture world of the 80s!
  • AUTHENTIC TO THEIR TIMES: The stories collected in these editions are presented just as they were when initially released - complete with classic ads, fan letter, editorial and bullpen bulletin pages, and more - making these an ideal choice for diehard collectors!
  • THE START OF A LEGEND: Spider-Man's black costume era is one of the most seminal in the character's history, in large part due to the later revelation that the black costume was a living alien being, that would go on to become Marvel megastar VENOM!

Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Spider-Man's black costume! When Spidey makes his homecoming from the super-hero Secret Wars, he returns with a miraculous new outfit, a striking black-and-white Spider-Man costume that morphs and responds to his very thoughts, allowing him to change back to Peter Parker at will! It also makes him stronger than ever, with an unlimited supply of webbing — ideal for taking on new threats like the Rose and the Puma! But could this miraculous article of alien clothing have a mind of its own? As the days pass, Spidey soon discovers there’s more to his new costume than he at first realized: It's actually an alien symbiote, out to bond with him permanently! Featuring the Black Cat, the Fantastic Four, the Hobgoblin and a shocking revelation from Mary Jane Watson!

COLLECTING: Amazing Spider-Man (1963) 252-263 Facsimile Editions
Tom DeFalco’s earliest comic-book scripts were for Archie and DC; he soon moved to Marvel, where he wrote Avengers, Machine Man and other titles, also launching Dazzler, a hit series of the early ’80s. In addition to writing long and well-received runs on Amazing Spider-Man and Thor, DeFalco edited many titles, eventually becoming editor in chief. During the 1980s, he headed the creative team that provided fictional biographies for G.I. Joe members, originally included with Hasbro’s toys and later used as the basis for multiple storylines on the animated series. Perhaps his best-known work is multi-title character Spider-Girl, whom he introduced in 1998. DeFalco has authored multiple books, including Ultimate Guides for Avengers, Fantastic Four, Hulk and Spider-Man.

Roger Stern enjoyed well-regarded runs on Amazing Spider-Man, in which he introduced Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau) and the Hobgoblin; Avengers; and Captain America. He launched West Coast Avengers and wrote numerous tie-in miniseries starring Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. At DC, he relaunched Atom and co-created Starman (Will Payton) before participating in one of comics’ most shocking events: the 1992 “Death of Superman.” He later returned to Marvel to write Amazing Spider-Man and related titles.

Bob Layton began as a prolific and popular inker for Charlton, Marvel and DC Comics, where he first teamed with longtime collaborator David Michelinie on Claw the Unconquered and Star Hunters. The Michelinie-Layton duo’s writing work on Iron Man (1978-1982 and 1987-1989) is one of the most popular and influential interpretations of that character. Leaving Marvel in 1990, he became a key writer/artist/editor at Valiant Comics, where he co-created characters such as X-O Manowar and rose to the post of editor in chief before departing. He still does occasional freelance work for DC and Marvel, notably Michelinie-Layton reunion projects Iron Man: Bad Blood (2000), Iron Man: Legacy of Doom (2008) and Iron Man: The End (2009).

Few can match Ron Frenz’s record of substantial stints on two of comicdom’s most influential and revered characters, Spider-Man and Superman, both of whom he provided with controversial new looks. Frenz succeeded John Romita Jr. on Amazing Spider-Man, and his artwork was favorably compared to Steve Ditko’s original web-slinger. With Roger Stern, he introduced the Hobgoblin, covering the mysterious villain’s debut and revealing his identity more than a decade later in Hobgoblin Lives. With writer Tom DeFalco on Thor, Frenz debuted a new look and identity for Marvel’s Thunder God, eventually branching into Thunderstrike. Later, Frenz and DeFalco launched the MC2 Universe, home of Spider-Girl, the only Marvel heroine to reach 100 consecutive issues.

Three different incarnations of Cloak and Dagger were only a few of Rick Leonardi’s artistic achievements for Marvel. His other credits include Uncanny X-Men, New Mutants and Spider-Man 2099. At DC, he drew Batman family titles Batgirl and Nightwing, as well as comic/film crossover Green Lantern vs. Aliens. At Event Comics, he penciled Painkiller Jane.
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About

The classic saga of Peter Parker and his symbiote suit, boldly re-presented in its original form, ads and all!

  • ALL-NEW DELUXE FORMAT: This hardcover is the inaugural volume of Marvel's new deluxe Masterpiece format, which will collect some of Marvel's most iconic and beloved stories through the years in original format, serving as a time capsule that looks into the pop culture world of the 80s!
  • AUTHENTIC TO THEIR TIMES: The stories collected in these editions are presented just as they were when initially released - complete with classic ads, fan letter, editorial and bullpen bulletin pages, and more - making these an ideal choice for diehard collectors!
  • THE START OF A LEGEND: Spider-Man's black costume era is one of the most seminal in the character's history, in large part due to the later revelation that the black costume was a living alien being, that would go on to become Marvel megastar VENOM!

Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Spider-Man's black costume! When Spidey makes his homecoming from the super-hero Secret Wars, he returns with a miraculous new outfit, a striking black-and-white Spider-Man costume that morphs and responds to his very thoughts, allowing him to change back to Peter Parker at will! It also makes him stronger than ever, with an unlimited supply of webbing — ideal for taking on new threats like the Rose and the Puma! But could this miraculous article of alien clothing have a mind of its own? As the days pass, Spidey soon discovers there’s more to his new costume than he at first realized: It's actually an alien symbiote, out to bond with him permanently! Featuring the Black Cat, the Fantastic Four, the Hobgoblin and a shocking revelation from Mary Jane Watson!

COLLECTING: Amazing Spider-Man (1963) 252-263 Facsimile Editions

Creators

Tom DeFalco’s earliest comic-book scripts were for Archie and DC; he soon moved to Marvel, where he wrote Avengers, Machine Man and other titles, also launching Dazzler, a hit series of the early ’80s. In addition to writing long and well-received runs on Amazing Spider-Man and Thor, DeFalco edited many titles, eventually becoming editor in chief. During the 1980s, he headed the creative team that provided fictional biographies for G.I. Joe members, originally included with Hasbro’s toys and later used as the basis for multiple storylines on the animated series. Perhaps his best-known work is multi-title character Spider-Girl, whom he introduced in 1998. DeFalco has authored multiple books, including Ultimate Guides for Avengers, Fantastic Four, Hulk and Spider-Man.

Roger Stern enjoyed well-regarded runs on Amazing Spider-Man, in which he introduced Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau) and the Hobgoblin; Avengers; and Captain America. He launched West Coast Avengers and wrote numerous tie-in miniseries starring Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. At DC, he relaunched Atom and co-created Starman (Will Payton) before participating in one of comics’ most shocking events: the 1992 “Death of Superman.” He later returned to Marvel to write Amazing Spider-Man and related titles.

Bob Layton began as a prolific and popular inker for Charlton, Marvel and DC Comics, where he first teamed with longtime collaborator David Michelinie on Claw the Unconquered and Star Hunters. The Michelinie-Layton duo’s writing work on Iron Man (1978-1982 and 1987-1989) is one of the most popular and influential interpretations of that character. Leaving Marvel in 1990, he became a key writer/artist/editor at Valiant Comics, where he co-created characters such as X-O Manowar and rose to the post of editor in chief before departing. He still does occasional freelance work for DC and Marvel, notably Michelinie-Layton reunion projects Iron Man: Bad Blood (2000), Iron Man: Legacy of Doom (2008) and Iron Man: The End (2009).

Few can match Ron Frenz’s record of substantial stints on two of comicdom’s most influential and revered characters, Spider-Man and Superman, both of whom he provided with controversial new looks. Frenz succeeded John Romita Jr. on Amazing Spider-Man, and his artwork was favorably compared to Steve Ditko’s original web-slinger. With Roger Stern, he introduced the Hobgoblin, covering the mysterious villain’s debut and revealing his identity more than a decade later in Hobgoblin Lives. With writer Tom DeFalco on Thor, Frenz debuted a new look and identity for Marvel’s Thunder God, eventually branching into Thunderstrike. Later, Frenz and DeFalco launched the MC2 Universe, home of Spider-Girl, the only Marvel heroine to reach 100 consecutive issues.

Three different incarnations of Cloak and Dagger were only a few of Rick Leonardi’s artistic achievements for Marvel. His other credits include Uncanny X-Men, New Mutants and Spider-Man 2099. At DC, he drew Batman family titles Batgirl and Nightwing, as well as comic/film crossover Green Lantern vs. Aliens. At Event Comics, he penciled Painkiller Jane.
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