Ken Aldred

Not necessarily. You do have to have some idea what to look for. Steve should decide.

I apologise.

Looks like they might possibly be counting True Believers reprints such as Captain Marvel 1 and Marvel Zombies 1 as keys? There are also SA (AF 15, Avengers 4) and BA (GS XM 1) reprints in the series, for example.. https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/True_Believers_Comic_Books

Most of the "vapour trails" are superimposed on the sky, but I have just noticed that a few of them extend across over the building to the right. At least it didn't take me 50 years to spot that.

And after all this time, as well !!

I never noticed that detail either. They more resemble plane vapour trails.

In another thread we talked about spiders often having thin legs despite their power, strength and speed, and so it isn't necessary for a teenager with arachnid attributes to look pumped up, as with Kirby's default figurework style, just scrawny while deceptively powerful, as drawn brilliantly by Ditko. That's why Kirby's version looks wrong to me, and I feel misses the point.

His cover for Amazing Fantasy 15 is a classic, but for me, that's about all. Ditko was a far, far better match. Ditko could convey the ordinary, scrawny teenager under the costume look, Kirby's exaggerated figurework completely missed that vital quality. I'm a huge Kirby fan, but his style wasn't suited to this character.

Last year I tended to focus on Marvel books, especially Bronze Age and moderns. A couple of long stories I still want to read, but I think I’ll transition over to DCs fairly soon this year for some variety.

There's something a bit generic about the plain, blue / white colour scheme.

I thought it was all by Curt Swan. Learned something. Far superior to the 90s Red / Blue storyline, and quite positive in tone for a SA imaginary tale.

That's a classic Silver Age comic story.

Try Invincible. I preferred that.

Not quite Flaming Carrot level but still very impressive.

Yup. I'd considered mentioning this example, and hopefully the terrible new Spider costume will have just as short a lifespan.

2021 should have a fair chance of being better. Here in the UK, we have a serious outbreak of the new, more contagious Covid strain which is affecting the south around London very badly, and my region is promoted into the most severe Tier 4 category in about 20 minutes, as we enter the new year. Hopefully, we'll have some of the anti-maskers change their ways and make a new year resolution to stop being so thick and start caring about the well-being of others around them. I hope the boardies stay safe and stay well throughout the new year, and that reading or collecting our comics brings us some compensatory enjoyment and distraction.

Yup. We don't want Kav to get ripped off by Marvel in the same way as the kid who was the real, original creator of Wolverine in Foom 2. Wasn't the black costume also suggested to Marvel by a reader as well?

GA Green Lantern and Hawkman were more mystical in origin. Alan Scott (GL)'s costume was very different to the Corps uniform. Eventually some retcon meddling to that, of course.

The SA versions tended to be more science-fiction orientated reboots of GA characters, true for Atom, Green Lantern and Hawkman. Fresh starts, new characters.

It's advanced nanotech. Shuri factored in a smooth-as-silk, no-chafe lining underneath the armoured, Vibranium surface. As aristocracy, they're used to designer comfort.

I like that version as well, and seeing it done in live-action in Infinity War and Endgame. I've never been a fan of Michael Turner's artwork, but that's easily my favourite cover and design of his.

True. But, Spider-Man has been published since the 1960s, which has given Peter Parker enough time to develop speed as well as precision in his tailoring skills, allowing him to handle the pressure of repairing his costume within a tight, bi-weekly schedule with ease.