Review by Frank Plowright

As co-creator of Superman Jerry Siegel’s place in history is forever assured, but by the mid-1960s he was struggling. In the USA his scripts for The Mighty Crusaders were a poor attempt to imitate the jocular tone of Marvel superheroes, but even accounting for The Spider featuring an infinitely superior artist in Reg Bunn, Siegel’s plots for the UK hero sparkled.

Continuing from The Crook From Space, the title story occupies most of this collection, and pits the arrogant hero with prodigious technology against a genie. Matching science with magic is an immediately strong starting point, and from Siegel’s point of view it’s ideal for a serialised strip as anything’s possible with magic. From giant wasps through trips back in time to monsters, the genie keeps throwing new threats against the Spider. Further strengths are the genie taking commands from criminal Steve Gurko, who has a grudge against the Spider for capturing him, and that the genie won’t act without a direct command. At one point Gurko is poisoned by a fellow gangster and the genie’s quite content to watch him die until ordered otherwise. Constant clever twists apply, and it’s easy to see how this was a strip to have thrilled the young readers of 1967 even if the solutions to some puzzles are cop-outs.

Bunn is master of detail, and a master of realism, able to create atmosphere via his intense shading. Amid that, though, it’s the little anomalies that highlight the naturalism, such as the Spider’s distinctly alien look. As the sample art shows, Bunn’s also capable of the wild and trippy if it’s needed. Despite his talent Bunn remains woefully under-appreciated.

After the main feature we have an illustrated text story and two strips originally published in late 1960s annuals. The Spider seems to have reverted to crime once again in the first, and in the second faces a foe threatening to bomb the city from his advanced aircraft. Bunn doesn’t seem greatly inspired by either, although is never less than professional, and the stories lack the insane energy that propelled the title feature and may not be by Siegel. However, they’re the bonuses and ‘The Crime Genie’ is an unpredictably bonkers story heading in strange directions throughout and oh so wonderfully drawn. Hugely enjoyable.

The Spider faces Spider-Boy next.