The Amazing Spider-Man # 181 - Flashback

This is a 'flashback' issue, I'm guessing prompted by the fact that the Spider-man TV series was out about this time and Marvel were probably trying to get those viewers as readers and wanted to bring them up to speed.  At first, the reader's expecting a retelling of the famous Spidey origin and, yes, that's certainly there.  But that's not all.  Oh, no.  Brave man that he is, writer Bill Mantlo proceeds to summarise the entire 180 issues that have preceeded this issue, taking in characters, major storylines and incidents that have occurred.  It's quite an undertaking.  I guess nowadays this would not happen due to the handbooks and even sites like this one which help keep new readers up to date, but these resources of course were not available back in 1978.  The layout of the book, as such, is slightly unusual - panels are larger - there are lots of text boxes and footnotes.  Spidey's reminiscenes occur naturally at Uncle Ben's graveside and he even has to hide at one point when Aunt May turns up.

What pushes this issue above average however is the final audacious page.  As a mark of honour to his uncle, Peter leaves a microscope that Ben bought for him as a child on his grave.  He then spins away.  Suddenly a stranger appears, downbeat as he has forgotten to get a birthday present for his son.  Then he spies the microscope on Ben's grave.  He's stunned it's in good condition and working order and so snaffles it up!  I thought this was a brilliant evocation of Peter's continued bad luck.  He leaves a dearly loved item at his uncle's graveside.  And five minutes later it's stolen.  This page tells us all we need to know about the heartache and tragedy in Spidey's life as much as the incredible summary that's proceeded it.