Don’t tell Stan Lee, but Marvel Comics and ESPN the Magazine took some liberties in adapting his cover to Amazing Spider-Man No. 50, Spider-Man No More for ESPN’s NBA Preview issue. First of all, the scene pictured to the left is taken from the interior of the comic. It’s the jumping off point for ESPN the Magazine’s preview section, in which every NBA team is given the Marvel Comics treatment. Very cool … unless you’re a Cavs’ fan.
Here’s the actual cover, drawn by John Romita for the July, 1967 issue. With LeBron saying recently “They’ll get over it” in regards to Cleveland’s reaction to his departure, one might say this is a bit of piling on. But as every true Spider-Man fan knows:
- When Peter throws his costume in the trash (page 12), he says “I was just a young, unthinking teenager when I first became Spider-Man. But the years have a way of slipping by, of changing the world about us. And every boy … sooner or later … must put away his toys and become a man.”
- But Peter eventually sees the errors of his ways, and becomes Spider-Man once again.
- The reason? The Kingpin is on the loose! Peter spies a crook and recalls the words of his late uncle Ben: “With great power comes great responsibility.” Any of this sinking in, LeBron?
- In the original artwork, there are cigarette butts and an empty book of matches on the pavement near the garbage can. The new version seems to be PC’d up. Are those gum wrappers?
Aside from the Silver Age Spider-Man cover, there’s some great Marvel throwbacks for the Pacers (Dr. Strange), the Heat (Captain America) and … Kobe as Iron Man?
