Guess last year’s SPIDER-MAN FAMILY one-shot wasn’t a one-shot after all, because Marvel Comics throws another our way with SPIDER-MAN FAMILY: AMAZING FRIENDS. And at 100 pages for under five bucks, I’ll take it.

Growing up (or at least after I outgrew SUPERFRIENDS), my favorite Saturday-morning cartoon was SPIDER-MAN AND HIS AMAZING FRIENDS, which found the webslinger paired with Iceman (he of the X-Men) and Firestar (she of the foxy red hair). Those were good times. It’s incredibly nostalgic to see that threesome back in action in an all-new story, “Opposites Attack!,” that shows how they all got together – a wonder with all their griping.

The issue’s other new story is a “Mini Marvels” piece depicting Spidey and those “Amazing Friends” working together on a Daily Bugle paper route. It’s cute, but too brief. Other than that, the issue is comprised of reprints, but – to paraphrase an old NBC campaign – if you haven’t read them, they’re new to you!

Those include the second issues of SPIDER-MAN 2099, continuing his origin, and UNTOLD TALES OF SPIDER-MAN, which finds Spidey protecting a party from a bat-like creature menacing the skies. Finally, Fred Hembeck offers a comical tale of Peter Parker and his nemesis Flash Thompson, as only Fred Hembeck can do. Lots of fun here for the pages and the price. –Rod Lott

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OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS SERIES:
• SPIDER-MAN FAMILY