Product Description

As the amazing Spider-Man, Peter Parker has had to endure many shocks in his life: The death of his uncle Ben -- shot by a burglar years ago, when Peter might have been able to stop the killing. The loss of his girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, who perished at the hands of his deadliest enemy, the Green Goblin. The realization that his wife, Mary Jane Watson, knew his secret identity years before he finally revealed it to her. But nothing could have ever prepared him for the latest unexpected turn in his life: the possibility that he has a long-lost sister!

The revelation of a sibling he didn't even know existed is far from the only complication to the matter. For not only is his sister a deadly super-villainess known as Pity, but she's working alongside the manipulative Gentleman -- a man who masterminded the deaths of Peter's parents! Together with Doctor Octopus, Electro, the Vulture, and Mysterio, the Gentleman and Pity have formed the newest incarnation of The Sinister Six --a group dedicated to destroying Spider-Man!

Faced with the challenge of trying to save Pity from her predicament while, at the same time, stopping The Sinister Six from carrying out the Gentleman's world-threatening plans, Spider-Man must turn to the super-spy organization S.A.F.E. and its volatile director, Colonel Sean Morgan, for help. But even with help from his hi-tech allies, Spider-Man discovers that nothing he can do will stop the Sinister Six from achieving their goal of revenge! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Not bad, but not all that great.
A mysterious figure known only as The Gentleman gathers together Doc Ock, Mysterio, The Vulture, Electro and The Chameleon to form the Sinister Six.The sixth member is Pity, The Gentleman's mentally troubled, but no less lethal, henchperson.The true plan is for four of the Six to keep Spidey busy, while the other two conduct a robbery of a sort.

As entertaining as Revenge of the Sinister Six is (and boy do they get their revenge on poor Spidey), the book is hampered by some flaws.One, it is overwritten and reads as rather talky at times.Two, there are numerous errors sprinkled throughout the BP paperback edition, the proofing was quite poor.Three, there are several pop culture injokes that detract from the story, rather than enhance it.

Those problems aside, fans of Spider-Man will no doubt enjoy the two hundred page slugfest that is the Sinister Six's Day of Terror.

Masterpiece
Truly, an amazing book.The author is a genius at developing every character and leaving no one out.In this book, I truly enjoyed his portrayal of Electro and Pity's relationship.As you know, none of my reviews are very long, so I'll end there.Amazing!

Great Spider-Man book by Marvel!
This was a great bookThe author did a great job of describing the characters and setting.The vision you get when you read it is great and the fighting makes you feel like your right next to Spider-Man fighting along with him.This is a great book for anyone.But would mosly be liked by Spidey fans and comic lovers. And...thats it!:-)

A spectacularly spellbinding speel
I believe that Mr. Castro has brought to paper one of the better tales of our world-famous wallcrawler.And to boot Parker has his hands full with family issues, major ones that he didn't even know existed, until now.Toss in Parker's deadliest and most methodical miscreants, (okay except for Venom), and you have a sure winner.

Spidey has done it again
First of all: if you are a spidey fan, GET THIS BOOK! It is part 2 of 3-part series by Adam-Troy Castro. #1 is 'Spider-Man: The Gathering of the Sinister Six' and I'm not sure what #3 is called...

But, anyway! This is a great book! Castro really explains Spidey well from his corny jokes to his stressful day in this book. There can really funny parts in this book, like when MJ is beating up Chamealon or when Spidey is fighting Doc Ock and he is saying that Doc Ock's sayings are getting old... Also, there can be sad parts, like in one of the last chapters in the book, when he finally "rescues" the hostages at the Daily Bugle.

So, I recommend this book to every Spidey fan that's out there! GET THIS BOOK! It's great, it's awesome....

That's all I have to say, so....

C YA! ... Read more

Product Description
A basic field guide format introduces 13 spiders. Includes photographs and range maps. ... Read more

Product Description
This Christmas, Beth knows there won't be many presents under the tree. Mama and Papa can't afford to buy new toys, and the Christmas tree looks bare. Allie the spider, who lives in a window corner in their house, wishes there was something she could do to make Beth's holiday a little brighter. Late on Christmas Eve, after the family has gone to bed, popcorn strings encircling the tree inspire Allie to do just the right thing to bring sparkle and magic to their Christmas morning. This sweet holiday story shows, with tender and festive illustrations, that family, friends, and kindness are the best gifts of all. ... Read more

Product Description
Classified into more the 45 families, this guide describes the fascinating spiders and other arachnids of Texas. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Not that useful
Like other reviewers I find this book is not at all helpful with ID'ing spiders I come across.It seem like a compilation of research data with little regard for the intended audience.Nothing against the author, who I understand is a kind and very accomplished researcher.I met Dr. Jackman once and developed instant respect for him.

My message to the A&M specialists who collaborate on these books would be to consider the reader.If you empower them, you will bring them in.You would need to offer a tool that enables them to understand what they encounter.Think of what Apple does.It EMPOWERS individuals and in turn their investment turns a huge profit.

Help turn Texans into competent naturalists. What a crazy thought.Teaching Texans to love their environment.Maybe that's a politically unfavorable thing to do here.Considering what happened at SMU in the 80s and to the A&M online digital flora, maybe that IS part of the problem here.

The most naturally diverse state in the nation with so few resources for naturalists.Oh well, if your thing is to kill ducks, fish, deer, hogs, trees, ecosystems, insects, ... you've got it made in Texas.

Here is what A&M wildlife education brings to mind instantly:

"When chemical control is needed, use products containing diazinon, chlorpyrifos, propoxur, bendiocarb, synergized pyrethrins, carbaryl, resmethrin, tetramethrin, malathion or mixtures of these insecticides."

Not an ounce of passion or inspiration.

Nick Mirro
Dallas, TX

Easy to use reference...
A good source of information to help identify spiders and scorpions that you might find in or around the house.

I was able to identify the Striped Bark Scorpion
Well I was able to identify the Striped Bark Scorpion, or the tree climbing scorpion as some call it, and also some of the spiders I have seen. However, the most spectacular spider I have ever seen in Texas was not in this book. Once I saw a large black and yellow striped spider with a very elongated body and long legs, about 80-120mm across. It is clear it must have been a type of Longjawed orb weaver but that is all I know. It looked almost exactly like an African orb weaver but that can't be.

This book has 32 pages of pictures, but I think it needs about 100-150 pages of pictures to be really useful. Since the book contained information on scorpions, whip scorpions, pseudo scorpions, harvestmen, and ticks, I also think it should have included information on chiggers; they are after all a very noticeable arachnid in Texas.

Even though I wished the book had more pictures and a larger selection of species, especially common species, the book contains a lot of very interesting information and is difficult to put down. One of the many things I learned from this book is that even though some people call harvestmen "daddy long-legs" there are also "daddy long-leg spiders" and they are spiders not harvestmen. The two critters look a little bit alike but are not even in the same order (harvestmen are not spiders). In summary, a good and interesting book, but it needs more pictures and a little bit more content.

HOPE IT'S BETTER THAN THE LAST ONE
I keep buying all the Texas Monthly field guide books to snakes, fossils, insects, trees, etc., but the spider guide has been the most disappointing. I am accidentally encountering spiders on a weekly basis that aren't in the guide. Maybe it's because I live on the coast and Home Land Security isn't checking the banana boats closely enough.

good, but incomplete
The only problem i have with this book is that, as a Texan living in Texas, i keep encountering spiders not identified or even remotely mentioned in this book. To top it off, neither can the county agent. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

"Hmmph. To think that the fate of the world might depend on an improvised lint brush!"
It took DC and Marvel seemingly forever to put their two most iconic superheroes in the same story. But, at last, the year 1976 saw the first ever teaming up of DC's Superman and Marvel Comics' Spider-Man in Superman Vs. The Amazing Spider-Man, in which the Man of Steel and ol' Webhead go up against Lex Luthor and Dr. Octopus. The one I have is jumbo-sized. Then came this one in 1981 in pocketbook form, titled SUPERMAN AND SPIDER-MAN, sub-titled "The Heroes and the Holocaust!" 160 pages of crossover heroics, and in color.

In my boyhood, these two collaborations were stuff to be read and savored on many a weekend afternoon and then carefully stowed away again somewhere safe. They were all the more cherished because, back then in the '80s, any further dealings between the two comic book companies seemed unlikely as they had become embroiled in a grim, nasty corporate feud. All this is old news now, of course, as DC and Marvel have kissed and made up, having since then produced a healthy mess of collaborative efforts. Nowadays, an announcement of a DC/Marvel product is greeted in a more cavalier fashion by the fans. But back to SUPERMAN AND SPIDER-MAN.

Jim Shooter, back in the days, was one of the most prolific writers in the comic book biz. He takes up the writing duties here and comes up with an intricately plotted story which pits our heroes against Dr. Doom and the Parasite and Doom's latest diabolical, world-conquering scheme, Project Omega. The plot involves Peter Parker getting a temp gig at the Planet and hitting on (and getting shot down by) Lana Lang, while Clark Kent runs circles around the ever pushy J. Jonah Jameson. Along the way, we have a brief but monumental face-off between Supes and the Hulk and, later, a game of keep away between Spidey and Wonder Woman.

Shooter does justice to both Supes and Spidey and their respective mythos, nicely working out what would've been their relationship if they'd been all along in the same continuity. Basically, Spidey looks up to the Kryptonian and is properly awed. Meanwhile, Superman gives him props as a fellow crimefighter. It's just funny to me that Superman continues to be respected everywhere he ventures, whereas Spidey just keeps getting shot at by the cops, even in squeaky clean Metropolis. I'm a real big fan of the wisecracking Spidey, so I really enjoyed Shooter's touches with regards to the webhead. As usual, sad sack Peter has been having a depressing rash of bad luck, to the point where even his superhero alter ego has begun to doubt himself, especially in the overwhelming presence of Superman. There was actually a point in the story where Spidey was about to chuck it all and let Superman save the day by himself. But, when the chips are down, Spidey yet again demonstrates why he's everyone's favorite underdog hero. Superman, he's a little bit too self-assured and all-powerful for my taste.

It's a treat to see how Spidey's supporting cast interacts and reacts to Clark Kent and Supes. And, vice versa, with Supes' supporting cast to Peter Parker/Spidey. I really enjoy how Lois sums up the wallcrawler's character. Too, this is one of the best depictions of Dr. Doom I've ever read, even if his master plan does hinge on typical, indecipherable comic book super science. Shooter infuses good old Victor von Doom's persona with the usual dosage of megalomania and bombast, but with a touch of the melancholy.

The art is as good as I remembered. Artists John Buscema and Joe Sinnott have been doing this for years and years, and they come thru again with some nice pencils and inks. With my tattered pocketbook barely held together by 26-year-old binding glue and childhood dreams, I was on the verge of ordering me up another, fresher copy. Until I glimpsed The Marvel/DC Collection - Crossover Classics, Vol. 1 on the site. This one contains both Superman/Spider-Man crossovers, as well as the awesome get-together by the X-Men and Teen Titans. So I got that one instead. It's not rocket science.

a fun crossover book
This is actually a paperback book that is a reprint of marvel treasury #28 but it does well in this size format because most panels are large and fill up entire pages. The book is 160 pages long. When Doctor Doom and the Parasite join forces Superman and Spiderman must team up. Because Peter is a photographer and Clark is a journalist they sort of switch places for this crossover. To give you a taste of how dated this book/trade is, when Peter (Spiderman's alter ego for the comic book impaired out there) meets Lana Lang his thoughts read, "Holy Toledo! She's gorgeous! Suddenly my fillings ache!" Statements like that make for some good laughs. By Jim Shooter, John Buscema and Joe Sinnot -- watch for an early appearance by none other than everyone's favorite: The Hulk. ... Read more

Product Description
The basis for an action adventure animé television series to launch in 2005—the first of five novels introducing the world of Arachnia, for 9-12-year-olds—this is the story of a boy and his spider. Only this spider happens to be ten feet tall.

When thirteen-year-old Hunter Steele chases a spider into a mysterious cave, he ends up falling straight down to the center of the Earth, into the fantastic subterranean world of Arachnia. Here, he discovers a small band of elite warriors struggling to survive and to save Arachnia from the attack of giant insect mutants. The warriors are kids, just like Hunter, each fighting with the help of their own three-ton, ten-foot battle spiders. They call themselves "Spider Riders."

In Shards of the Oracle, Hunter arrives in Arachnia just as a magical stone tablet known as the Oracle has been stolen and smashed into eight pieces, each hidden in a hostile location. Hunter wants to help, but first he must capture, train, and learn to trust the spider who will be his partner, a colossal Wanderer Spider, he names Shadow. Together, Hunter, Shadow, and the other Spider Riders battle to recover the Oracle and restore its power.

Shards of the Oracle (Spider Riders: Book One) is the basis for the first season of a 30-minute children's action adventure animé television series currently in production and scheduled to launch in 2005. Spider Riders is destined to become as popular for older kids as Yu-Gi-Oh! and its predecessors Pokémon and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 8-page color insert. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Better than Spider movies
This book leaves those movies about mindless man-eating spiders in the dust! ... Read more

Product Description
Text and photos introduce unusual spiders. ... Read more

Product Description
Describes the anatomy, web-making, food, reproduction, enemies, and usefulness to humans of the Daddy longleg spider, which is often confused with other longlegged insects, and mistakenly feared as poisonous. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website (GeneralBooksClub.com). You can also preview excerpts of the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Published by: [Elyria, Ohio, Poultry nation steam print in 1884 in 104 pages; Subjects: Bees; Bee culture; Juvenile Nonfiction / Animals / Insects, Spiders, etc; Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Insects, Spiders, etc; Nature / Animals; Nature / Insects ... Read more

Product Description
Meeting the man of her dreams, Miss Spider prepares for and enjoys a beautiful wedding despite the scrutiny of her peers, in a story about accepting and appreciating differences. By the author of Miss Spider's Tea Party. BOMC Alt. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Morals
This book has no place for a children's library or even adult library. This is why the world has no morals or values any more. Please do not get this book it! My 6 year old daughter was attracted to the illustrations. After we read the story we just could not believe why a children's author would want to write this for our children to read.

I'm Glad I Previewed It First
I borrowed this book from the library and am very glad I previewed it before reading it to my 4 year old daughter. Of course it has a happy ending, but oh what it takes to get to there! There is a spider who plots to marry Miss Spider for her money. They even show a picture of this character smoking a cigarette. Not the kind of material I want to expose my 4 year old to. The book is an extremely long read for a book aimed at 4 to 8 year olds. Many, many words. Be ready to set aside at least 15 minutes (my estimate) to read it if you do buy it.

Good but way too mature for it's targeted audience.
This book is fabulous. If you're older than 15 years old.

It's very well written. I like it alot.

But, for my son..it's a bit much.

It's plot is much to mature for kids.

It makes hints at sex, shows outright violence, and includes name calling (numerous times).
It's not a book that we will be reading to our kids any time soon. It will be put away until they are older.

It's unfortunate because it is very interesting and well written. Just has more violence, sex, name calling than I would like for my kids.

And i'm not one of those stuck up parents..we all know what i mean. This book is still too much, in my opinion.

This book is horrid
I am a parent of a first-grader who brought the book home from her school library. It is unlike any other "Miss Spider" books I've read, due to the scary pictures, evil character (Spiderus), and romantic plot. The expressions on the faces of the bugs, especially Spiderus, are frightening. The courtship of Holley and Miss Spider was a little bit too "adult-oriented". If it were a movie, I think this book would get a PG-13 rating. I skipped most of the paragraphs and I am considering a request to withdraw this book from circulation at my daughter's school. What was David Kirk thinking? There are many ways he could have created a story about Miss Spider's wedding, and yet he chose this twisted storyline.

not impressed
My children have watched this show for a while now and over all I didn't mind the show.Last week my 5 year old daughter took this book out of the school library.Everyone was excited so we cuddled up on the sofa to read it.I was HORRIFIED and had to stop reading.

The Pictures have beautiful colors however the subject of the pictures would give any child nightmares.The rhyming makes everything sound pretty but those rhymes are not nice.They are rude and mean.An example is:

His hot breath sprayed Miss Spider's face
With all the force he had,
He screamed, 'You will reveal his name!"
She said, "I won't, you cad!"

He turned his back and brayed, "I must
Go find and grind him into dust!
So foolish woman, be forewarned,
Spiderus Reeves shall not be scorned."

That is only two little paragraphs.I stopped reading it and explained to my children that sometimes books were not good for us to read and it was my job to make sure they had good things in their minds not garbage.

Miss Spider is now officially banned in our house.

I strongly suggest parents take the time to read the book before bringing it into your home. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

spider galore!
This book is easy-to-read, informative, well-illustrated, and fun. It included full color photos of real spiders and their babies. I would recommend this book to kids ages 9-12 who would like to read and learn more about spiders, it will also make a great addition to any library. The book is filled with lots of great information that I didn't know and I feel that I learned a lot from this book.

An exraordiary primer on spiders ~ arachnophobics need not apply here!
If spiders give you the heebie jeebies the only place on earth you can escape their presence is in Antarctica.The nickname for baby spiders is "spiderlings."In school everyone learns that spiders are not insects, but arachnids.Eight legs, no wings, two body parts.Of course there are many more things you'll learn about them in this book.Certain "words" you'll come across are spinnerets, ballooning, exoskeleton, and molting.

This book is a gold mine for those people who love to look at spiders.There are fantastic photographs of many different kinds, including the Scorpion-Tailed Spider, the Crab spider, The Jumping Spider, the Huntsman Spider, the Wolf Spider, the Slender Sac Spider, the Greenbottle Blue Tarantula, and the Garden Orb Web Spider.Whew, bet you didn't know there were so many and just thought of them in terms of big ones and little ones.There are 30,000 different kinds of spiders.

If you have arachnophobia, fear of spiders, you won't be turned on by this book, but if you love things like spiders and snakes you'll pore over it.The close up photography is extraordinarily colorful and detailed.The text has a nice flow and is sneakily informative, a reluctant reader's gold mine.In the back of the book is a spider locating map all spiders listed in the book, interesting facts about spiders and a combined glossary/index.As the author says, and I agree, "spiders are cool!" ... Read more

Product Description
Clovis Crawfish must protect his bayou friends when the evil Simone Spider spins her web in their midst and begins looking for someone to snare with it. ... Read more

Product Description
This beautifully illustrated guide to the spiders of North America, north of Mexico, provides over 1400 illustrations and keys to the genera in 68 spider families. Over 550 genera are included. The manual contains 72 chapters and a wealth of information including an introduction to spider morphology, natural history, collecting techniques and preservation methods; an overview of the current status and most recent developments in spider evolutionary history; a key to the 68 families of spiders found in North America, north of Mexico; keys to the genera in each of these 68 families; an etymological dictionary explaining the derivation of the names of spider genera and families; and a well illustrated glossary. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Great for introductory spider course
This book is great for an introductory spider course at the college level.I plan to use it with the classic Kaston, how to know the spiders.

disappointed!
Was disappointed that it was not as it described. This is a black and white "sketch" book of sorts and it is cheaply held together.

Great Science Manual
Amazing book for those involved in the scientific study of spiders, or highly advanced hobbiests. This is not for casual people by any means.

Good stuff.
This book has been extremely helpful with learning spider anatomy and associated terminology. It is very accurate in description of subtle markers necessary for correct identification of spiders. I am very pleased.

excellent book
This book is a excellent guide to all people that want to identify North American spiders as well as to all arachnologysts and non arachnologisty people of the world. ... Read more

Product Description
Ann Weying, ex-wife to Eddie Brock--aka the super-villain Venom--has been kidnapped, along with Daily Bugle editor Robbie Robertson and a police captain. Spider-Man must work with the NYPD to find the kidnappers before Venom carves a bloody swath through New York City to find his beloved! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Spiderman Venom's Wraith
No Spoilers. I was not disappionted by the authors of this novel. The characters are spot on and the plot is great.
Spiderman and or Venom fans this is a most read!

A Great Spiderman Story
This is a good Spiderman story. It reads like a Crime Novel, which is it's strength. It very nice in showing how the police view Superheros in New York, and the story shows dramatic views of Spiderman and how he helps save Venom's ExWife

A Grrrrreat Book!
I looooved this book! It had all of the great things that I've loved in Spider-Man tales for so many years, but it also had the twist of a police novel mixed in! I always liked it when the city and its citizens were on Spidey's side, and in this book he actually teams up with the NYPD! How great is that?! I also loved how JRN and KRAD show off how truely powerful Venom really is, and how much emotion is inside that villain! You definately have to read this if you haven't already!

good, but the title is misleading
This book should not be called "Venom's Wrath."Venom does appear, and he is angry, but the focus of the story is elsewhere.People expecting explosive fights between Spidey and Venom will be very disappointed.Unfortunately, the cover art and the back-cover blurb both focus on Venom, and wax enthusiastic about his violent tendencies and his role in the book, while DeCandido and Nieto present a police procedural that happens to involve superheroes.

Imagine, for a second, that you're a police officer in the Marvel Universe.How would you feel about costumed superheroes?Especially one whose face you never see, whose voice is muffled, and who almost never stands and walks like a normal human being.One who interrupts crimes, leaving people webbed up with no evidence and no witnesses, then vanishes and lets you deal with the resulting mountains of paperwork.DeCandido and Nieto have asked those questions, and written a book about them.

On Wednesday morning, three people are kidnapped: Joe Robertson, editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle; Frank Esteban, a police captain; and Ann Weying, Venom's ex-wife.There appears to be paranormal involvement, and Venom will almost certainly cause damage trying to find Ann.The police and Spidey work together, trying to crack the case, which soon involves the FBI and a group of Puerto Rican separatists who have turned to terrorism.It's nice to see that while Spidey has amazing luck with supervillains, he needs the help of the police for more realistic crimes; it's also refreshing to see Spidey from other points of view.It's very easy for readers to forget that most people in the Marvel Universe know nothing about him, since we know about Peter Parker, his job troubles, his family, and so on.

To sum up, this is a good police story, and a good Spidey story.It is NOT a Venom story.If you read superhero comics for fights and explosions, this is not the book for you.On the other hand, if you like some thought put into your superheroes, along with a healthy appreciation of how silly it is for people to run around town in long underwear, you could do a lot worse than "Venom's Wrath."

(I'm taking away a star for four reasons.First, there are a lot of police officers, and they can be hard to keep straight.Second, Venom's characterization is slightly off.Third, MJ isn't quite herself; she plays the policeman's faithful wife, though she does make a good point to Peter in the epilogue.And fourth, the cover and blurb attract people who will probably be disappointed by a lack of action, and drive away people who might like this as a police story and meditation on identity.)

Venom's Wrath: A Joke of Venom
The story line was excellent but the way Venom was depicted was horrible.It portrayed Venom as a slow-minded fool who wasn't even human.Technically thats true since he's bonded with the alien but in all theother novels Venom is a very intelligent very dangerous being.What waswith the author calling him the creature throughout the story, he's alwaysreferred to as Venom or the symbiote.He also spends most of his timebeing blasted to near incapacitation, which has never happened before, he'salways gotten pounded on but it never really fazed him.He has written astoo much of a wimp instead of being a fast, intelligent, dangerous,nut-case. ... Read more

Product Description

Millions of us.Billions of them.Nature didn't create them-man did.The hideous, hand-sized spawn of an ecological nightmare, they came swarming out of the dry hills, seeking life.Seeking food.Seeking us. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

A "Creepy Crawler" that would make a fine movie!
This is the first book I've read by author Edward Levy, but it certainly won't be my last!(I'm already looking for copies of "The Beast Within" and "The People Next Door".)"Came a Spider" is an extremely readable book that flies along at a brisk pace.The action starts practically from page one and doesn't bog down at any point in the book.

The story revolves around an innocent encounter between a young boy and a scientifically-mutated spider.When the boy is violently attacked by the spider and infused with hundreds of spider eggs, he becomes a human incubator for the millions of arachnids that follow.Soon the city of Los Angeles and possibly the entire West Coast is threatened to be overrun by these mutant tarantulas.Levy really pours on the suspense and does a very good job describing the grisly spider attacks on the Californa populace.Government officials are soon faced with the fact that if they don't take drastic action soon, they may lose the battles with the arachnids.Does science or the military come to the rescue?You'll have to read the book to find out.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for those who like a good "nature-goes-awry" yarn!

Good book to pass a rainy day
If you are stuck inside for a day and are just looking for a book to pass the time, this book is not a bad selection.Not by any means the best book I ever read, it was still quite enjoyable.One of the best things about the book was the description of the spider attacks.Basically hope that nothing crawls across your arm or falls on you while you are reading the book.Of course that is just my opnion, I could be wrong.

Not The Beast Within, but it still rocks.
...P>Edward Levy was actually a seventies horror author rather than an eighties horror author, but Came a Spider was one of the first books to chart the course that more recent horror novels would take, scaling down the supermonsters of fifties and sixties "atomic cinema" and switching the focus from Robert Oppenheimer to Rachel Carson. (That Rachel Carson doctored her data does not in any way invalidate the sheer creepiness of a good deal of ecohorror.) Came a Spider was his first novel, of only two I could ever find that he wrote, and while it's the lesser of the two, it's still a barnburner of a read. Levy hits you early on; in the opening scene, a large, nasty-looking spider bites a teenager, who gets progressively sicker over the next week, then dies, his purpose fulfilled-a cocoon for the spiders' eggs. From there, the babies of this mutant beast do what comes naturally to mutant monsters in horror novels. They launch a campaign to take over Los Angeles.

Came a Spider, for all the genre-writing silliness, was an insanely influential novel. Very little of what has come since has remained uninfluenced by it (the climactic hunt for the spiders' nest in the sewers of Los Angeles, especially, should be very familiar to fans of eighties mutant monster movies, starting with 1980's Alligator). It helps that Levy has a wonderfully readable style, causing the reader to want to forgive some of the deadwood in the dialogue (e.g., one of the scientists on the team trying to kill the spiders off has a tendency to use the term "personally," as in "I personally know..." and the like, way, way too much). The pages certainly keep turning quickly enough, so that if you've got an afternoon free you can probably plow through the whole book.

Levy's work has been re-released, and can now be discovered by a new generation of fans. Allilujah. ****

Best Spider Story Ever
I read this book for the first time in 1982 and I've not found any spider story since that can equal it. It has spiders, mutations, mass hysteria, a good mystery. It starts innocently and ends with a nice touch of drama. I'd love to see this as a movie!

Came a Spider
The novel Came A Spider by Edward Levy was a very good book. It was full of suspense . It was almost like a horror movie. I think this book was very well written there was a lot of detail.
The first chapter kept you interested. In the first chapter there is already a mystery to be solved and in order to figure it out you have to keep reading. The plot was very strong it was built at a good pace.
One of the things that I really liked about the book was the characters. The characters were very realistic. It was very easy to relate to them because you got to look into their personal lives.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes suspense and mystery. Came A Spider is a very well written book that I'm sure you will enjoy. ... Read more

Product Description
The Spider-Man 2 Dream Machine—from original idea to final cut— unmasking the creative genius at work in the blockbuster movie

The epic adventure of one of the greatest superheroes of all time explodes on the silver screen as never before. Now, in this captivating journey behind the scenes and into the imagination, fans can discover how the myth and magic became real in Spider-Man 2, as they plunge deeper into Spider-Man’s world to meet the characters, explore the environments, and follow the storyline in a stunning visual journey. Packed with hundreds of amazing production illustrations, prepared by many of the most talented illustrators in Hollywood, Caught in the Web features

• Original sketches, artwork, and doodles that became the inspirations for characters, sets, and computer–generated imagery
• Climactic scenes from the movie as they first appeared in conceptual art
• Design work used to develop costumes and visual effects—as well as blueprints and architectural drafts used in the construction of both physical and virtual environments
• Unique insights into the genesis of Doc Ock—revealing how he evolved from his comic-book origins
• An intimate behind-the-scenes look at the full creative process for Spider-Man 2

Enter the amazing realm where dreams come true and discover how the epic adventure was created as you immerse yourself in the action and atmosphere of Spider-Man 2, from the first rough sketches to the final on-screen adventure. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I liked "Behind the Mask of Spider-Man" better
The first and foremost problem with this second behind the scene book of the second Spider-Man movie is that it's just too fully choked with technical aspect and the engineering of the sets and other stuff that I don't really care about. The artworks that actually show Spidey in action, or even just him alone are barely there. I wondered why they titled this book Caught in the Web then. The majority of the portion is allocated to the creation and brainstorming over Dock Ock and his tentacles. I mean, c'mon guys, I like Dock Ock but please..please show him in action with Spidey. And where are those conceptual drawings that depict the cool train fight. I noticed only one pic about it is in the book. It's just unbelievable that this comes from the same author of Behind the Mask. And lastly, where's the all important script??? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Interesting
The main idea behind the Tangled Web series is that the stories focus on life from the supervillians' point of view.So what this means is that Spider-man only appears in a few frames of the comic.If you're expecting to see a lot of Spider-man, then perhaps this isn't the book to get.

There are five stories in this book.The first one, "I Was a Teenage Frogman", tells the story of the son of a minor villain, Leapfrog.The son is embarrassed by his father since his father was such a weak villain.People at school constantly bully him for it as well.Throughout the story, the son is looking for respect.This story was the least interesting of the five, and the artwork was not so good either.

The second story, "Double Shots", depicts a bar where villains can hang out and share the stories of their tangles with Spider-man.The story centers around the Vulture, Kraven's son, and a mystery villain who's face is obscured.Once this mystery villain is revealed, the difference between major villains and the two-bit players who inhabit the bar is made clear.

The third story, "The Last Shoot", focuses on Crusher Hogan, the wrester who went up against Spider-man in the ring when Spider-man first got hispowers.This story is quite good.It sets up Crusher as a good man who takes a serious gamble in order to save the failing wrestling federation he is fighting in.Since we know the outcome of the fight, which isn't depicted, the story takes on a tragic twist.How were we supposed to know that by cheering for Spider-man in this fight, we were dooming a good man?

The fourth story, "The Collaborator", is drawn and written by Paul Pope.I'm a big fan of Pope's work, so this story was the reason I bought this volume.Pope doesn't disappoint.The focus of the story is the daughter of one of Spider-man's villains.She happens to be a giant Spider-man fan, and is unaware that her father leads a life of crime.What will happen?Read and find out.The writing and artwork of this story is fabulous and must been read and seen.

The last story, Heartbreaker", focuses on Tombstone.Tombstone is captured and sent to a high security prison.Once inside, he must find a way to get out.One man stands in his way though, Kangaroo.This story is full of twists and turns, and the artwork is pretty good too.

Entertaining
Spider-Man volume 2 features a three part story by Bruce Jones and Lee Weeks, a one issue story written and illustrated by Kaare Andrews and a story written and illustrated by Darwyn Cooke.

Bruce Jones (Hulk, Scarecrow Year One) is a very good writer.He really knows how to blend a moody niorish story into a superhero world.Lee Weeks (who drew the Hulk for Peter David's return, after Bruce Jones left) is also very good with moody settings.Without giving too much away, there's a cab driver who has some sort of connection to Spider-Man.This cabby has a problem in his brain which may be operable though it's risky, but he can't afford it anyway.He's seperated from his wife, and his son also seems to be ill.So this cabby sets up a theft and gets the crooks to help him by promising them Spider-Man, and he just might be able to make good on that deal.

The story wasn't bad, though it was a bit confusing.Jones bounces around in time, and we don't see what the cabby's connection to Spider-Man is until the very end.Whatever illness his son suffers from goes unnamed.And, to be honest, I don't think this story needed three issues, because nothing much happens in the first two, and it could easily have been compacted and been just as effective.

Kaare Andrews is a man of many talents.The work of his that I've seen most often have been his digital paintings which have graced the covers of Spider-Man and the Hulk (during Bruce Jones' run . . . this is getting weird).His story here is also done digitally.There are two brothers.The younger one is watching an "Insect-Man" cartoon on TV.The older brother of course says that superheroes are stupid.Then Spider-Man comes crashing through their wall.A fight between Spider-Man and Electro ensues in their living room.Needless to say, by the end of the fight the older brother is thinking superheroes are pretty cool.It's a simple and predictable story, one we've seen before, but it's still cute.

The last story is written and illustrated by Darwyn Cooke (DC: New Frontier, Catwoman).Mr. Cooke is one of the best in the business right now.This story takes place on Valentines Day, and while being distracted by worrying about his Aunt May, and bills, and his duties as Spider-Man Peter Parker has accidently agreed to dates with two women.To top it off, Spider-Man has an intense fight with the Vulture which sends him falling twenty stories into a dumpster.Unfortunately he doesn't regain consciousness in time to make his date, not that he remembers in the first place.J. Jonah Jameson is in his usual demeanor watching the fight between Spider-Man and the vulture out his window.And the Daily Bugle's intern meets a nice girl while getting coffee.

There are five characters in the story who get equal face time, and at least five more characters in supporting roles, but Cookes masterful writing and art style makes each character distinguishable and the story easy to follow.And it harkens back to the Lee/Ditko Spider-Man who has nothing but trouble in every aspect of his life.

There's nothing truly groundbreaking here, but it's definately a lot of fun.

Cool comic Writers Do Spiderman One-shots
Tangled Web is a great concept.Cool writers get to do Spiderman related stories.Volume 1 has some of the best stories including Flowers For Rhino (Rhino becomes super smart) and Severance Package(which shows what happens to one of Kingpin's lieutenants after Spiderman messes up an operation).Sadly, as a whole, the series is uneven.

This edition of Tangled Web is volume III.I cannot attest to the goodness of this volume because i have not read all the issues it collects, but it contains my favorite issue of Tangled Web, #13 which features a villain bar populated by Doc Oc, Matador, Stiltman, and Whirlwind.The story centers around a Mystery Man, The Vulture, and Kraven meeting in a bar and swapping stories.The Vulture/Kraven dynamic is hilarious but the last two pages of the story would stun any spiderman fan.I don't want to spoil it, so just find the back issue or buy this book. ... Read more

Product Description
An introduction to the arachnid world explains how a hungry garden spider must obtain food by carefully building a web and then patiently waiting to catch something. By the author of the ""Magic School Bus"" series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Wonderful Little Book
This little book has beautiful illustrations and simple, descriptive text that makes it interesting and fun to read.Although intended as an early reader, my four year old LOVES this book, and I have read it over and overto him. A few days before we found it, we watched a real spider catch a flyin a web, which really made the book come alive for him. In this book, aspider builds a web, catches a fly for her lunch and catches a wasp andreleases it.A male spider taps on her web, and we are told that thespiders mate.Later, the spider lays her eggs, and we are told that shewill soon die. At the end, her eggs hatch, and the wind carries the tinybabies off to build webs of their own.Not only do children learn aboutspiders with this book, but they also are presented with the concept thatlife is a natural cycle.This book would be perfect for first graders whoare doing a unit on spiders, or for families who are observing spiders athome. ... Read more