Recently, facing the threat of crippling boredom, I ventured onto the rugged wilderness of the Comic Book Resources message boards. Sure, there was the usual stuff – fans still complaining about One More Day and the obligatory “How Much Longer Will Dan Slott Stay on Spider-Man?” threads.
However, there was an interesting thread about a petition to get Marvel to publish an omnibus of J.M. Dematteis’s early-90s Spectacular Spider-Man run. After signing it, the creator of the petition, Andrew Rosenbarger emailed me about the petition. This is what he said:
“Last year I bound one of my favorite runs – JM DeMatteis & Sal Buscema’s Spectacular Spider-Man run, focusing on the Ballad of Harry Osborn. The undertaking was a labor of love. I propose that the run be collected officially.
“JM DeMatteis’ Spectacular Spider-Man needs to be collected in omnibus format. The collection had one of the best character studies and arcs in memory – dealing with the struggle of Harry Osborn. The story dealt with family generational legacies, friendships, mental illness, and grudges. The story has stuck with fans for over 25 years - with this collection placing ahead of 50% of the 2017 Most Wanted Marvel Omnibuses via Tygereyes, even though major story points are no longer cannon.
“Another fan has taken the time to organize a petition, communicating to Marvel that this run is desired for official release. If you have found memories of this run, please take a few moments - to sign & share.”
DeMatteis himself has approved of the petition, and it’s overall a good place to start with reprinting his often-ignored Spider-Man stuff. There are so many great stories in his second Spectacular run and his early Marvel Team-Up run that should get more attention.
So, I recommend you sign this petition so J.M. DeMatteis’s legacy becomes more than just “the guy who wrote Kraven's Last Hunt." Here's the link to the J.M. DeMatteis Omnibus Petition .