• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Comic Book Herald

A Comic Book Reading Order Guide For Beginners & Fans

  • Reading Orders
    • Marvel
    • My Marvelous Year
    • DC Comics
    • All Comic Book Publishers
    • Most Recent
  • Beginner Guides
    • Beginner’s Guide To Comics In 2023
    • Marvel 2023: Where to Start?
    • DC 2023: Where to Start?
    • Best of Lists
    • Tablets for Comics
    • Guides for Digital Readers
  • Reviews
    • Marvel Comics
    • DC Comics
    • Comic Book Movies
    • Comic Book TV
    • Video Games
  • Podcasts & Video
    • My Marvelous Year
    • Best Comics Ever (CBH)
    • CBH on Youtube!
  • About Me
    • My Favorite Comics of All Time
    • Columns
    • CBH Email Newsletter
  • Support Comic Book Herald
    • Ways to support
You are here: Home / Featured / Previously On #106: 32nd Birthday Challenge – The Best 32nd Comics Issues Of All Time

Previously On #106: 32nd Birthday Challenge – The Best 32nd Comics Issues Of All Time

April 18, 2020 by Dave Leave a Comment

It’s my 32nd birthday this week, so I thought it would be a fun relaxing birthday game to write reviews of my favorite 32nd issues of all time. 

The rules here are the issue has to be exactly #32 (not the 32nd issue in a creator’s run or something), and that’s literally it! I’m also looking for particularly meaningful stories contained in this otherwise random number, especially if they stand out on their own terms, not just part of some great larger runs (although in all cases, they’re also that!). Some honorable mentions include Captain Marvel #32, Web of Spider-Man #32 (which is probably the best pick of the bunch, but I didn’t think of it, a reader on Facebook nominated!), and Gotham Knights #32. 

My top four picks are:

  • Amazing Spider-Man #32 – Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Artie Simek
  • Fear Agent #32 -Rick Remender, Mike Hawthorne, Tony Moore, John Lucas
  • Avengers #32 – Jonathan Hickman, Leinil Francis Yu, Gerry Alanguilan, Sunny Gho, Clayton Cowles, Wil Moss
  • Saga of the Swamp Thing  – Alan Moore, Shawn MacManus, Tatjana Wood, John Costanza, Karen Berger

Amazing Spider-Man 32 Cover

Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1 #32 Review!

My favorite Silver Age superhero series, without really any question, is the first 102 issues of Amazing Spider-Man. It’s also just straight up my 10th favorite comic of all time. Throughout the excellence, the peak is a three issue stretch from AMS #31 to #33, with a story now summarized as “If This Be My Destiny” by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. 

“Man on a Rampage” often gets lost in the shuffle since it’s neither the first appearances of Harry Osborn and Gwen Stacy (that’s #31) or the iconic Spider-Man lifting something impossibly heavy scene from issue #33. It’s the nonetheless a crucial entry in the continuing story arc, and the first issue that came to mind for a favorite #32! 

Support For Comic Book Herald:

Comic Book Herald is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a qualifying affiliate commission.

Comic Book Herald’s reading orders and guides are also made possible by reader support on Patreon, and generous reader donations.

Any size contribution will help keep CBH alive and full of new comics guides and content. Support CBH on Patreon for exclusive rewards, or Donate here! Thank you for reading!

The entire success of “If This Be My Destiny” is fascinating considering Ditko’s accounts that he’d been plotting and drawing Amazing Spider-Man since issue #26, leaving scripting duties to Stan Lee (for his part, Stanly the Manly has occasionally obfuscated those details implying he and Steve collaborated on such moments as the Spidey lifting scene). Even more amazing, is the fact that Stan and Steve’s relationship had so deteriorated at this point that they weren’t even speaking to each other during the story’s creation! 

The premise of “Man on a Rampage” is simple enough, opening with the reveal of last issue’s mystery Master Planner as none other than the 1A Spidey arch-villain Doctor Octopus. The influence this story had on my all time favorite animated comic book TV series, Spectacular Spider-Man, forever gives the “Master Planner” special status, although Spectacular certainly plays the mystery longer and stronger than AMS. 

Peter Parker and Aunt May




The major drama in Peter’s life is the near-death illness of Aunt May (a Spidey trope as old as the perpetually ancient Aunt herself). The twist this go is a Doctor’s claim that an unexpected trace of radioactivity in May’s blood is causing her ailment, which Peter immediately recognizes as an unintended side effect of his blood donation to Aunt May. (Bonus points for any time Stan writes a caption to the effect of “I don’t have time to run through the back issues and track this continuity, just tell us in the letters!”)

This is a perfect Spider-Man set-up because 1) Someone he loves is in danger and 2) Pete has reason to believe it’s his fault. It’s also 6 billion times better than the other most famous radioactive transmission Spider-Man gave to a loved one (see also: The time Spidey’s radioactive sperm gave Mary Jane cancer). 

With his guilt complex in overdrive, Spidey loops in Doctor Connors (in a nice callback to his debut as the Lizard in Amazing Spider-Man #6), they identify the need for ISO-36 to develop a cure  (in a weirdly Contest of Champions / Marvel mobile video games related pull!), and Doc Ock promptly steals the isotope for his own underwater radioactive experiments.

Enter: A Spider-Man on a rampage! 

Spider-Man on a rampage

Sadly, this doesn’t mean Spidey climbs walls and smashes buildings ala Arcade rampage, but it does mean he does his best Action Comics #1 impersonation, chucking a car into a pillar and generally scaring the bejeesus out of the underworld’s finest. Despite their apparent complete lack of communication, Stan and Steve’s story is perfectly in sync, selling Spider-Man’s rage and the shift in personality, completely devoid of wise-cracking quips as he literally tears building’s apart to find information about the Master Planner. 

We don’t often see Spider-Man quite this angry, turning his guilt and fear into rage. Moments like the aforementioned Web of Spider-Man #32 or the J. Michael Straczynski written “Back in Black” arc of Amazing come to mind. Spidey’s so enraged throughout this issue that by the time he gets to Doctor Octopus – again, the Spidey villain of the Silver Age to this point – the betentacled one is completely overwhelmed, remarking “There’s no way to fight him – no way to stop him! He’s like a raging human dreadnaught!! I’ve got to escape!”

Honestly, the sequence their “battle” most brings to mind is Superman “taking the kids glove off” for Darkseid (in Justice League Unlimited). When Spider-Man truly unleashes his abilities, Doc Ock doesn’t stand a chance!

The issue ends setting the stage for Amazing Spider-Man #33, with Spider-Man trapped underneath the weight of impossible odds in a rapidly flooding base. He’s so exhausted from his rampage that he can’t budget the weight an inch anymore, he just needs some rest.

We know it’s not a luxury he’ll grant himself because that’s the thing about Spider-Man: “You always do the right thing, even when it makes your life harder” (I’m paraphrasing a line from Superior Spider-Man). At the end of Amazing Spider-Man #32, though, we get a glimpse into that weakness he won’t allow to win the day. It makes the triumph that much greater.

Filed Under: Featured, Opinion Tagged With: previously on, Spider-Man

Heroically Support Comic Book Herald!

If you like Comic Book Herald, and are able to donate, any small contribution will help keep CBH alive and full of new comics guides and content. Donate here! Or, support CBH on Patreon for exclusive rewards! Thank you for reading!

Become a Patron!

About Dave

Dave is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Comic Book Herald, and also the Boss of assigning himself fancy titles. He's a long-time comic book fan, and can be seen most evenings in Batman pajama pants. Contact Dave @comicbookherald on Twitter or via email at dave@comicbookherald.com.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

The Comic Book Herald Podcast!

Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsRSS
My Ultimate Year podcast and reading club

Recent Posts

  • X-Men #15-17 in Review—Return to the Vault! March 29, 2023
  • “Mister Mammoth”, “Spy Superb” & “Hairball” with Matt Kindt | CBH Interviews #108 March 28, 2023
  • 2002 Pt. 4: X-Force, Chamber, & Exiles March 27, 2023
  • Pax Americana and The Infinite Loop Of Imperiums March 25, 2023
  • Fall of X Teasers & Al Ewing’s Sins of Sinister | Comic Book Herald Live! March 24, 2023
  • “Sins of Sinister” Part 6: Immoral X-Men #2—in Review! March 23, 2023
  • DESTINY OF X | The Krakoan Empire Divided March 22, 2023
  • “Secret Identity” with Alex Segura | CBH Interviews #107 March 21, 2023
  • 2002 Pt. 3: Daredevil & Elektra March 20, 2023
  • Immoral X-Men #2 and Wolverine vs. Dark Beast! | Comic Book Herald Live! March 17, 2023
  • X-Men: The Animated Series Season 2 Rewatch! March 16, 2023
  • “Sins of Sinister” Part 5: Nightcrawlers #2—in Review! March 15, 2023
  • My Marvelous Interview: Paul Jenkins on Wolverine Origin, Inhumans, Spectacular Spider-Man, & More! March 13, 2023
  • The Dark Knight Trilogy 15 Years Later: Film & Comic Influences! March 11, 2023
  • Sins of Sinister: Nightcrawlers, X-Men #20, New Mutants: Lethal Legion #1 | Comic Book Herald Live! March 10, 2023

Popular Articles

DC Rebirth Guide

Batman Reading Order

DC New 52 Reading Order

Marvel Ultimate Universe Guide

Civil War Reading Order

Marvel Cosmic Reading Order

The Best Comics of All Time!

Deadpool Reading Order

Justice League Reading Order

Complete Thanos Reading Order

X-Men Reading Guide (Modern Era)

Age of Apocalypse Reading Order

Modern Marvel Universe in 25 Trades

Best Tablet For Digital Comics

Is Marvel Unlimited Worth It?

Footer

New to Comic Book Herald?

Hey there - my name's Dave and this is my comic book blog. It's my way of sharing my borderline obsessive addiction to the comic book medium, and I hope you like some of what's going on here.

Most people that come here are looking for my (WIP) Marvel reading order guide. You can probably also get a sense if CBH is for you by taking a look at some of my columns.

If you like what you see, let's connect on Facebook or Twitter. Or, leave a comment on the blog here, I'm always looking for new awesome people in the comic book community.

More on Comic Book Herald

  • Home
  • About
  • Support CBH
  • My Marvelous Year
  • Join!
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service

Recent Posts

  • X-Men #15-17 in Review—Return to the Vault!
  • “Mister Mammoth”, “Spy Superb” & “Hairball” with Matt Kindt | CBH Interviews #108
  • 2002 Pt. 4: X-Force, Chamber, & Exiles
  • Pax Americana and The Infinite Loop Of Imperiums
  • Fall of X Teasers & Al Ewing’s Sins of Sinister | Comic Book Herald Live!

Copyright © 2023 · Metro Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in