title: Spider-Man: Mark of the Tarantula
author:  Roger Stern 
description: "I still love those Roger Stern stories and JRJR artwork. These stories got me into [Spider-Man] in the first place." <i>-- Michael Minneboo<br /><br /></i>"[Roger Stern] may have been the first writer to have a clear philosophy about what villains Spider-Man should face, and why.He avoided the trap of making Spider-Man's enemies less impressive through repeated defeat, while coming up with new challenges for the web-swinger.But that doesn't matter as much as the awesomeness of the actual stories." -- <i>Thomas Mets</i><br /><br />"Everybody seems to love the Stern run on <i>Amazing</i> [<i>Spider-Man</i>], and with good reason .... In the '90s even <i>Wizard</i> [magazine] would name check it." <i>-- Travis Pelkie</i><br /><br />"Stern and Romita Jr. take Spider-Man back to the Lee/Ditko days. Lots of one and two-issue stories with underlying arcs that carry through the entire run, strong supporting characters, and as many colorful characters as they can cram into every issue." <i>-- Ethan Kalett </i><br /><br />"The Stern/JR Jr. run proves a point. It's probably the best <i>Spider-Man</i> run that doesn't involve Stan Lee, and there are no deaths, resurrections, identity revelations, marriages, divorces, or other stupid events. Just solid stories! You don't need 'change' to have good comics, you only need <b>QUALITY!</b>" -- <i>Pedro Boua</i><br /><br />"Stern is one of the most under-rated writers in comics, always bringing a sense of reality, character and place to his scripts. You can follow Spider-Man through a real New York...almost building by building. Batman is a hero because of what was done to him. Spider-Man is a hero because of something that was his own fault. Anything from the ... Stern run will give you a sample of that blend at its best." -- <i>Paul Cornell</i>, writer of <i>Doctor Who</i>, <i>Action Comics</i>, and <i>Wolverine </i>
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  City of Flaming Shadows
  
  
    
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER ONE “Talk or Die!”  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER TWO A Man Is Hanged  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER THREE “For the Spider—!”  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER FOUR The Tarantula Strikes  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER FIVE Orders From the Tarantula  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER SIX The Altar of Duty  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER SEVEN Reardon's Son  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER EIGHT “I Know the Spider”  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER NINE Kirkpatrick Misses a Date  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER TEN Flaming Loot  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER ELEVEN Empty, Save For the Dead  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER TWELVE Beneath City Streets  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER THIRTEEN Hairy Hands  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER FOURTEEN Panic!  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER FIFTEEN The Spider Spins  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER SIXTEEN Spider Bait  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Face to Face  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER EIGHTEEN The Pit of Bayonets  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER NINETEEN Jail for the Spider  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER TWENTY The Hanging of Nita  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE Spider to the Rescue  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO Nita's Sacrifice  
  
  
    
  [CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE Spider vs