spider man

Interview: Vic Armstrong - Stuntman behind Indiana Jones, James Bond and Superman

Stuntman and director on high falls, Superman, Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford

Vic Armstrong is one of the hardest working men in Hollywood. In the 60s he started working as a stunt man going on to be Harrison Ford’s stunt double in the Indiana Jones movies and Christopher Reeves’ in Superman. Later in his career he moved onto…

Profile: Comic book and animation artists in Scotland

An overview of comic and graphic novel authors and artists

We’ve always loved comics in Scotland. DC Thomson ruled the roost in kids comics, launching The Dandy and The Beano in the 1930s. ‘Sales peaked at 1.92m a week in the 50s, that’s about 100m copies in a year,’ says former Dandy editor Morris Heggie. DC…

Sam Raimi wanted Anne Hathaway for Spider-Man 4

Film gossip

Sam Raimi wanted Anne Hathaway to star in 'Spider-Man 4'. The director helmed the original three 'Spider-Man' movies - which starred Tobey Maguire and came out between 2002 and 2007 - and has revealed he was keen for the Oscar-winning actress to take…

Dan Slott & Humberto Ramos - Spider-Man: Spider Island

New Spidey adventure too frivolous to be genuinely engaging

(Marvel) Spider-Man has always been one of the comics world’s more light-hearted superheroes. While there have been moments of introspection and heartache, he’s always more than ready with a corny quip as he swings into battle. Spider Island continues…

Andrew Garfield thinks he'll always be ordinary

Celebrity Gossip

Andrew Garfield doesn't think playing Spider-Man will change his life. The 27-year-old actor - who is set to portray the superhero and his alter ego Peter Parker in the forthcoming reboot of the franchise - insists he is too boring in private to…

Bono hopeful for Spider Man musical

Music Gossip

Bono says his 'Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark' musical is "a great American story" but admits is has been costly to realise. The much delayed production - backed by the U2 singer and the band's guitarist, The Edge - opens in New York on Sunday…

The Amazing Spider-Man 600

Dan Slott, John Romita Jr & Various

The 600th issue of any title is cause for celebration, particularly as iconic a character as Marvel’s mascot Spider-Man. The lead story from Dan Slott, with art by John Romita Jr, re-introduces arch villain Doctor Octopus (plus another big return, but…

Mark Waid, Zeb Wells & Various - The Amazing Spider-Man 583

COMICS/SUPERHERO It’s been in all the papers, President Barack Obama makes a guest appearance in Spider-Man. It’s yet more proof of how succinctly Obama has tapped into the zeitgeist and is as much of a cultural icon as he is a political…

Kirsten Dunst's Spider ambition

Celebrity Gossip

Kirsten Dunst wants to star in 'Spider-Man 4'. The actress - who plays Peter Parker's love interest Mary-Jane Watson in the superhero series - is prepared to reprise her role if director Sam Raimi and her co-star Tobey Maguire agree to another…

No more heroes - graphic novels

Edinburgh International Book Festival

The Book Festival is once again acknowledging the rapid expansion in graphic novels. Henry Northmore chats to a number of comic book guys (and girl) to ask what the future may hold for the superhero While graphic novels may be still be a minority…

Stranger in a strange land

Amazingly, Strange & Stranger is the first critical retrospective of the life and work of legendary American comic book artist Steve Ditko. The shy son of Eastern European immigrants who was born in Pennsylvania in 1927 may have languished in relative…

Spider-Man 3

(12A) 156min

‘Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.’ Writer/director Sam Raimi’s third and (alleged) final film outing with the New York dwelling arachnid superhero is a hit and miss affair which still manages to contain some of the best…

Marvel Masterworks

Comics

SUPERHERO Spider-Man is Marvel’s mascot, one of the most recognisable superheroes of all time. With the latest huge blockbuster on the horizon there’s bound to be a lot of interest in everyone’s favourite webslinger. Created back in 1962 by comics…

Comics - Spider-Man: Skin Deep

J Michael Straczynski & Mike Deodato Jr

SUPERHERO Jump cut to the latest collection from Marvel UK of exactly the same title (Amazing Spider-Man, now running at issues 515-518 in this compendium). Now married to Mary-Jane, this is more the world of Spidey we know and love. Dipping back to…

Comics - Spider-Man & Black Cat

Kevin Smith & Terry Dodson

SUPERHERO There has been some amazing creative talent on Spider-Man through the years. Comics bad boy Todd McFarlane (Spawn), Jeph Loeb (Lost), Pete Bagge (Hate) and John Byrne have all thrown in their artistic tuppence worth, while even Frank Miller…

Comics - Spider-Man Family 1 & 2

Various

SUPERHERO Some may call it cynical marketing that Spider-Man is ‘back in black’ just as the new film hits the screens, but hey he looks cool as hell so we’ll forgive Marvel. Spider-Man Family is the latest monthly to hit the shelves, an anthology…