Books like The Amazing Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt

\ Definitely one of the strongest stories involving Spider-Man\ This edition collects the storyline formally known as “Fearful Symmetry: Kraven’s Last Hunt”, originally published in “Web of Spider-Man #31 & 32, Amazing Spider-Man #293 & 294 and Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #131 & 132.Writer: J.M. DeMatteisIllustrator: Mike ZeckLetterer: Rick Parker (I wanted to highlight him too, since his work in lettering on this particular storyline was superb.)\ READER-SENSE TINGLING! I WANTED TO READ THIS!\ Spyder! Spyder! Burning bright, in the forests of the night, what immortal hand or eye, could frame thy fearful… symmetry?I knew about the existence of this particular storyline since many years ago, even I read in some guide book about Spider-Man where it was featured in the Top10 of the best stories about the character, but honestly I got really impressed (and my curiosity exploded) when I read a promotional magazine about the 75 years of Marvel (obviously counting since its days as Timely Comics) where in a poll list where fans voted for the Marvel’s 75 favorites storylines and/or single issues and Kraven’s Last Hunt got the #3 spot!!!It was a list featuring material from all Marvel universe and Kraven’s Last Hunt was surpassed only by Civil War and The Death of Gwen Stacy.So, until then, I was aware about its importance of this story, inside of the titles of Spider-Man but I was amazed (pun intended but with respect) when this tale got a so high position in that poll involving the entire Marvel universe.I wanted to read that story!Of course, any voted list or any published list will be polemic and questioned until Ragnarok, but still, it was clear that Kraven´s Last Hunt was something worthy to read and curiously enough I found a TPB on the local comic book store so I decided that it was time to meet this story.\ STOP!... AND READ THE INTRODUCTION!\ Stories have lives of their own(quoted from the TPB’s Introduction written by J.M. DeMatteis, the author of the story)I don’t know if you use to read the introduction on the TPB’s editions. I do it and not always they are something any of value, but if you ever decide to read this story and you get this same edition, please, read the introduction.You will realize that it’s worthy of your time.Besides informing the many times that DeMatteis tried that editors (from Marvel and even DC) would pick the premise of his story to be used on several characters like Wonder Man and Batman, finally to land with your friendly neighborhood web-crawler, also the introduction is a beautiful tribute to the life that any good story has, a life so vivid that in many times the writers hardly have any control over them but only barely able to put them in paper just like they wanted to exist.\ THE SPIDER, THE HUNTER AND THE VERMIN\ My triumph frightens you, doesn’t it?Since I read the run of The Saga of Swamp Thing by Alan Moore, I have kept saying: “There aren’t bad characters, only bad writers.” Nowadays anybody can say how cool is Swamp Thing, but back then, like more than 30 years ago, nobody was giving a damn about Swamp Thing. Sure, even Len Wein did a fair job (Hey! This guy created Wolverine!) but it was clear that Swamp Thing wasn’t anything that readers were running to buy at the newsstands, but when Alan Moore got control of the title... and BAM!... Swamp Thing became the founding stone of what would be Vertigo Comics later.J.M. DeMatteis planned to use a whole new villain for this story, which wasn’t so odd if you think in similar storylines where a new villain is able to beat a relevant superhero like Doomsday and Bane were able to do against Superman and Batman.It’s clear why is easier to use a whole new villain to avoid the raging fans questioning why the heck certain known villain was able to beat the hero if that villain isn’t as cool or powerful than their favorite ones.You never will please the masses.So, I celebrate the “balls” of J.M. DeMatteis of choosing of a kinda minor villain like Kraven, the Hunter as the focus of this powerful story.Sure, Kraven, the Hunter is known member of the rogues’ gallery of Spidey, but I am sure that anybody doing their own Top10 of favorite villains or merely mentioning the most powerful criminals of Spider-Man’s titles, when you have heavy weights like Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Venom, Mysterio, Lizard, Scorpion, etc… before the publication of this story, it would be likely that many fans would omit to Kraven.Not anymore.And if you think that in the mix, DeMatteis include Vermin to the formula, you could be sure that something unique will be done. Anybody can write something entertained even great if you use Venom......but Kraven and Vermin? You need to be a writer, a good writer to build something like this here.Even I think that the story is a statement why the super-heroes are always able to win (and survive) in the comic book reality, since over there, the super-villains didn’t work or react like the real life criminals.The super-villains tend to overwork their plans along with their tactics to trap or to kill the heroes.When a simple bullet can do the job.And if you think, “well sure, Spider-Man isn’t bulletproof but there are other super-heroes invulnerable to bullets”.Another mistake.Not always you have to point the bullet to the primary target to do the wished damage. Nobody is an island. Always there is someone close.A simple bullet can do the job. And that’s the most frightening thing of real life.Force-fielded jails mounted on rockets into the sun, giant hourglasses full of quicksand, moving cutting blades over platforms above of erupting volcanoes, etc... Nothing of the sort is so effective, so deadly and so frightening like a simple bullet.A bullet, a coffin and a corpse. A simple formula to put fear into the heart of even the bravest hero.And when it’s done by a villain like Kraven, an experienced trained hunter, but still a man without any metahuman powers, the whole concept got even more frightening.That’s the beauty of Kraven’s Last Hunt.That’s the power of this story.