Marvel Tales #37

Spider-Man's inner conflict is written right on his face in this September 1972 reprint issue — his cover speech bubbles read "I must be nuts! Fighting for my life-- just to save a guy who hates me!" as he battles armed thugs in a chaotic waterfront brawl, with a smaller inset panel showing a shadowy figure nearby. Cover pencils by Sal Buscema and inks by John Verpoorten give the scene real kinetic energy, while the story inside — "To Die a Hero!" — is crafted by Stan Lee and John Romita with inks by Mickey Demeo and letters by Sam Rosen. At just 20 cents, this issue captures everything that makes Spider-Man compelling: selfless heroism tangled up in self-doubt, rendered in vivid early-'70s Marvel style.