The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man

"The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man" is a Spider-Man story written by Roger Stern, and originally published in "Amazing Spider-Man" #248 (1984). It tells the story of a young boy Tim Hammond, the greatest Spider-Man fan of the world, who is visited by his hero.

This comic was elected as a one of the "Top 10 Spider-Man stories of all time" by Wizard Magazine [cite web | url = http://wizarduniverse.stores.yahoo.net/aug042291.html | title = Wizard Best of Spider-Man Limited Deluxe Hardcover | accessdate = 2007-10-12 | language = english | format = html] and is regarded as one of the most-loved stories in Spider-Man's career.cite web | url = http://www.spiderfan.org/news/1996/1001.html | title = Interview with Roger Stern | date = 1996-10-01 | accessdate = 2007-10-12 | language = english | format = html] [cite web | url = http://www.marsimport.com/display_comic.php?ID=5348 | title = The Very Best of Spider-Man | accessdate = 2007-10-12 | language = english | format = php] [cite web | url = http://www.geocities.com/the_gzone/rstern.html | title = The Spider's Web Exclusive: Interview with Roger Stern | accessdate = 2007-10-12 | language = english | format = html]

Plot

In this short story, a kid is lying in his bed. Newspaper captions say that he is the greatest Spider-Man fan in the world and has collected every article available on him. Suddenly, the real Spider-Man comes into his room. In the following hours, the two trade anecdotes and insider jokes about Spidey's long career. Spider-Man is surprised and touched how much the boy adores him.

Then, the kid asks who Spider-Man really is. Peter surprisingly takes off his mask and retells the fateful night when his negligence let Uncle Ben die, causing him to fight crime. The boy still thinks he is a hero, and obvious admiration is in his eyes. In the end, Spider-Man swings out. The last of the newspaper captions states that the boy's only wish is to meet the super hero in person because he suffers of leukemia and will die in a few days.

When asked about the story, Roger Stern stated:

Partly, I'm sure that it sprang from a desire on my part to do a short human-interest story in the style of Will Eisner -- that's why the story is partially advanced through newspaper clippings...I was trying to be Eisneresque.

As a "filler" story

The short story is actually only a "filler" story. The main content of ASM #248 is Spider-Man's fight against Thunderball, but ironically, the few pages of the filler story were received much better than the main story.

In other media

The story loosely inspired a two-part story in the third season of "". The only difference being the boy was changed to a girl.

References

External links

*cite web | url = http://www.spideykicksbutt.com/top10Spideystories.html | title = Top 10 Spider-Man Stories | accessdate = 2007-10-12 | language = english | format = php