Darkhawk (1991): Co-created the character, though he wasn't officially credited for it at the time.Notably, he is at least partially responsible for the line of digest-sized Archie comics which have been a mainstay of American supermarket checkout aisles for decades, having proposed the idea early on in his career. Outside of his large involvement with Marvel, he got his start at Archie Comics, and has still worked with them on occasion. In addition to his work on Spider-Man, he's also known for overseeing the Marvel 2099 line, creating the New Warriors, Thunderstrike, Darkhawk, and creating and penning Spider-Girl, an Alternate Universe story starring Mayday Parker (daughter of Peter and Mary Jane). He resigned from his position after disagreements with the upper management, but continued as a writer long afterwards. His run is well-regarded, even if the era (the speculation boom) was less so, and instead Marvel's problems were primarily blamed on Ron Perelman.

DeFalco is known for his laid back style, having a less-powerful personal vision compared to others while being open to his co-worker's ideas.įrom 1987 to 1994, DeFalco replaced the infamous Jim Shooter as Editor-In-Chief. He also created a whole host of iconic characters for the company which endure to this day. Throw in a foreword by the inimitable Stan Lee, and you've got a book that would make even Peter Parker proud.Tom DeFalco (born June 26, 1950) is an American comic book writer known for his association with Marvel Comics, and in particular his run on Spider-Man. Special sections cover episodes like the alien costume, the regrettable clone saga, and the wedding to Mary Jane, while panel after panel of original art (over 600 images in all) flesh out the action (a particular treat with the corny old dialogue and art).ĭeFalco makes some small missteps-inevitable in any fan-boy project-and certainly The Ultimate Guide will feel dated as the series evolves, but as a comprehensive guide, it just doesn't get any better. Organized and authored by Tom DeFalco, former Marvel editor in chief and the series' bestselling author, this guide pulls together the storyline's many twists and turns (chronologically, by decade) and devotes big spreads to nearly every noteworthy ally, friend, and villain (with one curious omission in the Shocker). From that fateful radioactive bite in the science hall up to Spidey 2099, DK's Ultimate Guide recounts all the career milestones-major and minor-of Stan Lee's web-slinging wall-crawler.

Unless Peter Parker decides to pen his own autobiography someday, you're not going to find a better guide than this to the life and times of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

Tom defalco spider man