Issue(s): Amazing Spider-Man #103, Amazing Spider-Man #104
Cover Date: Dec 71- Jan 72
Title: "Walk the Savage Land! / Gog!" / "The beauty and the brute"
Credits:
Roy Thomas - Writer
Gil Kane - Penciler
Frank Giacoia & Tony Mortellaro - Inker

Review/plot:
In what may have been an attempt to write Spider-Man while avoiding comparisons with Stan Lee, Roy Thomas goes in an off-beat direction and takes Spidey to the Savage Land. The basic plot is a rip-off? homage? to King Kong, with Jameson playing the role of Carl Denham and Gwen Stacy in the Fay Wray spot.

The Bugle is supposedly facing bankruptcy, something that has never even been hinted at before. Jonah's idea is to get pictures of a new monster seen in the Savage Land, an area which is apparently common knowledge at this point. It is Jonah's idea to bring Gwen along to spice up the photos (Mary Jane, an aspiring actress, would have made more sense), and Peter agrees because Gwen is mad that Peter would leave her, especially after their recent fight (due to Peter's multiple arms).

Peter and Gwen have "just enough time to listen to 'Jesus Christ, Superstar!'" before they leave. Whuuuuuuh?

After getting to the Savage Land, Gwen is kidnapped by Gog...

...and taken to Kraven, who has trained the giant alien after finding its egg in a crashed spaceship.

Ka-zar and Zabu show up, of course.

Spidey teams up with them to fight Kraven and Gog.

Unlike when he was in London, Spider-Man takes care to not be seen by anyone that could put two and two together about Peter and Spidey always showing up in the same places, but he totally blows his identity with Ka-zar.

This issue ends with JJ saying that Peter didn't manage to get any pictures, but at the beginning of #105 Peter will say that the expedition saved the Bugle from bankruptcy

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 3 - first Gog

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References:

• A series on the Savage Land itself isn't of interest to JJ since it's already been done by Live magazine, as shown in the Ka-zar portion of Astonishing Tales #1-2. Ka-zar previously fought Kraven during that arc as well.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Marvel Selects: Spider-Man #4, Marvel Selects: Spider-Man #5

This is the only time we see Gwen in any kind of skimpy outfit.

Okay I'm convinced about Roy Thomas. I had these issues where he took over and didn't find them all that great. The art, writing and dialogue weren't that great, and while I remember some of these panels being underwhelming art-wise, I never recalled the written parts until just now. I can now see why they were forgettable.

In Comics Journal #186, Gil Kane said that Gog was entirely his creation.

People will say what they will about Gil Kane's open-mouthed facial expressions and nostril shots, but he did always draw a pretty ferocious Zabu.

In Alter Ego #149, Roy Thomas states that Gil Kane was co-plotter on these issues and that the whole King Kong riff was Gil's idea.

Added Gil Kane as co-plotter on a few entries you've noted. Thanks Mark.