Issue(s): Amazing Spider-Man #41
Cover Date: Oct 66
Title: "The horns of the Rhino!"
Credits:
Stan Lee - Writer
John Romita Sr. - Penciler
Mike Esposito - Inker

Review/plot:
Peter buys a motorcycle and fights the Rhino, protecting him from John Jameson who got himself covered in "space spores" that foreign countries are interested in getting their meaty little foreign hands on. Spidey wins by tiring the Rhino out.

Peter and Betty meet up and find that they are no longer interested in each other. Peter starts noticing Gwen.

Quality Rating: B-

Historical Significance Rating: 7 - first Rhino

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References:

• Spider-Man saved John Jameson during his spaceflight in Amazing Spider-Man #1.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Marvel Tales #180

Romita hasn't quite his stride with Gwen here.

It's a surprise that it took this long for the Rhino to appear. I think of him as one of those classic Spider-Man villains who showed up in the first 20 issues or so.

What's even more surprising is how little the Rhino actually appears in the early Spider-books. He has his run here and then pretty much becomes a Hulk villain until the late-80s/early-90s.

Awesome design for the Rhino. And I see Romita is drawing Gwen with the Ditko-horns still. I know they aren't horns but they sure look like it.

I am blanking, has Romita Jr ever drawn the Rhino? He seems right up his latterday bulky alley. Sal Buscema drew him awesomely, Bagley and McFarlane drew them in the odd redesigns, Larsen and Frenz did a good job on him as well, Wieringo too, but I cannot think of a major JRjr Rhino story?

I still like the Ditko Gwen Stacey and she's not that bad at this point with Romita. Once she becomes "blonde Mary Jane with a hairband", it just takes away from that.

Romita Jr drew the Rhino in the opening arc of Black Panther vol. 4. The story kind of fizzles out, but I like the scene where Rhino fights an actual rhino.

Nick Caputo believes Bill Ward assisted John Romita on this issue. His post is at http://nick-caputo.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/john-romitas-first-fanzine-interview.html .

Oh, God, I hate the Rhino. So seriously overused. Just like Mr. Hyde, the Wrecking Crew, Hydra, and a bunch of others.

I like the Rhino myself and the constantly evolving relationships between all the characters. The Rhino fits the dumb brute category much like DC's Blockbuster but for some reason he sticks in your memory. He has fought several different Marvel heroes over the years but mostly the Hulk.

I think what worked with the Rhino is just his look: this huge brute in a literal rhino costume charging through things. Even though they later build him up with other Marvel heroes like the Hulk, it really does work from the Spidey perspective.