It's become Kurt Busiek's exclusive province in comics to effortlessly evoke the wonder and intensity of Silver-Age Marvel storytelling. It's there in his work on "Thunderbolts," and it's especially obvious in his writing on the recently-deceased "Untold Tales of Spider-Man," which told stories that took place in gaps between the earliest adventures in Spidey's career. The entire series is well worth reading (especially since, with a 99-cent cover price, the back issues are mucho cheap) but this annual is arguably the high point of the entire series. More than any of Kurt's other work on "Untold Tales," it's worthy to stand toe-to-toe with Lee and Ditko's earliest Spider-tales.

In line with the classic Marvel work by which it's inspired, "Untold Tales `96" tells a simple yet clever story focusing on interpersonal conflict, with Peter Parker's insecurities as a kind of leitmotif coursing through the entire issue. Spidey is upset that the Human Torch has stolen one of his criminal collars, and as revenge he scores a date with the Torch's sister, the Invisible Girl. Once she accepts, the impact of going out with one of New York's most eligible women hits the Web-Slinger, and he starts to view the date as more than just a revenge ploy. The Torch never stops viewing it as such, and attempts to put the kibosh on the evening by sending an angry Sub-Mariner after Spider-Man. Violence ensues, but is quickly put to an end when the rest of the Fantastic Four show up and initiate a round of confessions and explanations. As usual, Peter Parker is no better off at the end of the night than he was in the beginning, except that his miniscule ego has been knocked down a few more notches.

Put simply, this story is a joy to read. Busiek's plot and dialogue are incredibly sharp, and worthy not just as evocations of the past but as great work in the present. They are matched at each step by the art of Mike Allred, better known as the creator and writer/artist of the "Madman" series for Kitchen Sink and later for Dark Horse. His pencils at times seem lifted from photographs of this fictional era, yet also capture an energetic whimsy, especially in the small touches he throws in. Spidey wears a tie crafted from webbing to his date with Sue Storm, and the tie melts just as his hopes of actually succeeding with such a beautiful woman also melt. When the Web-Slinger sits down to a pizza dinner, he lifts the bottom half of his mask in a decidedly Madman-esque gesture. And the expression on Johnny Storm's face when he is discovered as the man behind Namor's disruption of the date is itself worth the cost of this comic.

When two true lovers of comics, specifically the early Marvel Age of storytelling, get together to create, the dividends are paid entirely to the reader. There is fun and love on every page of "Untold Tales `96," and it's a must-read for anyone with an affection for not just old Marvel stories, but for great graphic storytelling period. If only all comics could be so thrillingly simple...