The Rattler was a snake-man villain created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr. for The Amazing Spider-Man comic strip that ran in newspapers. The owner of Reptile World (dig that cool sandwich board), Henry Bingham relied on an experimental anti-venom to save his life and give him powers he used for, what else, crime.
Despite being an animal-themed villain in green, who was also an old guy seeking youthful power, created by two of the all-time Spider-greats, this appears to be his only story (Spoiler: He dies at the end).
And you’d think, wait, what about the Serpent Society? Isn’t there a Rattler there? Yup. Different guy. There also were two different Rattlers in Marvel’s Western comics.
It’s a shame, when you consider even Videoman made it from Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends to the comics eventually. Surely there’s room in the Serpent Society for two Rattlers. He’d pay those snake union dues!
Anyway, the below tale of Spidey vs. Rattler III(?) comes from The Amazing Spider-Man Classic Newspaper Comics, a new softcover collection of the strips by Smilin’ Stan and Jazzy John from 1977 to 1980, published by Clover Press and now funding on Kickstarter.
You may remember Clover Press from their previous campaign for The Marvel Art of Mike Del Mundo. Like that one, this too includes an awesome-looking puzzle among its many campaign rewards, along with bookmarks, stickers, a mousepad and more.
Check out the exclusive excerpt, and keep scrolling to learn more about the campaign.
The Amazing Spider-Man swung into newsprint on Monday, January 3, 1977, bringing Marvel’s most popular hero from comic pages to newspapers worldwide. Through Stan Lee’s storytelling and John Romita’s masterful art, the strip delivered dramatic storylines that pitted Spidey against classic foes while introducing brand new characters, helping make Spider-Man a household name beyond the comic book stands. Now, for the first time ever in softcover, Stan Lee and John Romita’s THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN CLASSIC NEWSPAPER COMICS will return to print as a part of Clover Press’s spectacular new line of deluxe slipcase editions. The Kickstarter campaign is now live.
“The Library of American Comics remastered and collected the strip in a series of hardcover collections—but so many of them are out of print, making the collection highly sought after and almost impossible for your average comics lover to get their hands on,” said Clover Publisher Hank Kanalz. ”Now, Clover Press and The Library of American Comics are bringing the collections back to print in an affordable softcover format! We’re collecting the strip strictly by year, reprinting each installment from January 1 to December 31. We can’t wait to help get these iconic comic strips into the hands of Spidey lovers everywhere!”
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN CLASSIC NEWSPAPER COMICS campaign features for volumes, with strips from the years 1977, 1978, 1979, and 1980. Each volume will measure 11″ x 8.5″ in a horizontal format and slide into a vertical slipcase, designed for protection and easy shelving. The first offering will collect the strip from the years 1977 to 1980. Backing this Kickstarter campaign will allow readers to get all four volumes in one bundle. The campaign will also include extras such as a puzzle, stickers, lithographs, and more.
To visit the campaign for THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN CLASSIC NEWSPAPER COMICS, head to Kickstarter. For updates, follow Clover Press on Instagram, X, Bluesky and Facebook. You can subscribe to the Clover press newsletter here.
Dan Grote is the editor and publisher of ComicsXF, having won the site by ritual combat. By day, he’s a newspaper editor, and by night, he’s … also an editor. He co-hosts The ComicsXF Interview Podcast with Matt Lazorwitz. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, two kids and two miniature dachshunds, and his third, fictional son, Peter Paul Winston Wisdom. Follow him @danielpgrote.bsky.social.
