1968:
dear marvel
i relly like spiderman. it is my favorit comik. i like the way he beats the bad gys up. you need mor bad gys in yor comik.

david, age 5

1972:
Dear Marvel Comics,
I like Spider-Man a lot. I like the way cool villains that he fights. But it is not cool when he moans about his girl problems all the time. He is spending way too much time with these girls as it is. You need to get rid of Gwen Stacy. Why is she there anyway? He needs to be fighting Doc Ock, not smooching with icky girls. If you change this one thing, I will be your fan forever.

David, Age 9

1975:
Dear Editor,
Spider-Man rules! The Jackal is the best villain that Spidey has fought since Doc Ock! I was pretty worried when it looked like you were bringing Gwen Stacey back. I was so glad that she was just a clone! Some of my friends don't read Spider-Man anymore. They are stupid. What makes Spider-Man better than all the others is that he has worries and problems, just like real people. You can tell that the people who make this book know what it is like to be a real person.
I've been hearing that you might be raising the price of your comic to 30 cents. Please don't do this. 30 cents is just too much to pay for a comic book. If you do that I will stop reading.

Sincerely, David Seigler, Age 12
P.S. Mary Jane has got to go!

1979:
Dear Editor:
Spider-Man continues to dazzle with the best stories in comics. The Man-Wolf is an interesting addition to Spidey's rogues gallery. It was quite a bold move to kill him at the end of the story. Marvel is willing to take unexpected turns with its' stories and never compromise. It's a shame that Man-Wolf is gone for good, it really makes the relationship between Peter Parker and JJJ even more interesting and complex.
I'm glad that you've kept the price at 35 cents while your competition went up to 40 cents. Too many things cost more today and 35 cents is the most anyone should have to pay for comics. As long as you can keep the price at 35 cents, Make Mine Marvel!

Bestest, David Seigler, Age 16
P.S. Mary Jane is one foxy chick!

1984:
Dear Spider-Man Editor,
How can you mess with tradition? Changing Spider-Man's costume is like painting teeth on the Mona Lisa! Let me join with the other legions of fans that protest this black and white aberration that you call a costume. This black costume makes him look more like a villain. Secret Wars was an inferior story and let's just try to forget that it ever happened. All I can say is that I'm glad that it is over and let's hope that we never see the beyonder again.
Lately Spider-Man seems to be treading the same waters that he has occupied for too many years. This book is in need of some new directions. One of the first changes that I feel that you should make is to get rid of Mary Jane. Sure, she's pretty hot and all, but Peter needs to play the field a little. He should be out having more fun instead of tying himself down to just one girl like this. I think that it is obvious that in the long term Mary Jane is not the girl for him. He should just cut her loose now and see what else New York has to offer.

Best, David Seigler, age 22
P.S. I have stuck with you through the increase to 65 cents, but don't you dare go up anymore! This is it, people! I won't pay more than 65 cents for a comic book!

1988:
Dear Spider-Man Editor,
Could the Amazing Spider-Man get any better? Boy is this book worth the dollar! Todd McFarlane is a genius! Mary Jane has never looked better! I can tell you that if I was Spider-Man I wouldn't be spending so much time out fighting bad guys with a babe like Mary Jane waiting for me a home!
The return of several of Spidey's classic villains has really put this book into focus for a new audience. The way that Mysterio was handled was obviously a swipe at the current Presidential Administation. And I don't think that I am "reading too much in" when I note that the current conflict between the newer Hobgoblin and the returned Green Goblin is mearly a metaphor for the current Aids crisis and its' effect on social mores.
Keep up the good work and don't be afraid to tackle those big issues!

Best Wishes, David Seigler, Age 25

1994:
Dear Spider-Man Editor,
I knew when I saw the groovy foil cover that I was in for a special story. So Spider-Man's parents are really clones? Who could've saw that coming? Come on people! That was sarcasm! Enough with the "special covers" that aren't special anymore! Enough with the silly story devices that twist the story beyond any hope of sense! What are you going to tell us next? That Spider-Man himself is a clone? Get a grip on things before they get out of hand.
On a positive side, I do like the way that you have continued to portray Peter and Mary Jane in a realistic manner. You show that married people do not have to be boring and stale. I like seeing a little "spark" in their marriage. The times are changing and Spider-Man needs to change with them if you want to justify the $1.50 price tag. One word of warning: Nobody, and I mean nobody is going to pay more that a buck fifty for a comic, no matter how much foil you put on the cover.

Your truly, David Seigler, Age 31

2004:
Dear Marvel Editors,
As a concerned parent, I have to write to you concerning recent content in your comic books, most notably Spider-Man. Now I am not one to harp on things like "Moral Decay" and "Family Values", but do we really need to see Peter and Mary Jane frolicking in the bedroom at the end of every issue? I would like to be able to share this book with my son, but the content is not longer appropriate for younger readers.
What has happened to the comic industry that it feels the need to sensationalize everything in its' books? I'm sure that the books would sell just fine without resorting to using sex to sell them.
J.M. Straczyinski is a marvelous writer (no pun intended), but I don't feel that he is doing his best work on Spider-Man. J Scott Campbell's covers are nice, even if they do make Mary Jane look like she is barely older than my daughter. With a few adjustments Spider-Man could return to the former place as the best comic on the marketplace.
I do hope, however, that the rumored price hike to $2.99 is just a rumor. In today's depressed economy, the last thing that we need is another price increase on comics. Budgets can only stretch so far. I think that $2.25 is where I draw the line.

Sincerely, David Seigler, Age 40

2015:
Dear Spider-Man Editor,
I'm glad to see that you've kept the price at $6.50. Even though you had to reduce the page count to 14 pages, I think that keeping the price under seven bucks will help save it. I didn't pick up the Nude Mary Jane Variant Cover, because it was $15.00 and my eyesight isn't so good anyway.
You'd think that with the success of Spider-Man XIV at the movie theaters, Spider-Man would be selling better. What's wrong with these dang kids that they'd rather watch a movie than read a comic book? In my day we were lucky just to have a comic book! And they were printed on real paper, too! Not this silicone fiber stuff!
And for that matter, what's happening to Mary Jane? She's turned into such a nag! Nag, nag nag! Peter gets out and works hard and then fights crime and she just complains all the time! At least she's still a looker! I don't know how she keeps her figure after all this time, but more power to her, I say! 'Course with all this silicon enhanced, half plastic/half woman things we see these days, it's a wonder anytime you see a real woman that just takes care of herself, you know what I mean?

Still Hangin' In there,
David Seigler, Age 52

2029:
Dear Whoever writes this stuff,
What's wrong with you people? I've been reading Spider-Man for a long time and now you tell me that Mary Jane has been a clone all this time? I don't know, it sounds kinda familiar, like something I read before, but I don't remember where.
Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, your comics cost too much! I was fine with $12.50, but how do you expect me to come up with $19.95 every week for Spider-Man? Now that it is down to 8 pages an issue, I'm beginning to wonder if it is worth it. Don't think that I'm going to buy this book forever, just because I've been a faithful reader, you know what I'm saying? That's the problem these days, everybody takes advantage of you. I'm just glad that you did away with those word balloons. With my eyes it's a wonder that I can even see the page, much less read all those squiggly lines. Those lines make me nauseous and then I have to take my medicine. You know how much medicine cost these days? It's not cheap, let me tell you! These doctors think that they're god! they get to poke and prod you and then charge you for ...
Where was I? Oh yeah! Keep up the good work! I'm a new reader but I think that Spider-Man is the greatest!

David Seigler, Age 66