Thanks to a partnership between Marvel Comics and the New York Public Library, customers can purchase a limited-edition library card featuring Spider-Man himself. The special edition card celebrates the 60th anniversary of the superhero’s first appearance in Great fantasy #15 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and the launch of the Library’s Open House week. The Spider-Man card will be available on Tuesday, October 11, 2022 at NYPL locations in the Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island.
Images of Spider-Man – alongside Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy, two other iconic web slingers – will be featured on the map, as well as on banners outside the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library on 5th Avenue and Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. Details about the map and related activities are available online here CLUTCH.
And if you pick up your Spidey card at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library on 5th Avenue, you can visit a nearby location with a cameo appearance in a pivotal scene from Sam Raimi’s Spider Man trilogy. According to The Marvel Comics Guide to New York City by Peter Sanderson, a scene in 2002 Spider Man, the first entry in the trilogy titled Tobey Maguire, was shot across this branch of the NYPL. The scene where Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson) was shot was filmed at this location.
Spider-Man visits NYPL
It’s also not the only recent crossover between Marvel Comics and the NYPL. In October 2021, the NYPL indefinitely waived all late penalties for returns. This real-life development was celebrated with a story in June 2022 The Amazing Spider-Man #900, “Better Late Than Never” by Daniel Kibblesmith, David Lopez, Nathan Fairbairn and Joe Caramagna. In this story, Peter takes advantage of the NYPL’s updated late fines policy, which removes barriers to library access for all New Yorkers, to return a whole bag full of books. However, he soon learns that while fines for late fines have been waived, fines for damage to books are not. takes a little battle damage!
“Reading is a superpower — one that gives everyone the opportunity to learn, be inspired, and better understand the world,” said Anthony W. Marx, president of the New York Public Library. “At The New York Public Library, we remain committed to providing books and resources that help New Yorkers reach new heights, and working with Marvel on this exciting, limited-edition Spider-Man map amplifies the exceptional feats humans can achieve. when they have access to information.” According to the NYPL website, there’s a “plenty of Marvel graphic novels, plus free shows, events, and more for all ages in your friendly neighborhood library.”
If you’re planning on stopping by one of your local NYPL branches to pick up one of the Spidey cards for yourself, make sure to mark 10/22/2010 in your calendar as this limited edition edition cards will only be available while supplies last, and everyone from J. Jonah Jameson to Doctor Octopus will want to get their hands on one (and Doc Ock has a lot of hands)!