Beware the Creeper #5, page 18 (Steve Ditko)

Hmmm, your description and the photo raise a question. Are you aging as well as the artwork in your collection? It's getting better looking with each passing year. 

And so, Peter, the unfortunate conclusion is that whilst the artwork gets - like fine wine - better and better over the years, its steward isn't!

All our times have come
Here, but now they're gone
Proteus, beware the Creeper
You in a fight with no timekeeper

Fear the Creeper
(Beware the Creeper) O’Neil’s got the plan
(Beware the Creeper) Peppe lends a hand
(Beware the Creeper) And Ditko is the man
La, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la

Many thanks, Miki! Now that also reveals the era we're from!

Not true!!  I think you're like fine wine!  Great page!

Many thanks, Ron. You are always so kind!

sweet ditko page cab

Many thanks, Tom. I was so glad that Ditko continued drawing even after leaving Marvel. This was a zany but enjoyable series.

Many thanks as always, Toni. Although Ditko didn't ink this page, Mike Peppe did a splendid job indeed.

A fine addition to your Creeper collection. Congrats on pairing up the sequence!

Many thanks, Rick. Yes, it was very nice to be able to put the two pages together. They make a terrific sequence and the subsequent page has the Creeper in water (which was one of Ditko's fortes in terms of setting).

Wow what a nice Ditko Creeper page and I'm glad you posted it because it led me to go look at your Creeper gallery folder many of which I had missed or predates my time in the hobby so I Never saw. I'm not sure how many Creeper focused collectors there are but yours has got to be among the best out there I'd imagine. Congrats on another fantastic addition! 

Many thanks, Kavi. I really liked this series and was so glad that Ditko, having left Marvel, decided to continue to regale us with his artistic skills, now at DC instead. Also, during times past at least, Beware the Creeper pages were also much more affordable than ASM ones.

Many thanks, Alberto. This is, in effect, Ditko bringing Marvel, so to speak, to DC - with splendid choreographed fight sequences and that trade mark star burst to depict the impact of punches.

Another brilliantly executed page tp pair up withthe other one you have. Have you noticed that the figure work looks less "quirky" and somewhat more realistic here than what we remember from Spider-Man? The anatomy is so solid and while he barely spent enough time in the business to have a cup of tea, Peppe did a beautiful job with the inks, really impressive!

Many thanks, Rubén. That is a good point. In fact, the "later" Ditko Spider-Man was much more solid in anatomy compared to the earlier issues of ASM so that even the Ditko Spider-Man had evolved by this time and is evident in Ditko's artistic treatment of the Creeper as well. And, yes, Peppe did a wonderful job. He was certainly not a prominent artist in the Kirby or Ditko way but there was a nice article on him in one of the Twomorrow's magazines (I forget now, but I think it was in Alter Ego).

Nice!

Many thanks, Duke. A nice (and succinct!) comment indeed.

What an incredible page!  All of the motion that you expect from a Ditko page!  

Many thanks, Nick. Yes, and all the quirky choreographed moves are very Ditko-like.

~Congratulations on adding this Ditko battle page to your collection! I really like the 3rd panel's 1 on 1 perspective.

Many thanks, West. This was actually from the archives, purchased a long, long time ago. I am just glad that I did get it when I did because it would be so difficult to either find or purchase it now.

Loved reading these as a kid and now their so nostalgic looking at the original artwork ! I haven't yet put any Ditko in my collection,shame on me,lol.Great pick-up CAB !

Many thanks, Michael. Your collection is amazing - but I must have said this before.

A perfect Ditko action page, full of drama and visual scenery! A fitting storytelling high point for the Creeper and his nemesis!

Many thanks, Al. Yes, the visual effect - especially with the rain cascading down - is very stunning indeed.