The Recommended Spider-Man stories megathread (Perfect for new readers)

[Rone G]

Hey, I just wanted to know which Amazing Spiderman story arcs everybody thought were the best? You can rank them in some kind of order if you want.

[Mister Mets]

I'm taking a guess you just bought the 40 Years of Amazing Spider-Man CD Rom.

Ten great ones (beginning with the best)
Amazing Spider-Man #121-122 "Turning Point"
Amazing Spider-Man #248 "The Kid Who Collected Spider-Man"
Amazing Spider-Man #31-33 "If Tihs Be My Destiny"
Amazing Spider-Man #229-230 "Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut"
Amazing Spider-Man #53-59 "Disaster"
Amazing Spider-Man Volume 2 #30-35, 37, 38 Straczynci's first, and best arc.
Amazing Spider-Man #50-52 "Spider-Man No More" (You may want to read this one before disaster.)
Amazing Spider-Man #193-200 "Return of the Burglar"
Amazing Spider-Man #238-239 "The Hobgoblin"
Amazing Spider-Man #300 "Venom"

I go into more detail with many of them here.
http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=68955

[alexw]

Turning Point.

And I've always been partial to the original Gang War (five parter, 2??), maybe because it was one of the first big events when I was reading SM as a kid.

There were plenty of standalone one-issue stories that stick out, though, but all the ones I can think of are actually Peter Parker, Spectacular stories.

Alex.

[Harold of the Rocks]

I have the arc with Cobra and Hyde right after Juggernaut (231 & 232). I always check my local comic book store for it, but they don't have it (Grrrr). Might have to resort to other tactics, because while I never dug the X-Men, Juggy rocks! I want these two issues badly!

I also have the Burglar run, that is awesome. Pete powered down, against the man that killed Ben. And Mysterio in the damn mix. Awesome.

I disagree on "Venom", but then again I am allergic to all things symbiote. Except for those bacteria in my tummy, but I digress.

I'd also argue for all Black Cat and Hobgoblin issues. I know that is generalizing a bit, but all of the Amazing Spider-Man issues of these are cool to me. Now, if you get off Amazing, I won't neccessarily defend those. But I might. On another thread. Oh yes, Cyberman I see you involved the first Black Cat appearance in the Burglar run (#193-200). There is also the initial tease of the burglar's motives way back in #170 -- which I do not have, apparently a kinda cheesy Dr. Faustus appearance from the review I have read.

I'm also partial to the initial Will O' the Wisp run (#s 167-68). Then again, overall, I'm big on Len Wein. So under-rated, it would seem. Never mentioned as one of the great writers (he was everywhere!) from what I have seen...

;)

[The Defenestrator]

They may not be an arc, but the first ten issues or so of Amazing are the greatest for me. So much character, great super-villains, and Ditko at his best art-wise.

[Mister Mets]

I have the arc with Cobra and Hyde right after Juggernaut (231 & 232). I always check my local comic book store for it, but they don't have it (Grrrr). Might have to resort to other tactics, because while I never dug the X-Men, Juggy rocks! I want these two issues badly!

I also have the Burglar run, that is awesome. Pete powered down, against the man that killed Ben. And Mysterio in the damn mix. Awesome.

I disagree on "Venom", but then again I am allergic to all things symbiote. Except for those bacteria in my tummy, but I digress.

I'd also argue for all Black Cat and Hobgoblin issues. I know that is generalizing a bit, but all of the Amazing Spider-Man issues of these are cool to me. Now, if you get off Amazing, I won't neccessarily defend those. But I might. On another thread. Oh yes, Cyberman I see you involved the first Black Cat appearance in the Burglar run (#193-200). There is also the initial tease of the burglar's motives way back in #170 -- which I do not have, apparently a kinda cheesy Dr. Faustus appearance from the review I have read.

I'm also partial to the initial Will O' the Wisp run (#s 167-68). Then again, overall, I'm big on Len Wein. So under-rated, it would seem. Never mentioned as one of the great writers (he was everywhere!) from what I have seen...

;)

I would really recommend you check out the 40 Years of Amazing Spider-Man CD Rom collection, and Wizard's Best of Spider-Man hardcover. The latter includes the Juggernaut & Cobra & Hyde stories, among others.

And Len Wein had a few great stories in Amazing Spider-Man #153, and Amazing Spider-Man #176-180, the first 5 part Spider-man story, and a great Green Goblin epic.

[TEMPUS]

Round Robin the side kicks revenge is very cool.

[The Shadow]

They may not be an arc, but the first ten issues or so of Amazing are the greatest for me. So much character, great super-villains, and Ditko at his best art-wise.
Yeah... same here!

I also liked the Death of Stacy and Goblin, the drug issues, the Gang war and the 1st appearances of the Hobgoblin! Oh, I'm also partial to Silver Sable.

[brian2322]

Round Robin the side kicks revenge is very cool.


Yeah RIGHT.

[MrPalen]

The Sinister Six and Venom arcs from Erik Larsen's run.

[Dark Soul # 7]

Round Robin the side kicks revenge is very cool.
Yeah that is a cool arc with a classic superhero gang vs. supervillain gang battle at the end.

[Charagon]

Always liked Spectacular better. Had more Black Cat.

[brian2322]

I'm taking a guess you just bought the 40 Years of Amazing Spider-Man CD Rom.

Ten great ones (beginning with the best)
Amazing Spider-Man #121-122 "Turning Point"
Amazing Spider-Man #248 "The Kid Who Collected Spider-Man"
Amazing Spider-Man #31-33 "If Tihs Be My Destiny"
Amazing Spider-Man #229-230 "Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut"
Amazing Spider-Man #53-59 "Disaster"
Amazing Spider-Man Volume 2 #30-35, 37, 38 Straczynci's first, and best arc.
Amazing Spider-Man #50-52 "Spider-Man No More" (You may want to read this one before disaster.)
Amazing Spider-Man #193-200 "Return of the Burglar"
Amazing Spider-Man #238-239 "The Hobgoblin"
Amazing Spider-Man #300 "Venom"

I go into more detail with many of them here.
http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=68955

I pretty much agree on almost all of this.

[comicchick]

which ones did you enjoy the most? ive only read some of the amazing spider-man GN's but i've really enjoyed them so far. how did you find marvel knights, peter parker spider-man, spectacular spider-man, ultimate spider-man?

which ones are the ones that have the deaths of MJ, captain stacy and gwen stacy in? these seem like story lines i should definatley have read.

[Web_Spinner]

I'd suggest skipping the ones you mentioned, that was a pretty bad era, so bad, they are NOT collected in TPB.

except the death of Gwen Stacy, that is a classic collected in a tpb of its own.

I would suggest Mark Millar's MK Spider-Man run. 1-12, available in several trade paper backs or in one hard cover collection.

[comicchick]

which ones arent collected? because all the ones i mentioned are on www.megacitycomics.co.uk you can buy them all in graphic novel form. im confused as to which ones you cant get.

[Chinchalinchin]

Definitely get Kraven's Last Hunt. It's one of the best Spider-Man stories ever told.

Try to get ahold of any Paul Jenkin's trade paperbacks. He writes a fantastic Spider-Man. The ones I reccomend above all else are The Return of the Goblin and The Revenge of Goblin. Jenkins at his very best.

[Web_Spinner]

which ones arent collected? because all the ones i mentioned are on www.megacitycomics.co.uk you can buy them all in graphic novel form. im confused as to which ones you cant get.

I meant the stories around MJ's "death!"

no tpb for that, and you're not missing much.

The Death of Gwen Stacy and Geroge Stacy ARE in TPB. The death of Arthur Stacy is NOT.

Sorry for the confusion.

[comicchick]

I meant the stories around MJ's "death!"

no tpb for that, and you're not missing much.

The Death of Gwen Stacy and Geroge Stacy ARE in TPB. The death of Arthur Stacy is NOT.

Sorry for the confusion.
how many stacy's are there? and boy do they sound like an unlucky bunch. which one is captain stacy? arthur or george?

[Nick MB]

which ones did you enjoy the most? ive only read some of the amazing spider-man GN's but i've really enjoyed them so far. how did you find marvel knights, peter parker spider-man, spectacular spider-man, ultimate spider-man?

which ones are the ones that have the deaths of MJ, captain stacy and gwen stacy in? these seem like story lines i should definatley have read.

MJ died? When? Do you mean the crappily-written fake death in ASM volume 2?

[milhouse123321]

MJ died? When? Do you mean the crappily-written fake death in ASM volume 2?

The uh.. plane explosion? Yeah, I think thats what he means

[BeastieRunner]

Spider-man: Torment
Spider-man: Blue
Marvel Knights Spider-man Volumes 1-3 Down Amongst the Dead Men, Venomous, and The Last Stand
Spider-man Visionaries Todd McFarlane, Kurt Busiek
Spider-man Legends Todd McFarlane, Spidey & Wolverine
Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt
Spider-Man/Human Torch: I'm With Stupid

Those are some of my favorites and cover some good history as well.

[Ron]

[QUOTE=Chinchalinchin]Definitely get Kraven's Last Hunt. It's one of the best Spider-Man stories ever told.

I'll second that, I've been reading Spidey since 1985, it's one of the best

[pmpknface]

I thought this thread was gonna be about GN's like: Hooky, Parallel Lives, Fear Itself, Spirits of the Earth, etc...

THOSE are GN's. Most of the stories mentioned here are stories in issue format that were collected. Nothing against them as most of these are pretty good (hell, I've got Kraven's Last Hunt is at least 3 different formats!), but I suggest you check out those other GN's too!

[comicchick]

I thought this thread was gonna be about GN's like: Hooky, Parallel Lives, Fear Itself, Spirits of the Earth, etc...

are those the titles of the GNs? like for example; amazing spiderman vol 1: coming home?

[pmpknface]

No no no... what I'm talking about are ACTUAL graphic novels. As in a story not told in single issues and ONLY told in a book format and not reprinted in other places. You are talking about trades, which are collected editons of previously published material.

In the 80's Marvel published a line of Marvel Graphic Novels and they were even numbered. One of the more famous ones was "God Loves, Man Kills" (which was #5) or "The Death of Captain Marvel (#1). These were all magazine size too! You can even look them up in the Overstreet price guide. After about 38 of them they stopped being numbered and then sometimes you'd have to look them up under the regular title. Here are a few:

http://i17.ebayimg.com/04/i/06/fe/47/40_1.JPG

http://i19.ebayimg.com/04/i/06/e5/ef/32_1_b.JPG

http://i16.ebayimg.com/03/i/06/6d/07/26_1.JPG

[comicchick]

oh ok, so these ones are quite rare then? becasue i was comic shopping yesterday and i didnt see any of them. i got spiderman vs the black cat though. and i saw one called spiderman vs silver sable. but the rest were all the TPBs.

[pmpknface]

Well, I wouldn't say they are that rare. Maybe about as rare as back issues of the time, or about as rare as Marvel Treasury editions. It is also hard to find them in good condition.

Those 2 books you mentioned are also tpb's, as they reprint older material. Look on the inside covers (where the print gets real small) and you'll see what issues are reprinted in the book you got. Or maybe there they reprint the covers in there too. I think the Spidey / BC one has ASM 194,195, 204, 205, 226 maybe?

If you're interested in the GN's that I posted pics of try ebay. Or make it a point to look/ask for them at conventions. I strongly recommend the 3 I posted pics of. Some of them came in both HC and softcover format, like the Dr. Strange / Dr. Doom "Triumph and Torment" by Mike Mignola, which is an awesome story.

http://i4.ebayimg.com/03/i/06/e9/f5/ag_1.JPG

[comicchick]

yeah i might try and find that one you just mentioned. i really like dr doom and i really like the hellboy stories so i imagine i would like triumph and tourment.

[pmpknface]

yeah i might try and find that one you just mentioned. i really like dr doom and i really like the hellboy stories so i imagine i would like triumph and tourment.
If you're a Doom fan, this is a must. Ya know how Doom was all about trying to save his mother's soul from Mephisto (that's what he was expermenting on when he scarred his face)? Well... this story follows that up a little... ;)

[comicchick]

If you're a Doom fan, this is a must. Ya know how Doom was all about trying to save his mother's soul from Mephisto (that's what he was expermenting on when he scarred his face)? Well... this story follows that up a little... ;)
ooo excellent...although because of my rather extreme shoping spree yesterday i think ill have to wait a couple of months till i buy this. unless i can borrow it from the library or something. hmmm... i must read it though.

[MP9124]

I'm new to reading spiderman comics and am just wondering what are your favorite story arcs and if theres any prereading that I would have to do, just looking for some good reads...

[Sir Tim Drake]

Pretty much all of the first hundred issues of Amazing Spider-Man are worth reading. I recommend that you pick up the first few Essential volumes and read them straight through. The highlight of this era is "The Master Planner" (ASM #31-33), which is also the best Spider-Man story overall.

After that, I recommend the Roger Stern/John Romita Jr. run, which is approximately ASM #224-251. The best issue of this run is #248, but #224, 229-232 and 244-245 are also highlights.

Another acknowledged classic is "The Death of Jean DeWolff" from Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110. And I may be alone in this, but I really like the Micheline/McFarlane run on Amazing Spider-Man (early #300s).

As for more recent stories, I recommend the entire run of Untold Tales of Spider-Man, and at least the early part of Straczynski and Romita Jr.'s Amazing Spider-Man.

[MP9124]

Wait, which of those are TPB's and which of those are only available as comics

are TPB's considered good collector's items?

[Chinchalinchin]

Well, the first one hundred issues or so are collected in The Essential Spider-Man volumes. They are not colored, mind you, but other than that, they should be in every Spidey fan's collection.

Stracynski and John Romita Jr.'s run is collected in TPBs as well and are pretty easy to find.

I highly recommend trying to track down some of those fabled Paul Jenkin's Spider-Man TPBs, they are excellent. He did a fairly long stint on Peter Parker Spider-Man (I think it was Vol. 3, but it might have be Vol. 2. My memory is a crapshoot these days.) and wrote the entirety of Spectacular Spider-Man (I'm almost positive it was Vol. 2), excluding the Sins Remembered arc. And please, Dear God, whatever you do, leave that alone. Chief among the Paul Jenkin's TPBs are The Revenge of Goblin and The Return of the Goblin, in that order. Essentially, Return is a sequel to Revenge. On top of that, they are some of the best Goblin stories in circulation.

There's Mark Millars MK Spider-Man, which has become, to many, this generation's defining Spider-Man story. I believe the hardcover encompassing every issue of his run has just come out. Worthwhile investment, to be sure.

The Night Gwen Stacy Died is also a good read, if only for continunity sake. Almost every major Spidey story afterwards hinges on what transpires inside those pages.

Spider-Man: Son of the Goblin. Contains the single most emotionally riveting story ever told in the pages of Spider-Man.

Roger Stern stuff is also amazing, but it's hard as all get out to find his TPBs anymore.

[Mister Mets]

I did a Top 15 Spider-Man stories thread a while back.
http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=68955

The best Spider-Man collection is the 40 Years of Amazing Spider-Man Collection which includes the first 500 issues of Amazing Spider-Man. You don't have to read most of the stories, but it does contain a lot of great Spider-Man tales.

Wizard's Best of Spider-Man Hardcover is excellent. It includes some truly legendary Spider-Man stories, including the two part battle with the Juggernaut (which goes just as badly as you'd expect), "The Kid Who Collected Spider-Man," The Death of Jean Dewolfe (and Spider-Man's best encounter with Daredevil,) a three part Venom tale w/ Todd Mcfarlane art, and more.

One heads up. Read 'The Death of Jean Dewolfe' before you read any reprint of Amazing Spider-Man #300 (The first Venom story) because it contains spoilers.)

[Billy Parker]

Hey, where does the story "The Kid Who Collected Spider-Man" appear?

[MP9124]

Amazing Spiderman #248

[Billy Parker]

Whoa thanks!

[Dial Tone]

I'm new to reading spiderman comics and am just wondering what are your favorite story arcs and if theres any prereading that I would have to do, just looking for some good reads...

I'm actually reading my favorite Spider-Man arcs right now. You can't go wrong with anything written by David Michelinie. I especially like his stuff with Todd mcFarlane, but also love his stuff with Larson and Bagley. Peter David and Rich Buckler's 'Death of Jean DeWolff" is just incredible! So is "Kraven's Last Hunt" by J. M. DeMatties and Mike Zeck. JMS and Romita Jr.'s first arc was as good as any Spidey story ever written. Tom Defalco and Ron Frenz did some really good stuff, especially the issues where Spidey fought Firelord. Roger Stern and Ron Frenz also did the excellent "Hobgoblin Lives", and Roger had many great stories with John Romita Jr. as the artist.

Some of the above is collected, but I would start off with Amazing Fantasy #15 and Amazing Spider-Man #1-whatever issue was Stan Lee's last. That's the best way to go for somebody looking to really get into some great Spider-Man stories.

[fireball87o]

The best of Spiderman can be seen weekdays on Spiderman & His Amazing Friends!!
(check local listings) :p

[Peter Parker]

The best story-ac is possible the Secret Wars and the Clone Saga, love both of em'.:p

[MP9124]

What would be your favorite stories with each villain (Lizard, (Hob)Goblins, Symbiotes, etc.)

[Blight]

For Roderick aka the original Hobgoblin why it's happening right now with the kickass and taking names he's doing in Spider-Girl #98. It's just business, nothing personal. Why can't he return to 616? Still Defalco is writing him like gangbusters.

[MP9124]

Are there any Spiderman stories involving Galactus? I'd still really like to know a favored Venom or Lizard arc, they just were some of my fave's.

[im399unot]

And I may be alone in this, but I really like the Micheline/McFarlane run on Amazing Spider-Man (early #300s).





Your not alone. I really liked all those issues as well. There was some pretty good stuff there and the art just kiced @ss. This was the time I started ready Spidy.

[WolverinesSon]

This story when Peter faces off against probably one of the most sickest villains he's ever had to face.
http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/westcott.htm

[Trusty Mutsi]

and at least the early part of Straczynski and Romita Jr.'s Amazing Spider-Man.

I think those early issues are some of my favorite comics ever. I read one of Marvel's free online issues, and was hooked. One of the best comics I had read in a while.

I haven't been keeping up with it after Spidey and Mary Jane got back together. Why's it going downhill, in your opinion?

[WolverinesSon]

This story when Peter faces off against probably one of the most sickest villains he's ever had to face.
http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/westcott.htm

http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/westcott3.jpg

[Arilou]

What would be your favorite stories with each villain (Lizard, (Hob)Goblins, Symbiotes, etc.)

I love the (rather longish, IIRC) subplot with the Hobgoblin who was at one point framing Flash and a bunch of other stuff. Never did find out how it ended though.

[jim1175]

I'm actually reading my favorite Spider-Man arcs right now. You can't go wrong with anything written by David Michelinie. I especially like his stuff with Todd mcFarlane, but also love his stuff with Larson and Bagley. Peter David and Rich Buckler's 'Death of Jean DeWolff" is just incredible! So is "Kraven's Last Hunt" by J. M. DeMatties and Mike Zeck. JMS and Romita Jr.'s first arc was as good as any Spidey story ever written. Tom Defalco and Ron Frenz did some really good stuff, especially the issues where Spidey fought Firelord. Roger Stern and Ron Frenz also did the excellent "Hobgoblin Lives", and Roger had many great stories with John Romita Jr. as the artist.

Some of the above is collected, but I would start off with Amazing Fantasy #15 and Amazing Spider-Man #1-whatever issue was Stan Lee's last. That's the best way to go for somebody looking to really get into some great Spider-Man stories.

Spidey vs. Firelord!!!! Perhaps the best 2 part battle I ever read. My memory isn't the best but I believe it took place in Amazing 269 & 270.... A must read!

[MP9124]

Has he ever fought Galactus, when was the last time he had to fight Hulk?

[Tony Starkz]

Spider-Man/Human Torch by Slott!!!!!!!!!!

Millar's my fav writer but I've stayed away from his MK Spidey.I've heard mixed things about it,but mostly that his Wolverine run kicks so much more ass.

[MP9124]

What about the best recent story arcs, I'm having trouble finding many older comics at my local comic shop, I'm not hating though

[Peter Parker]

Isn't the recent arcs about Spidey with the Iron Spider suit? :confused:

[The Sentry]

Kraven saga.

Spidey vs Juggernaut.

Lee/Ditko stuff.

My list would probably run on, but I'll leave it at this.

[MP9124]

How was The Other?

[Venom]

The 90's Clone Saga. Ah, those were the days.

[froma]

What about the best recent story arcs, I'm having trouble finding many older comics at my local comic shop, I'm not hating though
I'd pick up Millar's Marvel Knights Spider-Man run. It's easily my favorite Spider-Man story that has come out recently.

[PanzerMega]

Spider-Man vs. Juggernaut.

JMS's first arc with Morlun. After that things got kinda lame.

I also liked Return of the Sinister Six. That's right when I started reading Amazing Spider-Man as a kid, and it seemed pretty epic then. Now you usually get 1 villian for a six issue arc.

[idrewaheart]

i have just started reading Amazing Spider-man, have the cd-rom with all the issues on, i have read the first 15 issues but i was wondering if ther is a list anywhere of the issues with the key moments/events in spider-man 'life'? so i dont have to read over 500 comics to catch up.
or if anyone could help me out with a read list?

it would much appreciated
(sorry if its a lot to ask)

[Breadfan]

That is alot to ask, so start reading!

[idrewaheart]

yeah i know it is, im just after the main issues/arcs so i dont have to read 500+ issues to understand alot of the story and references

[Mister Mets]

In my opinion these are the most referenced and important Spider-Man issues....

Amazing Spider-Man 1-38, Annuals 1-2) The Lee/ Ditko issues are generally important, and exceptional. The absolute highlights would be 6-7, 9-10, 13, 17-20, 24-28, 31-33, and the first annual.

Amazing Spider-Man 39-67) The Lee/ Romita issues are a pretty big deal too. The absolute highlights includes Issues 39-40, 42, 50-59, and the fifth Annual. However, it's worth reading most of the stories given major developments with Peter Parker's social life (this was when things changed with the character pretty often.) My "highlights" exclude the issue where Peter & Harry became room-mates, where MJ met Harry & Gwen, the first appearances of Shocker & Rhino, and other key moments.

Amazing Spider-Man 86-90/ 96-98) Important developments with Gwen Stacy. Harry Osborn.

Amazing Spider-Man 100-102) The six-armed Spider-Man & the Lizard VS Morbius

Amazing Spider-Man 121-122, 129, 136-137) Gerry Conway's most significant issues.

Amazing Spider-Man 130-131) The issues where Otto Octavius was engaged to Aunt May. Not the best of Spider-Man, but often referenced.

141-150) Important to understanding the Clone Saga. Not as singnificant otherwise.

151-153) Len Wein's first issues. Includes a key battle with the Shocker, the return of Harry Osborn and a memorable single issue story.

176-180) Key Spider-Man/ Harry Osborn Green Goblin fight.

193-200) Some surprisingly important stuff. The first Black Cat. Final battle with the Kingpin. Return of Ben's Killer. And the return of one of Spider-Man's biggest foe.

224-227, 229-251) Roger Stern's run. Generally important, oft-referenced and good stuff. Key developments with Black Cat, The first Hobgoblin, Vulture's origin, MJ's return after several years, "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man" and a battle with Juggernaut that ranks as Spider-Man's best ever (and goes just as badly as you though it would go.

252-259) The Alien Costume saga.

290-292, Annual 21) The marriage of Spider-Man.

298-300, 315-317) The first appearances of Venom.

361-363) The first appearance of Carnage.

Amazing Spider-Man Volume 2 #30-39, 46-50) JMS's run is generally important, but these are the biggest issues with the first appearance of Morlun, Peter getting his job as a teacher, a reunion with MJ, May learning of Spider-Man's identity, etc.

Amazing Spider-Man #506-508) "The Book of Ezekiel" ties up JMS's first mega-arc.

Here's some back issue reviews which rate the significance of the comics.
http://www.samruby.com/reviews.htm

[idrewaheart]

thats awesome thanks alot cyberman!
its very much appreciated

[rZi]

The "key moments" are hard to define because it is a mix of opinion as well as the story and what happens within it. All i can say is read as much as you can and make up your own mind on the issue because im having trouble naming some of the top of my head...clone saga, sins past, the other, death of jean de wolf, birth of venom etc.

[Ult. Fireboy]

The current arc "Back In Black" is very good reading, but that may not help.:o

[jim1175]

i have just started reading Amazing Spider-man, have the cd-rom with all the issues on, i have read the first 15 issues but i was wondering if ther is a list anywhere of the issues with the key moments/events in spider-man 'life'? so i dont have to read over 500 comics to catch up.
or if anyone could help me out with a read list?

it would much appreciated
(sorry if its a lot to ask)

The answer to your question is overwhelming however previous posters have given you some good highlights.

But a little advise if you don't mind:
Take your time and read the 500+ issues. With few exceptions each one was important, enjoyable and entertaining... don't rush though 45 years of history to get to the end (or present). Many long time, hard core Spiderman fans would love to be in your position; having so many great Spidey moments to enjoy for the very first time. I'm not coping out on you; I just don't want you to jip yourself out of the full experience.

Give us updates with your current readings & if you have questions, ideas or comments, or if you are looking for other story references... put them out there most of us would love to help.

[Mister Mets]

thats awesome thanks alot cyberman!
its very much appreciated
Not a problem.

My answer obviously skips over some key stories, but the ones I mentioned are the ones I feel are the most important.

You can also use them to decide what other stories to read within the 500 issues (ie- if you like the Micheline/ Macfarlane Venom issues, you might want to read the rest of their run, and maybe Micheline/ Larsen's Venom storylines.)

[idrewaheart]

thanks for all your help, i am going to read as much as i can and take in what all of you have said, im really looking forward to seeing spider-man develop and looking forward to some of the stories you have all mentioned

[Mister Mets]

The purpose of this thread is to recommend some good Spider-Man stories, because the one thing the readers on this board have in common, it's that we all like good Spider-Man stories. Add suggestions of your own, and talk about the suggestions of others (even if it's to complain, and especially if it's to mention something you like about it a particular story.) You can mention new comics, old comics, anything in between and even non-comic book Spider-Man stories. The best suggestions will probably be the more obscure ones as that may encourage others to find material they're currently unaware of, but I have no objection to anyone mentioning the usual suspects.

I'll start...

Amazing Spider-Man #193-200
http://www.spiderfan.org/comics/images/spiderman_amazing/196.jpg
http://www.spiderfan.org/comics/images/spiderman_amazing/200.jpg

I'm stunned that this hasn't been collected in a TPB yet, because in addition to being really good, these issues feature a lot of important stuff happening. While Marv Wolfman has always endorsed the illusion of change, this story didn't seem stagnant, having a tremendous impact on Spider-Man, with...
1. The first appearance of the Black Cat
2. The return of the Quentin Beck Mysterio after a 125+ issue absence
3. The final battle with Kingpin, before Kingpin would go on to become primarily a Daredevil foe
4. Spider-Man believing his Aunt May had died
and
5. the rematch between Spider-Man and Uncle Ben's killer.

The material itself is excellent, with a solid central mystery (a conspiracy against Aunt May) & some incredible payoff. I just love how Spider-Man really has no victories in this storyline, until the final issue, which was perfect for the character. Millar used a similar plot "Spider-Man faces some of his greatest enemies while Aunt May is missing, and believed dead" for his Marvel Knights run, so I'd love to know if he was inspired by this stretch.

The cheapest place to find this is in the 40 Years of Spider-Man CD/ DVD Rom collections. It's a reminder that there were Spider-Man writers between Conway and Stern, and that some of them were pretty good.

[Bulky Brent]

Amazing Spider-Man #193-200
Sounds like a good read I've been looking for some good back tales of Spider-Man since I only started reading from #40 (2nd series) and up maybe they might have these at my LCS for a good price I'll probably go next week

aside from whats going on in Spider-Man at this recent time it also good to discuss about past stories especially really good ones in case the discussion in the forum become dull for some reason. This is a great idea Cyberman

[rZi]

Great idea, share your thoughts!

Marvel Knights Spider-Man #1-12

Written by: Mark Millar
Pencils by: Terry Dodson
Inker: Rachel Dodson

I know it seems that 12 issues is a bit much...but it is all one continious story so you need to read all of them to get the full effect and trust me....once you start you wont want to stop!

A mixture of great villians (there are many)
a few big mysteries
alot of witty dialouge - some of the best ive read ever (ive been reading for 12 years now..trust me!)
a truck load of progression in all directions

OUTSTANDING

you wont find a fan who does not like this book...i assure you that!


I really don't want to say anymore because it is hard to explain without minor spoilers and what not but this is probably my faviroute spider story from the past 6 years.

[Magneto Rocks]

I was about to reply when I saw rZi said EXACTLY what I was going to say.

Let me further plug it by saying the whole 12 issues are now available in hardback AND softcover and well worth the read!

[Ben Morgan]

Spider-Man: India

[Mister Mets]

Great idea, share your thoughts!

Marvel Knights Spider-Man #1-12

Written by: Mark Millar
Pencils by: Terry Dodson
Inker: Rachel Dodson

I know it seems that 12 issues is a bit much...but it is all one continious story so you need to read all of them to get the full effect and trust me....once you start you wont want to stop!

A mixture of great villians (there are many)
a few big mysteries
alot of witty dialouge - some of the best ive read ever (ive been reading for 12 years now..trust me!)
a truck load of progression in all directions

OUTSTANDING

you wont find a fan who does not like this book...i assure you that!


I really don't want to say anymore because it is hard to explain without minor spoilers and what not but this is probably my faviroute spider story from the past 6 years.
My love for that story is well known.
http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=68955

However, I've seen it recommended so many times I'd include it in the "usual suspects" of great Spider-Man stories, a list that includes Amazing Fantasy #15, the Master Planner saga, "Spider-Man & The Green Goblin Both Unmasked", "Spider-Man No More," "The Night Gwen Stacy Died," "Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut," "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man," "The Death of Jean Dewolfe", Kraven's Last Hunt, JM Dematteis's Harry Osborn saga, Amazing Spider-Man #400, the first year of Ultimate Spider-Man, Millar's twelve issue epic, JMS's first nine issues and Sensational Spider-Man Annual 1 (the latter has been recommended more than any Spider-Man story I have seen in the last year). These are stories that have been praised often, and vocally, so there's less need to recommend them here.

[Rere]

I'd suggest the Slott Spidey gems so far:

(And may they serve as inspiration to his others issues to come!)

She-Hulk (vol. 3) #04

http://www.thefourthrail.com/images/reviews/061404/shehulk4.jpg

Were Spider-Man tries to sue J. Jonah Jameson (and the Daily Bugle) for libel and She-Hulk represents him. Just a really hilarious light-hearted Spidey related comic.

Spider-Man/Human Torch #1-5

http://www.thefourthrail.com/images/reviews/011005/spidermanhumantorch1.jpg

The five parts mini created by Slott that is a celebration of Peter Paker and Johnny Storm relationship during all their years as superheroes. With each issue focusing on a different period in their careers.

It's very nostalgic, funny, with great sense of continuity (to long time fans) and probably one of the best Spidey minis in a long while.

I really LOVE Spidey and Paste-Pot Pete rendezvous, the Spider-Mobile and the end of the last issue. Damn. I better just give up pointing up my high points on this. Who am I trying to fool? I just love all of it! :D

[Chris Nowlin]

Let me just enthusiastically second Spider-Man/Human Torch #1-5, while recommending Ultimate Spider-Man #1-13 for a beautiful reimagining of Spidey's early days. You get his origin told beautifully (one big flaw), a battle with Green Goblin (that part I'm not a fan of; don't like Ultimate Gobby), a struggle with Kingpin which... I can't even describe how good it is, all building to gushingly cute climactic issue 13...

[mrc1214]

I read Lees run and Im looking for Sterns and Michilenie does anyone have any other run worth looking for?? I seem to be missing the 70s

[Chris Nowlin]

I read Lees run and Im looking for Sterns and Michilenie does anyone have any other run worth looking for?? I seem to be missing the 70s

Yes. Runs to read, IMO.

Lee
Conway
Wolfman
Stern (Spectacular and Amazing, but all the great stuff is in Amazing)
David (on Spectacular)
Dematteis (on Marvel Team-Up, then Kraven's Last Hunt, then later Spectacular)
Claremont (On Marvel Team-Up)
Busiek (Amazing Fantasy and Untold Tales)
Slott (Spider-Man Human Torch mini)
Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man)

[Mister Mets]

Two more books with standalone stories by one of the most under-rated Spider-Man writers of the last decade.

Spider-Man Unlimited #12
I Heart Marvel: Web of Romance

http://www.stumblebumstudios.com/images/features/spiderman_unl_12cvr.gif
http://www.stumblebumstudios.com/images/features/ihm1cvr.gif

My opinions regarding Spider-Man's marriage are well-known, but Tom Beland (best known for the romantic comedy autobiocomic True Story, Swear to God) is a believer, and Web of Romance presents one of the best cases for the Spider-Man marriage. It's a lovely done-in-one story with Peter Parker trying to find an anniversary present for MJ (the present itself is brilliant on almost every level) and it demonstrates how well MJ fits in with the Avengers, and all facets of Peter's life. I hate to mention problems with the material on a recommended stories thread, but the story is almost undone by some inconsistent, and just bad (in my opinion) art by Cory Walker. I still give it a high recommendation, and believe it's worth looking through back issue bins.

Beland had better art in his Spider-Man Unlimited story with Sean Phillips. It told a simple story effectively as one of Peter Parker's prize students deals with a tragedy, and Spider-Man gets the Marvel Universe to help. It could have been shlocky, but Beland handles the material perfectly, also referencing some recent changes in the Marvel U, and making a cliche of the Silver Age Marvel books into something poignant. The other story was by rising star Christos Gage, and artist Mike McKone with the Big Wheel returning, and seeking redemption. It was a brief story with some fun concepts (Villains Anonymous) and the perfect fate for what may be Spider-Man's worst (in terms of quality, not viciousness) enemy.

[SpideyZERO]

Spider-Man Son of The Goblin

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/1408/newgraphicnovel3332ht9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Written by GERRY CONWAY, DAVID MICHELINIE & J.M. DEMATTEIS; Pencils by ROSS ANDRU, TODD MCFARLANE & SAL BUSCEMA; Cover by SAL BUSCEMA

I just got this recently and this is one my favourite tpb. It details the rise and fall of Harry Osborn and it makes Harry almost top on my best spidey-villian list. And the last chapter is definitely a classic! I really love the last two page.:D

[ozvette]

Spider-Man: Blue

I've said it recently, but Loeb and Sale are an amazing team.

I'm sure everyone knows it, but Valentines day, and Peter recording a message for his previous love Gwen.

[Chris Nowlin]

Spider-Man Son of The Goblin

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/1408/newgraphicnovel3332ht9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Written by GERRY CONWAY, DAVID MICHELINIE & J.M. DEMATTEIS; Pencils by ROSS ANDRU, TODD MCFARLANE & SAL BUSCEMA; Cover by SAL BUSCEMA

I just got this recently and this is one my favourite tpb. It details the rise and fall of Harry Osborn and it makes Harry almost top on my best spidey-villian list. And the last chapter is definitely a classic! I really love the last two page.:D

Those are indeed some excellent stories. I'll note Tales of Wonder has it 60% off at the moment.

Though since it's only 5 comics, you'd think they could have put in 5 more for 10 issues, thereby getting the Bart Hamilton saga. That's the only major omission besides Child Within, which could then get its own trade

[brundlefly]

That's the only major omission besides Child Within, which could then get its own trade

Man, I'd love to see that in trade form. Read it originally in its entirety back when it was released, but I'm somehow missing two issues of it now. I could probably track them down online with a little effort (as I can never find them in back-issue boxes at either of my LCSs), but a trade would be the preferable solution.

[Nick MB]

First two years of Ultimate Spider-Man. (The rest is enjoyable and upper class Spidey, but it's those four or five arcs that are absolutely stone cold classics.)

Either of DeMatteis's runs on Spectacular. (Plus Kraven's Last Hunt.)

Jenkin's initial run on PPSM with Buckingham.

All pretty modern stuff, but I lack the experience in the classic stories.

[Rere]

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/3207/spidermanwebspinners7fs3.jpghttp://img338.imageshack.us/img338/6002/spidermanwebspinners8go4.jpghttp://img252.imageshack.us/img252/4749/spidermanwebspinners9lr0.jpg

'Webspinners Tales of Spider-Man' had a very interesting concept - different creative teams for each arc and non-continuity stories taking place during iconic moments of the Spidey history.

And 'Webspinners Tales of Spider-Man' # 7, 8 and 9 was a great arc. The iconic moment here is Pete High School days at Midtown and the story takes place during the few days that preceded his senior prom. It's a fresh take on the 'live up a bit' attitude that sometimes takes a hold of Peter and its usually messed up consequences. Best part of it if you ask me? Spidey acts irresponsible and NO ONE dies! God, that's relieving … way too much drama lately.

Anyway, Webspinners was somewhat a short-lived Spidey title, and 'The Bridge' arc was probably the best one of the entire title run. Worth picking it up.

And for all the Gwen Stacy fans out there I would also suggest picking up the 'Webspinners Tales of Spider-Man #1' just to check it out the second story, by DeMatteis and Romita Sr. It's a retrospective story of Peter's last date with Gwen, just a bit before she was murdered by the Green Goblin. It's really a touching story. A big trip down nostalgia lane with Romita Sr. art guiding us. Who could ask for more?


http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/3865/spidermanwebspinners1cnv5.jpg

[bigdaddyhub]

I know that JMS isn't getting a TON of love right now, but I really enjoyed his initial run w/ JRJR as they introduced Morlun and Ezekiel. I liked how Parker needed to reach down to defeat this unstoppable force. Pretty good read.

I will also interject another plug for MK 1-12. GREAT STORY! My only complaint is that the casualty count seems a little high for a spider-man story. It does a great job of showing Parker's heroism.

I really enjoyed S-M and FF. God bless Wieringo.

[Mister Mets]

The Confessor gave a good recommendation of Spectacular Spider-Man #14 on a Morbius thread at the Marvel Universe forum. The single issue is worth hunting down in comic book boxes. Unfortunately, three-quarters of the TPB it was reprinted in "Here there be Monsters" was a story that I put down on the worst Spider-Man stories list.

Although I have to agree that Gil Kane drew an excellent Morbius, I also really loved Paolo Rivera's painted version of him in the awesomely good Spectacular Spider-Man #14 a few years back.

Admittedly there's more than a hint of Nosferatu in Rivera's rendering but the colours were so atmospheric and they completmented the story so well that I was willing to overlook that. There's something beastial and truely sinister in this version of Morbius I think.

Anyone unfamilier with this particular issue of Spectacular Spider-Man from 2004 should check it out immediately. It's absolutely brilliant! A very thought provoking issue indeed and best of all, it's a self contained one-shot story.


http://img477.imageshack.us/img477/2749/morbiuspaolorivera001ec1.jpg
http://img477.imageshack.us/img477/7906/morbiuspaolorivera003kl2.jpg
http://img477.imageshack.us/img477/4818/morbiuspaolorivera002gm8.jpg

[KirkWarren]

Roger Stern era of Spidey is one of my favourite runs on the character. JRJr does a lot of the art during that period and I still feel it is his best work on Spidey. His art was much cleaner and less blocky in the earlier days and I prefer it to his current dark and blocky work. His work started back on Spectacular Spider-man before he moved onto the main title and introduced us to the first Hobgoblin, one of Spideys greatest villains and probably the equivilent to Venom except in the 80s instead of 90s, in terms of popularity and usage,

You can grab his first Visionaries book in TPB form already collecting Amazing Spider-Man #206 and Spectacular Spider-Man #43-52, #54.


One of the more recent gems that many overlook is Amazing Spider-man 400. While editorial mandated to be retconned, I still feel the issue holds a great deal of strength and impact even today. Everything came off perfectly in this issue, from Peter's joy of spending time with his "healthy" Aunt to his shock at the realization she knew he was Spider-man to the final death of May. Ben Reilly's being forced to stay on the roof crying, unable to spend the last few moments with his dying Aunt, whom he had all these memories of and whom he came out of hiding for all those years to be with was an incredibly sad moment and the final Peter Pan quote from Peter as she passed away was perfect in my eyes.

[will_butler]

I loved Peter David's run on Spectacular Spider-Man. Man, that was gritty!

Will

[dasaten]

So, I've been wanting to read Spider Man comics for quite a while now, but have been continually put off by all the different titles, and complex storylines and stuff. I was hoping I could get a little advice from some long time Spider readers. Basically, I want to to read all the classic stories that I can, and then work my way up to current issues. I'm planning on getting the 40 years of Amazing Spider Man DVD. Of course, I know there are crossovers, and I'll just have to get the TPBs. My main question is this: If I just read all of the 40 yrs DVD and all of the available in-canon TPBs, am I going to miss out on anything big? I know that the Clone Saga has never been fully reprinted. Am I going to get what I need from just the TPBs and DVD. Or, are there massive events in the Clone Saga to the point where I would need to pick up back issues if I wanted to get the whole picture? Or, can I just skip the Clone Saga and be all the better for it? I've heard people either love it or hate it. I know I'm glad that X-Men's mid-90's stunt was an alternate universe, so it could be easily skipped over. Anyway, I know you probably get a lot of non readers around here looking for advice on how to start, and I imagine it might get a bit annoying. But, any advice or input y'all could offer would be greatly appreciated. Thx!

[Rahul]

Well, if you want to start reading Spidey afresh in the current continuity, I'd say Amazing Spider-Man 546 is nice for a jumping in point.

[ShaggyB]

So, I've been wanting to read Spider Man comics for quite a while now, but have been continually put off by all the different titles, and complex storylines and stuff. I was hoping I could get a little advice from some long time Spider readers. Basically, I want to to read all the classic stories that I can, and then work my way up to current issues. I'm planning on getting the 40 years of Amazing Spider Man DVD. Of course, I know there are crossovers, and I'll just have to get the TPBs. My main question is this: If I just read all of the 40 yrs DVD and all of the available in-canon TPBs, am I going to miss out on anything big? I know that the Clone Saga has never been fully reprinted. Am I going to get what I need from just the TPBs and DVD. Or, are there massive events in the Clone Saga to the point where I would need to pick up back issues if I wanted to get the whole picture? Or, can I just skip the Clone Saga and be all the better for it? I've heard people either love it or hate it. I know I'm glad that X-Men's mid-90's stunt was an alternate universe, so it could be easily skipped over. Anyway, I know you probably get a lot of non readers around here looking for advice on how to start, and I imagine it might get a bit annoying. But, any advice or input y'all could offer would be greatly appreciated. Thx!

In regards to the Clone Saga.

Its a hard story to follow. likewise its even harder to track down. It starts back in the 90s when spidey had four monthly books...
1) Amazing Spider-Man
2) Spectacular Spider-Man
3) Web of Spider-Man
4) Spider-Man

Clone Saga begins in all four of these books.... Then two of them end with the last peter parker Spider-man story and a New Book begins shortly after....
1) Amazing Spider-Man
2) Spider-Man
3) Sensational Spider-Man

Pete loses his powers and Ben takes over as spiderman. issue 407 of ASM is the first with Ben as Spidey. (till then Ben has been Scarlet Spider and was the only Spider-man in the book since issue 405 (I believe) )

The bad thing is the Clone Saga is always a four part crossover story until the Spec and Web books close, then it becomes 3 or 6 part crossover between the 3 remaining books.

Just reading the ASM 40 years dvd will miss you most of these stories. Basically Clone saga stretches from after parkers fake parents die (ASM 388) to the early 400s in ASM. You'll meet Jackel and Traveler. You wont like either, May will die along the way and if you are a Carnage fan, boy are you in for a treat. Problem is, its just a big old blended story, Its hard to follow if you miss parts of it too.

[The Shadow]

Amazing Spider-Man 546 is nice for a jumping in point.
This is a divisive issue with many fans who liked the marriage of Peter and MJ... but if you don't have a preference then it is PERFECT. A classic Spider-Man feel (think the movies or any cartoon you've seen).


can I just skip the Clone Saga and be all the better for it?
Skip it... for now.
If you decide to go back and get it eventually, it deals with a replacement Spider-Man... if you are just starting to read the books don't get it yet. Some people like it but I HATED it... who wants to read about a fake Spider-Man?

Now because I don't buy too many trades I can't help you with too much there, but The Death of Jean DeWolf (originally published in Spectacular Spider-Man Vol 1) and Kraven's Last Hunt are both fantastic.

[dasaten]

Well, if you want to start reading Spidey afresh in the current continuity, I'd say Amazing Spider-Man 546 is nice for a jumping in point.

Hey, thanks for the advice everyone.

That's the beginning of the Brand New Day storyline, right? Would it not be better to read One More Day first? And, is continuity starting fresh around this point or something, and for that reason you're recommending I start here. I dunno, I am always hesitant to just jump into a series without ever having read it. I don't like missing references to events and characters I know nothing about, much less not knowing about previous events that might have built towards the current story. But, if I can just pick up the most current issues and start reading without fear of getting lost, that'd be great. And, would I get a good foundation for most of the characters in the canon from reading the ASM DVD, or would I miss introductions of key characters from not reading the other Spider series? (excluding of course the Clone Saga, which I think I HAVE decided to skip.)

[Mister Mets]

Hey, thanks for the advice everyone.

That's the beginning of the Brand New Day storyline, right? Would it not be better to read One More Day first? And, is continuity starting fresh around this point or something, and for that reason you're recommending I start here. I dunno, I am always hesitant to just jump into a series without ever having read it. I don't like missing references to events and characters I know nothing about, much less not knowing about previous events that might have built towards the current story. But, if I can just pick up the most current issues and start reading without fear of getting lost, that'd be great.While One More Day issues can be found cheap, they're not really referenced by Brand New Day (and probably won't be for another eight or so months.)

Plus, longtime readers also don't know how previous events that might have built towards the current story occurred. The 13 issues of Brand New Day Spider-Man released so far (including the Swing Shift Directors Cut) don't require a knowledge of prior continuity.

[nester]

The 13 issues of Brand New Day Spider-Man released so far (including the Swing Shift Directors Cut) don't require a knowledge of prior continuity.

I know you're a big fan of Brand New Day, but are you really arguing that it's better than the DVD?

dasaten, If you have the spending money, I believe the approach you described in your initial post will yield the superior Spider-Man experience

[Nik Drou]

I would recommend you hold off of getting into the current Amazing Spider-man, until they at least resolve the outstanding continuity issues caused by One More Day, particularly if you are thinking of staying with it long-term.

[ronnieramone]

Strangely, I'd also recommend picking up ASM #546.

I'm interested in hearing an unbiased perspective on it, so when you do read it, give it a review, won't you?

[ZT4]

When you pick up the ASM CD-ROM, you'll find it pretty much did everything BND is doing years ago[/Biased rant]:cool:

I'd just read everything up until "The Gathering of Five" (available on the CD-ROM, though I cant guruantee The Clone Saga is "complete"), and then go directly into Spider-Girl. That's the only timeline that matters to some fans anymore. Unlike USM, which creates a fresh continuity entirely, MC2 is an off-shoot of structured in-canon and still counts issues and events that were retconned. You can pick from MC2, pre-OMD 616, or BND 616 rather easily actually

[Mister Mets]

If you don't want to look up Brand New Day back issues, next week's Amazing Spider-Man (Issue 559) should be a fairly good starting point, as the first chapter in Dan Slott's second storyline, and presumably the first chapter of what will become the third reprint collection of Brand New Day.

The issue coming out tomorrow, while self-contained, ties up loose ends from March's ASM story (widely considered the weakest) and will be the final issue to be included in the second Brand New Day reprint collection.

I know you're a big fan of Brand New Day, but are you really arguing that it's better than the DVD?

dasaten, If you have the spending money, I believe the approach you described in your initial post will yield the superior Spider-Man experienceNot arguing it's better than the DVD. That is an exceptional collection of many of the best comics ever.

[Don't pee in the (Dead)pool]

Skip it... for now.
If you decide to go back and get it eventually, it deals with a replacement Spider-Man... if you are just starting to read the books don't get it yet. Some people like it but I HATED it... who wants to read about a fake Spider-Man?

Thank you, Shadow. In this one paragraph you have summed-up how I feel about OMD/BND more elegantly than I ever could!:biggrin:

[ZT4]

Skip it... for now.
If you decide to go back and get it eventually, it deals with a replacement Spider-Man... if you are just starting to read the books don't get it yet. Some people like it but I HATED it... who wants to read about a fake Spider-Man?:

Hahahaha. BURN.

[Dr. Chaos]

Like others have been kind enough to point out, ASM#546 is the most reader friendly issue of Spider-Man in many years, the same applies to BND in general. The book isn't really bogged down in heavy continuity stories at this time.

You don't need to concern yourself with OMD right now, it's merely just the setup for BND, it' not required reading if you already understand the changes.

I'd recommend giving it a shot, it's the most purely fun Peter has been in a long time, just don't start with a Gale issue. :wink:

[Sonicjuce]

While One More Day issues can be found cheap, they're not really referenced by Brand New Day (and probably won't be for another eight or so months.)

How do you figure they will be in eight or so months?

[ZT4]

How do you figure they will be in eight or so months?

Much of BND will reveal things before and including Issue 600. Look for the ASM Annual to begin this series of storylines.

[The Shadow]

Some people like it but I HATED it... who wants to read about a fake Spider-Man?

Thank you, Shadow. In this one paragraph you have summed-up how I feel about OMD/BND more elegantly than I ever could!

I'm POSITIVE I was talking about Ben Riley, the FAKE Spider-Man and NOT Peter Parker the REAL one.

Hahahaha. BURN.
... welcome to 1991! Enjoy your stay. :rolleyes:

Regardless of the feelings of BND the original poster was asking where is a good place to start. BND is a good place to start.

[Just a Shadow]

Thank you, Shadow. In this one paragraph you have summed-up how I feel about OMD/BND more elegantly than I ever could!:biggrin:

That's exactly how I felt when I dropped the book.

dasaten, I recommend not bothering with Spider-Man at all. After bending continuity over and having their way with it, there's really no point in reading all that old stuff, at least if you want to read the new as well. So if you want a non-616 Spidey, I recommend the Ultimate books. If you want 616 Spidey, just read the back issues and stop before OMD. Finally, if you want a non-616 Spidey in the 616 continuity (or at least a fake Spidey in the 616 Universe) then just pick up from 546 onwards and wait for the crossover events with the real 616 guys.

[matthewaos]

You can always read Ultimate Spider-Man, but I never liked Bendis on Spider-Man, I think he hates him! My personal opinion is to just buy some trades and stuff, like the "Kraven's last hunt" HC, but the truth is that BND is the best starting point. That is, if you don't have a problem with the whole story behind it.

[dasaten]

That's exactly how I felt when I dropped the book.

dasaten, I recommend not bothering with Spider-Man at all. After bending continuity over and having their way with it, there's really no point in reading all that old stuff, at least if you want to read the new as well. So if you want a non-616 Spidey, I recommend the Ultimate books. If you want 616 Spidey, just read the back issues and stop before OMD. Finally, if you want a non-616 Spidey in the 616 continuity (or at least a fake Spidey in the 616 Universe) then just pick up from 546 onwards and wait for the crossover events with the real 616 guys.

Really, is Spider Man that bad now that it's not even worth reading?? So, you're basically saying that the current Spider Man is completely disconnected from the continuity of the Spider Man before OMD? There's a poster on another forum I go to, I laughed at his signature. It says "My favorite non-canon story is Amazing Spider-Man 290-545". What did they do to F things up so bad in 546, anyway?

[ShaggyB]

Really, is Spider Man that bad now that it's not even worth reading?? So, you're basically saying that the current Spider Man is completely disconnected from the continuity of the Spider Man before OMD? There's a poster on another forum I go to, I laughed at his signature. It says "My favorite non-canon story is Amazing Spider-Man 290-545". What did they do to F things up so bad in 546, anyway?

I wouldnt go that far but here is the general story. Spidey and MJ get married. Time passes. Spidey joins tony stark in going public with his id and registering with shield. Reed richards and tony and hank pym make a clone of thor, it kills Goliath (aka Bill Foster also known as Black Goliath). At this moment spidey realizes that they are killing each other and switches sides. Now a fugitive he MJ and aunt May are on the run. Kingpin decides he wants spidey killed. Sniper aims at pete. Pete dives down taking mj with him. May takes the bullet. Its then shown that nothing can save may. Spidey tries to get tony to pay to fix her, that only gets her stabilized for a short time. He then tries to get strange to heal her, he cant but give spidey a spell to consult the world all at once. That fails so spidey tries to steal a time travel spell, it fails to work. Next Mephisto comes to spidey and says if youa nd your wife give up your marriage i will heal her. Pete and Mj bicker, (this is where the divide comes, some claim pete guilt trips mj, others claim pete decides to let may go and mj blind sides him with her choice. Then add in the deal with a devil/demon character) Mj agrees with mephisto under unknown conditions whispered to him, Pete then agrees after being asked to be Mj's hero and save may.

Wake up. Harry is alive again, Mj and pete never got married and have broken up. Mays home is not burnt down. May is alive and volunteers in a soup kitchen. Pete is broke again, the daily bugle is in finacial ruin. No one knows hes spidey, not even people who did before (Venom and Norman. They've all just forgotten. and the unmasking happened yet no one remembers or taped it)

Brand New Day begins here. All previous stories happened with pete simply dating MJ. BND sports a more 90s spidey character.

Pete and mj had been seperated before and pete was all depressed from her supposed death, then from the seperation, then the Civil war stuff happened, then Back in Black where may was shot and pete almost kills kingpin. Spidey was very dark before BND. Now its not. But there in is the change,

I hope all both anti BND and Pro will agree that this is the most unbiased representation of the events that one could give.

[Don't pee in the (Dead)pool]

Really, is Spider Man that bad now that it's not even worth reading?? So, you're basically saying that the current Spider Man is completely disconnected from the continuity of the Spider Man before OMD? There's a poster on another forum I go to, I laughed at his signature. It says "My favorite non-canon story is Amazing Spider-Man 290-545". What did they do to F things up so bad in 546, anyway?

Peter Parker is no longer married to Mary Jane and has moved back in with his Aunt May whom he sacrificed his marriage for, even after she told him she was ready to die. He is now a cocky little twerp who can't even use his powers properly and his best friend Harry Osborn has come back from the dead, with NO explanation, and thus one of the best Spider-Man comics of all time (Spectacular Spider-Man #200) is no longer validated. Oh yeah, in ASM#545, Peter made a deal with Mephisto to bring this clusterf**k into existence.
Shadow can bleat on about Ben Reilly being a fake Spider-Man but the latest one seems more of a charade to me. After 30+ years of reading Spider-Man I have dropped this title from my pull list and it's a shame because the Clone Saga never made me want to leave the Spidey-verse.
This is the worst period in Spider-Man history, ever.
Please feel free to insult me, Shadow...

[Endless Flight]

Spider-Man's not disconnected from his continuity. He's just disconnected from his marriage, and a few other things, from the looks of it.

[Mister Mets]

How do you figure they will be in eight or so months?I think they've explicitly said that they won't touch on OMD for the first year.

[Mister Mets]

A dozen or so posts were moved (and seven were copied) into the "Is Brand New Day appropriate for new readers?" thread, as I don't want this one to be a referendum on Brand New Day (http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=220446), not due to any bias on my part, but because I don't want legitimate recommendations buried under dozens if not hundreds of posts debating the merits of the current Spider-Man books.

[Don't pee in the (Dead)pool]

A dozen or so posts were moved (and seven were copied) into the "Is Brand New Day appropriate for new readers?" thread, as I don't want this one to be a referendum on Brand New Day (http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=220446), not due to any bias on my part, but because I don't want legitimate recommendations buried under dozens if not hundreds of posts debating the merits of the current Spider-Man books.

I'm sorry, Mister Mets. I realise my posts were probably not suitable and I apologise, you were right to take action.
However in the true spirit of the thread may I recommend Kraven's Last Hunt, the Sinister Six, Return of the Sinister Six and Back In Black?:redface:

[Alan2099]

I'm sorry, Mister Mets. I realise my posts were probably not suitable and I apologise, you were right to take action.
However in the true spirit of the thread may I recommend Kraven's Last Hunt, the Sinister Six, Return of the Sinister Six and Back In Black?:redface:

Kraven's last Hunt and the Sinister Six stuff is good, but I'd never recommend Back in Black to anyone.

[Don't pee in the (Dead)pool]

Kraven's last Hunt and the Sinister Six stuff is good, but I'd never recommend Back in Black to anyone.

I still think Peter Parker handing Kingpin his ass is one of the best written issues ever. I like the dialogue and the fact that for once, Peter is handing out a beating. He's showing a side that you rarely, if ever, see: a pissed off Peter Parker, not a pissed off Peter Parker in his Spider-Man costume. But that's my opinion, we've all got personal faves...:tongue:

[mikekerr3]

BND would be a good starting point for people who only know Spidey via the Movies or Toon, But they should be warned never to look atanything pre-BND though as it might ruin BND for them and will surely confuse.

[Cody H]

BND would be a good starting point for people who only know Spidey via the Movies or Toon, But they should be warned never to look atanything pre-BND though as it might ruin BND for them and will surely confuse.Confuse? Probably. Ruin? Not necessarily. And I wouldn't exactly say they should never look at anything pre-BND as there's some pretty awesome Spidey stories they'd be missing.

[Tobias Drake]

As much as it saddens me to make this comparison for any Marvel title, it would be no more confusing than everything the Distinguished Competition has ever put out. The character just hit a reset button.

[dasaten]

Hey, thanks so much everyone for all the input. I got my 40 years of ASM. Just one more question before I start reading. Is it really worth it to read EVERY single issue of ASM, or are there certain issues I should skip? Are there whole years of crap where I should just skip ahead? Also, about the spin off books like Spectactular, Sensational and Web of, Spider Man are there any essential stories that I won't want to miss in those books?

[Mister Mets]

Hey, thanks so much everyone for all the input. I got my 40 years of ASM. Just one more question before I start reading. Is it really worth it to read EVERY single issue of ASM, or are there certain issues I should skip? Are there whole years of crap where I should just skip ahead? Also, about the spin off books like Spectactular, Sensational and Web of, Spider Man are there any essential stories that I won't want to miss in those books?

Websites like spiderfan (http://www.spiderfan.org/comics/title/spiderman_amazing.html) and Amazing Spider-Man.info (http://www.samruby.com/reviews.htm) have some back issue reviews to help you decide.

Issues to read...
Amazing Spider-Man #1-67, Annuals 1-5) Lee/ Ditko and Lee/ Romita, two of the most essential runs in Spider-Man history.

Amazing Spider-Man #78-80, 82, 86-94, 96-98, 100-109)I think there was a sudden point when Stan Lee became fairly inconsistent, but his good work from the period is definitely worth checking out. You may also want to read Amazing Spider-Man #68-77/ 83-85, which while below average for the writer had some fairly major events (including developments with the Kingpin, and the Tablet of Time epic.)

Amazing Spider-Man #121-125, 129, 136-137, 141-150) Conway had some clunkers too, but his most interesting work including developments that haunted Spider-Man for decades.

Amazing Spider-Man #151-153, 156, 160-164, 167-170, 174-180) The better parts of Wein's underrated run.

Amazing Spider-Man #182-200) Wolfman's excellent run. Issues 193-200 are the highlight.

Amazing Spider-Man Annuals 14-16, 18) The first two are great collaborations between Dennis O'Neil and Frank Miller.

Amazing Spider-Man #224-227, 229-236, 238-259) Includes Roger Stern's entire run (possibly the greatest concentration of great Spider-Man stories, and the Alien Costume Saga (possibly Defalco's best work on the series.)

Amazing Spider-Man #284-292, Annual 21) Sort of important. :biggrin:

Amazing Spider-Man #300, 312, 314-319) The best of Micheline/ Mcfarlane's Spider-Man.

Amazing Spider-Man #334-339, 344-350, 359-363, 365) The best non-Mcfarlane work by David Micheline.

Amazing Spider-Man #400) Possibly the highlight of the Clone Saga. I don't recommend that many stories from the period, as many are tied to other series (which aren't reprinted.)

Amazing Spider-Man Volume 2 #30-38, 46-50, 57-59, 500-502, 506-508) The best of JMS and John Romita Jr's run on the series.

I'm pretty sure I've left out some worthwhile stories, but you could find those by yourself.

[Cody H]

Is it really worth it to read EVERY single issue of ASM, or are there certain issues I should skip? Are there whole years of crap where I should just skip ahead?I'd say try em all out. What I'd consider crap and not worth reading is pretty subjective. Worst thing that can happen is you waste a few hours of your time.Also, about the spin off books like Spectactular, Sensational and Web of, Spider Man are there any essential stories that I won't want to miss in those books?I think there's some early stuff in Spectacular Spider-Man that's really good. The Doc Ock story from Spectacular #73 - 79 is well worth reading and is available in one of the Essential Peter Parker: Spider-Man trades, I believe. I'd also recomend J.M. DeMatteis work on Spectacular Spider-Man in the early to mid 90s.

[matthewaos]

Peter David and J. M. DeMatteis had awesome runs in spectacular. Also, the latest Marvel Knights/Sensational Spider-Man was really good, except the Hudlin issues which were boring. McFarlane had an interesting run, considering the time it was published, in Spider-Man, and then Mackie went to write it, and there are some interesting stories, and some not so interesting. For example the one where Demogoblin dies, or some others with JRjr, after the clone saga, were pretty good. When the book rebooted and renamed Peter Parker Spider-Man, it was crap, until Jenkins came. The latest Spectacular wasn't bad either, except the disassembled issues, and sins remembered.

[dasaten]

Strangely, I'd also recommend picking up ASM #546.

I'm interested in hearing an unbiased perspective on it, so when you do read it, give it a review, won't you?

First off, I haven't read any reviews, of this issue or of BND as to not risk spoling the story. I knew the basic plot and that a lot of people are pretty pissed at it though. Anyway, I read ASM 1-20 or so, and then started reading new Spider Man from Skin Deep up until BND. Even though I read a few years of stuff from before 546, it still might as well be a starting point for me, and for everyone who recommended, I think it is a perfect starting point. I can definitely see long time readers being really upset with just taking a universe and just destroying it. But, for me having not read but 40 or 50 issues, there's not really a problem. The whole thing with Mephisto, while surely somewhat of a stretch, still seems plausbile next to all the other insane things that happen to Spider Man. And, even if I know they probably pulled this "stunt" more to stimulate sales than to tell the best story possible, the story is still pretty solid and enjoyable.

[ZT4]

I'll be interesting to see how much of that opinion changes as your background on Spidey continues to develop,

[Metal Spidey]

When I was growing up, I didn't read many comic books. I'm trying to get into them now and I need some help. One of my most favorite superheroes is Spider-Man, can someone recommend a good Spider-Man comic book for a beginner?

[Mister Mets]

When I was growing up, I didn't read many comic books. I'm trying to get into them now and I need some help. One of my most favorite superheroes is Spider-Man, can someone recommend a good Spider-Man comic book for a beginner?

Depends on what type of comics you're looking for.

The first Lee/ Ditko Spider-Man stories are collected in two Black & White Essential Spider-Man volumes for a cheap price (http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Amazing-Spider-Man-Marvel-Essentials/dp/0785121927/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213765800&sr=1-2), or a single massive $100 hardcover: The Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus ($60 at dcbs (http://www.dcbservice.com/ist.aspx?id=2).) The stories were published in the early 1960s, so some readers will find them dated, although it remains the best regarded Spider-Man run ever, a distinction that isn't held by the first creative teams to work on most comic book franchises.

Ultimate Spider-Man is an incredibly accessible title, reimagining Spider-Man as an excellent high school drama. It's the flagship title of Marvel's "Ultimate" Universe, and has helped introduce quite a few readers to comics. The "Ultimate" collection has the first 13 issues for a reasonable price. (http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Spider-Man-Collection-Vol-1/dp/0785124926/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213765283&sr=1-3)

Marvel recently took the traditional Spider-Man books in a new, and fairly accessible direction. The first collection of those stories came out recently. (http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Spider-Man-Brand-New-Vol/dp/0785128433/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213765409&sr=1-1) There are a lot of debates here regarding the quality of the material (some of us love it, some hate it with a passion, and others fall in between.) A decision by Marvel to focus on introducing new villains meant that the classic villains wouldn't really appear in the first four collections, if that's what you were looking for. In two weeks, Amazing Spider-Man #563 will be a one off story featuring the work of three current Spider-Man writers, so it should give you a decent understanding of whether you'll enjoy the current Spider-Man book.

Marvel also recently released a hardcover of the Kraven's Last Hunt storyline, widely considered one of the best in Spider-Man's history (I'd agree). It's available for a reasonable price online. (http://www.amazon.com/Spider-Man-Kravens-Marvel-Premiere-Classic/dp/078512330X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213766072&sr=8-1) "The Night Gwen Stacy Died," probably the best Spider-Man story ever, has a similar collection. (http://www.amazon.com/Spider-Man-Stacys-Marvel-Premiere-Classic/dp/0785125043/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213766072&sr=8-2)

[AbdulAziz]

There are colored "Marvel Treasury Collection" with hard covers and new glossy papers, but they have less stories than the essentials.
Go with the Essentials.

[Mister Mets]

I may later merge this thread with older other recommended reading threads, and make it into a sticky. This question is asked every now and then.

There are colored "Marvel Treasury Collection" with hard covers and new glossy papers, but they have less stories than the essentials.
Go with the Essentials.The Masterworks editions are also not better than the Omnibus edition for collecting the Lee/ Ditko run.

The four Masterwork editions have a cover price of $50 each, while the Omnibus (collecting all those stories, and extras in an oversized format) has a cover price of $100.

[matthewaos]

Kraven's last hunt and the death of Stacys are some really great stories and are collected in a beautiful HC, so go with them, or the Lee/Ditko omnibus.

[AgentD]

I'm compiling lists of must read story arcs and graphic novels of various heroes and series. Now I'm onto Spidey, so what are everyones' opinions on the greatest Spider-Man stories.

[Maestro]

"Spider-Man: Brand New Day"

Beginning with Amazing Spider-Man #546!!

http://www.superpouvoir.com/Team/Marv/ASM546_DC11-1.jpg

[Union Jack]

Theres loads!

I'll say Kraven's Last Hunt before anyone else says it :tongue:

I also like the Black Costume story arc, and i like JMS's first story arc on ASM: Spidey overcoming overwhelming odds.

[Ravenheart]

One of my personal favorites is "Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut" from Amazing Spider-Man#229 and #230.

"Kraven's Last Hunt" is another must read.

[hawkeye comeback]

The night gwen stacy died and the one after that are a damn good read

[Matt Linton]

The Death of Jean DeWolff by Peter David.

[The Shadow]

While I don`t read trades, I`m sure the original Hobgoblin saga has been reprinted.

Also Amazing Spider-Man 400

[Jim Thompson]

While I don`t read trades, I`m sure the original Hobgoblin saga has been reprinted.Actually, I don't think it has (or if it has I have never seen it). I wish they would, though, cause I'd grab that in a minute!

[The Shadow]

The Death of Jean DeWolff by Peter David.

Yeah... that`s one of my all time favorite Spidey stories.

[Jim Thompson]

Must reads, eh? Well, how about these:

Kraven's Last Hunt
The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man
The Death of Jean DeWolfe
The original Lee/Ditko run
Spider-Man #300
The Return of the Sinister Six
The HobGoblin Saga

[ZT4]

"Spider-Man: Brand New Day"

Beginning with Amazing Spider-Man #546!![/IMG]

Rickroll's went out of fashion long ago mate...:tongue:

A few things to recommend (and in no particular order)

Stan Lee/Steve Ditko/John Romita Snr: The definitive chapters that build the early life and career of Peter Parker that you can build eternally on in comics, television, and other mediums...also includes the first apperances, fuether apperances, and revelations of many villains and relationships

The Origin Of The Hobgoblin: Stern's definitive "Goblin Mystery" update story, never bettered since and badly imitated most of the time in between

The Alien Coustume: Peter drops out, May gets pissed off, MJ reveals she knows who Peter is, her origin is finally told, Puma gets a memorable debut, and the classic war against Peter and the symbiote begins...though dont expect the Bell Tower resolution in this just yet.

Kraven's Last Hunt: The definitive use of a C-list character, had a strong but underlooked sequel with "Soul of the Hunter"

The Back-Up Strips: Some of these don't get the appreciation they deserve, but look out for ones like "Taps", Felicia's break-up with a more mature and ntelligent Flash Thompson, and Peter's fight with Jameson over his parents

The Clone Saga: Don't let snide elitism fool you, there's more good than bad, this is the story that began the slow fracturing of the Spider-Man fanbase...people still want to see Ben Reily, Sciriers, The Jackyle, Gwen Stacy's clone, Kane, and other characters of this era return. DeMatties wrote the definitive death of Aunt May, and Ben had some decent outings under the talents of Dan Jurgens

Spider-Girl: The epilouge to the Spider-Man mythology if you choose to leave the saga before the reboot began

[Jim Thompson]

Rickroll's went out of fashion long ago mate...:tongue:

A few things to recommend (and in particular order)

Stan Lee/Steve Ditko/John Romita Snr: The definitive chapters that build the early life and career of Peter Parker that you can build eternally on in comics, television, and other mediums...also includes the first apperances, fuether apperances, and revelations of many villains and relationships

The Origin Of The Hobgoblin: Stern's definitive "Goblin Mystery" update story, never bettered since and badly imitated most of the time in between. Peter

The Alien Coustume: Peter drops out, May gets pissed off, MJ reveals she knows who Peter is, her origin is finally told, Puma gets a memorable debut, and the classic war against Peter and the symbiote begins...though dont expect the Bell Tower resolution in this just yet.

Kraven's Last Hunt: The definitive use of a C-list character, had a strong but underlooked sequel with "Soul of the Hunter"

The Clone Saga: Don't let snide elitism fool you, there's more good than bad, this is the story that began the slow fracturing of the Spider-Man fanbase...people still want to see Ben Reily, Sciriers, The Jackyle, Gwen Stacy's clone, Kane, and other characters of this era return. DeMatties wrote the definitive death of Aunt May, and Ben had some decent outings under the talents of Dan Jurgens

Spider-Girl: The epilouge to the Spider-Man mythology if you choose to leave the saga before the reboot beganGlad you thought to include the Alien Costume story-line! Forgot about that one. I would have listed the Clone Saga, but I think someone getting there feet wet with the character might need some context for that story.

[Mister Mets]

I'm kinda proud of a Top 15 Spider-Man stories list I did (http://spidermancrawlspace.com/wwwboard/viewtopic.php?t=3377), and posted on a few sites. Sadly there hasn't been anything to add to it in the last few years.

[Jim Thompson]

I'm kinda proud of a Top 15 Spider-Man stories list I did (http://spidermancrawlspace.com/wwwboard/viewtopic.php?t=3377), and posted on a few sites. Sadly there hasn't been anything to add to it in the last few years.Take out the Marvel Knights story-line (replace it with the HobGoblin story-line) and I think your list is pretty good.

[stillanerd]

I'd say the "Master Planner Saga" from ASM #31-33, which was the highlight of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's classic run, and was the definite Spider-Man story. Of course, another one to include would have to be the origin issue from Amazing Fantasy #15 which is one of the best superhero origins in comics. Others have already mentioned "Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut," "Kraven's Last Hunt," and "The Night Gwen Stacy Died," but what about "Whence Commeth the Commuter" by Peter David? It's a genuinely amusing "Parker Luck" story about why Spidey avoids going to the suburbs.

[The Shadow]

The Clone Saga: Don't let snide elitism fool you
There is no snide elitism... it`s THAT bad.

And don`t let people who like a crap story fool you... skip this one!!!!!!! :cool:

[Jim Thompson]

There is no snide elitism... it`s THAT bad.

And don`t let people who like a crap story fool you... skip this one!!!!!!! :cool:For a guy who tells BND bashers to just get over it all the time, you sure seem to have a hard time doing just that in relation to the Clone Saga! :biggrin:

Anyway, the Clone Saga is worth the time.

[BlackToe]

Original Clone Saga, yes....90's sequal...nah, I'd rather read Maximum Carnage. (And yes, I liked Maximum Carnage)

[AgentD]

Glad you thought to include the Alien Costume story-line! Forgot about that one. I would have listed the Clone Saga, but I think someone getting there feet wet with the character might need some context for that story.

Don't take the post wrong, I'm not dipping my feet, lol, I've actually read most of the clone saga, i was just interested to know what people thought were the best, so don't hold back with your suggestions.

[AbdulAziz]

I advise you to try to find the following either in T.P.B's or in form of essentials:

1. Master Planner Arc (first arc in the history of Spider-Man comics; Amazing v1 #31-33)
2. Spider-Man unmasked (not the one from Civil War, the classic one where Green Goblin discovers that Peter Parker is the man behind the Spidey mask; Amazing v1 #39-40)
3. Return of the Burglar (Amazing #195-200)
4. Nothing can stop the JUGGERNAUT (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #229-230)
5. Death of Tarantula (Amazing #233-236)
6. The Hobgoblin (by Roger Stern; Amazing Spider-Man v1 # 238-239 + #249-251)
7. Peter Parker quits Grad School (Amazing #242-244)
8. The black suit (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #252-258)
9. Death of Jean DeWolff (Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man v1 #107-110)
10. Kraven's last Hunt (Web of Spider-Man #31-32, Amazing Spider-Man #293-294, Spectacular Spider-Man #131-132)
11. Mad Dog Ward (Web of Spider-Man #33, Amazing Spider-Man #295, Spectacular Spider-Man #133)
12. J.M.S: Coming Home (Amazing v2 #30-35, also read Amazing v2 #36&38 for fill ins)

[Jim Thompson]

Don't take the post wrong, I'm not dipping my feet, lol, I've actually read most of the clone saga, i was just interested to know what people thought were the best, so don't hold back with your suggestions.Then by all means, yes, I recommend the Clone Saga in it's entirety. One of the single most interesting stories done in the field of comics.

[Parker/Spidey]

Hello my Comicbook fans,

just wanted to ask you, which Spiderman comics I should read?

I have read in the past several Spidey-comics, but stopped for some years. Now, I want to start again, and would like to know how many different issues are there?

Would be nice, if you would help me in this matter...

[ChrisIII]

There are currently the following Spider-Man ongoings:


Amazing Spider-Man: This series just went through a controversial retcon where the marriage to Mary Jane Watson was kind of erased from existence, in an attempt to refresh the character. Before the retcon, Spider-man had also revealed his secret identity during 2006/2007's "Civil War" crossover. However that too has been retconned.

Spider-Girl: An alternate future story that spun out of the Clone saga, where Spider-man's daughter takes up the legacy. It's been cancelled a few times but always has been saved from the brink by the fans.

Ultimate Spider-Man: Takes place in an alternate timeline. Basically in the early 00s Marvel introduced the "Ultimate" line, which recreated heroes for the present day. Basically it follows Peter Parker without the bagagge of the 40+ year regular continuity, with new takes on friends and villains.


Marvel Adventures Spider-Man: Spider-man for younger readers, mainly.

[Parker/Spidey]

Which issue would you recommend?

[Mister Mets]

Amazing Spider-Man #564 should be a good introduction to the current Marvel Universe Spider-man. It's a standalone issue, with work by the series's three writers. It came out last week, so it should remain readily available.

This week's issue (565) is also decent, setting up a three issue storyline, with art by Phil Jiminez (Infinite Crisis, New X-Men) introducing a new villain.

If you like them and are interested in the Brand New Day status quo, check out back issue bins for Amazing Spider-Man #546 and up. Or the Brand New Day trade premiere hardcovers, if you're into those types of collections.

Some other recommended recent Spider-Man stories include the Dan Slott/ Ty Templeton Spider-Man/ Human Torch digest, Mark Millar's Marvel Knights Spider-Man run (available in a nice oversized hardcover) and Sensational Spider-Man Annual One.

[The Shadow]

Which issue would you recommend?

Start with Brand New Day in amazing Spider-Man.

It started at #546.

There's no continuity knowledge required, it's the newest stuff and it's a lot of fun.

[becominAfanAgain]

Which issue would you recommend?

Well to be honest with you BND is kind of a reboot without calling it one( in my opinion). It's based on what you want to read. BND which is The Amazing Spiderman book gets three books a month and has three different writer on the same story. So it doesn't flow as well as having one writer per title.

USM is a young Peter in a more current time line which is nice to read and easy to keep up with.

Then you have Spider-girl which is Peter's daughter this book is base in the MC universe. The book is written more like the old style comics. It's easy to follow and won't hurt as much if you miss a issue or two. One book stories.:smile:

[Matt Linton]

In order:

Ultimate Spider-Man: Start with the TPBs, and you won't be disappointed. The book is broken up into arcs, and it's not too continuity heavy, but if you start from the beginning you'll appreciate the later issues more.

Amazing Spider-Man (Brand New Day): I'd start with tomorrow's issue, 565. It's the start of a new arc introducing a new take on an old villain, and the book is designed to be new reader friendly.

Amazing Spider-Girl: I'd say check out the first digest of the current series (it was originally called Spider-Girl, but renamed Amazing Spider-Girl recently).

[ZT4]

In order

Ultimate Spider-Man: Bendis' acclaimed reboot of Spidey seperated from the regular universe and the most consistently written title on the much troubled Ultimate Universe line. Whilst the pace is much more serialized and at a snail's pace, they cover several hours or days in Peter's life, and ellaborate on a very fresh and original social cast. The reinventions of Gwen, May, MJ, and even X-Men regulars like Kitty Pryde are ones to look out for...you wouldnt even think Kitty had NEVER been a regular Spidey character until now. Also look out for great returns-to-form for classic rouges gallery villains like Doc Ock and Norman Osborn, whose origins are tightly woven together with Peter's beggininfs.

Amazing Spider-Girl: Whilst I don't speak for everyone, this title is the only one that has, sans cancelations, proven to be the most reliable for readers frustrated with ASM never moving forward, this will not bulls*it you as a fan or your intelligence It permanently places Peter's family into new territory. Mayday lives very much a life similar to Peter at High School and as Spidey...only her upbeat "forgive any and all" personality can get her into ackward moments.

It's not all about Mayday either, as Peter and MJ get a good peice of development too, especially since they now have a second child who is developing Spider-Powers all his own. Pick up the "Brand New May" storyline currently ongoing, it's got all the elements of a classic Spider-Man social dillema and a big mystery to it

Marvel Adventures Spider-Man: It's simplistic fun for your children or just casual Spidey fans not looking for social baggage. Many new writers are grooming themselves on this title for future Spidey work in the future, so you may want to see what they can offer you if that promotion ever happens.

[AbdulAziz]

Read "Marvel Adventures Spider-Man" and "M.A. Superheroes" if you don't necessarily consider the mainstream universe (universe616).
You may catch "Ultimate Spider-Man"

[fanboyspodcast]

I'd spend the money on the TPB's of Ultimate Spider-Man (read them in order).

Time and money well spent. You'll be entertained.

G.

[Mister Mets]

I'd spend the money on the TPB's of Ultimate Spider-Man (read them in order).

Time and money well spent. You'll be entertained.

G.

The Ultimate collection's probably the most cost-effective way of getting the contents of the first two trade paperbacks.

http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Spider-Man-Collection-Vol-1/dp/0785124926/ref=pd_bbs_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215700208&sr=8-3

[Xeophen]

I would go with Ultimate Spider-Man and buy the TPB. I really enjoyed those.

[Alan2099]

What do you like?

Ultimate Spider-man is very drawn out, slow paced, serious toned, light on the super heroing and heavy on the character drama. To really appreciate it, you need to read the issues in large groups.

Marvel Adventures is very fast paced, light (almost non existant) on character drama, heavy on the super heroing, and very light hearted in it's approach. You can read those an issue at a time and be fine.

Amazing is somewhere in the middle of the two.
Spider-girl is a bit closer to Adventures but more serious and a bit more drawn out.

[TsuyoiMomonga]

Assuming one had access to all of Amazing Spider-Man (Vol 1), what would you recommend as some of the best stories? I know that throughout all of Vol 1, there are a lot of good stories, but there are also a lot of really bad/boring stories that are totally unnecessary to read. So I'm just wondering if you guys could list some of your favorite/essential/best stories from Amazing Spider-Man (with issue numbers) and why they are so "amazing."

[Matt Linton]

The Master Planner story from Amazing Spider-Man #31-33.

[Tom Daylight]

You might find this list (http://www.maelmill-insi.de/UHBMCC/SPIDEMA2.HTM) useful...

Firstly, the first 38 issues (plus two annuals), by Lee and Ditko, preceded by "Amazing Fantasy #15", are absolutely required reading, above and beyond anything else. From there on, the book takes a somewhat lighter turn under the stewardship of John Romita, but it's very often Stan Lee at his best for many of the subsequent 70 or so issues (obviously some are better than others), bringing us up to #110. After that, I guess #121-122 are "required" reading, being as shattering a status-quo change as it is (and #136-137 similarly important), but personally I've no love for anything in Gerry Conway's run.

From there I'd recommend Len Wein's run from #151 to #180 (particularly his two Punisher stories, #161-162 and #174-175, and the Goblin epic from #176-180). I found Marv Wolfman's run a bit uneven, but his two-part introduction of the Black Cat (#194-195) is worth a read. The much-loved Roger Stern run goes from #224-252, with an early start in #206. Peter David's two offbeat ASM issues (#266-267) are also very popular with its readers (with good reason!).

I suppose if you want to read the Venom stuff, #252-259, #300 and #316-317 cover his introduction (but I otherwise wouldn't recommend it). The Carnage story is a little better, #361-363, but to be honest I find most of the stuff in ASM between Stern and JMS pretty unremarkable (despite some nice artwork from Mark Bagley and Steve Skroce along the way).

If you've got access to the other Spidey titles, I'd recommend the Kraven's Last Hunt crossover (#ASM #293-294, PPTSSM #131-132, WOSM ##31-32), most of the first 90 issues of Spectacular Spider-Man (I wouldn't say any of them are essential, but Mantlo's and Stern's stories are wonderful fun!) and absolutely anything with Peter David's name on it (particularly the two Sin-Eater stories, PPTSSM #107-110 and #134-136). J.M. DeMatteis' run on The Spectacular Spider-Man (#178-200) is stellar, particularly "The Child Within" (#178-184). And for a bit more of the lighter fare, Sensational Spider-Man vol 1 (#0-31) was not a bad comic (although initially blemished by clone stuff), with super artwork by the much-missed Mike Wieringo.

[Mister Mets]

This was a subject that comes up every now and then, so I merged two older threads on the topic.

Because I was too lazy to repeat what I had said there.

[AbdulAziz]

Amazing:
All arcs by:
*STAN (THE MAN) LEE
*TOM DEFALCO
*ROGER (THE MASTER) STERN

[TsuyoiMomonga]

What about Spectacular Spider-Man? I've seen the Sin-Eater saga and 178-200 mentioned, but what other arcs are really good reads (including vol 2)?

[Mister Mets]

What about Spectacular Spider-Man? I've seen the Sin-Eater saga and 178-200 mentioned, but what other arcs are really good reads (including vol 2)?
This thread's got a few. (http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=230644)

I'd also mention Issues 25-31 (an epic introducing Carrion, with Frank Miller's first Daredevil art), Issues 72-79 (Mantlo's best), Issue 127 (classic Lizard tale) and issues 134-136 (the Sin-Eater sequel.) From the second volumes, Issues 14 & 27 are excellent.

[grimr3aper]

hey guys can anyone help me in determinig which spiderman story arcs i should buy/follow..i'd really appreciate your help since im new to this

[AbdulAziz]

hey guys can anyone help me in determinig which spiderman story arcs i should buy/follow..i'd really appreciate your help since im new to this
*Every arc Stan Lee wrote from Amazing Spider-Man 31- Amazing Spider-Man 112.
*Gerry Conways arcs with Gil Kane from Amazing #113 - #125
*Amazing Spider-Man #151-152: The Shocker destroys the city elctric supply writing his name to get paid generously
*Amazing Spider-Man #195-200: The Burglar returns
*Denny O'Neil on the "Frightful 4 vs Spider-Man and the Sub-Mariner" Amazing Spider-Man #213-215
*Any arc written by Roger Stern in Spectacular Spider-Man #43-61 + "Goblin Gate" #259-261. In Amazing Spider-Man from #224-252
*Gang War Between Ock and Owl Spectacular Spider-Man #72-80
*Amazing #256-259: Introducing Puma+Mary Jane secrets
*Amazing #269-270: Spider-Man vs Firelord
*Amazing #280-281: Spider-Man & Silver Sable vs. Sinister Syndicate
*Amazing #290-291 + Annual #21: The Wedding
*Spectacular Spider-Man #4-5: Vulture & Hitman
*Spectacular Spider-Man #17-18: Spidey and the Champions
*Spectacular #32-34: The Iguana
*Spectacular #39-40: Spider-Lizard
*Spectacular #42+F4#216: Spidey and Torch battle the frightful 4
*Web of Spider-Man #31-32 + Amazing #293-294 + SSM #131-132: Kraven's Last Hunt
*WoS #33 + Amazing #295 + SSM #133: Mad Dog Ward