Collectors: What are ASM's "must have" issues?

[stergios]

Curious to know.


Ive got a pretty nice collection of ASM and i wanted to know if I was below or above the norm. I'm most likely below, but what is the definative collection on spider man? I mean, in order to consider yourself collecting or a collector of spider man, which issues would be consider absolutely essential?


Thanks in advance.

[mrc1214]

Curious to know.


Ive got a pretty nice collection of ASM and i wanted to know if I was below or above the norm. I'm most likely below, but what is the definative collection on spider man? I mean, in order to consider yourself collecting or a collector of spider man, which issues would be consider absolutely essential?


Thanks in advance.

I would say ASM 121-122 but i think thats in a trade. The whole Roger Stern run i think its 224-227, 229-252.

[Effect]

I would add #500 to the list a well. That's the issue where he and Aunt May finally talk after she's found out he's Spider-man and shows just how strong she really is. I really love that issue.

[Tony Peanuts]

I would add #500 to the list a well. That's the issue where he and Aunt May finally talk after she's found out he's Spider-man and shows just how strong she really is. I really love that issue.

That wasn't #500. #500 was part 3 of the "Happy Birthday" story where Spidey travelled through time and relived some of his past battles. And at the end he briefly met Uncle Ben, thanks to Dr Strange.
I think the story you're thinking of was volume 2 #38.

[Magneto Rocks]

Aunt May found out Spidey's identity twice, one of them was #400.

Oh, I'm sorry- that was 'fake' May ;)

[Mister Mets]

I don't think there's any right answer for this, given the sheer amount of great Spider-Man comics produced, and the probability that everyone in this board hasn't read all of them.

The following are the big runs....
Lee/ Ditko's Amazing Spider-Man (Issues 1-38, Annuals 1-2)
It's worth noting that this will be reprinted in one massive hundred dollar hardcover.
Lee/ Romita Sr's Amazing Spider-Man (39-68 or so, Annual 3, Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine #2)
Roger Stern's Amazing Spider-Man (224-227, 229-251)
Micheline & Mcfarlane's Amazing Spider-Man (298-325 or so) Far more noteworthy for the art than the writing.

The following are the big stories not included in the above runs...
Kraven's Last Hunt (recently reprinted in an excellent 20 dollar hardcover.)
Amazing Spider-Man #121-122
Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110: The Death of Jean Dewolfe

And there are plenty of great recent Spider-Man comics....
Ultimate Spider-Man
Jenkins's Peter Parker Spider-Man
Millar's Marvel Knights Spider-Man (available in one 30 dollar hardcover)
Spider-Man/ Human Torch (available in one eight dollar digest.)

[Lobo]

Amazing Spider-Man #39 - 40.
Amazing Spider-Man #50 - 52.

[Chris S.]

I think the whole McFarlane run was great. So issues 298 until I believe 328, although Larson did a couple of those I think. The stories may not be great, but I really think McFarlane completely revolutionized the way spidey was drawn.

And this may sound crazy but I love when Ben Reilly died. I thought that battle with the green goblin was great. The clone saga in all may not be worth it, but that end was epic.

[mrc1214]

I would just go with Cyberman's list. Thats everything you'd need and theres great read in there.

[The Confessor]

I'd pretty much go along with Cyberman's list, except that I'd push the envelope a bit further on those 60s/early 70s issues of ASM. In my opinion you really owe it to yourself to have read everything from issue #1 right through to issue #152.

That way you get all those classic Lee/Ditko stories which are just essential. You get all the excellent Lee/Romita stuff with Flash going off to Vietnam and the Green Goblin unmasking himself and Peter. You also get all those groovy late 60s issues with the counter culture activism and Harry Osborne's drug problems. Then you get the death of Gwen Stacy and finally winding up with the first appearance of the Gwen Stacy Clone. That's a pretty hardcore collection I know, but personally I wouldn't be without those issues of ASM.

As for more recent ASM, I'd have to include the whole storyline with Ezekiel and Peter discovering his (possible?) totemic Spider-powers (ASM:V2 #30 - #58 and then ASM:V1 #500 - #508).

And I'd also include the whole 'Sins Past' storyline (#509 - #514). That's a controversial choice I know, but personally I thought it rocked! And you can't deny that it was fairly significant to Peter's life.

[Effect]

That wasn't #500. #500 was part 3 of the "Happy Birthday" story where Spidey travelled through time and relived some of his past battles. And at the end he briefly met Uncle Ben, thanks to Dr Strange.
I think the story you're thinking of was volume 2 #38.

Thanks for the correction. I was going off the top of my head so I knew I wasn't sure.

[Lobo]

for more recent ASM, I'd have to include the whole storyline with Ezekiel and Peter discovering his (possible?) totemic Spider-powers (ASM:V2 #30 - #58 and then ASM:V1 #500 - #508).

And I'd also include the whole 'Sins Past' storyline (#509 - #514). That's a controversial choice I know, but personally I thought it rocked! And you can't deny that it was fairly significant to Peter's life.

You're kidding, right?

[nuclearman]

Personally I love Amazing Spiderman from about 245 through to about halfway through McFarlane around the 313-15 mark. So they would be my essential reads... especially the hobgoblin issues....251 is great.

Non essential...sins past or the other.

[stergios]

Thanks for the replies guys.


What about issues that are significant in a certain way? I've got 252 and others of the same nature that have a certain significance but i was wondering what the general concensus was about other issues and what are the essentials.



Does everyone have AMS 300? lol... i'd like one, but i'm not sure i'm ready to start buying pricey books.

[Chris S.]

What about issues that are significant in a certain way? I've got 252 and others of the same nature that have a certain significance but i was wondering what the general concensus was about other issues and what are the essentials.

You know as much as I like those big issue's I like a story. What I mean by this is rather then having issue 252 (which I do) I would rather have a classic story arc. I find it much more enjoyable to read three issues in a row rather then random issues all over the place.

Also concerning issue 300, I don't have it. I am attempting to get all of McFarlane's books and it is one of the few I am now missing. You can find it pretty cheap on Ebay, I just am afraid it will come in awful condition.