Where should I start reading Spiderman?

[im399unot]

Okay.... I have that DVD set that marvel put out with like 500 issues of Amazing Spider-Man on it, where should I start? Should I just start with issue #1 or and suffer through all the early stuff (I really hate Stan Lee's writing, at least his early stuff on X-Men) I really want to know where the story and writing start to get good. What do you guys think?

[ShaggyB]

see the jump on thread.

Id recommend 630 or 634 if you want to not have to do back issues

[D. Perez]

I say to get the newest stories start with the Gauntlet vol 1. starting with ASM 611 and read forward. If you like what you read and you manage to come to the resent issues, go back and Start with Brand New Day. Then you can go even further back and read JMS' stories.

If you are talking about the DVD then I say start from the beginning ASM 1 and read forward. Alternative is starting with ASM 39 since John Romita Sr started there

[Gabe De Los Muertos]

If you are okay with hunting back issues, from #612 and up.

[coconutphone]

Funny. I don't see the "OMG why did you make a new thread for this??! (insert angry face)" outrage I would have expected based on that anti-OMD thread. It's almost... inconsistent... nah that couldn't be it. I'm sure people will happily correct this poster on the error of their ways.

[Schmed]

Isn't there a thread stickied for this??


Happy Coco??!?!

[whiteshark]

The start of the Gauntlet which started in Amazing Spider-Man#611 is a good issue to start collecting.
The Gauntlet have been lasting over twenty issues in ASM so far,but the story arcs have been good so i have to recommend them.

Or you can start collecting with the most recent story arc in ASM,which was is the Lizard story arc that started in #630.The stories are accessible enough to a new reader start in any story arc i think.
The first page of ASM have a recap page that tells the readers the more important stuff from previous stories to be able to understand any current arc of stories.
Reading the Gauntlet from the start is a must read i`d say.

[coconutphone]

Isn't there a thread stickied for this??


Happy Coco??!?!

No, be angrier! Really tear into the guy. I want tears!!!

[Aziz Abbasi]

On Marvel's website, read one of the free digital Spider-Man comics published
Be sure it's not under the banner of Ultimate or Spider-Girl if you intend to read Earth616

[D. Perez]

No, be angrier! Really tear into the guy. I want tears!!!

This should do

[Asbestos Man]

When I read Amazing Spider-Man I started from the very beginning. I like the Stan Lee run, stilted dialogue and all, but I realise that he can be an aquired taste.

If its just the early stuff you can't stomach when Stan Lee is still evolving the Marvel house style then I would follow the earlier suggestion and start at ASM 39 which is where John Romita takes over the art chores from Steve Ditko.


The writing style gradually becomes less juvenile as Stan Lee begins to realise he is writing for Junior High, High School and even college kids as well as the elementary school tykes who were probably the original intended audience.

If Stan Lee is just too '60s camp for you and you find you can't stomach his stories at all then I would skip Gerry Conway as well and start reading with ASM 150 an Archie Goodwin, fill-in issue that leads into the Len Wein run. By this point a lot of the overt corniness is behind you and the style of the stories more recognisably resembles that of the current series.


Even if you decide to skip Stan Lee and Gerry Conway (And I think that if you can't stomach one you probably won't enjoy the other) I think it would be at least worth reading some of the key stories of those runs. At a minimum least you absolutely should read

Master Planner arc (ASM 31-33)
The Death of Captain Stacey (ASM 88-90)
The Night Gwen Stacey Died (ASM 121-122)

before skipping ahead to ASM 150 and continuing from there...

if that's STILL too retro for you, then skip ahead to ASM 224 and see how you get on with the Roger Stern run. Roger Stern's stint on Amazing Spider-Man is generally regarded as second only to Stan Lee's take on the character and many people seem to feel that it is quite close to what the current writers of Amazing Spider-Man are trying to do.

Hope that helps!

[Asbestos Man]

One thing I think people should notice. The Opening poster is NOT asking about what comics to buy or what a good jump on point for the current comics is. He has the Complete Amazing Spider-Man DVD (which goes up to June 2006) and is asking what a good place to start reading those comics would be.

[coconutphone]

This should do

Marry me!

[im399unot]

When I read Amazing Spider-Man I started from the very beginning. I like the Stan Lee run, stilted dialogue and all, but I realise that he can be an aquired taste.

If its just the early stuff you can't stomach when Stan Lee is still evolving the Marvel house style then I would follow the earlier suggestion and start at ASM 39 which is where John Romita takes over the art chores from Steve Ditko.


The writing style gradually becomes less juvenile as Stan Lee begins to realise he is writing for Junior High, High School and even college kids as well as the elementary school tykes who were probably the original intended audience.

If Stan Lee is just too '60s camp for you and you find you can't stomach his stories at all then I would skip Gerry Conway as well and start reading with ASM 150 an Archie Goodwin, fill-in issue that leads into the Len Wein run. By this point a lot of the overt corniness is behind you and the style of the stories more recognisably resembles that of the current series.


Even if you decide to skip Stan Lee and Gerry Conway (And I think that if you can't stomach one you probably won't enjoy the other) I think it would be at least worth reading some of the key stories of those runs. At a minimum least you absolutely should read

Master Planner arc (ASM 31-33)
The Death of Captain Stacey (ASM 88-90)
The Night Gwen Stacey Died (ASM 121-122)

before skipping ahead to ASM 150 and continuing from there...

if that's STILL too retro for you, then skip ahead to ASM 224 and see how you get on with the Roger Stern run. Roger Stern's stint on Amazing Spider-Man is generally regarded as second only to Stan Lee's take on the character and many people seem to feel that it is quite close to what the current writers of Amazing Spider-Man are trying to do.

Hope that helps!

Thank you so much!!!

I knew someone would finally read my post and give me a good answer instead of jumping the gun and getting upset with me and directing me to another post that did not really answer the question I posed.

[Asbestos Man]

Thank you so much!!!

I knew someone would finally read my post and give me a good answer instead of jumping the gun and getting upset with me and directing me to another post that did not really answer the question I posed.

Your Welcome!
Happy Spidey-reading