Spider-Man questions i'd like answers to please...and my plan so far!

[Bruce___Wayne]

2.) The Essentials are just that. Essential. The first 122 issues of Amazing Spider-Man are basically MUST reading for the character. It is as great as Spidey has ever been. The JMS stuff is a very different take on Spidey and Peter. Some loved it and some hated it. I happen to be one of the ones that loved it. I would recommend that you pick up the first JMS trade and see what you think of it before you buy any more. The good thing about his run is that it is more or less self-contained, so you can skip it if you really don't like it.
3.) I don't believe that any of those arcs are available in Marvel Masterworks. They are all in individual trades though. You may also want to check out the Hobgoblin trade that came out last year. It was very great stuff. While we're talking about Masterworks, you should know that the material in Masterworks is the same as that in the Essentials. The difference is that the Essentials are printed in black & white, they are much cheaper, and they tend not to hold up so well after several readings. If you just want to read the stories for the stories, you may want to consider skipping the Masterworks. If you want handsome volumes to keep on your shelves and don't mind paying a

2) So does it not contain the same issues as the Essential Spider-Man?
3) OK thanks i'll look at the Hobgoblin trade too, the Masterworks sound better as i'd like them to last, but basically I can choose between the Essentials and the Masterworks, I don't need both...

Are both of these Masterworks the same?...



Thanks again.

[Russell]

Yes, both masterworks are the same. They come in softcover, or hardcover and there are a few different cover designs for the hardcovers but it is the same material inside.

[Mister Mets]

Also,

Should I read Spider-Man Vs. Venom before The Alien Costume Saga?

Thanks

The Alien Costume Saga is set earlier, but I don't think it matters all that much. Both stories are accessible.

There's a TPB called 'The Birth of Venom' which contains the contents of both the Alien Costume saga and Spider-Man VS Venom. But it's out of print, and may be more expensive than just going those two trades separately.

[Bruce___Wayne]

The Alien Costume Saga is set earlier, but I don't think it matters all that much. Both stories are accessible.

There's a TPB called 'The Birth of Venom' which contains the contents of both the Alien Costume saga and Spider-Man VS Venom. But it's out of print, and may be more expensive than just going those two trades separately.

I'd planned on getting the Birth of Venom but had no idea it contained the Alien Costume saga or Spider-Man Vs. Venom. I'll get this instead I think.

What about this review from Amazon - 'Spidey gets rid of the Symbiote, puts on the old red and blues, and then we find that a bit later, he's back in a 'normal' version of the black costume without that decision ever being shown or explained'. What is the normal version of the black costume?

[Symbiotic Spiderman]

It is a cloth version of the Black costume he wore in the Alien Costume Sage.