Much like Captain America and Superman before him, the story of the Amazing Spider-Man is now regarded as one of the most intriguing Marvel Universe superhero stories of all time. New York City teen Peter Parker has impressed many readers with his tales of acrobatic heroism as he aims to keep his regular teenage life under control.
He has been the subject of not only various comic books but also movies, television shows, and video games. Spider-man's story has been an active star in Marvel’s superhero roster since he was first introduced in the Amazing Fantasy series by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in 1962.
The Ultimate Spider-Man series comic book history is incredibly extensive with awesome book graphic art coming into play. It can be daunting to figure out what the best comic books in his nearly 50 year run are worth reading. This review of seven essential but still spectacular Spider-man comic books worth checking out highlights some of the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’s best stories.
Amazing Fantasy #15
The first essential Spider-man issue is the 1962 comic book which marked Spider-Man’s first ever appearance. It tells the story of how Peter gained his unique acrobatic and web-slinging superpowers after an encounter with a radioactive spider. It is also about how he decided to become a superhero following the death of his uncle. This issue is very relatable and delves into the values that Peter has as Spider-Man.
This comic has been reprinted many times thanks to its historical importance. It is best to get a reprint as original copies of Amazing Fantasy #15 have sold on the auction block for at least $100,000.
If This Be My Destiny…!
This next Lee and Ditko book is about Peter as he begins his studies at Empire State University. It is here where he first meets Gwen Stacy, his greatest love. He also meets Harry Osborne, a good friend at first who will soon turn on him.
The scene where Spider-Man is stuck in a flooding room is one of the most iconic moments in the character’s history. It is a genuinely reflective moment as it looks back at the uncle Peter failed to save and his aunt that he has sworn to protect.
The Death of Jean DeWolff
This 1976 series from Peter David is about Spider-Man going after the Sin-Eater as a means of getting vengeance for the death of police officer and good friend Jean DeWolff. Sin-Eater is particularly memorable for being a distinctly normal person with a secret deranged personality.
Spider-Man also teams up with Daredevil in this series. Daredevil is aiming to avenge the death of someone at the hands of Sin-Eater. But, more importantly, Daredevil appears to take a closer look at the moral attitude of Spider-Man to see if he is really worth living.
Spider-Island
Dan Slott’s Spider-Man comic is all about Peter’s conflict as he tries to keep his Spider-Man identity secret from the people he loves the most. But this proves to be challenging as the Jackal creates a bed bug infestation around the city that causes people to develop powers similar to what Spider-Man has. It is up to Spider-Man—as well as a few other Marvel superheroes—to stop the madness. It is a fascinating story about the lengths Peter is willing to go to keep him from being outed as Spider-Man.
Kraven’s Last Hunt
J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck originally planned on making Kraven’s Last Hunt as a Batman story. The story was converted into a Spider-Man comic book and remains one of the most memorable stories in all of Spider-Man history. It is about a mysterious hunter who has taken down many animals and is out to kill Spider-Man as a means of becoming his replacement.
As Kraven aims to take on Spider-Man and become the greatest superhero in all of New York, the story looks into the ulterior motive that Kraven and other enemies of Spider-Man hold. It is all about answering the question of what one would do when one’s greatest enemy has been vanquished. The story is particularly a fascinating tale of revenge and vigilance.
Maximum Carnage
The Maximum Carnage storyline ran through all of the Spider-Man titles released in 1993. This story is about a mysterious creature named Carnage who has managed to hire many henchmen to go on a killing spree around the city. This leads to Spider-Man teaming up with Captain America and a few other heroes to find ways to stop Carnage and his allies.
The series is famous for introducing Venom, an enemy with powers similar to what Spider-Man has. Venom is a staunch enemy of Spidey, but this story does well looking at the relationship between the two sides and how different they are regarding their attitudes, motivations and so on. It is indeed a story where the stakes are indeed high.
Blue
The last of the books to check out is Blue, a short six-part series from Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale that delves into Peter’s relationship with Gwen. It is all about how Peter has had to fight his way through many villains to win Gwen’s heart. The story is more than just a look at how the two fell in love but rather about the strong motivations that Peter has as Spider-Man to be a better person for the one he cares for the most.
The story also contains plenty of mystery. While the Green Goblin and many other villains are out to keep Gwen from being safe, there is a mysterious shadowy figure that is in charge of the entire operation. The story leaves the audience asking questions all while being enamored by one of the most unique romantic stories in comic book history.
All seven of these Spider-Man comic books are memorable ones to read and enjoy. They are all designed with some of the most unforgettable Spidey storylines and arcs that will be appealing to all comic book fans to read. It is no wonder through these stories why Spider-Man is truly an icon in the world of superheroes and continues to be in demand today.
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Leave a comment below telling us which story you would leave out, which story you would replace it with and why. I'd love to hear your opinion.
