Essential Spider-Man Reading

[ngroove]

I would love to buy some of the single issues, but right now I'm more interested in reading them en masse, you know?

Well, at least I'd also suggest, to go out there, and snap up any Venom and Carnage covers, 80s an 90s Venom, 90s Carnage, the first when you see them. Like Deadpool or DC's Harley Quinn, those characters are HOT, and the market for them fluctuates quite often. For instance, I remember Amazing Spider-Man 361 on the back issue longboxes while it was still on a single-digited price, but if you happen to see it on comic book display wall / case, look at it now! And I got a good feeling VENOM the movie might once again drive those late eighties - early nineties McFarlane and Larsen Venom covers and stories up in value.

[WebSlingWonder]

I just got done reading "The Death of Jean DeWolff" in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110...whoa. That was quite a story. A little dark for Spider-Man, but so rich and nuanced with the various characters. Peter, Murdock, Sin-Eater, and all of them had so much character and grit to them. It felt real, despite this man with the radioactive spider venom inside of him.

Hats off to Peter David. If this is how he truly kicked things off with PPSSM, then I look forward to reading the rest. And I would be a fool not to mention the art by Rich Buckley. He blew my mind with his detail, linework, and mood with shadows and lighting.

Does anyone know of any trades that collect the rest of David's PPSSM run?

[ngroove]

I just got done reading "The Death of Jean DeWolff" in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110...whoa. That was quite a story. A little dark for Spider-Man, but so rich and nuanced with the various characters. Peter, Murdock, Sin-Eater, and all of them had so much character and grit to them. It felt real, despite this man with the radioactive spider venom inside of him.

Hats off to Peter David. If this is how he truly kicked things off with PPSSM, then I look forward to reading the rest. And I would be a fool not to mention the art by Rich Buckley. He blew my mind with his detail, linework, and mood with shadows and lighting.

Does anyone know of any trades that collect the rest of David's PPSSM run?

None of them, aside from possibly Sin-Eater story #1, are key issues, in the sense like Amazing Spider-Man #298-300 found for quite the higher price between #297 and #301 - I am sure most Peter Davids, being the late eighties - could be found in local comic store, a few dollars, perhaps even one-two dollars, apiece.

[Turlast]

That Essential Spectacular #5 is legit one of the best books I've ever read. The Ock/Owl Gang War was the highlight, but just about every story there is great. Mantlo wrote a great Spider-Man.

[WebSlingWonder]

That Essential Spectacular #5 is legit one of the best books I've ever read. The Ock/Owl Gang War was the highlight, but just about every story there is great. Mantlo wrote a great Spider-Man.

He really did! I also read "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man" and "Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut" and I'm seeing what you guys mean when you say Roger Stern is one of the greatest Spider-Man writers. These were fantastic!

[Mister Mets]

I just got done reading "The Death of Jean DeWolff" in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110...whoa. That was quite a story. A little dark for Spider-Man, but so rich and nuanced with the various characters. Peter, Murdock, Sin-Eater, and all of them had so much character and grit to them. It felt real, despite this man with the radioactive spider venom inside of him.

Hats off to Peter David. If this is how he truly kicked things off with PPSSM, then I look forward to reading the rest. And I would be a fool not to mention the art by Rich Buckley. He blew my mind with his detail, linework, and mood with shadows and lighting.

Does anyone know of any trades that collect the rest of David's PPSSM run?

Peter David's 1980s work isn't collected in many trades. It can be found online pretty cheap.

Two other issues worth hunting down are Amazing Spider-Man #267 and Web of Spider-Man #13, two standalone issues he wrote at the time.

There is a color hardcover of his Sin-Eater story and its follow-up in Spec 134-136.

He came back to Spider-Man comics in 2006-2007 on Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and his run on that title has been collected.

[WebSlingWonder]

Peter David's 1980s work isn't collected in many trades. It can be found online pretty cheap.

Two other issues worth hunting down are Amazing Spider-Man #267 and Web of Spider-Man #13, two standalone issues he wrote at the time.

There is a color hardcover of his Sin-Eater story and its follow-up in Spec 134-136.

He came back to Spider-Man comics in 2006-2007 on Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and his run on that title has been collected.

I read "Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man", and liked what I read! I'll have to recollect the trades.

[WebLurker]

Peter David's 1980s work isn't collected in many trades. It can be found online pretty cheap.

Is any of that stuff in the ASM Epic Collections? They infrequently have material from non-ASM stuff in them.

[Turlast]

None of Peter David's stuff is in the Epics, unfortunately.

[WebLurker]

None of Peter David's stuff is in the Epics, unfortunately.

Wait a minute; didn't David do the commuter story? I forget who wrote it for sure, but I know it was in the Epics and I'm thinking it was David for some reason.

[Turlast]

Yeah, you're right. Peter David's #266-267 is in one of them. I was mainly thinking about his Spectacular stuff not being collected. His appearances in ASM seemed to be sporadic. After the Commuter story, the next ASM story he wrote was the Leeds reveal in #289.

[Shriveling_memo]

Spiderman blue, made me cry. Great reas

[WebSlingWonder]

Spiderman blue, made me cry. Great reas

I LOVE SPIDER-MAN: BLUE! My favorite Spider-Man graphic novel (at least 616 Spidey)

[jb681131]

Here are tpb's I would recommend:

First get a hold of 2 compilation books that compile the best early stories!

* The Very Best of Spider-Man - tpb
1. Amazin Fantasy #15 - first Siper-Man appearance
2. If this be my destiny... The Final Chapter - Amazing Spider-Man #33
3. Spider-Man no more - Amazing Spider-Man #50
4. The Kid Who Collects Spiderman - Amazing Spider-Man #248
5. Whatever Happened to Crusher Hogan? - Amazing Spider-Man #271
6. The Sand and the Fury - Amazing Spider-Man #317
7. Fathers and Sins - Amazing Spider-Man #365
8. The Osborn Legacy - Spectacular Spider-Man #189

* Spider-Man: Wizard Masterpiece Edition - tpb
1. Nothing Stops the Juggernaut - Amazing Spider-Man #229-230
2. Hyde in Plain Sight (aka Hyde & Seek) - Amazing Spider-Man #231-232
3. The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man - Amazing Spider-Man #248
5. Venom Strikes Back - Amazing Spider-Man #315-317
6. The Death of Jean DeWolff - Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110

Then to get to know the various Vilans:

* Saga of the Sandman - tpb
1. The End of Spider-Man! - Amazing Spider-Man #18-19
2. Where Stalks the Sandman? - Fantastic Four #61
3. ...Sincerely, the Sandman - The Incredible Hulk #138
4. Have Yourself a Sandman Little Christmas! - Marvel Team-Up #1
5. Time Runs Like Sand - Marvel Two-In-One #86
6. Sand Blasted - Untold Tales of Spider-Man #3

* Origin of the Hobgoblin - tpb
1. Pretty Poison - The Spectacular Spider-Man #43
2. A Night on the Prowl/Double Defeat - The Spectacular Spider-Man #47-48
3. In the Shadow of Evil Past/Now Strikes the Hobgoblin - Amazing Spider-Man #238-239
4. Ordeals/Sacrefice Play - Amazing Spider-Man #244-245
5. The Hatred of the Hobgoblin - The Spectacular Spider-Man #85
6. Secrets/Confessions/Endings - Amazing Spider-Man #249-251

* Marvel Epic Collection (#17) Amazing Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt - Includes Spider-Man's Wedding - tpb
1. Man Of The Year - The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #20
2. High Tide - Spider-Man versus Wolverin - prequel to The Hobgoblini Revealed
3. The Hobgoblin Revealed! - The Amazing Spider-Man #289
4. Mask - Web of Spider-Man #29 - sequel to The Hobgoblini Revealed
5. The Wedges of Sin - Web of Spider-Man #30 - sequel to The Hobgoblini Revealed
6. The Big Question - The Amazing Spider-Man #290 - prequel to The Wedding
7. Dark Journey - The Amazing Spider-Man #291 - prequel to The Wedding
8. Growing Pains - The Amazing Spider-Man #292 - prequel to The Wedding
9. The Wedding - The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21
10. The Honeymoon - The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #7 - Sadly not collected
11. Kraven's Last Hunt:
Part 1: The Coffing - Web of Spider-Man #31
Part 2: Crawling - Amazing Spider-Man #293
Part 3: Descent - Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #131
Part 4: Resurrection - Web of Spider-Man #32
Part 5: Thunder - Amazing Spider-Man #294
Part 6: Ascending - Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #132
12. The Wedding of the Year - Marvel Age #54 - includes interviews, the Shea Stadium and the Newspaper Strip weddings

* Birth of Venom - tpb
1. Invasion! - Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8
2. The New Spider-Man - Amazing Spider-Man #252-259
3. Chance - Amazing Spider-Man #298-300
4. Return of Venom - Amazing Spider-Man #315-317
5. Monster Mash - Fantastic Four #274
6. Til Death Do Us Part! - Web of Spider-Man #1

* Spider-Man vs. Green Goblin - tpb - Includes the death of Gwen Stacy
1. The Return of the Green Goblin - Amazing Spider-Man #17
2. Green Goblin Reborn! - Amazing Spider-Man #96-98
3. The Night Gwen Stacy Died - Amazing Spider-Man #121-122
4. Best of Enemies - Spectacular Spider-Man #200

* Marvel Epic Collection (#21) Amazing Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six - tpb
1. Spider-Man: Spirit of the Earth - One shot
2. Return of the Sinister Six - Amazing Spider-Man #334-350

You can also read the following stories:

* Road to Civil War - The Amazing Spider-Man #529-531 + Fantastic Four #536-537 + New Avengers: Illuminate
* Civil War - Civil War #1-7

* Spider-Man: Blue - Spider-Man Blue #1-5 - Origins by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale

After that comes the modern Spider-Man

* Brand New Day
1. vol.1 - Free Comic Book Day 2007 + Amazing Spider-Man #546-564 + Spider-Man: Swing Shift
2. vol.2 - Amazing Spider-Man #565-577 + Annual #1 + Secret Invasion: The Amazing Spider-Man #1-3
3. vol.3 - Amazing Spider-Man #578-591 + Spider-Man: Presidents' Day Special + Spider-Man: Fear Itself + Amazing Spider-Man: Extra #1-3

* The Gauntlet and Grim Hunt saga
- Prequels - optional
1. Died in Your Arms Tonight - The Amazing Spider-Man #600-601, annual 36 + Amazing Spider-Familly #7
2. Red-Headed Stranger - The Amazing Spider-Man #602-605
3. Return of the Black Cat - The Amazing Spider-Man #606-611 + Web of Spider-Man #1
- The Gauntlet
4. Book 1 - Electro & Sandman - The Amazing Spider-Man #612-616, Dark Reign: The List - Amazing Spider-Man + Web of Spider-Man #2 Electro + Sandman origins
5. Book 2 - Rhino & Mysterio - The Amazing Spider-Man #617-621 and Web of Spider-Man (vol. 2) #3-4 Rhino and Mysterio origins
6. Book 3 - Vulture & Morbius - The Amazing Spider-Man #622-625 + Web of Spider-Man #5-6 origins of Vulture and Morbius
7. Book 4 - Juggernaut - The Amazing Spider-Man #626-629 + #229-230 (the original "Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut)
8. Book 5 - The Lizard - The Amazing Spider-Man #630-633 + Web of Spider-Man #6
- Sequels
9. Grim Hunt - The Amazing Spider-Man #634-637 + Web of Spider-Man #7 + Grim Hunt Prologue + Spider-Man Origin Of The Hunter
- More Sequels - optional
10. Origin of the Species - The Amazing Spider-Man #642-647
11. Kraven's First Hunt - The Amazing Spider-Man #663-667

* Big Time / Spider-Island
- As Ultimate books
1. Big Time: Ultimate Collection - Amazing Spider-Man #648-662 + 654.1
2. Big Time: The Complete Collection vol.2 - Amazing Spider-Man #663-676 + Amazing Spider-Man: Infested + Free Comic Book Day 2011 + Spider-Island: Deadly Foes
3. Big Time: The Complete Collection vol.3 - Amazing Spider-Man #677-687, 679.1 + Daredevil #8 + Amazing Spider-Man: End of the Earth + Avengin Spider-Man #8
4. Big Time: The Complete Collection vol.4 - Amazing Spider-Man #688-697 + Avenging Spider-Man #11 + Alpha: Big Time #1-5
- Only the essential
1. Big Time - Amazing Spider-Man #648-651
2. Spider Island - Amazing Spider-Man #659-660, 662-665, 666-673 + Venom (2011) #6-8 + Spider-Island: Deadly Foes + Spider-Island Spotlight
3. Ends of Earth - Amazing Spider-Man Ends of the Earth #1 + Amazing Spider-Man #682-687 + Avenging Spider-Man #8
4. Dying Wish - Amazing Spider-Man #698-700 + Amazing Spider-Man #699.1 + Avenging Spider-Man #15.1

* Superior Spider-Man
1. Superior Spider-Man Vol. 1 - #1-5 + Amazing Spider-Man #698-700
2. Superior Spider-Man Vol. 2 - #6-16
3. Superior Spider-Man Vol. 3 - #17-31

* Spider-Verse - tpb
Amazing Spider-Man #7-15 +
Superior Spider-Man #32-33 +
Spider-Verse #1-2 + Spider-Verse Team-Up #1-3 +
Scarlet Spiders #1-3 +
Spider-Woman #1-4 +
Spider-Man 2099 #6-8 +
Free Comic Book Day 2014

* Ultimate Spider-Man: Death of Spider-Man
Death of Spider-Man - Ultimate Spider-Man #156-160
or
Death of Spider-Man Omnibus - Ultimate Avengers vs. New Ultimates #1-6 + Ultimate Fallout #1-6 + Ultimate Spider-Man #15, 150-160

* Back in Black - tpb
1. Back in Black - Amazing Spider-Man #539-543 + Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #17-23, Annual #1

* All-New Ultimate Spider-Man: Miles Morales
1. Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man Ultimate Collection Book One - Ultimate Fallout #4 + Ultimate Spider-Man vol.2 #1-12 + Spider-Men #1-5
2. Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man Ultimate Collection Book Two - Ultimate Spider-Man vol.2 #13-28, 16.1
3. Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man Ultimate Collection Book Three - Cataclysme: Ultimate Comics Spider-MAn #1-3 + Ultimate Spider-Man vol.2 #200 + Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man #1-12

* Secret War - tpb
1. Secret Wars - Free Comics Book Day 2015: Secret Wars #0 + Secret Wars #1-8

* Renew Your Vows - tpb - Part of the Warzones! event wich is a follow-up to the Secret Wars event.
1. Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows - Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #1-5, Secret Wars: Secret Love #1

[Scott Taylor]

I have Essential Marvel Team-Up Volumes 1 and 2 and am pretty much done with them and ready to pass them on. Want 'em?