If you could only recommend one Spider-Man issue/story arc

[Wall-Crawler]

If you could only recommend one story to someone who has never read a comic book in their life (it could also be to an avid reader, but it's easier to think about recommending it to a non-reader since that would mean the story is "universal" if you know what I mean), which would it be ?

I want two options:

Which single issue would you recommend ?
Which story arc would you recommend ?

[Inversed]

Story arc, if I can pick from any series, it would be Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 1. That is probably the perfect introduction to Spider-Man that anybody can get in to, and an excellent start to an excellent run.

Single issue, that's alot harder because there's so many of them and I'm trying to think of a really good one that you could recommend anyone to read it alone without much context. Because its so recent and still in my mind, I would say ASM 801, just because that really is such a great standalone Spider-Man story that encapsulates what the character is, and that someone who may not read Spider-Man but know who he is could pick up and get engaged in.

[Wall-Crawler]

Anyone else ?

[Mister Mets]

Single issue....The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man (Amazing Spider-Man #248)
It can work with people who don't read superhero comics.

Arc...Power & Responsibility (Ultimate Spider-Man #1-7)
It's not the best story, but it is very accessible, and an excellent entry point to 200+ issues.

[K7P5V]

Single issue - Parallel Lives

Story arc - The Amazing Spider-Man #252-259 (The Saga of the Alien Costume)

[Batman Begins 2005]

Single issue: AF#15. Honourable mention to USM #13.

Story arc? The Night Gwen Stacy Died in TASM #121-122.

[Tuck]

Arc...Power & Responsibility (Ultimate Spider-Man #1-7)
It's not the best story, but it is very accessible, and an excellent entry point to 200+ issues.

I'm not sure there's really another good answer. Pretty much all of the great Spider-Man stories require at least some knowledge of the history of the character(s) and series up to that point. Kraven's Last Hunt or Death of Gwen Stacy don't work out of context of the larger Spider-Man story.

[Mister Mets]

I'm not sure there's really another good answer. Pretty much all of the great Spider-Man stories require at least some knowledge of the history of the character(s) and series up to that point. Kraven's Last Hunt or Death of Gwen Stacy don't work out of context of the larger Spider-Man story.

With some of the other stories, there also isn't an obvious follow-up. If someone likes the first few issues of Ultimate Spider-Man, they'll probably enjoy the next arc.

if someone likes the Night Gwen Stacy Died, should they check out Amazing Spider-Man #123? If they like Kraven's Last Hunt, they might be happy with The Child Within, although it hasn't been reprinted a lot, and builds heavily on established continuity.

[jb681131]

If you could only recommend one story to someone who has never read a comic book in their life (it could also be to an avid reader, but it's easier to think about recommending it to a non-reader since that would mean the story is "universal" if you know what I mean), which would it be ?

I want two options:

Which single issue would you recommend ?
Which story arc would you recommend ?

Here I go:

The Very Best of Spider-Man - Compilation of must read early stories

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 - Compilation must read stories

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
4.Venom Strikes Back - Amazing Spider-Man #315-317
5.The Death of Jean DeWolff - Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110

Death of the Stacys - Two sad but very good stories

1.Spider-Man vs. Dr. Octopus/And Death shall come - Amazing Spider-Man #88-92
2.The Night Gwen Stacy Died - Amazing Spider-Man #121-122

[jb681131]

Here I go again:

Kraven's Last Hunt (Epic Collection) - Collects Spider-Man/Wolverin, The Wedding and the aclaimed Kraven's Last Hunt

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.Part 1: The Coffing - Web of Spider-Man #31
12.Part 2: Crawling - Amazing Spider-Man #293
13.Part 3: Descent - Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #131
14.Part 4: Resurrection - Web of Spider-Man #32
15.Part 5: Thunder - Amazing Spider-Man #294
16.Part 6: Ascending - Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #132
17.The Wedding of the Year - Marvel Age #54 - includes interviews, the Shea Stadium and the Newspaper Strip weddings

Birth of Venom - The main Venom stories

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: Blue - Retelling of Spider-Man origins

1.Spider-Man: Blue - Spider-Man Blue #1-5

Have Fun reading all that

[jb681131]

Not finished yet:

Brand New Day

Brand New Day vol.1 - Free Comic Book Day 2007 + Amazing Spider-Man #546-564 + Spider-Man: Swing Shift
Brand New Day vol.2 - Amazing Spider-Man #565-577 + Annual #1 + Secret Invasion: The Amazing Spider-Man #1-3
Brand New Day 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

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

Big Time - Includes Spider-Island

Big Time: Ultimate Collection - Amazing Spider-Man #648-662 + 654.1
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
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
Big Time: The Complete Collection vol.4 - Amazing Spider-Man #688-697 + Avenging Spider-Man #11 + Alpha: Big Time #1-5

[jb681131]

And to continue:

Ultimate Spider-Man: Death of Spider-Man

1.Ultimate Spider-Man: Death of Spider-Man

Then you can read:
Superior Spider-Man
Spider-Verse
Back in Black
All-New Ultimate Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Renew Your Vows

1.Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows - Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #1-5, Secret Wars: Secret Love #1

I think that's all - I hope that's what you wanted.

[Vortex85]

Marvel Knights Spider-Man (HHshark&Kirby-DCP) pg01-02.jpg

Marvel Knights Spider-Man 1-12


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB6iitw-SNY

[twenty2]

Kraven's Last Hunt (Epic Collection) - Collects Spider-Man/Wolverin, The Wedding and the aclaimed Kraven's Last Hunt

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.Part 1: The Coffing - Web of Spider-Man #31
12.Part 2: Crawling - Amazing Spider-Man #293
13.Part 3: Descent - Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #131
14.Part 4: Resurrection - Web of Spider-Man #32
15.Part 5: Thunder - Amazing Spider-Man #294
16.Part 6: Ascending - Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #132
17.The Wedding of the Year - Marvel Age #54 - includes interviews, the Shea Stadium and the Newspaper Strip weddings

Man, I wasn't aware that the wedding was collected in Kraven's Last Hunt (Epic Collection)!

I was looking for a wedding reprint so I could buy it! thanks!

It actually makes sense to give a background to better appreciate Kraven's Last Hunt. It's a good story but I find it odd when someone recommends it to new readers.

Do you know if "10.The Honeymoon - The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #7" was collected anywhere?

[the nomad]

Happy Birthday- Amazing Spider-Man 57, 58 and 500.

Shed- Amazing Spider-Man 630, 631, 632, 633

Or
Marvel Knights Spider-Man: Fight Night