Where to start?

[Washisaur]

I've always enjoyed the superhero movies but have never read the comics. My favourite is Spider-Man but I don't know where to start reading. Should I begin with the original 1960s collection, or do you recommend an updated version? On a bit of a whim I bought the 2018 Venom Inc comic book... Can I read this and understand it or was that a mistake? Thank you to anyone who can help me! I appreciate it!

[Revolutionary_Jack]

I've always enjoyed the superhero movies but have never read the comics. My favourite is Spider-Man but I don't know where to start reading. Should I begin with the original 1960s collection, or do you recommend an updated version? On a bit of a whim I bought the 2018 Venom Inc comic book... Can I read this and understand it or was that a mistake? Thank you to anyone who can help me! I appreciate it!

Nothing is a mistake. The general rule as per Stan Lee is that "any comic is someone's first comic" so in theory you can take any latest issue off the stands and start reading. And the current run on Venom by Donny Cates is generally considered to be quite good. So if you bought that and liked it, and go ahead. Eventually that will lead you on your way to reading others. That's how anyone starts.

Reading the original 1960s collection i.e. the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko collection is worth it for its own, as it's a classic and for the most part holds up remarkably well. But it's not strictly necessary. Not everyone comes into Spider-Man reading right from the start to the present.

If you want specific recommendations it depends on what you liked in the Spider-Man movies or if you want something closer to that. Also which Spider-Man movies did you like, the Tobey Maguire ones or Tom Holland ones. Or Into the Spider-Verse?

In general, Ultimate Spider-Man #1-13 is a good reliable read. It goes on for longer than that, to some #200 issues but the first 13 issues are self-contained.

If you want specific overall recommendations: check out "Best-Of" lists:
https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06...stories?page=5

My personal recommendations:
ASM #246 - 'The Daydreamers' (by Roger Stern)
ASM #50 V. 2 "Doomed Affairs" (by JMS)
Spectacular Spider-Man #72-79 - "The Owl/Octopus War" (by Bill Mantlo).

[Tuck]

Your cheapest option if you want to experiment without worrying about going out of pocket the cost of a new car is Marvel Unlimited.

The interface is garbage, and the site can be temperamental, but it's basically Netflix for Marvel comics. The entire run of Amazing Spider-Man (minus Annuals) is on there up to about six months ago, which is the time between release and a new book going on there.

(Other Spider-Man titles are spotty on there, but they're always adding more old issues. Anything from more recently is going to be on there though.)

[Washisaur]

Thank you both! I will definitely look into reading the 1960s collection and Ultimate Spider-Man #1-13 but may start with the one I got today. I know the characters well enough to follow it, as far as I can tell!

I love all of the Spider-Man movies. As a huge Iron Man fan I got a lot of enjoyment out of the Tom Holland ones - but the Tobey Maguire ones will always have a special place in my heart. My favourite thing about them would have to be the characters and their relationships/development, followed closely by the action scenes and interesting villains.

I'm excited to get immersed into these at last. I didn't think to look online to see if there are websites I could subscribe to. I'm from the UK so I'll need to see whether there's a suitable one for me to browse comic books monthly...

I also love that Stan Lee quote. I hadn't heard it before.

[jb681131]

I've always enjoyed the superhero movies but have never read the comics. My favourite is Spider-Man but I don't know where to start reading. Should I begin with the original 1960s collection, or do you recommend an updated version? On a bit of a whim I bought the 2018 Venom Inc comic book... Can I read this and understand it or was that a mistake? Thank you to anyone who can help me! I appreciate it!

Well you can start at the begining

The Very Best of Spider-Man

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

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

With Great Power comes Great Responsabilities - only if you care about the old comics

• Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection: Great Power - Amazing Spider-Man #1-17 + Amazing Fantasy #15
• Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection: Great Responsibility - Amazing Spider-Man #18-38 + Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2

Saga of the Sandman - for early Sandman stories

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

Death of the Stacys - a must read

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

The Original Clone Saga - a nice read before the "Alian Costume Saga" (aka Birth of Venom)

1. The Delusion Conspiracy! - Amazing Spider-Man #139-151
2. Beware the path of the Monster! - Giant-Size Spider-Man #5
3. Till Death Do Us Part! - The Spectacular Spider-Man #25-31
4. What about Carrion ? - The Spectacular Spider-Man #149
5. The Carrion Cure - The Spectacular Spider-Man #162-163
6. The Evolution War - The Spectacular Spider-Man annual #8

Origin of the Hobgoblin

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 - a must read

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

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

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

Return of The Sinister Six

1. Spider-Man: Spirit of the Earth - One shot
2. Return of the Sinister Six - Amazing Spider-Man #334-350

Blue

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

Civil War

1. Road to Civil War - The Amazing Spider-Man #529-531 + Fantastic Four #536-537 + New Avengers: Illuminate
2. Civil War by Mark Millar - Civil War #1-7
3. Civil War: Amazing Spider-Man - The Amazing Spider-Man #529-532

Brand New Day

1. Brand New Day vol.1 - Free Comic Book Day 2007 + Amazing Spider-Man #546-564 + Spider-Man: Swing Shift
2. Brand New Day vol.2 - Amazing Spider-Man #565-577 + Annual #1 + Secret Invasion: The Amazing Spider-Man #1-3
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 - The Gaungtlet acts as a sequel to Kraven's Last Hunt

Prequels

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

1. 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
2. Book 2 - Rhino & Mysterio - The Amazing Spider-Man #617-621 and Web of Spider-Man (vol. 2) #3-4 Rhino and Mysterio origins
3. Book 3 - Vulture & Morbius - The Amazing Spider-Man #622-625 + Web of Spider-Man #5-6 origins of Vulture and Morbius
4. Book 4 - Juggernaut - The Amazing Spider-Man #626-629 + #229-230 (the original "Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut)
5. Book 5 - The Lizard - The Amazing Spider-Man #630-633 + Web of Spider-Man #6

Sequel

1. Grim Hunt - The Amazing Spider-Man #634-637 + Web of Spider-Man #7 + Grim Hunt Prologue + Spider-Man Origin Of The Hunter

More Sequels

1. Origin of the Species - The Amazing Spider-Man #642-647
2. Kraven's First Hunt - The Amazing Spider-Man #663-667

Big Time

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

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

Ultimate Spider-Man: Death of Spider-Man
Ultimate Spider-Man is a reboot/alternative timeline

• Death of Spider-Man - Ultimate Spider-Man #156-160

Back in Black

• 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

• Secret Wars - Free Comics Book Day 2015: Secret Wars #0 + Secret Wars #1-8

Renew Your Vows

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

I hope this answers your questions

[Washisaur]

Brilliant! Thank you so much for that! I'll keep your list for when I start at the beginning.

[jb681131]

Brilliant! Thank you so much for that! I'll keep your list for when I start at the beginning.

You're welcome. Saga of the Sandman, The Original Clone Saga, Origin of the Hobgoblin, Spider-Man vs. Green Goblin, Return of The Sinister Six can be skipped if you're not interrested.
I really recommand Death of the Staceys, Kraven's Last Hunt, Birth of Venom.

[Batman Begins 2005]

Thank you both! I will definitely look into reading the 1960s collection and Ultimate Spider-Man #1-13 but may start with the one I got today. I know the characters well enough to follow it, as far as I can tell!

I love all of the Spider-Man movies. As a huge Iron Man fan I got a lot of enjoyment out of the Tom Holland ones - but the Tobey Maguire ones will always have a special place in my heart. My favourite thing about them would have to be the characters and their relationships/development, followed closely by the action scenes and interesting villains.

I'm excited to get immersed into these at last. I didn't think to look online to see if there are websites I could subscribe to. I'm from the UK so I'll need to see whether there's a suitable one for me to browse comic books monthly...

I also love that Stan Lee quote. I hadn't heard it before.

I'm from the UK as well.

I'd recommend the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko Spider-Man run as it's the Spidey run: Amazing Fantasy #15 and The Amazing Spider-Man #1-38.
The Night Gwen Stacy Died. The Amazing Spider-Man #121-122.
The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man. The Amazing Spider-Man #248.
The Amazing Spider-Man: Coming Home. The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 2) #30-35.
Ultimate Spider-Man #1-13. #13 is terrific.
The Superior Foes of Spider-Man.
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #310. Instant classic.

[NC_Yankee]

I'm from the UK as well.

I'd recommend the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko Spider-Man run as it's the Spidey run: Amazing Fantasy #15 and The Amazing Spider-Man #1-38.
The Night Gwen Stacy Died. The Amazing Spider-Man #121-122.
The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man. The Amazing Spider-Man #248.
The Amazing Spider-Man: Coming Home. The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 2) #30-35.
Ultimate Spider-Man #1-13. #13 is terrific.
The Superior Foes of Spider-Man.
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #310. Instant classic.

I might include ASM 129 ( firat Punisher appearance), ASM 42 ( first MJ appearance), and ASM 194 ( first Felicia Hardy/Black Cat appearance). I think the most essential issues are 1: Amazing Fantasy 15. 2: ASM 121-122. 3: ASM 31-33 in that order.

[Washisaur]

Brilliant info! I've subscribed to Marvel Unlimited now so am ready to make a dent in these comics!

[Vortex85]

Just start with the latest Amazing Spider-Man issues coming out now by Spencer.

If you start with all this old stuff you will never get to the current stuff everyone is taking about. The latest ASM issue #23 (legacy 824) is a great jumping on point. There is a lot of exciting stuff going on in the book currently. You can always go back and read old stuff later or on the side but don’t make the mistake of neglecting current Spider-man. It’s exciting to read things as they come out and enjoy anticipating new issues with other readers in the community.

[WebLurker]

Ultimate Spider-Man is always a good first comic, esp. if you saw the movies first.

[Washisaur]

This is also good advice. It's nice to be part of a community when awaiting a new release. I could start from here and read older comics and highlights suggested above in-between new releases as it could get overwhelming otherwise.

[Mister Mets]

I've always enjoyed the superhero movies but have never read the comics. My favourite is Spider-Man but I don't know where to start reading. Should I begin with the original 1960s collection, or do you recommend an updated version? On a bit of a whim I bought the 2018 Venom Inc comic book... Can I read this and understand it or was that a mistake? Thank you to anyone who can help me! I appreciate it!

If you have an Ipad, I recommend you get Marvel's Digital Unlimited service which will let you read a lot of comics for about ten bucks a month.

There was a new Amazing Spider-Man #1 about an year ago, which kicked off a new run, so that is a good jump-on point.

But there's more.

If you like older comics, you could start at the beginning with the Lee/ Ditko run (Amazing Fantasy #15, Amazing Spider-Man #1.) The first 150 issues are the foundation of the series, showing a character who progresses and a title with lasting change, before it kinda falls into a holding pattern.

Ultimate Spider-Man was an excellent 21st Century reimagining of Spider-Man in a more cinematic style.

In late 2007, the books were rebooted, as some recent developments were erased from the character's history. You could start reading there. Spider-Man books work best if you read entire runs rather than arcs, since so much of the appeal is the subplots.

The Brand New Day era (Amazing Spider-Man #546-647) featured a back to basics approach and rotating writers. The highlights include Unscheduled Stop (Amazing Spider-Man #578-579) a memorable clash with the Shocker in a dangerous location, The Gauntlet: Rhino (Amazing Spider-Man #617, 625) which featured a dark take on the Rhino, and Shed (Amazing Spider-Man #630-633) which featured a nasty take on that bad guy.

Dan Slott then became the main writer with Amazing Spider-Man #648, which kicked off the Big Time era, as Peter found success as a scientist. The essentials include the first ten issues (648-657), the Spider Island saga (666-673) as everyone in New York got super-powers and an important clash with Doctor Octopus (698-700.)

This led to the Superior Spider-Man era, which might be the highlight of the last fifteen years. The basic pitch is that Doctor Octopus has taken over as Spider-Man, and tried to be the Superior Spider-Man. It's a 31 issue saga, all of which is worth checking out.

Highlights from later in Slott's run are Spider-Verse (Amazing Spider-Man Volume 2 #9-15) which features interdimensional team-ups, Renew Your Vows (Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #1-5) showing a world where Peter becomes a family man, and the finale (Amazing Spider-Man #792-801) in which Norman Osborn gets his hands on the Carnage symbiote.

Notable comics outside the main run are...
Astonishing Spider-Man/ Wolverine- A time-travelling team-up by Jason Aaron and Adam Kubert.
Superior Foes of Spider-Man- Funny series by Nick Spencer that's important for his main run, showing the perspective of B-list supervillains.
Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #310- A self-contained issue by Chip Zdarsky about what Spider-Man means to different people.
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #6- The highlight of Tom Taylor's run, and a self-contained issue that just went into a second printing.

[Vortex85]

Just to be clear, any “new runs” or renumberings of Amazing Spider-Man are just continuations of the original comic starting in 1963. Marvel started renumberings to boost sales but it’s all one continuing story.

So last year it started over at #1 but it was actually issue #802.

I didn’t read thread to see if someone said this so I thought I’d point that out just to be clear.