Spider-Man’s Most Revered Stories from Each Decade

[HypnoHustler]

1960s
Number 1: Amazing Fantasy #15
Runner-up 1: Master Planner Saga ASM #31-33
Runner-up 2: ASM#39-40 (Norman and Peter unmask each other)

1970s
Number 1: The Night Gwen Stacy Died ASM#121-122
Runner-up 1: ASM#90 (Death of George Stacy)
Runner-up 2: ASM #149-151 (Spidey fights his clone, Jackal “dies”)

1980s (too many to list from this era… some difficult omissions)
Number 1: Fearful Symmetry/ Kraven’s Last Hunt
Runner-Up 1: The Death of Jean DeWolff
Runner-Up 2: The Kid Who Collected Spider-Man

1990s
Number 1: Harry Osborn Green Goblin saga
Runner-Up 1: ASM #400 (“Death” of Aunt May)
Runner-Up 2: PP:SM #75 (Norman returns, end of Clone Saga)

2000s
Number 1: Coming Home (first Morlun storyline)
Runner-up 1: Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #1-12
Runner-up 2: ASM #578-579 (“Unscheduled Stop”)

2010s (too few to list from this era… this was a struggle)
Number 1: Spider-Man: Life-Story miniseries
Runner-up 1: First half of ‘Superior Spider-Man’
Runner-up 2: Spectacular Spider-Man#310

Truly an abysmal decade.

And the 2020s aren’t shaping up any better. But thankfully it’s too early to come up with a list!

What’s yours?

[Matt Rat]

1960s
Number 1: Amazing Spider-Man#31-33
Runner-up 1: ASM#3
Runner-up 2: ASM Annual#1

1970s
Number 1: The Night Gwen Stacy Died ASM#121-122
Runner-up 1: ASM#200 (Death of the Burgler)
Runner-up 2: Carrion Saga (Spectacular Spider-Man)

1980s
Number 1: Fearful Symmetry/ Kraven’s Last Hunt
Runner-Up 1: The Sinister Secret of Spider-Man's New Costume
Runner-Up 2: The Hobgoblin Saga

1990s
Number 1: Best of Enemies
Runner-Up 1: The Lost Years
Runner-Up 2: What If#105 (Mayday's debut)

2000s
Number 1: To Have and To Hold (Sensational Annual#1)
Runner-up 1: Happy Birthday (ASM# 408-500)
Runner-up 2: First arc of Ultimate Spider-Man

2010s
Number 1: Spider-Man: Life Story
Runner-up 1: Nick Spencer Spider-Man
Runner-up 2: Marvella Saga (Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Strip: Years 2014-2019)

[Kaitou D. Kid]

1960's - AF#15 and the Master Planner saga

1970's - Death of Gwen Stacy

1980's - Kraven's Last Hunt and ASM #300

1990's - The Child Within/The Harry Osborn Saga

2000's - The JMS/JRJR saga and Bendis' Ultimate

2010's - Zdarsky's Spectacular Spider-Man and the first 10 issues of Nick Spencer's run

2020's - Nothing so far.

[Mister Mets]

Revered asks about the stories with the best reputations.

1960s
Number 1: Amazing Fantasy #15
Runner-up 1: Amazing Spider-Man#31-33
Runner-up 2: Amazing Spider-Man #50 "Spider-Man No More"

1970s
Number 1: The Night Gwen Stacy Died ASM#121-122
Runner-up 1: The Burglar Saga (Amazing Spider-Man #193-200; technically it ends in the 1980s)
Runner-up 2: The Harry Osborn drug saga (Amazing Spider-Man #96-98)

1980s
Number 1: Fearful Symmetry/ Kraven’s Last Hunt
Runner-Up 1: The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man
Runner-Up 2: Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut
(Most decades the Hobgoblin Saga, Death of Jean Dewolff and first appearance of Venom would make it.)

1990s
Number 1: Best of Enemies/ The Harry Osborn saga
Runner-Up 1: Maximum Carnage (this does not mean I like it)
Runner-Up 2: "the Gift"

2000s
Number 1: Learning Curve (Ultimate Spider-Man #8-13)
Runner-up 1: Coming Home/ The Conversation (Amazing Spider-Man Volume 2 #30-39)
Runner-up 2: Spider-Man: Blue

2010s
Number 1: Superior Spider-Man
Runner-up 1: Spider-Men
Runner-up 2: Life Story

This is a slightly different question from what are our favorite stories from each decade.

1960s
Number 1: The Master Planner Saga
Runner-up 1: Amazing Fantasy #15
Runner-up 2: Disaster (Amazing Spider-Man #53-59)

1970s
Number 1: The Night Gwen Stacy Died ASM#121-122
Runner-up 1: The Burglar Saga (Amazing Spider-Man #193-200; technically it ends in the 1980s)
Runner-up 2: And Then Came Electro (Amazing Spider-Man #82)

1980s
Number 1: The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man
Runner-Up 1: Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut
Runner-Up 2: Kraven's Last Hunt

1990s
Number 1: Best of Enemies/ the Harry Osborn saga
Runner-Up 1: Amazing Fantasy
Runner-Up 2: What If#89 (Arachnophobia)

2000s
Number 1: "Learning Curve" (Ultimate Spider-Man)
Runner-up 1: One Small Break (Peter Parker Spider-Man #30-32)
Runner-up 2: Spider-Man Blue

2010s
Number 1: Superior Spider-Man
Runner-up 1: No One Dies
Runner-up 2: Amazing Spider-Man Volume 5 #1

[HypnoHustler]

Revered asks about the stories with the best reputations.

Yes, that’s what I meant. Although people are allowed to be a bit flexible with the thread, it’s fine

[phonogram12]

Spider-Man: Blue

Easily one of my top four Spidey stories ever, imho.

[HypnoHustler]

1980s
Number 1: Fearful Symmetry/ Kraven’s Last Hunt
Runner-Up 1: The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man
Runner-Up 2: Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut
(Most decades the Hobgoblin Saga, Death of Jean Dewolff and first appearance of Venom would make it.)

Truly a difficult decade to list… but a great one for Spidey fans. I guess that’s why it’s often cited as his best era.

[Daibhidh]

1960s
Number 1: Amazing Fantasy #15
Runner-up 1: Master Planner Saga ASM #31-33
Runner-up 2: ASM#39-40 (Norman and Peter unmask each other)

ASM 1 42 final pages. Most famous character introduction in comics that I know of.

1980s (too many to list from this era… some difficult omissions)
Number 1: Fearful Symmetry/ Kraven’s Last Hunt
Runner-Up 1: The Death of Jean DeWolff
Runner-Up 2: The Kid Who Collected Spider-Man

The Daydreamers seems to be a story that is either passed over or highly praised.
Another couple of highly praised or passed over: Amazing Spider-man Annual 19 and the Wedding Stories.

2000s
Number 1: Coming Home (first Morlun storyline)
Runner-up 1: Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #1-12
Runner-up 2: ASM #578-579 (“Unscheduled Stop”)

To Have and to Hold.

[Batman Begins 2005]

My answers:

1960s: Amazing Fantasy #15.
Runner-up: TASM #39-40.

1970s: The Night Gwen Stacy Died.
Runner-up: TASM #200.

1980s: The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man.
Runner-up: Kraven's Last Hunt.

1990s: TASM #400.
Runner-up: Death of Harry Osborn.

2000s: Coming Home.
Runner-up: USM #1-13.

2010s: Finale. Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #310.
Runner-up: The Superior Foes of Spider-Man.

[HypnoHustler]

My answers:

1960s: Amazing Fantasy #15.
Runner-up: TASM #39-40.

1970s: The Night Gwen Stacy Died.
Runner-up: TASM #200.

1980s: The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man.
Runner-up: Kraven's Last Hunt.

1990s: Blue.
Runner-up: TASM #400.

2000s: Coming Home.
Runner-up: USM #1-13.

2010s: Finale. Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #310.
Runner-up: TASM (Vol. 5) #1.

Good list, but I feel it’s my duty to point out Blue actually came out in the early 2000s.

[Batman Begins 2005]

Good list, but I feel it’s my duty to point out Blue actually came out in the early 2000s.

Thank you for saying my list was good. I remembered when I was editing my post that Spider-Man: Blue was in the 2000s.

[Celgress]

1960s
Number 1: Amazing Fantasy #15
Runner-up 1: Amazing Spider-Man#31-33
Runner-up 2: Amazing Spider-Man #50 "Spider-Man No More"

1970s
Number 1: The Night Gwen Stacy Died ASM#121-122
Runner-up 1: The Burglar Saga (Amazing Spider-Man #193-200)
Runner-up 2: The Harry Osborn drug saga (Amazing Spider-Man #96-98)

1980s
Number 1: Kraven’s Last Hunt
Runner-Up 1: The Death of Jean Dewolff
Runner-Up 2: The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man

1990s
Number 1: The Harry Osborn saga
Runner-Up 1: Maximum Carnage
Runner-Up 2: The Clone Saga (rather it is notorious)

2000s
Number 1: Learning Curve (Ultimate Spider-Man #8-13)
Runner-up 1: The Conversation (Amazing Spider-Man Volume 2 #30-39)
Runner-up 2: Spider-Man Blue

2010s
Number 1: Superior Spider-Man
Runner-up 1: Life Story
Runner-up 2: No One Dies


*I would rate The Wedding number 1 for the 1980s but it is no longer canon to any ongoing/semi-ongoing continuity save perhaps Life Story.

[Daibhidh]

2010s: Finale. Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #310.

That's the one that won the Eisner, isn't it?
I've just been reminded that My Dinner with Jonah is widely well regarded.

[Batman Begins 2005]

That's the one that won the Eisner, isn't it?
I've just been reminded that My Dinner with Jonah is widely well regarded.

Yes, Finale from Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #310. That's the one.