What are the good married Spider-Man stories?

[Kevinroc]

For my money, Renew Your Vows #5, the one where they go to a cheap pizzeria while a robbery is happening nearby, is probably my favorite issue of that entire series.

[Riv86672]

For my money, Renew Your Vows #5, the one where they go to a cheap pizzeria while a robbery is happening nearby, is probably my favorite issue of that entire series.

^^^Upvote!

Like ppl have pointed out, single Peter and married/family man Peter each come w. baggage. Which is best is which you prefer I suppose.

I started reading Spidey in ‘74 and when he got hitched it just seemed a natural progression.

It’s just, a lot of writers haven’t handled that marriage well; some have actively tried to destroy it. It’s not the marriage’s fault.

Okay enough ranting.
The Amazing Spider-Man 314 is a great marriage story in Peter and MJ’s life.

[K7P5V]

The majority might not agree, but another personal favorite would be...

Life's End

[Celgress]

There are many but here are my top three -

1.) Kraven's Last Hunt

2.) The Child Within/Harry Osborn saga

3.) Venom (ASM 300)

[Mister Mets]

Updating the list

The Wedding (Amazing Spider-Man #290-292, Annual #21)
Kraven's Last Hunt
Venom (Amazing Spider-Man #300)
Return of the Sin-Eater (Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #134-136)
Moving Up (Web of Spider-Man #38)
Retribution (Web of Spider-Man #39)
Kidnapped (Amazing Spier-Man #307-309)
Evicted (Amazing Spider-Man #314)
Cult of Love (Web of Spider-Man #40-43)
The Cosmic Spider-Man (Spectacular Spider-Man #158-160, Web of Spider-Man #59-61, Amazing Spider-Man #326-329)
Return of the Sinister Six (Amazing Spider-Man #334-339)
Tombstone Arc (Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #137-150, Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #8)
Powerless (Amazing Spider-Man #340-343)
Boneyard Hop (Amazing Spider-Man #346-347)
Spirits of the Earth
Life's End (Marvel Comics Presents #48-50)
The Mutant Factor (Spider-Man #15)
Carnage (Amazing Spider-Man #361-363)
Lizard (Amazing Spider-Man #365)
I Remember Gwen (Amazing Spider-Man #365)
"Eleven Angry Men... And One Angry Woman" (Web of Spider-Man Annual #6)
The Child Within (Spectacular Spider-Man #178-184)
The Harry Osborn Saga (Spectacular Spider-Man #185-190, 200)
Funeral Arrangements (Spectacular Spider-Man #186-188)
Death of Vermin (Spectacular Spider-Man #194-196)
Maximum Carnage
Obituary for an Octopus (Spider-Man Unlimited #3)
The Predator and the Prey (Spectacular Spider-Man #215-216)
Back From the Edge (Amazing Spider-Man #395-396, Spectacular Spider-Man #217-218)
Web of Death (Amazing Spider-Man #397-398, Spectacular Spider-Man #219-220)
The Gift (Amazing Spider-Man #400)
Mark of Kaine Parts 1-4
Revelations
The Chameleon targets Peter (Spectacular Spider-Man #241-245)
The Hobgoblin Returns
Defalco's Electro saga (Amazing Spider-Man #422-423, 425)
Peter David's short story "Five Minutes"
"My Fair Spidey" from Marvel Valentine's Day Special 1997
Identity Crisis
"Doomed Affairs" and the lead-up (Amazing Spider-Man Volume 2 #39-50)
Unintended Consequences (Amazing Spider-Man #496-497)
Happy Birthday (Amazing Spider-Man #498-502, counting the epilogue)
Book of Ezekiel (Amazing Spider-Man #506-508)
Marvel Knights Spider-Man #1-12
I'm With Stupid (Spider-Man/ Human Torch #5)
Tom Beland/ Jim Calafiore's story in Spier-Man Unlimited #12
Vanna Smith (Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #5)
To Have and to Hold (Sensational Spider-Man Annual #1)

Renew Your Vows #1-5 (Mini-Series)
Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #5
Renew Your Vows #19
The Sinister 60th (Amazing Fantasy #1000)

Issues Specifically Mentioned So Far: 188

[Mister Mets]

The majority might not agree, but another personal favorite would be...

Life's End

Seems valid.

And it makes up for some of the giant-sized issues.

But being separated or a widower requires the marriage. Also, as editorial is so fond of pointing out, it's a soap opera. Separations and characters believed to be dead are staples of soap opera long-running super couples.

Here are stories that aren't on the list, off the top of my head:


Soul of the Hunter, JMD

Hobgoblin Returns, Stern

All of Gerry Conway's runs on Web and Spectacular, not just arcs. In fact, I'd take all the books edited by Jim Salicrup, including the Michelinie/McFarlane issues (gotta include the Jonathon Caesar arc in ASM 308-309, I believe?). There was a noticable fall off in quality when Danny Fingeroth took over as editor.

Fabian Nicieza's Web of Spider-Man 38-39

Erik Larsen Spider-Man Vol 1. #15

All of JMD's run on Spec and Amazing, not just arcs

Identity Crisis - just a fun story with MJ making the four costumes for Peter

Peter David's backup in Web of Spider-Man annual 6 - features MJ, but the marriage is a key part of her dilemma.


If you are including Five Minnutes, which is a prose short story, then the following novels should be included:

Diane Duane's Venom Factor trilogy

Adam-Troy Castro's Sinister Six trilogy - which I believe is the first introduction of the idea Peter has a sister out there, and it's a great series of novels

Jim Butcher's The Darkest Hours - a far superior look at Morlun's family and came out first, I believe.

It doesn't seem Marvel was eager to explore stories of Peter being a widower, or being separated. They wanted him single again. So I would rate most of those stories as featuring a single Peter Parker (with the exception of the reconciliation arc in the JMS/ Romita Jr run.)

It would be a bit weird to count novels, since that would also allow any feature about stories with a single Peter Parker to include the Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon, or any of the live-action movies. I'm not sure what the issue equivalent would be, and it may be too obscure to assess the extent to which fans generally like it.

I made an exception for "Five Minutes" because it seemed to be in-continuity, Peter David had an extensive stint as a Spider-Man comics writer, and prose short stories have been extras in comics before. In fact, some of the short stories from the same anthology were featured as extras in the Spider-Man monthly titles with a January 1995 coverdate.

[Webhead]

Good to see Spirits of the Earth getting some love. Nice little story, and that art!

[Hulkout42]

I can't speak for anyone but me when i say the JMS era was pretty solid as far as the marriage goes.

[TinkerSpider]

It doesn't seem Marvel was eager to explore stories of Peter being a widower, or being separated. They wanted him single again. So I would rate most of those stories as featuring a single Peter Parker (with the exception of the reconciliation arc in the JMS/ Romita Jr run.)

If you read the issues, Peter's status as a widower and/or separated from MJ directly informed the character and the story. The Paul Jenkins run does some lovely exploration of grief and how it affects Peter. The first half of JMS's run is Peter and MJ yearning for each other and, no, neither run treats Peter as if he is single and ready to mingle - on the contrary.

Again, one can't be widowed or separated without also having been married. This feels like an arbitrary goal post placed so some very well told stories that explore that part of marriage can be excluded.

It would be a bit weird to count novels since that would also allow any feature about stories with a single Peter Parker to include the Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon, or any of the live-action movies. I'm not sure what the issue equivalent would be, and it may be too obscure to assess the extent to which fans generally like it.

I made an exception for "Five Minutes" because it seemed to be in-continuity, Peter David had an extensive stint as a Spider-Man comics writer, and prose short stories have been extras in comics before. In fact, some of the short stories from the same anthology were featured as extras in the Spider-Man monthly titles with a January 1995 coverdate.

The title of this thread is "What are the good married Spider-Man stories."

The novels are stories.

And since concepts first introduced in the novels such as Peter's sister and Morlun's family later appeared in the comics, they do indeed inform the comics.

And yes, by the criteria of the thread's title, Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse count as married Spider-Man stories.

Your list is still missing Soul of the Hunter graphic novel by JMD and Zeck.

Some other titles that are missing:

The Honeymoon (Spectacular Spider-Man Annual 7)

Fear Itself graphic novel by Conway and Andru

The Lost Hunt by JMD

I'm sure there are more.

I thought this wasn't about a comparison to single Peter stories, as you earlier admitted the comparison isn't fair as "that will get messy because there is more content with a single Peter Parker." So not sure why you introduced that.

'd rate the current Wells run well above the average married Spider-Man comics, let alone the worst of it. I think the best-selling ongoing is doing something right.

Well, everyone has their own preferences. That's cool you think that.

But does that call into question how one is going to judge, quote, "stories we can agree are good" as the Wells run is poorly crafted by commonly agreed standards of storytelling as taught in nearly every creative writing program.

[K7P5V]

Good to see Spirits of the Earth getting some love. Nice little story, and that art!

I know, right?! It seems Mr. Vess doesn't get enough praise from fandom at large (IMHO):

[marvelprince]

The only time the marriage worked in the books was in the mini series or out of continuity stories. I don't remember the name but I had a series of novels that had Peter's sister that also featured them married that was good. Renew Your Vows is probably the peak, and Spider-Girl had some good moments but it should say a lot that the best stories with a married Peter happened outside the main continuity.

[Tuck]

Venom (Amazing Spider-Man #300)

Something occurs to me. Do Michelinie and McFarlane create Venom without the marriage? Much of the character's initial threat is tightly tied to the marriage. Does the character form itself the same way with a single Peter?

[Garlador]

Something occurs to me. Do Michelinie and McFarlane create Venom without the marriage? Much of the character's initial threat is tightly tied to the marriage. Does the character form itself the same way with a single Peter?

Don’t get me started on Black Cat’s character learning about the marriage, or Ben Reilly, or Mayday’s conception, or the juxtaposition with Harry & Liz, or the events of Kraven’s Last Hunt, or 90% of the JMS run, or…

Edit: echoing that “Lost Hunt” needs to be here. Glad they insist it’s canon.

[Tuck]

Don’t get me started on Black Cat’s character learning about the marriage,

This part could still work with Peter and Mary Jane just living together. Maybe Felicia's response wouldn't be as extreme . . . but it's not as if her characterization at this point wasn't messed up to start with.

[Garlador]

This part could still work with Peter and Mary Jane just living together. Maybe Felicia's response wouldn't be as extreme . . . but it's not as if her characterization at this point wasn't messed up to start with.

Maybe, but as you said it loses its impact. HARD. Mary Jane being his “wife” was something that outright broke her and altered her entire trajectory as a character.