What Spider-Man Comics have you been reading lately!? Version 3.0

[Mauled]

The only recommendations I have is stuff you probably already known (Check the websites of every UK based online retailers.)

It's hard to find in the US too, but I'd imagine Marvel will print more copies soon enough.

Iv managed to order it from my local waterstones but they said it's out of print so may take a couple of weeks to come through.

[Turlast]

I've been on a bit of an Electro binge lately. I always thought he was an interesting character.

Spectacular Spider-Man #134-136 - "Return of the Sin-Eater" is mainly a story focused on Stan Carter and the Sin-Eater, but Electro's a huge part of the story, too. When Peter realizes how much damage he's done to Carter, he becomes shell-shocked and is easily defeated by Electro. This mental block puts Peter in a position where he wouldn't be able to fight without worrying if he's going to cripple the guy. After being punked by Electro on live tv, Spidey reflects on things--talks to Mary Jane, Stan Carter, and eventually makes his way to the power plant where he defeats Electro with ease.

Spider-Man #38-40 - Been meaning to read "Light the Night" for a good while, but never got around to doing it. Electro's pretty much treated as a joke during his time with the circus, and he's tired of it. He wants to show the world that he's not just some scared little man, but that he has the capabilities of giving the city a light show that'll never be forgotten. He attaches himself to the sign atop New York City and absorbs the energy. It becomes too much for him, but luckily Spidey is there to help him. There was a great moment where Spidey told Electro about his past, and how he's dealt with similar issue to Electro growing up. Once it's all over, Electro gives Spidey a hug and thanks him for helping.

Amazing Spider-Man #422-425 - Electro is back. His powers are on a different level entirely thanks to the Rose--and he wants to show Spider-Man his new capabilities. Despite what happened during the end of "Light the Night", Electro is over that and insists that the web-slinger is no match for him now. His new power has Spidey at his mercy to the point where he has to beg Electro to not leave him and countless others a sizzled crisp. Making Spidey beg for his life was the greatest style of victory.

The other part of the story focused on a young assassin in the making named Dragon Fly, who was told to assassinate Joe Robertson. Our fav hero has a headache that just won't go away and it's annoying him to the point where he's ready to crush a ninja with a train car. However, he's stopped at the last minute by Elektra, who shows up and helps Spidey fight the ninjas and help Dragonfly overcome her dilemma as well. It's clear that Spider-Man is no match for the new Electro, so he has help from X-Man to hopefully have a different outcome from last time. The battle ends with Electro falling into a river, seemingly defeated for good.

Spectacular Spider-Man #209-210 - Members of the organization that the Foreigner belongs to are after him and he seeks Spider-Man's help in stopping them. Foreigner promises to turn himself into the police when it's all over. After they defeat the henchmen, Foreigner does just that, though he plans to play dumb and admit to no crime. He sure tricked Spidey good.

[Mauled]

Finished Marvel Knights. Miller writes a great Black Cat and her speech to Peter is fantastic. All those wanting to turn her into a villain take note. This is what Felicia is all about.

Also read Spider-man Blue. Fantastic ending.

[Mister Mets]

Amazing Spider-Man #280-281: The first issue is one of the first Spider-Man comics I read. Reading this at the same time as the other comics from an era gives me an appreciation for how significant it was to have so many Spider-Man villains teaming up against Spidey and Sable. This was essentially a two issue battle royale, but it was well-done and also had interesting developments with subplots in the lead-up to Gang War. Defalco and Frenz avoid a mistake from the Firelord story, since it could have been easy to make Spider-Man appear too powerful when he fights several of his enemies, but it ends with him hurt pretty bad.
A

Amazing Spider-Man #282: DeFalco's on a roll. Bonus points for Spidey still dealing with the consequences of the fight from last issue. It's a solid clash with X-Factor, with misunderstandings exacerbated by a potential concussion. And there's an interesting clash between Jonah and Robbie.
A

Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #6: The return of Prince clone Ace. There are some good ideas here, as Spidey's jealousy gets the better of him, and an antihero's sense of honor prevents him from doing what he has to in a court toom., but the final result is a mess.
C-

Web of Spider-Man #19: Solid effort by Michelinie and Silvestri (whose work is ahead of its time in panel playout) as a tense subplot is combined with a funnier story about an incompetent new supervillain. This is the first reference to Peter Parker as the guy who can take photos when bullets are flying, .
B+

Marvel Team-Up #72: This one-off might be Mantlo's best effort on MTU. I like the idea of Iron Man trying to figure out why Spider-Man fought one of his enemies, and the stakes for him and for a supporting Spider-Man character.
B+

Marvel Team-Up #74: The Saturday Night Live team-up. Ridiculous in a good way.
B+

[Turlast]

Marvel Knights Spider-Man #1-12: There should be a movie based on this. It has it all.

Amazing Spider-Man #283: Spider-Man ends up clashing with Titania and Absorbing Man, even though he really doesn't want to. He interferes with their plan for the Masters of Evil, but they get away when Absorbing Man threatens to toss a plan full of innocent people. Thought it was interesting how Peter's Spider Sense always went off whenever Ned Leeds was around him.

Amazing Spider-Man #284-288: "Gang War". Finally had a chance to read this. I thought it was cool how all of the big gangs were trying to overthrow the other. I feel like the Punisher could've played a bigger role in this story, but it would've probably required him to take down some of the bigger bosses like Hammerhead or something. One part of the story I really enjoyed was how calm and cool the Rose was under pressure. Regardless of the amount of stuff going on, he didn't appear to be affected by any of it. Spider-Man is constantly going back and forth on whether he should even intervene--believing it'd be best for the gangs to just take each other out. Of course this train of thought doesn't last too long.

Daredevil plays a roll here, but it clashes with Spider-Man and they end up fighting. I thought it was pretty funny how Daredevil actually tried to fool Spidey with a Kingpin fat suit. Towards the end, Spider-Man tells Kingpin that one day he's going to push him too far. The perfect foreshadowing to what was seen in "Back in Black", where Peter pummels Fisk into submission. Cool story overall.

Amazing Spider-Man #289: The Ned Leeds Hobgoblin reveal. I actually wonder if anyone thought it was strange way back in the day that someone with superhuman abilities could be easily overpowered by mere grunts. Peter realizes that someone with that amount of power could've never been easily taken down like that many yrs later in "Hobgoblin Lives", so it wouldn't be odd for someone to come to that same conclusion on their own. Betty's going crazy, Flash has been cleared, and Macendale is running around as the new Hobgoblin.

Peter Parker Spider-Man #13: Cletus escapes from a security truck and paints himself red. Despite losing the symbiote, he's convinced that it's not gone entirely. Spider-Man see's him causing trouble and fights him. He tells Cletus that he no longer has the symbiote or its strength, but Cletus believes thinks otherwise. He's knocked out with a single punch. Later on, May hears that Mary Jane's plan crashed and tells Peter.

Peter Parker Spider-Man #14: Not willing to sit home, Peter seeks out the Hulk, believing he's responsible for the destruction of Mary Jane's plane crash. He fights him for awhile before Hulk sympathizes with him on the loss of a wife. Regardless of everything that's been mentioned, Peter still isn't ready to accept that she's gone.

Spider-Man #69: Macendale blows up the Cell 12 men and later reflects on the decisions he's made with his life. After chatting with Gaunt for a bit, Ben arrives and humiliates him after a quick battle. Peter is offered a position by the Daily Bugle and talks to Mary Jane about staying instead of going back to Portland. They share the news with Ben and they all celebrate.

[Mister Mets]

Web of Spider-Man #20: Interesting approach to the book as Peter's sent to Belfast, way out of his element.
B

Web of Spider-Man #21: A clumsy bookend to an inventory story about a framed Spider-Man, although that tale isn't too bad.
B-

Web of Spider-Man #22: Messy and disposable conclusion to Peter's adventures in the UK.
D

Web of Spider-Man #23: Some continuity flubs when this issue is read in the context of other titles, and it's built on a rematch with a forgettable foe, although I do like how Peter is bummed at the lack of respect from a colleague.
C+

Web of Spider-Man #24: An amusing enough showdown with the Vulture in Atlantic City is elevated by a cameo from one of the big bads, although the social commentary on gambling is rather clumsy.
B

Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #118: Powerful conclusion to a narrative that's been building for a while, as Spider-Man's caught in the middle of a fight between SHIELD and a boy with super-powers. Exemplifies the moral greys of Peter David's run. The kid is getting people killed, and the SHIELD agents are trigger-happy. It could have had an A+ if we saw the aftermath.
A

Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #119: Clever issue tying together a lot of plot threads, unified by MJ's realization of the risk Peter is taking as Spider-Man.
A

Marvel Knights Spider-Man #1-12: There should be a movie based on this. It has it all.

I think it's the perfect story to adapt for a Spider-Man video game.

As a movie, it might have too many characters.

[Mauled]

Web of Spider-Man #20: Interesting approach to the book as Peter's sent to Belfast, way out of his element.
B

Web of Spider-Man #21: A clumsy bookend to an inventory story about a framed Spider-Man, although that tale isn't too bad.
B-

Web of Spider-Man #22: Messy and disposable conclusion to Peter's adventures in the UK.
D

Web of Spider-Man #23: Some continuity flubs when this issue is read in the context of other titles, and it's built on a rematch with a forgettable foe, although I do like how Peter is bummed at the lack of respect from a colleague.
C+

Web of Spider-Man #24: An amusing enough showdown with the Vulture in Atlantic City is elevated by a cameo from one of the big bads, although the social commentary on gambling is rather clumsy.
B

Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #118: Powerful conclusion to a narrative that's been building for a while, as Spider-Man's caught in the middle of a fight between SHIELD and a boy with super-powers. Exemplifies the moral greys of Peter David's run. The kid is getting people killed, and the SHIELD agents are trigger-happy. It could have had an A+ if we saw the aftermath.
A

Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #119: Clever issue tying together a lot of plot threads, unified by MJ's realization of the risk Peter is taking as Spider-Man.
A


I think it's the perfect story to adapt for a Spider-Man video game.

As a movie, it might have too many characters.

Why not as a TV series like Daredevil.

All the characters feel real too (one of the best Black Cat speeches ever and I say that as a BC fan) which is also why it's great. That goes from villain motivations to MJ and BC to Peter himself all seem logical and real.

Currently reading the complete Alien costume saga pt1 it's pretty crazy in that strange early 80's way.

[Metamorphosis]

Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #118: Powerful conclusion to a narrative that's been building for a while, as Spider-Man's caught in the middle of a fight between SHIELD and a boy with super-powers. Exemplifies the moral greys of Peter David's run. The kid is getting people killed, and the SHIELD agents are trigger-happy. It could have had an A+ if we saw the aftermath.
A

I kind of thought so too--but this is still an outstanding issue overall, with a gripping story and some amazing art.

There's a bit of follow up in a later Spec issue by PAD where Peter as Spider-Man again runs into the SHIELD agent that gunned down Alex, which you've probably read.
Alex also pops again somehow, apparently, in a subsequent Hulk issue also written by PAD.

[Starchild]

I've been reading a lot of the super-recent stuff like Spider-Gwen, Silk & Amazing Spider-Man. (which was well....amazing) Until Spider-Man, Web Warriors & 2099 hits stands. I'm reading Rick Remender's Venom, Carnage USA & Superior Foes.

[Mister Mets]

Amazing Spider-Man #283: DeFalco continues to tie Spidey's adventures into all-time great Marvel comics in this piece set during the Avengers arc Under Siege. The relationship between the villains elevates a decent story.
B+

Amazing Spider-Man #284-288: This five issue arc ties together plot threads from the three titles, and adds multiple guest appearances to the gang war in a story with two writers and three artists. The results are mixed with some brilliant moments (The Rose crossing a line) and some laughably bad (Daredevil pretending to be Kingpin in a fat suit) and a message that's all over the place. Kinda similar to Spiral, although Conway did a much better job on that one.
B-

Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #120: Preachy filler by Mantlo and Giffen dealing with gentrification elevated by some really impressive storytelling.
B

Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #121: MJ, Jonah and Peter recall a bank robbery they witnessed at the Rashomon cafe. It's a bit different from Rashomon in that we understand how they're mistaken/ lying, and how the omissions reveal key character details. It's a solid effort by one of the best Spider-Man writers.
B+

Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #122: High-stakes clash between Spider-Man and a minor bad guy who suddenly has a lot more to fight for.
B+

Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #123: Subplots move, as Peter and Black Cat kinda reconcile, and a supporting character does something nasty.
B+

Ultimate Spider-Man Super-Special #1: This story might singlehandedly be blamed for the focus on Peter's parents in the Marc Webb Amazing Spider-Man films, but it's really well-done. The experiment of having contributions by a bunch of artists works well with the story of Peter trying to find guidance from other superheroes in the aftermath of some tough encounters.
A+

What If Aunt May had died instead of Uncle Ben : A rare Spider-Man comic by Ed Brubaker, a great writer who definitely has a good Spider-Man run in him. The framing of this story as a discussion between comic fans makes it low-stakes, but it also increases the scope, with a logically consistent and different take on Spidey.
B

[Scott Taylor]

Daredevil pretending to be Kingpin in a fat suit

Hah. I keep forgetting about that moment. Gang War did have varying levels of quality, but overall I really enjoyed it.

Did you read Waid's Daredevil? Daredevil disguised himself at the end of that run as well. Not as the Kingpin, but this time he was trying to fool the Kingpin.

[Saiga]

Spider-man Noir #1-4: This was a really fun alternate tale. I'd previously known about Spider-man Noir from the video game Shattered Dimensions and crossover events but this was the first time I'd read his actual story. The Noir versions of several classic Spider-man characters are very well down, and I look forward to reading the next mini-series.

What If? Spider-man Back in Black: Had to hunt down this issue because it wasn't available on Marvel Unlimited, but I was interested by the premise. These what if issues are always so morbid But it was cool to see Spidey cut loose and kill the Kingpin with one blow. I have really never been able to take Kingpin seriously as a credible physical threat to Spider-man.

[Mister Mets]

I read a lot of Marvel Team-Up back issues.

Marvel Team-Up #48-51: A four part saga that introduced Jean Dewolfe. It's rare to have a new supporting character have that kind of impact, although her story is interesting enough. There are some clever twists in it, and the way other superheroes are ensnared in it is pretty effective.
B+

Marvel Team-Up #56: A Daredevil team-up by Mantlo ends up being one of the best issues in the run's history. The main story is satisfying with appearances by an A-list spiderfoe (Electro) and another name Marvel baddie (Blizzard.) And the main complication (a hostage crisis at the Daily Bugle) makes for some tense sequences that fit Spidey's character.
A

Marvel Team-Up #57: This Black Widow team-up by Claremont has weird payoff later with the SNL team-up and a four parter later. Spider-Man struggling to keep a building from collapsing while Black Widow has to fight the bad guys makes for a great sequence.
B+

Marvel Team-Up #58: Solid story where Spider-Man and MJ stumble onto a crisis at a movie set, and he realizes that Ghost Rider is a very different type of hero. Trapster's the main bad guy, but the main thing with him is what happens after he gets his ass kicked.
B

Marvel Team-Up #76-77: Some memorable sequences in a kinda generic Dr Strange story, although Claremont has a decent handle on Ms Marvel (logical, since he wrote the book for a while) and the end is dark.
B

Marvel Team-Up #80-81: I like the idea of Dr Strange suffering from the consequences of his previous team-up with Spidey. Bonus points for the attack on a friend of Peter Parker's, and the fact that one of the heroes spotlighted on the cover doesn't come out alive.
B+

Marvel Team-Up #82-85: A four part saga Claremont's been building to for some time. The mystery of what happened to the Black Widow is compelling, and brings MTU 57 full circle. The stakes are both high (ending with a presidential assassination attempt), and personal. This may be the favorite story of one poster here, given the romance between Spider-Man and the Black Widow, although it's a story beat that makes sense and ends with a hint of tragedy. Shang Chi seems shoehorned him, but leads to some excellent fight scenes.
A

And then I went with some inventory stories published around the time of the ASM Gang War story.

Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #124: Generic Spider-Man/ Doctor Octopus story that does have some decent sequences.
B-

Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #125-126: This Fingeroth/ Mooney/ Kuperberg team-up with Spider-Woman II isn't the best-told story, but it has enough good ideas. Julia Carpenter's relationship with her daughter is a unique problem for a superhero, and it's compelling enough that I don't mind her essentially being a co-lead. The conflicts between the Wrecking Crew (which tie to a previous ASM appearance) and one guy's relationship with his mother also make for some rather well-realized villains.
B

Web of Spider-Man #25: Stan Lee's brother (also the artist of two early ASM annuals) writes and draws a story where Spidey stumbles onto a conflict between some aliens. Tonally more than a little bit weird, but the ending works.
B-

Web of Spider-Man #26: Spidey screws up when he's too nice to a criminal, who then needs his help. There's a complication when exposure to a chemical gives Spidey horrific migraines. Definition of filler.
B-

Web of Spider-Man #27: A story about corporate malfeasance in which a villain called Headhunter collects the heads of corrupt one percenters. Mostly in the POV of one of his targets. Has potential, but just not all that well-told.
C

[Rincewind]

Marvel Team-Up #82-85: A four part saga Claremont's been building to for some time. The mystery of what happened to the Black Widow is compelling, and brings MTU 57 full circle. The stakes are both high (ending with a presidential assassination attempt), and personal. This may be the favorite story of one poster here, given the romance between Spider-Man and the Black Widow, although it's a story beat that makes sense and ends with a hint of tragedy. Shang Chi seems shoehorned him, but leads to some excellent fight scenes.
A

And then I went with some inventory stories published around the time of the ASM Gang War story.

Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #124: Generic Spider-Man/ Doctor Octopus story that does have some decent sequences.
B-

Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #125-126: This Fingeroth/ Mooney/ Kuperberg team-up with Spider-Woman II isn't the best-told story, but it has enough good ideas. Julia Carpenter's relationship with her daughter is a unique problem for a superhero, and it's compelling enough that I don't mind her essentially being a co-lead. The conflicts between the Wrecking Crew (which tie to a previous ASM appearance) and one guy's relationship with his mother also make for some rather well-realized villains.
B

Web of Spider-Man #25: Stan Lee's brother (also the artist of two early ASM annuals) writes and draws a story where Spidey stumbles onto a conflict between some aliens. Tonally more than a little bit weird, but the ending works.
B-

Web of Spider-Man #26: Spidey screws up when he's too nice to a criminal, who then needs his help. There's a complication when exposure to a chemical gives Spidey horrific migraines. Definition of filler.
B-

Web of Spider-Man #27: A story about corporate malfeasance in which a villain called Headhunter collects the heads of corrupt one percenters. Mostly in the POV of one of his targets. Has potential, but just not all that well-told.
C

Those Marvel Team Up issues were some of the first comics I ever read. A friend at school lent them to me and I was hooked right away. I have a fondness for the Claremont era of MTU ever since.

Those inventory issues were one of the downsides during that time. It wasn't until Michelinie and Conway were the regular teams that the fill ins stopped.

[Mauled]

Just read Grim Hunt and tbh I wish I hadn't it was crap.