Getting into Spidey Comics

[Spider-Tron]

Thank you all for your replies! I got lucky and picked up Big Tim vol 1 from a small local bookstore!! Win!

They said at the store that the original ASM are getting release in colour volumes- is that true? And if so, will it be #1-700? I thought I would as here as everyone seems to know there shiz here!!

Don't think they are going to go that far up with it. If its Amazing Spider-man omnibus you're referrring to the first volume goes up to 38 while the second goes to 67.


However if you don't mind reading on the computer I recomend the marvel digital unlimited service. 10 dollars a month and they have pretty much everything up to 300 if i remember correctly(more past 300 i just believe they skip issues occasionally).

[Metamorphosis]

Or go one further and find a used copy of the Amazing Spider-Man DVD-Rom, which collected issues #1-500 (some versions collected up into the #540's) in PDF form.

[8BitRedBeard]

I can't possibly make any better suggestions than those above because they are all excellent suggestions but what I've learned is that you'll be spending a ton of money on this voyage so if you want all of those stories for a cheaper price, check into TPBs!

[weezer17]

CPilko, I would also highly recommend the Spider-Man Epic Collections. That may be what the person from the store was talking about, since the Epic Collection line is brand new. The plan is to collect in large, reasonably priced, colored trade paperbacks the entire 20th century runs for Marvel's most iconic titles and characters, Amazing Spider-Man included. They are released in uneven order, though, to benefit longtime readers who might not own certain rare story arcs. Eventually, like I said before, you'll have the entire Amazing Spider-Man run in a large collection of paperback volumes. They're great! I own quite a number of them and they're top-notch and very high quality.

Currently the Spider-Man collections available are:

• Great Power (Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection, vol. 1) << early 60's Spider-Man << http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Spider...pic+collection
• Ghosts of the Past (Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection, vol. 15) << mid 80's Spider-Man << http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Spider...DTQE8VTZ3226NK
• Cosmic Adventures (Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection, vol. 20) << late 80's Spider-Man << http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Spider...8ZYC3K616MA40J
• Round Robin (Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection, vol. 22) << early 90's Spider-Man << http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Spider...YDEXAZ546NFKN3

That first one is highly recommended for anyone interested in Spider-Man; full color art of Amazing Fantasy #15 (first appearance of Spider-Man) and Amazing Spider-Man #1-17 and Annual #1 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Basically, Spider-Man's origin story and his time in high school meeting all his most famous villains. Pure gold.

"Ghosts of the Past" is also great. It takes place right after he loses the alien symbiote costume and covers great stories like the Hobgoblin's return, Spider-Man getting caught with his mask off, and the return to a cloth version of the alien costume.

"Cosmic Adventures" is really good, probably the last great story before the end of the "classic" Spidey era. During the famous "Acts of Vengeance" crossover/event in the Marvel Universe, Spider-Man gains all new superpowers during an astrophysics experiment, basically making him Captain Universe.

"Round Robin" is probably my least favorite of the volumes but still worth getting. He's lost his new superpowers and teams up with a lot of other Marvel superheroes.

[weezer17]

Thank you all for your replies! I got lucky and picked up Big Tim vol 1 from a small local bookstore!! Win!

Also, great catch!

[JLS Comics]

Here's another vote for BND! What a great story

[CPilko]

The epic collection.... music to my ears!!! The complete colour comic collection of Earth 616 Spiderman?? Yes please!!!
Grabbing these asap!

Is that really real? They are planning the complete ASM #1-700? Im in shock

[Tuck]

Or go one further and find a used copy of the Amazing Spider-Man DVD-Rom, which collected issues #1-500 (some versions collected up into the #540's) in PDF form.

He'd be better off just signing up for Marvel Unlimited in that case. The entire run up to maybe 6 months ago is available there.

I am looking to get into Spidey comics and I want to comfirm that I am doing it right. I want to focus on thr main Peter Parker of Earth 616, the original.

Superior Spider-Man (which is part of the run most people are suggesting) is good. And it is part of main continuity canon. But it is not about Peter. Like I say, it's good and worth reading . . . and you'll be confused if you skip it . . . but Peter is barely in it if that's one of your requirements for reading.

[weezer17]

Is that really real? They are planning the complete ASM #1-700? Im in shock

The Epic Collections are definitely awesome! It'll just take time to grab them all and have a complete collection. I don't think they'll go all the way to 700, but they'll definitely get into the mid-90's at least. Then if you fill in the gaps with the Clone Saga, J. Michael Straczynski's run, and Brand New Day, you'll have reached Big Time and basically have read all of Earth-616 Spider-Man! You might also look into Marvel Unlimited if you want to read old Spider-Man stories. They're digital so you can't collect the stories physically, but it'll at least help you fill in some of the gaps.

Also about the Epic Collections, if you have other Marvel heroes you're interested in they're collecting lots of other heroes in that format as well! It's a great opportunity to read classic Marvel stories over the long-term.

[Mister Mets]

CPilko, I would also highly recommend the Spider-Man Epic Collections. That may be what the person from the store was talking about, since the Epic Collection line is brand new. The plan is to collect in large, reasonably priced, colored trade paperbacks the entire 20th century runs for Marvel's most iconic titles and characters, Amazing Spider-Man included. They are released in uneven order, though, to benefit longtime readers who might not own certain rare story arcs. Eventually, like I said before, you'll have the entire Amazing Spider-Man run in a large collection of paperback volumes. They're great! I own quite a number of them and they're top-notch and very high quality.

Currently the Spider-Man collections available are:

• Great Power (Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection, vol. 1) << early 60's Spider-Man << http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Spider...pic+collection
• Ghosts of the Past (Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection, vol. 15) << mid 80's Spider-Man << http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Spider...DTQE8VTZ3226NK
• Cosmic Adventures (Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection, vol. 20) << late 80's Spider-Man << http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Spider...8ZYC3K616MA40J
• Round Robin (Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection, vol. 22) << early 90's Spider-Man << http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Spider...YDEXAZ546NFKN3

That first one is highly recommended for anyone interested in Spider-Man; full color art of Amazing Fantasy #15 (first appearance of Spider-Man) and Amazing Spider-Man #1-17 and Annual #1 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Basically, Spider-Man's origin story and his time in high school meeting all his most famous villains. Pure gold.

"Ghosts of the Past" is also great. It takes place right after he loses the alien symbiote costume and covers great stories like the Hobgoblin's return, Spider-Man getting caught with his mask off, and the return to a cloth version of the alien costume.

"Cosmic Adventures" is really good, probably the last great story before the end of the "classic" Spidey era. During the famous "Acts of Vengeance" crossover/event in the Marvel Universe, Spider-Man gains all new superpowers during an astrophysics experiment, basically making him Captain Universe.

"Round Robin" is probably my least favorite of the volumes but still worth getting. He's lost his new superpowers and teams up with a lot of other Marvel superheroes.

A problem with Epic Volume 1 is that someone who really likes the Lee/ Ditko is going to be stuck waiting to complete it.

It doesn't match with the Masterworks volumes.

[Mister Mets]

Or go one further and find a used copy of the Amazing Spider-Man DVD-Rom, which collected issues #1-500 (some versions collected up into the #540's) in PDF form.

Or anyone with a tablet could get a Marvel Digital Unlimited subscription.

For a new Spider-Man reader, there's going to be a lot of good material for ten bucks a month.

[weezer17]

A problem with Epic Volume 1 is that someone who really likes the Lee/ Ditko is going to be stuck waiting to complete it.

It doesn't match with the Masterworks volumes.

That's definitely true. Especially since the ending is the most important part of the whole run; I don't need to tell anyone here that issue #33 is a masterpiece! At least a volume 2 will eventually be released.

[Pat Thomas]

Read from 648-today to get your feet wet. Then go back and read some appearances of different villains that you like. As you get back into the books
over 10 years old, you should notice editor's notes when a past story is referenced, telling you the issues it occurred in. Read the ones that sound interesting
to you, and for every one you read, you'll probably find links in it for more to read. I recommend buying all the single issues, especially the first 10 or so,
before they all get so expensive that it's impossible for most. Amazing Fantasy 15 & ASM 1 are almost to that point already, but there is still some time left.

[joey21]

What do you guys think of the original Ultimate Spiderman run with Peter as Spiderman? I remember reading a few scattered issues back when it was running and I enjoyed it then. I see that Amazon has all of the volumes online.

[Mister Mets]

What do you guys think of the original Ultimate Spiderman run with Peter as Spiderman? I remember reading a few scattered issues back when it was running and I enjoyed it then. I see that Amazon has all of the volumes online.

It's an excellent series, and accessible to new readers.