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Or if you do decide to get Spider-Man, I'd suggest the Marvel Masterworks series. They're in color. The hardcovers are pricey [the soon to be released one is $44 on amazon], but the paperback ones are affordable. [Around $16.49 on amazon]. If you do get Spider-Man, I'd suggest starting at the beginning, just so you can go in order. Although, all the ones I've read so far are great, although so far, the post Death of Gwen Stacy issues are my least favorite. I understand Peter was upset about losing Gwen, but he was a jerk in certain parts which made him him unlikable. I haven't read non Spider-Man comics, so I wouldn't know what else to suggest.

 

If you don't mind dated and stilted dialogue (or black and white reprinting paper) I'd say the volumes of Essential Spider-Man that cover AF#15/ASM#1 to about ASM #130 or #150 (which ever it ends on first) are where to go. Also, the stuff in the '80s was good (Hobgoblin, Black Cat, marries MJ, Kraven's Last Hunt, Death of Harry Osborn, Venom, etc.) but I don't know if they're as clearly collected as the original run because they were spread over two books ("The Amazing Spider-Man" and "The Spectacular Spider-Man").

I haven't read much in recent comics, but if you want an easier and much cleaner intro to Spidey comics with more contemporary and naturalized writing, the first 50 issues or so of "Ultimate Spider-Man" that you can collect over like 4-5 TPB is an easy and simple jump on point. Hope that helps.

 

Good Spidey readin':

1) Essential Spider-man or Marvel Masterworks. They are the classics for a reason. At least read Amazing Fantasy#15, Amazing Spider-man 1-53, 90-93, and then 100-102, and 121-121. Those are some of the greats! 1-40 is the stuff of legend...

2) Ultimate Spider-Man. The first 5 or 6 hardcovers are phenomenol. At least read the first 13 issues collected in Volume One. GREAT. STUFF. This universe is different than the classic Spidey, but if you are a fan of the current movie incarnation, then you will LOVE this.

3) Spider-Man BLUE. This is a recounting of some classic stories told as a love story about Spider-Man's first love, Gwen Stacy. Essential reading, and very profound.

4) Kraven's Last Hunt.

5) Big Time

6) MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH

7) Spider-Man/Human Torch: I'm with Stupid.

 

Mark Millars "Marvel Knights" Spider-Man" is an amazing read, i suggest picking that up.

Spider-Man: Blue is essential.

Ultimate Spider-man #1 - 115 is probably one of hte best runs ever, and the new stuff with Miles Morales doesn't disappoint.

Anything written now by Dan Slott is fun.

 

It matters on how you want to judge continuity.

Civil War is pre "One More Day" aka when MJ and Peter's marriage is retconned.

The story itself is good. Ends of Earth was alright, but i suggest reading up on Spider Island. Really fun story.

 

I suggest the softcover Marvel Masterworks Amazing Spider-Man...

get 'em thru CheapGraphicNovels.com or InStockTrades.com or TalesofWonder.com...

the first two places are the cheapest and most affordable...

classic Spider-Man reads consist of Amazing Fantasy #15, Amazing Spider-Man #1-123 and Annuals #1-5 as well as Spectacular Spider-Man magazine #1-2... all 1960's and early 70's stuff... good reads there...

enjoy and welcome to the world of Spidey...

 

Everybody's suggested some good stuff; the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko/John Romita stuff is classic. You can read them in color in the Masterworks trades, you can find them at bookstores and such.

This is a pretty great list of some of the best stuff out there to read, most of it is collected in trades or hardcovers as well.

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2012/06/21/50-greatest-spider-man-stories-ever-told-master-list/

 

My recommendation for anybody wanting to read old Spidey stuff is always the same:

Search the net for the 40yrs of Amazing Spider-Man DVD. I know that it resells sometimes triple the retail price but you never know, you may get lucky. A local comic shop may have it cheap.

 

I actually enjoyed Civil War, but Spidey is intentionally written out of character (and thus poorly) in that particular story because it was the long-game of Joey Q setting up a dire situation so that he could erase the marriage.

For modern stories that don't have the hokeyness of 1960s writing, I think the late '80s stuff in ASM and SSM where Peter is dating Black Cat and MJ is his confidant and then he finds out MJ always knew he was Spidey and they become really close and eventually get married to the backdrop of the death of the original Hobgoblin, Kraven's Last Hunt, the introduction of Venom, and most especially SSM #200 (Harry's death) is a really good period for the character. I also recommend the '90s story "Revelations" which is the return of Norman Osborn and the Death of Ben Reilly (the other Spidey) and Peter/MJ's daughter, May. Also, "Spider-Man: Blue" is a short TPB where a good creative team goes back and retells a few of those great '60s Spidey stories with much better dialogue and pacing as Peter reflects on how he first met Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson.

I agree with an above poster that Mark Millar's 12-issue run on "Marvel Knights: Spider-Man" was a great self-contained story that handles Spidey, MJ, Black Cat, and Norman Osborn in interesting ways. I really can't help you with any stories post-OMD though (the last 5 years or so) as I quit the books. Hope that helps.

 

If you're interested in how Spidey is today they just released the Big Time hardcover which collects a large portion of the beginning of Dan Slott's run.

You can find it here pretty cheap at Amazon...I have the issues but I dig the Marcos Martin cover for this: http://http://www.amazon.com/Spider-Man-Big-Time-Ultimate-Collection/dp/0785162178/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342225026&sr=8-1&keywords=amazing+spider-man+big+time

 

Okay so I acquired almost all the Essentials and a bunch of "Amazing" issues but I was curious as to the difference between "Spectacular" and "Amazing" and how that works...it always confuses me when a series splits into two brands of the same thing. Do things carry over from one to the other? Is Spectacular required reading in that case?

 

Honestly, I wouldn't start with the Lee/Ditko ASM. It is a good read, but can be hard to get in to, and off putting for a newcomer. Myself, I started back in the bad old days of 'Sins Past' by subscribing. Sure, that may not have been the best time to be a Spidey reader, but it got me into comics for a lifetime.

I say subscribe to the mag. What's the worst that could happen? Oh yeah... Alpha.

 

This started as a helpful post. But no real answers/solutions were given by the end of it XD

 

The solution is just to subscribe to Spider-Man. Even if the over all story is going south, the issues and individual stories are really fun, and full of action that the early issues aren't. A lot of people are suggesting reading the Lee/Ditko stories, but I say read this current run. It's fun, fast, and addicting, even if I cannot fully condone the overall direction it seems to be going.

 

Read the Marvel Masterworks collection of Amazing Spider-Man. It reprints the issues in color from the beginning (starting from Spidey's first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15). If you want to get cheaper books with even more comic books, you can buy the Essential Spider-Man collection. Only thing is that they are in black and white, and it sort of ruins the experience a little bit.

The newer stories are good, but no matter what they can never compare to the classics. The early issues are amazing. It takes a while for the stories to pick up, but eventually the writing improves drastically, and you find character development that you just cant get in the movies/cartoons.

Personally, stick to Amazing Spider-Man, and read everything up until the 90s (where Marvel was going bankrupt, and their comics were getting weak).

Here are some individual issues that are my favorite:

1. Amazing Spider-Man #50
1. Amazing Spider-Man #106
2. Amazing Spider-Man #121-122
3. Amazing Spider-Man #267
4. Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21

As far as non-classic Spider-Man, check out Ultimate Spider-Man. I only read up to the Venom storyline, which I believe is Volume 6 if you get the trade paperbacks.

Other comics I recommend:

Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Negative Exposure
Amazing Spider-Man volume 1: Coming Home
Amazing Spider-Man volume 2: Revelations

 

Here are the major things to read to understand current Spidey.

- Civil War: Amazing Spider-Man
- One More Day
- Brand New Day
- Big Time
- New Ways to Die
- Spider Island
- Ends of The Earth

Those are all of the major events that sum up current Spidey continuity. You are looking at spending about $70 buying the trades on Amazon. After that, there is only a three issue gap for the singles, between Ends of the Earth and what is out now (ASM #688-690).

If you are interested in the MCU in general, that's a bigger obstacle. Depends on which team or solo character you are into. Each instance requires a different backlog in order to understand what is going on. Anyways, happy reading.

 

I can make it even easier for you:

- Civil War: Amazing Spider-Man
- One More Day
- Brand New Day
- Big Time
- New Ways to Die
- Spider Island
- Ends of The Earth

I don't think you need the rest to understand it. Maybe OMD because it's referenced a few times.

 

Also check out "Spider-Men," where 616 Peter Parker meets Miles Morales from the Ultimate Universe.

 

if you want to get old school with the web head get utorrent and download all of the The Amazing Spider-Man issues I did that years ago. it helps to too,if you improve your knowledge of spidey or any superhero for that matter . well i hope this helps . Oh and i
almost forgot if you want a place to start from,start with the Brand New Day story-line .

 

Waaaaay Better example than mine .

 

The simplest advice would be to pick up the most recent issues of ASM... There's a Lizard story right now that's been quite fun, and if you have questions about certain characters in the story, you can read more through back issues or suggested trades...

Enjoy.

 

This. I am loving this story line. Its all thoughtful and ****. We are also returning to a brutal, pre-nobody dies Spidey. He's gonna get beaten up in his soul for this, and it is gonna be awesome.