Comics Should I read Ultimate or Amazing Spider-Man?

[Picard Sisko]

I want to get back into my comic reading for the summer, but I am trying to decide between Amazing Spider-Man and Ultimate Spider-Man.

I figure now that Peter Parker is dead, there isn't THAT much I have to read, and I only read Ultimate Spider-Man up to the Venom storyline (which is very early).

With Amazing, there is SO MUCH more to read. I would be reading everything up until Amazing Spider-Man was rebooted with Volume 2 (around when Ben Reilly took over).

For Amazing Spider-Man, I would be reading from "Marvel Masterworks: Amazing Spider-Man" or just "Essential Spider-Man."

 

[OcStat]

Just grab a few comics, check 'em out, and see which perks your interest more. If you are going to pick up some new issues, I couldn't exactly recommend either at the moment. I have fallen behind on both books in the last few years. Ultimate Spider-Man was always a fun book, they put young Parker through the ringer. With Amazing, there is a lot more content so you won't run out of things to read.

But if you are going to pick up some Trades, the Essentials and Marvel Masterworks are a good start. I think Ultimate Spider-Man is more interesting when you know what they are tweaking from Amazing.

 

[Picard Sisko]

I have a giant Ultimate Spider-Man book that collects everything up until the Venom story. I might start looking at that, but I feel like Amazing Spider-Man is so much grander in scale. However, it is going to cost me so much more $$ because of it haha..

 

[OcStat]

Is it the Barnes and Noble hardcover? My dad got me that before the first Spider-Man movie came out, set me on the path to reading comics again in high school.

If you have that, then you should definitely jump into some Amazing Spider-Man. It is hella expensive to get caught up but the Essentials are a great value...and if you are so inclined you can fix the black and white pages with a box of crayolas!

 

[Picard Sisko]

Yup it is the barnes & noble hardcover! I had it for years, and read it once a long, long time ago.

The Essential Spider-Man books are cheaper, but the only thing is that I dislike having the issues in black and white. Marvel Masterworks does a beautiful job with the colors.

 

[Troy_Parker]

I'd suggest Ultimate. It's a refreshing take on the character and partly the source for certain things in the upcoming reboot. Besides, you'll finish the whole series way quicker than if you were reading ASM (which is so far like, what, up to issue 700?). I've stopped reading after Peter died though, might get back into it.

Besides, you'll finish USM first, so then you can get into ASM if you want.

 

[Picard Sisko]

I don't think I really plan to read the post Peter Parker Ultimate Spider-Man. I bought the first issue of Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man (with Miles) for collector's purposes.

I remember when Ultimate Spider-Man #1 came out, and I was too lazy to buy it. Today it is already worth about $200 give or take.

 

[Themanofbat]

Read the original (ASM), and forget the photocopied universe...

 

[Troy_Parker]

Urm, I think it's a little unfair to call USM "photocopied".

 

[Lord]

Read Ultimate, it's much faster and still interesting, then if you want you can pick amazing spider-man, Ultimate Spider-Man is a good way to start as that was the plan itself.

 

[Troy_Parker]

Read Ultimate, it's much faster and still interesting, then if you want you can pick amazing spider-man, Ultimate Spider-Man is a good way to start as that was the plan itself.

I got into USM first, then worked my way into the other Spidey titles.

 

[Picard Sisko]

I grew up with Amazing Spider-Man volume 2 (the reboot of the comics)

 

[KingMob]

I'm enjoying Miles as Ultimate Spider-Man more than I ever did Peter, and I think its a mistake to not read the current series.

Read both. No reason to pick and choose.

 

[Picard Sisko]

I'm enjoying Miles as Ultimate Spider-Man more than I ever did Peter, and I think its a mistake to not read the current series.

Read both. No reason to pick and choose.

As much as I am a fan of Spider-Man, I am also a fan of Peter Parker. He is the biggest reason why I can relate to this superhero, and now that kind of feels ruined (in the Ultimate Universe).

When I finish the Ultimate Spider-Man series with Peter, I will probably check out some of the stories with Miles. Not in a hurry though.

 

[optimus2861]

If you've never actually read the early run of Amazing Spider-Man (#1 to #150 or so), read that first. It's a must for any Spider-Man fan, and even any real comics fan IMO. Bare minimum, read the Lee/Ditko issues (#1 to #38).

 

[oglop44]

Might be worth trying the upcoming Spider-men, see if either character clicks with you. Should be said though that these crossovers are never the best example of a book, just an example. I can only vouch for Amazing Spider-man as that is what I read

 

[Aracno_8000]

Well, i think that Bendis did a great work on Ultimate Spider-Man. And also i think that Peter Parker will not be forever dead...
I don't like Amazing Spider-Man anymore becaus the writers made a lot (lot lot lot lot lot) of confusion inside the continuity of the story-arc.
And more than everything, they made stories like One More Day, that would disgust every Spider-Man fan!
There is to consider that there are 4 different authors for the Amazing Spider-Man, so...if an author wants the story to take a defined direction, he will change some things...but if a different author wants to recover the previous status-quo, he will do a retcon-story...and you will probably be forced to read awful and none-sense stories, with the negative consequence of losing interest in Spidey!
I know Miles Morales it's not Peter, but i think that the quality of Bendis' stories is much higher than some authors in Amazing Spider-Man.

So that's my suggestion: Give Ultimate Spider-Man a chance...and if you want to take a look to Amazing, go for it.
Compare the two comics and than make your choice...

 

[Infinity9999x]

I read the USM books religiously up until right around Ultimateum (though the quality had dipped long before that point).

The early issues of USM are some of my favorite spider-man stories. Basically up until around volume 10 I thought USM was great with some complaints. I never was a fan of Hulk Goblin. But they did at least have GG end up being somewhat intelligent later.

USM has some of the best Kingpin and Doc Ock moments in my opinion. And Bendis did a great job of transitioning Peter to the 21st century. However, after volume 10, things started to go downhill. Bendis started doing things more for shock value then actual story progression, and the plots became more and more ridiculous.

Even so, I'd definitely recommend reading up to at least volume 10 of USM.

 

[sharpwriter17]

I've read a lot of the Ultimate Spider-Man comics, and I really did like them, even though a lot of people say that their storyline is too messed up (based on the originals, I guess). But if you're just trying to expand your comic horizons, I think Ultimate would be good to start with! It showed a lot of different aspects of Peter's life, what with MJ and Gwen, and I especially loved the Kingpin storylines--lots of quirky humor and such that I enjoyed!
I just recently ordered the first Volume of the Essential Spider-Man, and I'm waiting for it to get to me I'm nervous about how different it's going to be, but I think it'll be good either way. I'll let you know how I like it if you want!