Comics Spider-Man's Greatest Story Arcs

[KangConquers]

I was over on the Batman board and saw how they had an essential reading list...and I thought maybe we should compile one over here; Much like Batman, Spider-Man is getting a whole new audience based on the movies, I thought it'd be interesting if we started sort of a list of definitive Spidey stories that any Web head fan must read.

I'll nominate some stories that come to mind:

Not really one storyline, but still as a tpb this is great. All of the stories in Essential Amazing Vol 1 are pretty important. It not only contains Spider-Man's origins but the first appearances of Chameleon, Vulture, Doctor Octopus, Sandman, Lizard, Electro, Green Goblin, Mysterio, Kraven, & Scorpion. Also Spidey fights Doctor Doom, The Sinister Six and more. Absolutely essential.

The event that changed Spidey's life. One of the most moving stories in comics. Still tear up sometimes over it. 'nuff said team.

Kraven's Last Hunt is obviously the most talked about Kraven story. Some people have dismissed this story as "Marvel trying to hard to be dark" but I think it's a fantastic story, with great art, and some deeply moving parts.

Keep this thread rolling people

 

[Kraven]

All those are great choices, and I'll add in with the Omnibus and Spider-Man: Blue. Blue in particular is a very moving story about Pete and Gwen. I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was when I got it, but it was amazing. And the Omnibus has some great Lee/Ditko classics, definately worth a buy.

 

[CConn]

Spider-Man Blue
The Death of the Stacys
Back in Black
Kraven's Last Hunt
Peter David's Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

 

[Norman Osborn]

I'd add

A death in the Family

and The Child Within

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

Amazing Fantasy#15
Death of the Stacys.
Son of the Goblin.
Kravens Last Hunt
Birth of Venom
Death of Captain Stacy
Sin Eater
The Symbiote saga
ASM Issue#400
ASM Annual#1
the boy who collected Spider-man

I do have more but I can't think of them.

 

[Captivated]

If you couldn't find lists of favorite stories you didn't look very far.

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

If you couldn't find lists of favorite stories you didn't look very far.

I just didn't feel like naming them all. Another one I love is Return of the Sinister Six.

 

[farmernudie]

I don't think these were "arcs" per say...but good multi-isse stories..and ones i've not seen on here so far...so something different...



MAD DOG WARD


SPIDEY VS JUGGERNAUT


Sin-Eater


Hobgoblin issues, (before he became a demon and there was an ongoing mystery as to his identity)


Black Costume Saga

 

[freemadison]

The Clone Saga, so good it lasted 2 years!!!!

Perfect Story Arc....except for that whole Maximum Clonage middle bit and Ben Reilly dying (although well done). PERFECT.

 

[moraldeficiency]

Millar's "the Last Stand"

 

[Flint Marko]

Spider-man Omnibus
The death of the Stacy's
The whole symboite saga
Kraven's last hunt
Pretty much every single Sinister Six story
Birth of Venom
Todd Mcfarlane/Erik larsens entire run on ASM, that has to be my favorite point in spidey history, including Mark Bagley's early issues on the title
Sin-eater
The Boy who collected spider-man
Feral....
I'll think of more later

 

[November Rain]

night of the goblin speficically and coming home

another small mini arc in there would be ben reilly and spidey fighting off the sentinels with the inclusion of gg 4's last innings against a sentinel...some real cool eps.

 

[The Joker]

Master Planner arc.

 

[Spidey220987]

Master Planner arc.

I was wondering why noone had listed it,I was going to,but you already had
Anyway,as the majority have said:

Green Goblin & Spider-Man Unmasked
The Menace of Mysterio
The Night of the Green Goblin (Harry)
Kraven's Last Hunt
The Hobgoblin (when his identity was kept a secret)
The Death of the Stacy's
The Master Planner
The Sinister Six
The End of Spider-Man
Noone can stop the Sandman (Sandman's first appearance)
The Surfer & The Spider (a Silver Surfer issue,but Spidey was in it)

That's all I can think of for now

There's no School like the Old School

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

I'm pretty sure this isn't the first time this question's been posed... but anyway...

Here are my personal faves...

Kraven's Last Hunt
Spider-Man: Redemption
Revelations/Night of the Goblin
Blood Brothers
Back in Black
Venom battles Spidey on the deserted island
The first three-parter Carnage arc ("I'm dealing with one sick puppy")
ASM#400
Spider-Man: Lost Years
The Child Within
Spec#200
Spec#250
Pursuit (I liked it, so sue me)
Millar's MKSM run
Death of Gwen Stacy/GG
Jenkins' Webspinners arc which should have been the last Chameleon story
Spider-Man: Reign
The Kid who Collects Spider-Man
Sin-Eater
Whatever happened to Crusher Hogan?
I'd be remiss if I didn't put down AF#15 I suppose
And sure it doesn't pack an emotional punch, but I'll throw PAD's 80's story "The Commuter Cometh" in, since it's the funniest Spidey story I can think of right now

 

[Spidey220987]

I'd be remiss if I didn't put down AF#15 I suppose

how could I forget,the one that started it all.
Good call...shame on me lol

 

[Spec Spider-Man]

Some of My faves are (in no specific order):

Amazing Fantasy # 15
The Death of the Stacys
Kravens last Hunt
Spider-Man: Blue
Master Planner
Amazing # 400
Spectacular # 200
Sin-Eater
Feral

 

[arachnid-guy]

Since the 'staples' have already been mentioned...i really liked The Goblin's Heir.

It had VERY good writing.

 

[Sloth7d]

Black Tarantula arc is still my favorite.


That arc featured--

Electro at his peak
the rebirth of Doc Ock and death of Carol Trainer (trully sadening)
Delilah getting owned time after time
Black Tarantula owning both Delilah and Spider-man with ease
and Black Tarantula vs Spider-man the rematch

I loved that arc. Its what got me into Spider-man comics.

 

[Themanofbat]

I hate the fact that everyone has to ask about an "arc" when all the best Spider-Man stories ran continually one issue after the other without all this specified issue numbered arc-nonsense.

Having said that, the BEST Spider-Man arc would be Amazing Spider-Man #1 to #200.

 

[Captivated]

If we are talking OLD stories I enjoyed... (Note: this is not all inclusive, this is just what my brain could come up with in a few minutes... )

Parallel Lives

Gentleman's Agreement

Amazing Annual #21 - The WEDDING!

Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #7 - The HONEYMOON

Amazing #248 - The Kid Who Collected Spider-Man

Spectacular Spider-Man Vol. 2 #14
Another "filler" story that is better than most big productions... very touching with beautiful art.

Millar's Marvel Knights Spider-Man

Since JMS arrived... I've enjoyed pretty much all his Peter/MJ and May moments. The Hydra arc had me going and the last arc with the Kingpin rocked.

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

another favorite of mine is The Master Planner arc and the whole Symbiote Story and the Sin Eater. thanks for reminding be about the whole Symbiote saga, I forgot to add that to my list. Heres other arcs that I could think of as of right now. Amazing Spider-Man Issue#400, Amazing Spider-Man Annual#1, the boy who collected Spider-man.

(p.s. I updated my first post in this thread.)

 

[Kraven]

To add a few to my first post, my idea of the Ultimate Spidey bookshelf would go something like this:

Spider-Man Omnibus
Death of the Stacy's HC
Clone Genesis (out of print)
Kraven's Last Hunt HC
Spider-Man: Blue
Spider-Man/Human Torch
Spider-Man: The Lost Years
Spider-Man: Back In Black
Spider-Man: Reign

It has some great old school stuff, some of the better recent stories, and the stories vary in terms of the mood, some by quite a bit.

 

[Sloth7d]

Oh, and I'll be the oddball that gets flamed for saying... Clone Saga.

 

[Donald Thomas]

I hate the fact that everyone has to ask about an "arc" when all the best Spider-Man stories ran continually one issue after the other without all this specified issue numbered arc-nonsense.


Having said that, the BEST Spider-Man arc would be Amazing Spider-Man #1 to #200.

Aloha,
Yes times have certainly changed.
the BEST Spider-Man arc would be Amazing Spider-Man #1 to #200.
Ditto.
Spidey rules