ok, this gets a bit tricky....
Currently, there are 7 volumes of Essential Spider-Man which collect up to Amazing Spider-Man#160 (along with several annuals and specials along the way)
Amazing Spider-Man started in 1963 and ran for 441 issues, at which point, sales on the book had begun to slip. In order to bring the sales numbers back up, the book was "relaunched" - instead of having #442, Wwe now had Amazing Spider-Man vol 2 which began in 1999 with a new issue #1 (readers tend to buy "Issue #1"s in higher quantities in the hope they'll increase in value some day). This volume lasted for 58 issues, at which point they decided to revert to the old numbers for issue #500. Currently we're on issue #534.
The volume "Coming Home" reprints the start of new writer J. Michael Straczynski's run on the book, which is vol 2 #30-35. JMS has been writing the book ever since, for about 5 years now, and the entirity of his Spider-Man stories have been collected in something like 10 volumes currently available. Again, as this is considered an ideal jumping point, collections (also called Trade Paperbacks or TPBs) of the current Spider-Man stories are now listed as "Amazing Spider-Man vol 1" begining with ASM vol 2 #30
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/07...3584/ref=pd_bbs_2/103-6492494-4209429?ie=UTF8
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/07...3584/ref=pd_bbs_5/103-6492494-4209429?ie=UTF8
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/07...584/ref=pd_bbs_10/103-6492494-4209429?ie=UTF8
etc. ....
Although there are many Spider-Man loyalists, to most comic readers, the majority of Spider-Man stories prior to this were mediochre. When JMS began writing the book, however, the concensus was that the quality of the title had VASTLY improved (though of course there are a few nay sayers, but they are a minority). Thus, this is seen as the ideal "jumping on point" for readers who wish to check out modern day Spider-Man.
Many of the Spider-Man stories published in the 20 years prior to the volume will not be collected into trades, at least not any time soon, because they are seen as unimportant. Enjoyable reads for DIE HARD Spider-Man fans, but for most people it is an era that has little appeal, and is certainly not necessary to read in order to appreciate the newer stories. Any facts and events that happened during this period when refered to are easy to pick up. For instance, it's not at all necessary to read the story where Peter and Mary Jane married to read a current story where they've been married for several years now.
sorry you asked?
