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That may seem a little daunting for new fans wanting to read some of the best classics
Fortunately, we live in a digital age, and you can find many of these either online or
The “Spider-Mantle” has stretched and flexed during that time, introducing aliens, clones, and multiverse variants
Fortunately, we are now seeing more diversity in the creative teams, encouraged by the diversity in characters
When Peter discovers his newfound powers, he reacts like most teenagers (a reminder of his youth as
There is fame, success, and admiration from people who would never have looked twice at a nerdy
But that moment when Peter realises he has the power — nay, the responsibility to do something, you
This is the moment when you understand the true duality of Spider-Man/Peter Parker: not between his
The story stands out primarily for the iconic image of Spidey buried under broken machinery and rubble
From this moment, Spidey fans knew that nothing could ever defeat Spider-Man
Ditko’s art in displaying a beaten and broken Spider-Man is breathtaking
Spider-Man knows better than anyone that being a superhero is not all it’s cracked up to
Eventually, the weight of everything in life is just too much, and he has to walk away
“Spider-Man No More” is considered by many as being the how-to guide for when heroes quit
It even gave us the iconic scene of Spider-Man’s costume in the garbage can as Peter
Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone did an amazing job portraying this in the movie The Amazing Spider-Man 2,
There are no villains, no great story arc, and no secrets unfolding
It’s a stand-alone issue; one may even consider it a “filler
Spider-Man swings in to visit his number one fan, a young boy who collects all things Spider-Man
Surprisingly, Spider-Man chooses to reveal his identity and point out that he took most of the photos
He doesn’t go revealing it to simply anybody (well, at least back then…)
Then the kicker is revealed: The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man lives in a centre for terminally ill
This issue rates as one of the best because it shows the heart of Spider-Man
They took a similar approach in the comic, with Spider-Man connecting and inspiring a young fan again
This amazing Kraven/Spider-Man story occurs over three separate cross-overs, and I am very grateful for it
In this story, Kraven finally achieves his goal of “killing” Spider-Man and then replacing him
The storytelling is so powerful; it calls directly to the soul of each character and leaves readers
The original run was way back in 1970, but the more recent editions in 2002 are treasures, especially with
I know devout fans hold the Venom stories as the greatest exploration of Spider-Man’s dark side
But something about that absolute hopeless despair is captured so deeply within the manga comics
Take a look at this cover: Yu’s eyes are so haunted and tormented
It’s almost like Spider-Man is not allowed to have happy endings
Rumour is we might see Supaidāman in the upcoming Into the Spider-Verse 2, but we will have
This is the first meeting of Peter Parker (Earth 616) and Miles Morales (Ultimate Universe)
Peter is the one misplaced in the Multiverse and comes face to face with his own mortality
Peter and Miles are very different as their own incarnations of the character, but this collection shows
The trigger for this madness is Morlun, a villain from Earth-001 who hunts all Spider-Totems — that mystical
He is one of the few who has successfully killed Spider-Man across various Earths, and this time
Fortunately, Spider-Man has his own Spider-Family, leading to a life-or-death battle across the Marvel multiverse
It’s full drama and high action all the way, but its true strength is bringing readers
But when it actually happens — when Spider-Man/Peter Parker dies — a little of your comic book innocence
Making this story in the Ultimate Universe does not soften the blow
Peter Parker is still the same nerdy teen weighed down with the same guilt for Uncle Ben
Personally, I think this one needs to be read at the same time as Death of Spider-Man:
It also introduces Miles Morales, who is a breath of fresh air and a brilliant return to
Doc Ock body-swapped with Peter Parker and was determined to prove he was the better hero
Risky and controversial, it was also ground-breaking as it reset the parameters of Spider-Man and redefined the
Until that moment, Octavius never understood the sacrifice of being Spider-Man: that connection with something greater in
And that moment when Osborn realises he ain’t fighting Octavius anymore? Worth every dollar you will
Shout out to Humberto Ramos, who was the primary artist for earlier issues in Superior Spider-Man, especially
Ramos was able to draw Spider-Man as Spider-Man while balancing it with a cartoonish touch of SpideyOck
“Goblin Nation” is my fave out of the series, but it is worth reading the entire catalogue
No, we’re not all going to start phwipping through New York City
But at no point in the comics do we ever forget that there is a person in
Peter struggles with the responsibility of being a superhero, but he does not shy away from it
Marko Flint/Sandman is facing his own mortality, and a life wasted fighting his nemesis, Spider-Man
Jonah Jameson that Flint is in hospital for his final moments, Peter chooses to take Flint to
The dialogue between Jameson and Peter afterwards calls to the very heart of Spider-Man’s responsibility: constantly
It’s exhausting enough with everyday decisions, but Spidey shows the extensive weight that sits on superheroes
There are still bits and pieces of Spider-Man’s mythos coming through, but the best part is
At the same time, it’s new, helped along by Garrón’s smooth drawing
If you’re looking to jump into Spider-Man for the first time, you can easily start with
It will honour everything you will ever know about Spider-Man in every shape, form, and costume
We can also help you untangle the web of Spider-Man movies here
Since his debut, Spider-Man remains in the top three coveted contracts for any creator on the team
With the wide variety built into the Spider-verse, it would be great to see more opportunities come
Please, no more Clones and never ever EVER revisit “One More Day