Spider-Man is one of the most popular comic book characters ever, and these five stories make up some of his best adventures ever.
Thanks to a number of wildly popular video games and movies, Spider-Man is more popular than ever. However, even before that, he was one of Marvel’s most popular characters.
Spider-Man has had a host of incredibly popular comic arcs and some particularly famous moments, but with 60 years of history, it can be daunting to dive in as a new reader.
Whether you’re an old fan looking for some classics or a new reader trying to find a starting point, here are the best Spider-Man comics available today.
Best Spider-Man comics & where to find them
From the Spider-Verse to beyond the grave, these are the best Spider-Man comics.
Spider-Verse
Did you dig Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse? That whole affair really starts here (and, based on some of the cameo appearances, may even be a prequel to the films).
Released in 2014, Spider-Verse sees variants of Spider-Man from across the multiverse work together to repel The Inheritors, a group of multiversal beings led by Morlun who feed on the blood of Spider-People.
Spider-Verse is one of the more notable Spider-Man crossovers that not only expanded the Marvel Universe in a huge way but also introduced fan-favorite mainstays like Spider-Gwen.
Superior Spider-Man (2013)
What makes Spider-Man one of Marvel’s best heroes? To answer that question, you weirdly enough have to dive into a story that made him kind of evil, Superior Spider-Man.
A dying Doctor Octopus makes a last-ditch play and swaps brains with Peter Parker. While Peter dies in Doc Ock’s body, the memories of Peter’s life inspire him to prove he’s worthy of life by continuing as Spider-Man.
Superior is a hell of a character study, not just of Doc Ock but of what Spider-Man stands for. The story starts as a look at a dark, violent take on Spider-Man, not unlike spiritual predecessors such as Knightfall or The Captain. It becomes a heart-wrenching tale of loss and suffering as Otto is forced to reckon with not only his own shortcomings but the prospect of redemption.
Kraven’s Last Hunt
There are a lot of stories that fans will tell you are the definitive Spider-Man fights, but perhaps Kraven’s Last Hunt steals the cake by taking Spider-Man out of the picture.
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Kraven’s Last Hunt sees the titular Kraven the Hunter out to prove himself before his death by finally hunting Spider-Man. The desperate Kraven survives, poisoning Spidey and burying him alive.
Kraven takes on Spider-Man’s identity, stalking the streets of New York for days while Spider-Man struggles to escape. Kraven’s Last Hunt is one of Marvel’s darkest main universe stories ever and one that Spider-Man fans really need to read.
Spider-Man Blue
We’ve included a piece by the superstar team of Jeph Loeb and the late Tim Sale on several best-of lists so far, including Daredevil: Yellow, Batman: The Long Halloween, and Superman For All Seasons. The team naturally tackled Spidey as well with the acclaimed Spider-Man: Blue.
Part of Marvel’s “Colors” series of comics, Loeb and Sale paint a picture of a grieving Spider-Man, recording audio journals for Gwen Stacy, whose death years earlier is still affecting him.
Blue is a remarkable tale that tackles the oft-referenced death of Gwen Stacy with grace and kindness to the characters, focusing on the love and the grief but never the misery that so many have seen as the focal point of Gwen’s death. This is easily a definitive take on the morose side of Spider-Man and a beautiful companion piece for fans of early Spidey tales.
The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man
Recommending The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man is a weird one because it’s not even the focal point of its own issue. The story, appearing in The Amazing Spider-Man #248, is a backup feature following a story with Spidey fighting Thunderball of The Wrecking Crew.
It’s perhaps the most well-known Spider-Man story of its time. Following a fight, Spider-Man visits Tim Harrison, a superfan who has collected photos and stories of him and has written the Daily Bugle wanting to meet him.
The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man ends on something of a bittersweet note, but what a note it is. This is an incredible story focusing on Peter’s humility and how he’s coping with the emotional blows he’s taken throughout the years.
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