1st Appearance | Origin Story | Main Publication History | Secondary Publication History | Key Storylines | Media Source Material | Key Issues | Compilations
by snowbi-wan, updated Aug 2019
Spider-Man is Marvel's flagship character (and company mascot) and appears in multiple series each month...as either a headliner or a guest. Bitten by a 'radioactive' spider, Peter Parker gained the proportional abilites of a spider. At first, only out to make a buck with his newfound powers, Peter failed to stop a burgler who later killed Peter's uncle Ben--the harsh life lesson being: with great power, comes great responsibility. Tested time and again to their physical and emotional limits, both Spider-Man and Peter Parker struggle with life's hurdles. Peter Parker is the classic alter-ego of Spider-Man, but in the modern Marvel pantheon, there are a multitude of incarnations from alternate universes and timelines. This guide focuses only on the main Peter Parker that traces back to 1963.
1st Appearance
The first appearance of a character in comic book form is often the most valuable issue featuring that character. It's a nice place to get started in Spider-Man, if it's within your budget.
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- AMAZING FANTASY [1962] #15 (1st appearances of Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Flash Thompson)
Origin Story
The original presentation of an origin story or a retelling/recounting of it can be a good place to get started with a character or subject. Spider-Man's origin has been retold and expanded many times. As a major cultural icon, it has shifted, evolved and been elaborated over time. The further the present day gets from 1963, the more outdated Spider-Man's classic era origin feels, inviting contemporary modification. The classic origin and earliest issues from Stan Lee and Steve Ditko stand solid in their simplicity, but that hasn't stopped subsequent creators from writing in and among those classic issues with added story, some of which actually changes the context of the classic material. Adding another level of complexity, Spider-Man--and the entire Marvel Universe, in general--employs a floating timeline, meaning characters age little or not at all in real time. Events from a character's past are alluded to but can be changed from having taken place years ago to having happened more recently, disregarding actual dates. (Excluded from the list below is THE CLONE SAGA, which ran from 1994-1996 in over 75 issues of different Spider-Man titles. Although it unnervingly cast multiple basic aspects of Peter's life in question, everything turned out to be a lie and was summarily undone. The recent CLONE CONSPIRACY event storyline attempts to bring some of this material back into accepted continuity.)
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- AMAZING FANTASY [1962] #15 (origin)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #1 (origin retold)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL [1964] #1 (origin retold)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL [1964] #5 (new facts about Peter's parents revealed)
- SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN [1976] #1 (origin recap in text)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #181 (origin retold)
- SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN [1976] #60 (origin retold with new facts revealed)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #248 (Spider-Man tells his origin to a terminally ill kid)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: PARALLEL LIVES [1989-GN] (graphic novel by Gerry Conway plays fast-and-loose with key elements of origin)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL [1976] #23 (MY SCIENCE PROJECT, 11-page origin retold)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL [1976] #25 (3-page origin recap)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #350 (origin retold)
- UNTOLD TALES OF SPIDER-MAN [1995] #1-26 (overlays in and among classic era by Kurt Busiek, filling gaps, eliminating inconsistencies)
- AMAZING FANTASY [1962] #16-18 (in 1995, Kurt Busiek also added stories taking place before AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #1)
- SPIDER-MAN SAGA [1991] #1 (pictoral history of origin and early years)
- SPIDER-MAN: CHAPTER ONE [1998] #0-12 (origin retold, updated by John Byrne for modern audiences, but generally disregarded as non-canon)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1998] #30-32 (contemporary storyline from J. Michael Straczynski adds new layer to Spider-Man's origin, lays the foundation for the Spider-Verse)
- SPIDER-MAN: BLUE [2002] #1-6 (origin reinterpreted by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale with added context and new insights)
- TROUBLE [2003] #1-5 (origin of the Parker family before Peter from Mark Millar and Terry Dodson but disregarded as it casts doubts on Peter's true parentage)
- SPIDER-MAN COLLECTIBLE SERIES [2006] #1 (reprint of AMAZING FANTASY [1962] #15)
- SPIDER-MAN: WITH GREAT POWER... [2008] #1-5 (inserted material into classic origin by David Lapham)
- MYTHOS: SPIDER-MAN [2007] #1 (origin retold to bridge gap between comics and a recent crop of movies)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [2014] #1.1-1.5 (overlays in and among classic era by Dan Slott, filling gaps, eliminating inconsistencies)
- SPIDER-MAN: SEASON ONE [2012-HC] (hardcover graphic novel reinterprets origin)
- TRUE BELIEVERS: AMAZING FANTASY STARRING SPIDER-MAN [2017] #1 (reprint of AMAZING FANTASY [1962] #15)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [2017] #789 (contains 3-page MARVEL PRIMER PAGES summarizing the character's world)
- PETER PARKER: THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN [2018] #297 (contains 3-page MARVEL PRIMER PAGES summarizing the character's world)
Main Publication History
Series beginnings are always great places to get started in comic books. Here is the Main Publication History for Spider-Man (Peter Parker) comic books. Spider-Man (Peter Parker) has a long, nearly continuous publication history since 1963 with several numbering restarts, a return to its original series numbering twice now, and a couple stand-in series. The following list summarizes only the main flagship title. See the secondary publication history for additional Spider-Man series.
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- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #1-406
- AMAZING SCARLET SPIDER [1995] #1-2 (stand-in as the flagship title for two months)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #407-441
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1998] #1-58 (flagship relaunch)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [2003] #500-700.5 (return to legacy numbering)
- SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN [2013] #1-33 (stand-in as the flagship title for two years)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [2014] #1-20.1 (flagship relaunch)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [2015] #1-32 (flagship relaunch)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [2017] #789-801 (return to legacy numbering)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [2018] #1- (flagship relaunch)
Secondary Publication History
If you've already enjoyed some of the series listed in the Main Publication History above, series from this secondary publication list are very good places to further your exploration. The popularity of Spider-Man has allowed Marvel to feature him in multiple series simultaneously throughout the years. In addition to the main flagship title, Spider-Man has appeared in many other lengthy series. During the mid-90's, Marvel published four Spider-Man series per month, roughly one every week. For the most part, the ongoing stories in these series were treated as one weekly series. Peter Parker has also been a member of the Avengers, as well as the Fantastic Four at one point. Beyond this (and too exhaustive to include here), Spider-Man has had countless mini-series, cross-overs, graphic novels, and one-shots.
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- MARVEL TEAM-UP [1972] #1-150 (long-running Spider-Man team-up series)
- GIANT-SIZE SPIDER-MAN [1974] #1-6 (series of specials from 1974-75)
- SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN [1976] #1-263 (long-running (22 years!) secondary monthly ongoing Spider-Man series)
- WEB OF SPIDER-MAN [1985] #1-129 (long-running (10 years!) secondary monthly ongoing Spider-Man series)
- SPIDER-MAN [1990] #1-98 (Todd McFarlane's 'adjectiveless' spin-off monthly ongoing series)
- SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED [1993] #1-22 (double-sized quarterly)
- UNTOLD TALES OF SPIDER-MAN [1995] #-1, 1-25 (series set in Spider-Man's classic past, filling in gaps and considered in-continuity)
- SPIDER-MAN TEAM-UP [1995] #1-7 (quarterly; continued in MARVEL TEAM-UP [1997])
- SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN [1996] #0-33 (ongoing secondary series replaced WEB OF SPIDER-MAN [1985])
- MARVEL TEAM-UP [1997] #1-11 (short-lived continuation of SPIDER-MAN TEAM-UP [1995])
- PETER PARKER: SPIDER-MAN [1999] #1-57
- WEBSPINNERS: TALES OF SPIDER-MAN [1999] #1-18
- SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED [1999] #1-9
- SPIDER-MAN'S TANGLED WEB [2001] #1-22
- SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN [2003] #1-27
- SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED [2004] #1-15
- MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN [2004] #1-22
- MARVEL TEAM-UP [2005] #1-25
- NEW AVENGERS [2005] #1-64
- FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN [2005] #1-24
- SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN [2006] #23-41
- SPIDER-MAN FAMILY [2007] #1-9
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN FAMILY [2008] #1-8
- WEB OF SPIDER-MAN [2009] #1-12
- PETER PARKER [2010] #1-5
- AVENGERS [2010] #1-19
- NEW AVENGERS [2010] #1-32
- FF [2011] #1-22
- FANTASTIC FOUR [2012] #600-611
- AVENGING SPIDER-MAN [2011] #1-22
- AVENGERS [2013] #1-26
- SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN TEAM-UP [2013] #1-12
- SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN [2013] #1-17
- MIGHTY AVENGERS [2013] #1-5
- CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE MIGHTY AVENGERS [2015] #1-9
- PETER PARKER: THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN [2017] #1-6
- PETER PARKER: THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN [2018] #297-313 (return to legacy numbering)
- MARVEL ACTION: SPIDER-MAN [2018] #1-12 (1st series)
- FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN [2019] #1-14
- MARVEL ACTION: SPIDER-MAN [2020] #1- (2nd series)
- NON-STOP SPIDER-MAN [2020] #1- (second ongoing title from writer Joe Kelly)
Selected Key Storylines
This section contains a curated list of some of the best storylines for Spider-Man, any one of which can be a good place to get started.
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| 1963 | AMAZING FANTASY [1962] #15 (1st appearance and origin) |
| 1965 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #31-33 (IF THIS BE MY DESTINY, introduces many iconic elements of the Spider-Man milieu) |
| 1967 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #53-56, 88-90, 130-131 (Doc Octopus establishes himself as an archenemy) |
| 1973 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #121-122 (THE NIGHT GWEN STACY DIED, deaths of Gwen Stacy and the Green Goblin) |
| 1987 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL [1964] #21 (marriage of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson) |
| 1987 | KRAVEN'S LAST HUNT cross-over event (J. M. DeMatteis' quintessential Kraven story) |
| 1988 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #299-300 (VENOM, introduces Venom (Eddie Brock)) |
| 2001 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1998] #30-32 (COMING HOME, lays the foundation for the Spider-Verse) |
| 2005 | THE OTHER cross-over event (temporarily metamorphosizes radical new powers) |
| 2007 | ONE MORE DAY cross-over event (complete reset on Spider-Man's status quo) |
| 2010 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [2003] #623-633 (SHED, revamps the Lizard in a frightening way) |
| 2018 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [2017] #794-800 (THREAT LEVEL: RED/GO DOWN SWINGING, Dan Slot's final arcs of a record-long writing stint; introduction of the Red Goblin) |
Key Issues
A key issue can be an acceptable place to get started with Spider-Man, but they are more of a collector's checklist, as they can carry high price tags.
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- AMAZING FANTASY [1962] #15 (1st appearances of Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Flash Thompson)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #1 (1st appearances of J. Jonah Jameson, Chameleon)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #2 (1st appearance of Vulture)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #3 (1st appearance of Doc Octopus)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #4 (1st appearance of Sandman)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #6 (1st appearance of Lizard)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #9 (1st appearance of Electro)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #13 (1st appearance of Mysterio)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #14 (1st appearance of Green Goblin (Norman Osborn))
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #15 (1st appearance of Kraven the Hunter, 1st mention of Mary Jane Watson)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL [1964] #1 (1st appearance of Sinister Six)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #20 (1st appearance of Scorpion)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #25 (1st brief appearance of Mary Jane Watson)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #31 (1st appearances of Harry Osborn, Gwen Stacy)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #41 (1st appearance of Rhino)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #47 (1st date between Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #50 (1st appearance of Kingpin)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #101 (1st appearance of Morbius the Living Vampire)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #121 (death of Gwen Stacy)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #122 (death of Green Goblin (Norman Osborn))
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #129 (1st appearance of Punisher)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #136 (1st appearance of Green Goblin (Harry Osborn))
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #149 (clone story begins)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #182 (Peter proposes to Mary Jane (1st time); she declines in #183)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #192 (1st appearance of Black Cat)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #238 (1st appearance of Hobgoblin)
- MARVEL AGE [1983] #12 (preview of Spider-Man's new black costume)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #252 (1st black costume in this series, May 1984 cover date, published 31 Jan 1984)
- MARVEL TEAM-UP [1972] #141 (1st black costume in this series, May 1984 cover date, published 14 Feb 1984)
- SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN [1976] #90 (1st black costume in this series, May 1984 cover date, published 14 Feb 1984)
- MARVEL SUPER HEROES SECRET WARS [1984] #8 (origin of alien symbiote/black costume)
- SPIDER-MAN VS. WOLVERINE [1987] #1 (Spider-Man/Wolverine team-up; Peter and MJ realize they are more than friends)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #289 (1st appearance of New Hobgoblin)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #290 (Peter proposes to Mary Jane (2nd time); she accepts in #292)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL [1964] #21 (marriage of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #298 (1st Todd McFarlane art and cover)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #299 (cameo appearance of Venom (Eddie Brock))
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #300 (1st full appearance of Venom (Eddie Brock); last black costume; classic cover)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #344 (cameo appearance of Cletus Kasady (pre-Carnage))
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #345 (1st full appearance of Cletus Kasady (pre-Carnage))
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #361 (1st appearance of Carnage)
- SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN [1976] #200 (death of Green Goblin (Harry Osborn))
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #400 (death of Aunt May)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1998] #36 (black cover, 9/11 aftermath issue)
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [2003] #654 (1st appearance of Venom (Flash Thompson))
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [2014] #4 (1st appearance of Silk)
Compilations
In modern comic publishing, it's common (and expected) for individual comic book issues to be collected into compilations of trade paperbacks and/or hardcovers, as well as other special compilations. Unlike the individual source issues, the collected editions typically stay in print for long periods and are less 'collectible.' If individual issues are out of reach or are not of interest to you or if you just need reading copies, the following collected editions of Spider-Man (Peter Parker) comic books are the most recent in-print editions and are the perfect alternative to get started right away with Spider-Man (Peter Parker). The following compilations are presented in a chronologically-based suggested reading order with softcover editions before any hardcover editions (unless the only in-print editions are hardcover--these are integrated into the softcover list).
There is actually a massive amount of Spider-Man material still in print, so here we present only some of the most recent stuff beginning with Marvel's Epic Collection reprints then the latest series of ongoing compilations. (The Epic Collection is not being published in numerical order, so there may well be gaps between volumes that are not yet available.)
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| Cover | Release Month | Series / Number / Storyline | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Quick View | Sep 2014 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN EPIC COLLECTION [2013-TPB] VOL 01: GREAT POWER CURRENT PRINTING |  | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Mar 2019 | DECADES: MARVEL IN THE '60S--SPIDER-MAN MEETS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE [2019-TPB] CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Dec 2016 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN EPIC COLLECTION [2013-TPB] VOL 02: GREAT RESPONSIBILITY CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | May 2018 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN EPIC COLLECTION [2013-TPB] VOL 03: SPIDER-MAN NO MORE CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Jun 2019 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN EPIC COLLECTION [2013-TPB] VOL 04: THE GOBLIN LIVES CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Jan 2020 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN EPIC COLLECTION [2013-TPB] VOL 05: THE SECRET OF THE PETRIFIED TABLET | UNAVAILABLE | $25.99 | |
 Quick View | May 2017 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN EPIC COLLECTION [2013-TPB] VOL 07: THE GOBLIN'S LAST STAND CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | May 2014 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN EPIC COLLECTION [2013-TPB] VOL 15: GHOSTS OF THE PAST CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Jun 2017 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN EPIC COLLECTION [2013-TPB] VOL 17: KRAVEN'S LAST HUNT CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Aug 2018 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN EPIC COLLECTION [2013-TPB] VOL 18: VENOM CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | May 2019 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN EPIC COLLECTION [2013-TPB] VOL 19: ASSASSIN NATION CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Nov 2013 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN EPIC COLLECTION [2013-TPB] VOL 20: COSMIC ADVENTURES CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Feb 2016 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN EPIC COLLECTION [2013-TPB] VOL 21: RETURN OF THE SINISTER SIX CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Mar 2015 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN EPIC COLLECTION [2013-TPB] VOL 22: ROUND ROBIN CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Dec 2019 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN EPIC COLLECTION [2013-TPB] VOL 25: MAXIMUM CARNAGE | UNAVAILABLE | $25.99 | |
 Quick View | Mar 2019 | SPIDER-MAN: NEW WAYS TO LIVE [2019-TPB] CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Jun 2019 | SPIDER-MAN: THE GAUNTLET--THE COMPLETE COLLECTION [2019-TPB] VOL 01 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | May 2020 | SPIDER-MAN: THE GAUNTLET--THE COMPLETE COLLECTION [2019-TPB] VOL 02 | UNAVAILABLE | $29.24 | |
 Quick View | Apr 2018 | SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION [2018-TPB] VOL 01 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Aug 2018 | SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION [2018-TPB] VOL 02 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Apr 2016 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: WORLDWIDE [2016-TPB] VOL 01 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Jul 2016 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: WORLDWIDE [2016-TPB] VOL 02 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Nov 2016 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: WORLDWIDE [2016-TPB] VOL 03 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Jan 2017 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: WORLDWIDE [2016-TPB] VOL 04 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Dec 2017 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: THE CLONE CONSPIRACY [2018-TPB] CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | May 2017 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: WORLDWIDE [2016-TPB] VOL 05 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
| Quick View | Jul 2017 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: WORLDWIDE [2016-TPB] VOL 06 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Jan 2018 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: WORLDWIDE [2016-TPB] VOL 07 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | May 2018 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: VENOM INC. [2018-TPB] CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Jun 2018 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: WORLDWIDE [2016-TPB] VOL 08 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Oct 2019 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: RED GOBLIN [2019-TPB] | UNAVAILABLE | $16.24 | |
 Quick View | Dec 2018 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: WORLDWIDE [2016-TPB] VOL 09 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Dec 2017 | PETER PARKER: THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN [2017-TPB] VOL 01: INTO THE TWILIGHT CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Apr 2018 | PETER PARKER: THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN [2017-TPB] VOL 02: MOST WANTED CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Aug 2018 | PETER PARKER: THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN [2017-TPB] VOL 03: AMAZING FANTASY CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
| Quick View | Nov 2018 | PETER PARKER: THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN [2017-TPB] VOL 04: COMING HOME CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Feb 2019 | PETER PARKER: THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN [2017-TPB] VOL 05: SPIDER-GEDDON CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Nov 2018 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN BY NICK SPENCER [2019-TPB] VOL 01: BACK TO BASICS CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Feb 2019 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN BY NICK SPENCER [2019-TPB] VOL 02: FRIENDS AND FOES CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | May 2019 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN BY NICK SPENCER [2019-TPB] VOL 03: LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Aug 2019 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN BY NICK SPENCER [2019-TPB] VOL 04: HUNTED CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Sep 2019 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN BY NICK SPENCER [2019-TPB] VOL 05: BEHIND THE SCENES | UNAVAILABLE | $12.99 | |
 Quick View | Dec 2019 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN BY NICK SPENCER [2019-TPB] VOL 06 | UNAVAILABLE | $11.69 | |
 Quick View | Mar 2020 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN BY NICK SPENCER [2019-TPB] VOL 07: 2099 | UNAVAILABLE | $11.69 | |
 Quick View | May 2020 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN BY NICK SPENCER [2019-TPB] VOL 08: THREATS AND MENACES | UNAVAILABLE | $11.69 | |
 Quick View | Jun 2019 | SPIDER-MAN [2018-TPB] BOOK 01: A NEW BEGINNING CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Aug 2019 | SPIDER-MAN [2018-TPB] BOOK 02: SPIDER-CHASE | UNAVAILABLE | $8.49 | |
 Quick View | Dec 2019 | SPIDER-MAN [2018-TPB] BOOK 03: BAD LUCK | UNAVAILABLE | $8.49 | |
 Quick View | Apr 2020 | SPIDER-MAN [2018-TPB] BOOK 04: VENOM | UNAVAILABLE | $8.49 | |
 Quick View | Oct 2019 | SYMBIOTE SPIDER-MAN [2019-TPB] | UNAVAILABLE | $10.39 | |
 Quick View | Jul 2019 | FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN [2019-TPB] VOL 01: SECRETS AND RUMORS CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Nov 2019 | FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN [2019-TPB] VOL 02: HOSTILE TAKEOVERS | UNAVAILABLE | $11.69 |
Media Source Material
If you've enjoyed non-comic media for Spider-Man, this section describes the comic book source material for some of the most popular non-comic media. Spider-Man is Marvel's flagship character and has appeared in countless forms of media, including animated and live-action television series, syndicated newspaper comic strips, and multiple film series. This section concentrates only on theatrical movie releases. WARNING: This section may contain spoilers!
The Sam Raimi/Toby Maguire Trilogy
The 2002-2007 film series, SPIDER-MAN, SPIDER-MAN 2, and SPIDER-MAN 3, was directed by Sam Raimi and starred Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man. Raimi's trilogy leans heavily on visuals from the comic source material, with some scenes recreating panels directly from comic book pages. The origin portrayed in SPIDER-MAN was faithful to the classic origin and pulled from various classic era comics. However, characters such as Harry Osborn and Mary Jane Watson played a much earlier part, and Gwen Stacy was notably absent. Additionally, instead of radioactive, the spider that bit Peter was genetically engineered, a modern term not in general use when Stan Lee penned AMAZING FANTASY [1962] #15 in 1963. The main villain was the Green Goblin (Norman Osborn) with the climactic end seeing his demise, similar to the storyline from AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #121-122. A notable difference in Spider-Man's powers in these films is his organic webbing. The classic origin has always had Peter develop mechanical web shooters with liquid webbing cartridges. THE OTHER storyline (see Selected Key Storylines above) in the comic books sees Spider-Man develop this organic webbing power as well, but they have since been lost without explanation. The main inspiration for SPIDER-MAN 2 was SPIDER-MAN NO MORE from AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #50, with the 'quitting' scene pulled right out of that comic book. The main villain was Doctor Octopus, however his origin was modernized for the movie, while keeping much of his attributes. The climactic battle of this second film had a scene pulled from a panel in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #33, where Spider-Man is trapped under heavy machinery and he musters enough strength to free himself by sheer force of will to save a loved one. SPIDER-MAN 3 introduced the Sandman and Venom and concluded the Green Goblin (Harry Osborn) plot thread. A villainous Sandman was introduced in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #4 with an origin mirroring what was seen in the film, and while his moral ambiguity was hinted in MARVEL TEAM-UP [1972] #1, it wouldn't be for another decade in MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE [1974] #86 that the Sandman would begin transforming into an eventual ally of Spider-Man. Venom's (Eddie Brock) origin was faithful to the AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #299-300 VENOM storyline, with the exception of the source of the symbiote. In the comics, Spider-Man joins with the symbiote during the cosmic crossover series, MARVEL SUPER HEROES SECRET WARS [1984]. The film has the symbiote arrive via a meteorite and find Spider-Man coincidentally.
The Marc Webb/Andrew Garfield Series
The 2012-2014 film series, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2, was directed by Marc Webb and starred Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man. The origin portrayed in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN also portrayed the classic era spider bite, but, in contrast to Raimi's trilogy, delayed the introduction of Mary Jane Watson in favor of Gwen Stacy as Peter's love interest. However, Peter's parents, Richard and Mary Parker, have a huge role in Spider-Man's origin, more akin to Ultimate Spider-Man's (Peter Parker) origin. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL [1964] #5 added details about Peter's parents in the classic era, but them being biologists/geneticists and the key to Spider-Man's powers was a new twist. The main villain was the Lizard, channeling the SHED storyline from AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [2004] #623-633. Mention of Norman Osborn stayed in the background. In AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2, the main villain was Electro, although we were introduced on the side to a scheming Harry Osborn on the verge of taking the Goblin serum his father had developed. While the details of Electro's origin were altered slightly in almost every way, the overall gist was that of his comic book origin from AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #9.
The Sony/MCU Era
In 2016, CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR introduced Spider-Man, portrayed by Tom Holland, to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). There was minimal origin material portrayed in the film, but a heavy influence from early classic material was hinted through Peter's young age and inexperience. Upon his introduction, Peter's spider-suit was still a homemade prototype that Tony Stark replaced with a more technologically advanced one for the remainder of the film. Aunt May seemed a bit young in this film compared to what we've been accustomed to, so there could be some tinkering with the Parkers' origins or potentially just a more realistic age for an aunt, given Peter's young age. A follow-up feature movie, SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING, was released in Jun 2017.
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING was released in 2017, directed by Jon Watts and again staring Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). This movie eschews Spider-Man's actual origin event (the spider bite) and instead focuses on Spider-Man's previously skipped-over (in film) teenage years as a budding crime fighter. This period predates the Daily Bugle and any serious romantic struggles, both of which have been well tread in earlier movie interpretations. And even without any hint of the Osborn family, there is still a massive amount of untapped comic book source material in this film. The film opens with Adrian Toomes and his salvage crew being kicked off the Chitauri incident clean-up by Damage Control. Damage Control is an actual comic book organization with their first appearance in MARVEL AGE ANNUAL [1985] #4. Initially pitched by its creators as a 'sitcom within the Marvel Universe,' Damage Control has had several stories here-and-there, as well as a few self-titled mini-series. Nearly all their appearances are cameos or casual mentions. In the movie, Damage Control is a joint venture between Tony Stark and the U.S. Government, and they come off as official and serious. In the comics, the company was a joint venture between Tony Stark and Wilson Fisk (The Kingpin), and their situations are more tongue-in-cheek. Adrian Toomes himself is the Vulture, one of Spider-Man's earliest rogues. His first comic book appearance was AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #2, and he would go on to have several other villainous identities beside the Vulture. Toomes' crew is a concentrated goldmine of disparate Spider-Man villains. In the movie, Jackson Bice was the first character with the 'Shocker' gauntlets. In the comics, Bice was known as 'Montana,' and his first appearance was AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #10. In the movie, another of Toomes' crew, Herman Schultz, inherits the gauntlets and becomes the villain, the 'Shocker.' Schultz was the original comic book Shocker, and his first appearance was AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #46. In the movie, Toomes' gadget inventor is Phineas Mason (the Tinkerer), and his first comic book appearance was AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #2. In the comics, the Tinkerer has been the source of many villains' super-powered costumes/weapons. In the movie, the gang's first buyer was a man named Aaron Davis with some interesting related source material. In the Ultimate Marvel Universe, Davis is the 'Prowler' and the uncle of the teenage Miles Morales. Miles Morales--you may know--becomes the second incarnation of Spider-Man in the Ultimate Universe after that universe's version of Peter Parker dies. Davis himself is instrumental in Miles Morales' origin, having stolen the spider from Oscorp that ultimately bites Miles. When, in the movie, Davis actually mentions his unnamed nephew, audiences inched one step closer to getting a second cinematic Spider-Man. Comic book Miles is currently inhabiting the Marvel Universe proper along with Peter Parker. Davis' first comic book appearance is ULTIMATE COMICS: SPIDER-MAN [2011] #1. Another of the gang's buyers is Max Gargan. Gargan's first comic book appearance was AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #19. He appeared as another of Spider-Man's early rogues, the Scorpion, in the very next issue, #20. Another interesting twist of source material is Toomes' movie wife, Doris, and his movie daughter, Liz. In the comics, Liz Allan's first appearance was AMAZING FANTASY [1962] #15--the same issue that introduced Peter Parker--but she was just another high school student and disappeared from Spider-Man stories as soon as Peter graduated from high school. She was brought back years later, as having been the stepsister of the villain, Molten Man. Combining the two comic book characters, Doris Raxton and Cheryl Toomes (Adrian's wife), Liz's movie mother can now add even more future story complications for Peter Parker. In the movie, Peter's best friend, Ned, discovers his secret identity. Although the character has no last name in the movie, the writers possibly used the comic book character, Ned Leeds, as a basis. Ned Leeds' first comic book appearance was AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #18, and he would become the third character to assume the Hobgoblin identity. There's no reason to believe this will be the movie Ned's ultimate fate, but it could be interesting story groundwork. Eugene 'Flash' Thompson is another of Peter's classmates. A more modern-day emotional bully in the movie, Flash's first appearance in comics as a more traditional 'physical' bully was also AMAZING FANTASY [1962] #15. Another of Peter's classmates, Michelle 'MJ' Jones, is a new character not seen in the comic books, but, for sure, is an echo of Mary Jane 'MJ' Watson. Watson was around in the early comic stories, but not a romantic interest until much later in Peter's timeline. Jones' character displays that same kind of early interaction with Peter. The faculty at Parker's high school is also a goldmine of classic Spider-Man tale namedropping, but--at this point--likely only of interest to fans of every single Easter egg. Finally, an homage to a classic Spider-Man scene is worth mentioning. The movie scene where Spider-Man is trapped under the building that the Vulture collapses on him is an iconic Spider-Man situation. In AMAZING SPIDER-MAN [1963] #33, Spider-Man is similarly trapped under rubble with water running down over him and must muster every ounce of strength and fortitude to keep going. This trapped-under-rubble scene has been revisited several times throughout Spider-Man's publishing history because this is one of the most essential aspects of the modern Spider-Man mythos...finding the strength from within.