When it comes to Spider-Man, there is nearly 60 years’ worth of comic books, and no matter how rich you are, you will struggle to locate every single issue out there published in various Spidey titles. Obviously, Marvel has published hardcover omnibuses that contain the numerous runs of The Amazing Spider-Man from the classic Stan Lee/Steve Ditko era to the 90s Todd McFarlane period, which I’m sure you can find in your local comic book store, if not digitally.
However, if you want a comic that encompasses the whole history of Amazing Spider-Man in six issues that takes a unique approach to Peter Parker and even the Marvel Universe, Spider-Man: Life Story by Chip Zdarsky and Mark Bagley is a must-buy for long-time Spidey readers and hopefully the newcomers too.
Speaking of Chip Zdarsky, someone who has been writing the web-slinger on-and-off during his time on Marvel, his run of Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man with artist Adam Kubert, which took a more humorous approach to the character. The series was at its best when it showcased a lot of heart and even changed the status quo in some of Peter’s relationships. Even when Zdarsky is no longer writing any solo Spidey titles, he is still doing some of the best writing with the character in his current run on Daredevil.
If you want a “back to basics” comic that would serve as a jumping point to the ongoing soap opera of Peter Parker’s world, Nick Spencer’s Amazing Spider-Man is an ideal start as the first volume is literally subtitled: Back to Basics. However, if you don’t want to read Peter Parker, there is always Miles Morales, the Afro-Latino Spider-Man who debuted in the pages of Ultimate Spider-Man. As much as I would recommend reading his debut issues, the current run by Saladin Ahmed and Javier Garron is a recommendation for those who enjoyed the character in the cinematic Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Nearly two years old, and despite all the accolades that it deserves, there are still people who still haven’t seen Into the Spider-Verse, a film that I’ve even written about for its one-year anniversary. As Christmas will be upon us, it’s time to bring out the Spidey Bells and get this extraordinary superhero movie on home video, with the addition of the excellent art book Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – The Art of the Movie.
Ending on a Miles Morales note, you may have heard about his own videogame that recently came out in PS4 and PS5, the latter of which has been a very difficult to find, but I’m sure getting one will be a must. Based on the trailers and gameplay videos, it looks gorgeous. If you are purchasing the Ultimate Edition of Spider-Man: Miles Morales, you will also get a remastered version of Insomniac Games’ highly-successful Spider-Man game from 2018, albeit with Peter Parker’s controversial facelift.
Need more shopping ideas? Check out our other buyer guides from AIPT, like the AIPT science buyers guide for kids under 3 years of age as well as the AIPT Comics podcast buyers guide episode.
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