Graphic Novel Goodness, Spidey Style!

By / / Comics

Don’t know as much about Spider-Man as you’d like?  Wonder why that guy in the next cubicle is complaining about the black outfit used for the movie, or the lack of understanding of anyone on the production team as to who Mary Jane is?  Well folks, we’re here to help you out and give you a look at eight choice Spider-Man graphic novels.

I’ve broken these down into three categories.  Essential reading (the ones you HAVE to read), worth a look (pretty good stufff), and Ultimate Line (Spidey’s life redux, Ultimate style).

Essential Reading
The Death of Gwen Stacy – Perhaps no moment was more life-altering than the final panel of Amazing Spider-Man issue #121 as Peter Parker lost his first true love to the hands of the Green Goblin atop the Brooklyn Bridge.  In this trade paperback the story (by Gerry Conway, Gil Kane, and John Romita Sr.) is retold as Norman Osborne regains his memory and tries to kill Spider-Man, and his plan results in Gwen’s death (at the hand of a web, no less!) and his own as he is impaled by his own glider.  Well worth checking out, and it contains an introduction bky Ralph Macchio, and a look back story “The Kiss,” as Peter, now married to MJ thinks back on his first kiss with Gwen. [$12.99]  Also available in the new hardcover along with the “Death of Captain Stacy” in Spider-Man: Death of the Stacys [$19.99].


Kraven’s Last Hunt – Spider-Man takes on Kraven the Hunter one last time in this tale from J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck finds Kraven losing his sanity at not being able to catch his prey.  Kraven loses his mind and shoots and buries Spider-Man donning his costume to prove he is the better man.  Spidey, still alive as Kraven used tranquilizers, crawls out of the grave and confronts Kraven for the final time.  Available in multiple printings including a new hardcover Premiere edition [$19.99].

Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus Vol. 1 – See how it all began as Stan Lee and Steve Ditko give you the first appearances of a boy named Peter Parker, a radioactive spider, and the first appearances of several Marvel villains including Doc Oc, the Sandman, the Vulture, the Lizard, and Electro, and much, much more in this complete run of Lee and Ditko in one massive hardcover 1088 page volume.  A must have for any true Spidey fan! [$99.99]

Worth a Look

Spider-Man: Clone Genesis – The “return” of Gwen Stacy, Peter and MJ’s first kiss, and the Jackal’s mad cloning experiment which would set the stage for a massive storyline twenty years later.  Includes a special introduction by Gerry Conway on the death of Gwen Stacy, fan reaction, and finding a way to break Marvel’s Rule One (when a Marvel character dies they stay dead – too bad this no longer applies!) and bring Gwen back.  Hard to find, but worth it! [$16.95]  You can also check out the Ultimate line’s version of the events Ultimate Spider-Man: Clone Saga [$29.99]

The Complete Frank Miller Spider-Man – The title says it all! [$29.95]

Spider-Man: Reign – Fans of The Dark Knight Returns (make sure you keep a look-out for a character named “Miller Janson”) might want to check out his collected four-issue mini-series from Kaare Andrews which looks ahead 35 years into the bleak future of Peter Parker who comes out of retirement to save the day.  Available in a hardcover Premiere edition. [$19.99]

Ultimate Line

Ultimate Spider-Man: Ultimate Collection Book 1 – The first 13 issues of Ultimate Spider-Man are collected here as Spidey’s origins and world are re-imagined in the Ultimate Universe as young Peter Parker deals with his newfound powers, a job at the Daily Bugle, and an attack from the Green Goblin.  Available in hardcover [$29.99] and trade paperback [$24.99].

Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 6: Venom – Venom is re-designed as an Ultimate character and given a new origin as a Eddie Brock becomes the son of a scientist who worked with Peter’s dad in creating “The Suit,” a life-saving experiment gone wrong (and you thought the Secret Wars explanation was lame!).  For more on Ultimate Venom click here.