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With his first comic book appearance dating back to 1962, Spider-Man has had a lot of stories over the years. Some of them focused on his solo superhero career while others had him working with other heroes and teams, such as the Avengers or the Fantastic Four. Some comics were more action-based while others focused on the hero's emotions. And finally, there were stories about Peter's civil life as well as his superhero activity.
With all of these comic books to choose from, it can sometimes be difficult to decide what to start reading first. Luckily, some comic books are more important than others, either for the future development of Spider-Man or because they introduced something new that hasn't been seen before.
8 Spider-Island
While not as amazing as other series, this story still asks an interesting question: What would happen if the world was full of Spider-Men? As the story proves, it wouldn't be as good as it may sound on paper. New Yorkers suddenly discover they have the same powers, and chaos ensues.
The storyline confirms that it's not only his powers that makes Peter Parker a hero, it's what he does with them, along with his good character and a sense of responsibility, courtesy of his uncle Ben.
7 Spider-Man: Civil War
All fans of the MCU know what Peter Parker was doing during the Civil War. But while Peter did stand on Iron Man's side in the comics, that's where the similarities end. Spider-Man revealed his identity during the Civil War, a decision he would later come to regret.
He and Tony Stark argued about Tony's failed promise to protect Peter's family and Spider-Man decided to join Captain America instead. Peter's effort to do what's right and his fear and other strong emotions all make this storyline a compelling read, one that helps the fans understand him even better.
6 Spider-Man: Blue
Gwen Stacy was Peter's first big love, and when she died, everything changed. This story focuses on Peter dealing with Gwen's death and it captures the essence of sadness, being blue, hence the comic's name.
It doesn't focus on action and fight scenes. Instead, it dives deep into Peter's head and heart, so it's the ideal way to learn more about Peter Parker as a person, not as a superhero. Plus, it takes time to further establish the character of Mary Jane Watson, showing her as something more than just a pretty party girl.
5 Spider-Verse
Tom Holland's Spider-Man hasn't yet met any other versions of Peter Parker. Whether or not that happens in the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home remains to be seen. However, before the movie premieres, reading the Spider-Verse storyline gives the fans a unique opportunity to see more than one Spider-Man.
Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy, Miles Morales, Miguel O'Hara, and other versions of Spider-Man all have to work together. It's an epic read that proves that the limits of the Marvel universe are almost endless thanks to the concept of the multiverse.
4 Gwen Stacy Dies
When Gwen Stacy died, it was a shock for both Peter himself and the fans. Green Goblin killed Gwen by throwing her off the bridge and Spider-Man failed to save her. This event influenced Peter greatly and made him blame himself. For a while, it looked like Peter wouldn't find love again until Mary Jane Watson came along.
And even then, Gwen's memory continued to haunt him. Gwen's death is one of the most influential moments in Peter's life, so all fans of the superhero shouldn't miss out on reading the story in Amazing Spider-Man #121-122.
3 George Stacy Dies
The Stacy family had a very bad fortune in the comics. Before Gwen's untimely passing, her dad died too. Spider-Man tried to save him but it was to no avail. What makes this storyline captured in Amazing Spider-Man #90 so influential is the impact it had on future comics.
Before he died, George confessed he knew who Spider-Man was and asked Peter to take care of Gwen. Unfortunately, the police and Gwen blamed Spider-Man for George's death, which made it impossible for Peter to confess the truth to Gwen and it drove a wedge between them.
2 Appearance Of Venom
Before Flash Thompson bonded with Venom or Eddie Brock did, Spider-Man forged a close connection with the alien symbiote. It happened in Amazing Spider-Man #252 but how Peter got this costume was only explained later on during the Secret Wars event.
This story had lasting ramifications for Marvel since Venom went on to become one of its most successful antiheroes. And, of course, without this story, the fans wouldn't have Venom with Tom Hardy either.
1 His Origin Story
Every hero's story starts at the beginning, and most Marvel fans know how Peter Parker became Spider-Man. His origin story captured in Amazing Fantasy #15 is famous, popularized by the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy. However, it still doesn't hurt to go back to the roots and see exactly how Peter Parker's transformation into Spider-Man happened in the comics.
This way, fans will have the chance to compare the oldest version with updated stories about Peter's origin story, such as the one in the Ultimate Spider-Man comic book series.