Hey guys help please! I only have one Spiderman book in my collection. Its a travesty considering Spiderman has often been once of my favourite 5 characters since seeing the Nicholas Hammond TV Series in about 1978......so what are the standout books, the Spiderman classics, equivalents of the Dark Knight Returns and so on?
Spider-Man
Character » Spider-Man appears in 17252 issues.
Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider as a teenager, granting him spider-like powers. After the death of his Uncle Ben, Peter learned that "with great power, comes great responsibility." Swearing to always protect the innocent from harm, Peter Parker became Spider-Man.
Spiderman book equivalent of TDKR or All Star Superman?
Maximum Carnage
Back in Black
Ultimate Spiderman (the entire series as a whole is a must read for any Marvel/Peter Parker/Spider-Man fan)
Hate to say it, but probably Blue tbh.
It was a good book, but as someone who had already read and enjoyed all of the original stories it condensed (Blue is an abridged remake of Amazing Spider-Man #43-48 and #63) I wasn't really that blown away with it.
But when looking for a standalone book that defines Spider-Man its probably at the top.
If you're after themes and scope, then the closest to something like DKR is probably the Harry Osborn Saga that ran in Spectacular #178-#200, unfortunately that story is still uncollected in trade though I believe.
Hate to say it, but probably Blue tbh.
It was a good book, but as someone who had already read and enjoyed all of the original stories it condensed (Blue is an abridged remake of Amazing Spider-Man #43-48 and #63) I wasn't really that blown away with it.
But when looking for a standalone book that defines Spider-Man its probably at the top.
If you're after themes and scope, then the closest to something like DKR is probably the Harry Osborn Saga that ran in Spectacular #178-#200, unfortunately that story is still uncollected in trade though I believe.
I was just thinking the same thing. Spider-Man: Blue is a tribute to one of the best eras of Spider-Man. But you're right--it's nothing that will blow you away, but it did get me a little choked up. As for the Harry Osborn Saga, now you've made me curious. I'm going to have to check that out.
Also, I think the closest thing that Spider-Man has to TDKR is Spider-Man: Reign. I haven't read it, but I've heard it's pretty similar.
Ultimate Spider-Man is my favorite series of all time. The entire series is a great read.
Master Planner Saga has one of my favorite moments in Spidey history.
The best of Amazing Spider-Man for me was the HobGoblin Saga.
I also love The End of Spider-Man 18-19 and Spider-Man No More 50-52.
There are so many more but they have mixed appeal so it is really up to you to try the dozens of other great stories
If you'r looking for a story that means to Spider-Man, what TDKR and ASS mean to Batman and Superman, I guess you'll have to look at Kraven's Last Hunt.The story was so big, DC had the same writer do a similar story for Batman called Going Sane. There's also the Harry Osborn/Drugs saga and Death of Gwen Stacy, they took place around a similar time and re-defined the character.
But if you want a story that compares well with TDKR in terms of tone and story, that'll be Spider-Man: Reign, which was obviously inspired by Frank Miller's story, as it features a very similar plot (An old and retired Spider-Man returns to fight a corrput system).
If you want a "love letter" to Spider-Man, the same way All-Star was to Superman, then, like the others said, see Spider-Man: Blue (which I was just reading not long ago), and also a more recent one, the trade called The Amazing Spider-Man - World's Greatest Super-Hero which celebrated Spidey's 50th anniversary.
Kraven's Last Hunt was actually a reworked version of Going Sane.
Demateis wrote Going Sane but DC didn't want to publish it, he re-worked it into a Spider-Man story as Kraven's Last Hunt and it was extremely popular so DC changed their mind and said they would take his Going Sane idea.
So they're kind of like siblings. The two stories actually turned out very, very different though, Going Sane is very focused on the Joker and shows him in a very sympathetic light. Going Sane is more hopeful, whilst KLH is more downbeat. The writing in Going Sane is also more straightforward whilst in Kraven's Last Hunt its more wordy, and uses metaphors a lot more.
I actually prefer Going Sane personally, but both are good.
@silent_bomber: Uh-huh interesting I heard it was the other way around but I think you're right. Strange why DC didn't publish it first. Interestingly enough, KLS is considered by many fans to be one of the best Spider-Man stories of all time, while Going Sane is a more obscure, even underrated Batman story. How ironic that the Batman story is the less dark of the two.
@silent_bomber: Interestingly enough, KLS is considered by many fans to be one of the best Spider-Man stories of all time, while Going Sane is a more obscure, even underrated Batman story.
I think a lot of Batman fans dislike Joker's "patsy" origin from The Killing Joke, and aren't keen on his portrayal as being an ordinary Joe when sane there, and in Going Sane. There's a large camp that likes to think of him as like an evil, mysterious force of nature.
Going Sane moves even further from that idea, showing that after his "one bad day" Batman is the entire root of his psychosis, with Batman's mere existence muddling and confusing his mind, becoming all-encompassing in his consciousness etc etc.
Going Sane effectively says that without Batman, Joker would be a nobody, I think some fans aren't fond of that idea.
I read Reign, didn't like it much tbh.
- People acted out of character
- Ideas like "Radioactive Spider-Semen"
- Its was kind of light on plot.
- More derivative of Dark knight Returns than influenced by it
..have ordered "the Night Gwen Stacy died" and "Spiderman Civil War" to be getting on with and will be searching out these other titles as when they are cheap on Ebay or Amazon...especially Ultimate Spiderman. The 1,000 page Omnibus is on my radar...probably have to wait for Christmas now as its not cheap!!
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