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Everything’s coming up Spider-Man lately. Barely a week passes without news of some new movie, TV or game featuring our favorite wall-crawler. Currently, fans are celebrating the return of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
To celebrate our love of the wonderful wall-crawler, we're looking back on his greatest comic book stories -- not an easy feat with over 60 years of history to dig through. Be warned, though, if you've never read these stories, there are spoilers within. Most of said spoilers are decades old, but hey, you never know. And just to keep things simple, we’re limiting the list to stories focused on Peter Parker, not other characters like Miles Morales, Venom, or Spider-Gwen.
Check out the slideshow gallery below or scroll down to see the essential Spider-Man comics every fan should read.
Note: This list has been updated with the latest, greatest Spider-Man comics for 2026.
28. Spider-Verse
The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 3 #9-15 (2014-2015) | By Dan Slott, Olivier Coipel & Giuseppe Camuncoli
Spider-Man crossovers don’t get more epic than this. Spider-Verse pits our hero against the one villain who successfully killed him - vampiric totem-feeder Morlun. Worse, Morlun’s entire family has surfaced with the goal of devouring any and all Spider-Men they can find. Spidey’s only hope is join forces with his counterparts from across the Marvel multiverse and defend the Web of Life before it’s destroyed for good.
Spider-Verse is full of drama and high stakes, but it’s also some of the most fun you’ll have reading a Spider-Man comic. The crossover pays tribute to many different incarnations of the Spidey franchise in comics and television. Even the Spider-Men from the 1960’s animated series and the Hostess Fruit Pies ads are drawn into this fight.
While the main crossover is contained within the pages of the monthly Amazing Spider-Man series, fans really owe it to themselves to read the numerous tie-ins and take in the full scope of the crossover. The Edge of Spider-Verse prologue series is especially key, as it introduces important new characters like Spider-Gwen and Sp//dr. We wouldn’t have the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse movie without this crossover lighting the way.
27. How Green Was My Goblin/Spidey Saves the Day
The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1 #39-40 (1966) | By Stan Lee & John Romita
By their own admission, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko never had a solid plan in mind for who was behind the mask of the Green Goblin when they created him. Luckily, the eventual decision to make him Norman Osborn in this two-parter became one of the most crucial moments of the entire Spidey saga. Having been recently acquainted with Harry Osborn at school, Norman’s role as the Goblin instantly created a personal connection to the character that would go on to become Spidey’s most popular rogue.
Perhaps more importantly is that not only is Green Goblin unmasked – so too is Peter Parker. For the first time, Peter’s worst fears come to fruition when one of his enemies discovers his civilian identity. The resulting relationship between Spidey and the Gobby is forever altered, giving the duo a twisted, unbroken bond that would later become essential to Spider-Man’s tragedy-ridden career.
26. Ultimate Spider-Man: Ultimatum
Ultimate Spider-Man #129-133 | By Brian Michael Bendis & Stuart Immonen
2008's Ultimatum is widely regarded as one of the worst Marvel Comics crossovers ever published, but it's not all bad. Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen truly made lemonade out of lemons when their ongoing Ultimate Spider-Man series tied into the event and explored how Peter Parker dealt with the massive climate catastrophe unfolding in New York City.
Like many great Spider-Man stories, Ultimatum explores the lengths to which Spidey will go in order to save lives. Even J. Jonah Jameson walks away from the experience profoundly moved. While this storyline didn't turn out to be the end of Bendis' long-running saga as we feared at the time, it profoundly shaped the direction of the series going forward.
25. Goblin Nation
Superior Spider-Man Vol. 1 #27-31 (2014) | By Dan Slott & Giuseppe Camuncoli
Dan Slott has the longest tenure of any Amazing Spider-Man writer, and it goes without saying he did a lot to reshape the franchise and redefine Peter Parker during that time. No Slott-penned storyline was more ground-breaking or controversial than Superior Spider-Man, a book wherein Doctor Octopus’ mind took over Peter Parker’s body and set out to prove himself as the better hero.
It’s a risk that paid off, as the climactic “Goblin Nation” storyline proves. The series wraps in the only way it good, with Otto Octavius fighting a losing battle against a resurgent Norman Osborn and his underground army of Green Goblins. This is Otto’s moment of truth. The series climaxes with his realization that, for all his resources and tech and ambition, he lacks the self-sacrificing nature that truly makes Spider-Man a hero for the ages. His decision to die so that Peter can live again is a perfect end-cap to a years-long character arc. And the scene where Osborn realizes he’s no longer battling Octavius ranks among the best Spider-Man moments ever .
24. The Wedding
The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1 Annual #21 (1987) | By David Michelinie & Paul Ryan
After killing off Gwen Stacy in order to never see a married Spider-Man, Marvel had Peter and Mary Jane tie the knot – a marriage that would last for over 20 years – in 1987. While the first portion of the issue is essentially a by-the-numbers bout with Electro, the story picks up steam once the bride and groom begin to get cold feet.
MJ ponders becoming domesticated, giving up her life of parties and rich boys to become the wife of a superhero. For his part, Peter reflects on Gwen’s death and how his being Spider-Man directly contributed to it. Each situation is made worse by the fact that neither one o...
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