Each of the following comics is considered among the best of Spider-Man comics to date. Again, that’s a lot of time to cover; especially when the first two-thirds were created during a time when Marvel kept the Spider-Man creative team exclusive to its inner circle, which was predominantly white men. Fortunately, we are now seeing more diversity in the creative teams, encouraged by the diversity in characters as well. Want to know more about Spider-Man’s villains across the years? Check out our complete list of the Best Spider-Man Villains Across the Multiverse here. We can also help you untangle the web of Spider-Man movies here. Honourable mention to Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #6 (2019) by Tom Taylor and art by Juann Cabal. They took a similar approach in the comic, with Spider-Man connecting and inspiring a young fan again. Well presented and an affectionate call-back to the 1984 issue. The difference is the manga style and its slightly darker tone compared with the original Spider-Man’s lighter days. I know devout fans hold the Venom stories as the greatest exploration of Spider-Man’s dark side. But something about that absolute hopeless despair is captured so deeply within the manga comics. Take a look at this cover: Yu’s eyes are so haunted and tormented. That’s the thing about Spider-Man. So many people think it is about the quick repartee and comebacks. But cast your mind back to movies. NONE OF THEM ever have a truly happy ending. It’s almost like Spider-Man is not allowed to have happy endings. Only the best Spider-Man comics are brave enough to admit that. Rumour is we might see Supaidāman in the upcoming Into the Spider-Verse 2, but we will have to wait until June 2023 to see. Shout out to Humberto Ramos, who was the primary artist for earlier issues in Superior Spider-Man, especially for the “Superior Venom” in issue #15. Ramos was able to draw Spider-Man as Spider-Man while balancing it with a cartoonish touch of SpideyOck. “Superior Venom” was his first work giving us fluidity and a sense of danger that oozed off the page. “Goblin Nation” is my fave out of the series, but it is worth reading the entire catalogue just to appreciate Ramos’ contribution to Spidey’s portfolio. Marko Flint/Sandman is facing his own mortality, and a life wasted fighting his nemesis, Spider-Man. He is presented as a broken man, desperately trying to pull himself together. When Spidey learns from J. Jonah Jameson that Flint is in hospital for his final moments, Peter chooses to take Flint to his favourite place in the city and simply let go. The dialogue between Jameson and Peter afterwards calls to the very heart of Spider-Man’s responsibility: constantly on heightened awareness to make the right choice. It’s exhausting enough with everyday decisions, but Spidey shows the extensive weight that sits on superheroes. Spider-Man has always been one of the key players in Marvel’s hip pocket. Since his debut, Spider-Man remains in the top three coveted contracts for any creator on the team. With the wide variety built into the Spider-verse, it would be great to see more opportunities come available — though, they can only shine when they are given some decent storylines to work with. Please, no more Clones and never ever EVER revisit “One More Day.” Ever.
