Comics: Current Title Summary

Well, here's a quick summary to the current Spider-Man titles. You can find a complete listing and detailed reviews in the Comics Index.

Spider-Man Core Titles

• Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1): Amazing Spider-Man is the original Spider-Man title, launched in 1963 under Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, and it's still going strong. From January 1999 to December 2003 it was renumbered Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 2), which is why there are no issues #442-499 listed here. Obviously, there's been a few creative changes since Stan and Steve's day. Currently, this title is published three times per month and has four different teams of writers and artists working on alternating story arcs. It is the core title set in the mainstream Marvel Universe, and an absolute must for even the casual Spidey fan.
  Staff May Edit Title Info

• New Avengers: Spider-Man is a founding member of the New Avengers created by Brian Michael Bendis. Spider-Man is a major character in most issues so far, and a significant part of Spider-Man's continuity occurs in this title, and hence it must be considered a core title. The early issues are expensive these days, if you didn't grab them at the time then you might want to consider a TPB.

  The first issues had a retailer incentive Variant cover, which is normally very hard to find and quite expensive. You might want to stick with the regular covers unless your comics budget is particularly generous.
  Staff May Edit Title Info

• Spider-Man Family (Vol. 2): Based on the success of the Spider-Man Family series of one-shots, this on- going Spider-Man Family title has been created. The book contains both new and reprint material, as well as Mini-Marvel one-page shorts (that have appeared in other Marvel titles) scattered throughout the issue.
  Staff May Edit Title Info

Spider-Man Limited Series & One Shots

• Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four: A four-issue mini-series teaming up the stars of Marvel's 2007 summer movies.
  Staff May Edit Title Info

• Spider-Man: With Great Power: This limited series tells the story of what happened to Peter Parker during the short period of time from when he was bitten by the radioactive Spider and when Uncle Ben was shot. Thus, the entirety of this series occurs between Amazing Fantasy #15 page 6, panel 7 (the end of Part 1) and ASM #15 pg. 7 pan. 1 (the start of Part 2).
  Staff May Edit Title Info

Spider-Man Marvel Adventures Universe

• Marvel Adventures Spider-Man: This is another retelling of Spider-Man, aimed at re-capturing the younger market. While the regular continuity titles are pitched at the long-term faithful, and Ultimate Spider-Man appeals to savvy teenagers, Marvel Adventures Spider-Man is shamelessly looking to sell to the pre-teen market.

  Perhaps the most unusual thing about this title is that it follows so closely on the heels of another very similar book - Marvel Age: Spider-Man which ran to 20 issues of reworking Spider-Man's early day. For no apparent reason, Marvel canned that book and immediately replaced it with this title which started right back at the beginning once more. Maybe that's the plan, just keep re-telling the first 20 Spidey stories in different ways.
  Staff May Edit Title Info

Spider-Man MC2 Universe

• Amazing Spider-Girl: Like its predecessor, Spider-Girl The Amazing Spider-Girl is set in the MC2 Universe, a "What If" world where the daughter of Peter and Mary Jane Parker did not die (as told in Amazing Spider-Man), but instead survived to become a hero.

  This book follows immediately on the heels of the cancellation (after 100 issues) of Spider-Girl.
  Staff May Edit Title Info

Spider-Man Ultimate Universe

• Ultimate Spider-Man: Ultimate Spider-Man is a rather unusual beast - a successful re-telling of Spider-Man. Most similar efforts to "reboot" Spidey have failed spectacularly. Chapter One, anybody? However, due undoubtedly to the consistency and strength of the creative team, this book has lasted well beyond most expectations. Set in its own "Ultimate" Universe, and matched by other "Ultimate" books (iterations of the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and the Avengers as well as various mini-series), this version of Spidey has gathered enough popular support to survive as long as writer Bendis is prepared to keep working on it.

  The "Ultimate" Spider-Man has Peter Parker still in high school, and has Mary Jane as the main love interest, though other paramours appear. The writing is fresh and modern, but without the embarrassing self-consciousness and pandering that ruins other "new Marvel" titles. The early issues are ridiculously expensive, however this book has been reprinted more times than probably any other comic book since Amazing Fantasy #15, so getting hold of a decently priced reading copy won't be any problem. If you haven't read Ultimate Spider-Man, we recommend you give it a look some time.

  Recently, long-time penciler Mark Bagley left and was replaced full time by Stuart Immonen starting with issue #112.
  Staff May Edit Title Info

• Ultimate Spider-Man One Shots: Ultimate Spider-Man doesn't get a lot of one-shots, but when they do happen, here's the place we put them.
  Staff May Edit Title Info

Spider-Man Other Universes

• New Avengers Transformers: Spider-Man! Captain America! Luke Cage! Wolverine! It's the New Avengers against the highly merchandised might of Hasbro's Transformers! In a not-so- subtle tie-in to Michael Bay's Transformers movie (at cinemas Summer 2007!), we are treated to a four issue limited series of battling robot action and superhero tomfoolery. What more do you need to know?
  Staff May Edit Title Info

• Spectacular Spider-Man (UK Magazine): While sharing the same name as the long-running main continuity title, this Spectacular Spider-Man is in fact a Kids Magazine produced in the UK once every three weeks. Aimed at the pre-teen market, each issue features an 11-page Spidey story, plus a centrefold wall poster, puzzles, games, villain profiles and all sorts of other goodies. As an extra incentive, each issue also ships with a plastic Spider-Man toy or giveaway cellotaped to the front cover. The "Spider-Man" of these stories is a generic cartoon version, essentially based on the popular 90's TV cartoon. You probably won't find this in the U.S., but for UK collectors it's a nice little bonus.
  Staff May Edit Title Info

• Spider-Man & Friends (UK Magazine): This UK kids Magazine is produced by Panini, and it's a companion to the Spectacular Spider-Man (UK Magazine) produced by the same guys.

  The new "Spider-Man & Friends" range is based around Spider-Man, his cousin Spider-Girl, plus Hulk and Wolverine, though there's plenty of guest appearances. You should be able to find plenty of Spider-Man & Friends toys still in the shops, the style is a western/manga cross, and the target group is the 3-9 year old market.

  Published every four or five weeks, this UK magazine features a toy taped to the front of each issue. Inside you'll find a four page Spidey & Friends story with three panels per page, captions of 8-20 words per panel. Then there's some nice simple kids puzzles, some coloring, a couple of competitions, and a page or two of Spidey merchandise. Essentially, it's the same format as the older kids magazine, just with a much younger target market.
  Staff May Edit Title Info

• Spider-Man/Power Pack: Spider-Man, one of Marvel's "oldest" heroes teams with Power Pack, a team of Marvel's "youngest" heroes in a four-issue mini-series. Let the fun ensue!
  Staff May Edit Title Info

Spider-Man Books

• Spider-Man Color/Activity Books (HarperCollins): HarperCollins produced a series of movie tie-in coloring and activity books to cash in on the Spider-Man 3 film hype.
  Staff May Edit Title Info

Spider-Man Sponsored

• Target Presents: Reading to the Rescue: This series is one of the pro-social comics sets that Marvel regularly produces. Sponsored by Target, this series deals with reading and literacy. Target has also sponsored two other comics. NCPCA - Spider-Man on Bullying Prevention with Prevent Child Abuse America, and one with St. Jude's Hospital Target/St. Jude's Hospital: America's Super Heroes.
  Staff May Edit Title Info