The Best Spider-Man Comics In The Past 5 Years

Everybody loves the classics, but Marvel’s modern-day writers and artists have gone to great lengths to deliver fantastic Spider-Man stories over the past five years. From conclusions and introductions to Amazing Spider-Man volumes to new, ongoing series starring both Peter Parker and Miles Morales, current Marvel readers are swimming in great, modern Spider-Man content.

Miniseries like Ben Reilly: Spider-Man and Symbiote Spider-Man explore past periods in Spidey’s history, expanding the lore, while many readers praise Jonathan Hickman’s new Ultimate Spider-Man, promising more amazing Spider-Man comics for the foreseeable future. Fill your web-shooters… it’s a good time to be a Spidey fan.

10 Kraven Returns For Another Spider-Man Hunt

Spider-Man: The Lost Hunt #1-5 by J.M. DeMatteis, Eder Messias, Belardino Brabo, Neeraj Menon & Cris Peter

J.M. DeMatteis has written comics for decades, crafting Spider-Man stories that many readers know well, including the Clone Saga and “Kraven’s Last Hunt.” The former, thanks to Kraven’s brutality and the shocking conclusion, is considered one of the darkest Spider-Man comics, catapulting Kraven up the villain tier list.

Years later, DeMatteis returned to both Spider-Man and Kraven for The Lost Hunt, a miniseries that explored the time Peter and MJ went to Portland. The series filled some gaps in Spider-Man’s lore by expanding Kraven’s own.

9 Alternate Versions Of Miles Morales Assemble!

What If…? Miles Morales #1-5

Marvel readers know alternate versions of Peter Parker well, but the What If…? Miles Morales miniseries allowed writers and artists to present wild, fun variants of the other Spider-Man. Each issue presented a Miles Morales variant from another universe, placing Miles in the roles of Wolverine, Captain America, Thor and even the Hulk.

All the Miles variants came together in the fifth and final issue to defeat a version of the Prowler who threatened the multiverse. Spider-Verse stories are always fun, and What If…? Miles Morales capitalized on the excitement surrounding Across the Spider-Verse.

8 Nick Spencer Closes His Amazing Spider-Man Run

Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 5) #74 by Nick Spencer, Christos N. Gage, Marcelo Ferreira, Mark Bagley, Ze Carlos, Dio Neves, Carlos Gomez, Ivan Fiorelli, Humberto Ramos & many more

Nick Spencer crafted a mystery involving Mephisto, Harry Osborn, Norman Osborn’s apparent deal with the devil, and new villain Kindred. Some found the resolution anticlimactic, while others believe it was not the original ending Spencer intended. Regardless, Amazing Spider-Man #74 was giant-sized, epic, and full of great art.

Above all, Spencer left the ASM series with many open doors. Norman Osborn was a “good guy,” absolved of his sins, while Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson looked to rekindle their relationship, something fans have wanted to see for many years.

7 John Romita Jr. Returns To Amazing Spider-Man

Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 6) #1 by Zeb Wells, John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna & Marcio Menyz

The first issue of Amazing Spider-Man‘s sixth volume is memorable for many reasons. Taken as a single issue––the start of a brand-new era––ASM (Vol. 6) #1 is fantastic. John Romita Jr. is back as the lead artist and the book looks beautiful.

The issue fast-forwards six months into the future after what seems to be a cataclysmic event. Peter Parker rebuilds bridges with Aunt May and the Human Torch that he apparently burned in the time since. And Mary Jane has kids with another man? The effectiveness of these mysteries and their resolutions is subjective to the reader. As far as first issues go, Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 6) #1 achieved everything a debut story could hope for.

6 The Lost Adventures Of Symbiote Spider-Man

Symbiote Spider-Man #1-5 by Peter David, Greg Land, Jay Leisten & Frank D’Armata

Many Spider-Man comics in the past five years actually take place far earlier in the Marvel timeline. While miniseries like Ben Reilly: Spider-Man deepened Ben’s time as the Sensational Spider-Man, the first Symbiote Spider-Man miniseries told a never-before-seen story involving Peter Parker and his earliest experiences with the symbiote––long before he knew it was an alien.

Symbiote Spider-Man is exciting and reads almost like a horror comic, with the symbiote “body-snatching” Spider-Man. The subsequent Symbiote Spider-Man miniseries, Alien Reality, Crossroads, and King in Black similarly add new stories to the Amazing Spider-Man era.

5 Travel The Spider-Verse Again

Edge of Spider-Verse (Vol. 2) #1-5

After the massive success of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Marvel leaned heavily into the Spider-Verse. Suddenly, the concept of Spider-Men and Spider-Women from across the multiverse appeared more frequently. Edge of Spider-Verse is the perfect home for these “what if” tales, allowing creators to introduce wild versions of the Wall-Crawler that wouldn’t work in Marvel’s 616 universe.

The second volume of Edge of Spider-Verse particularly debuted incredible new variants, including Night-Spider, a Black Cat who became the Spider-Woman of her world. The series also brought familiar faces like Spider-Man Noir back to the action to capitalize on his big-screen success.

4 More Sensational Spider-Man Stories

Ben Reilly: Spider-Man #1-5 by J.M. DeMatteis, David Baldeón & Israel Silva

Marvel Comics didn’t know what to do with Ben Reilly for many years. The former Spider-Man resurfaced as a new Jackal during the Clone Conspiracy arc and even returned to his Scarlet Spider mantle, albeit as an antihero. Then, fans were justifiably upset at Ben’s treatment following the “Beyond” arc, becoming a strange villain called Chasm.

The Ben Reilly: Spider-Man miniseries was a retrospective breath of fresh air. It took place during the era when Ben filled Peter’s shoes as the Sensational Spider-Man. Even though it has no bearing on present-day comics, it was very nice to see Ben Reilly at his best again.

3 Peter Parker & Miles Morales Finally Team Up

The Spectacular Spider-Men #1 by Greg Weisman, Humberto Ramos, Victor Olazaba & Edgar Delgado

Finally, Peter Parker and Miles Morales share the titular role of their own comic series. The Spectacular Spider-Men isn’t a miniseries like the two Spider-Men titles that came before, but a full ongoing comic. The first issue of Spectacular Spider-Men promises great things to come, but it proves why Peter and Miles are such a great team.

Miles and Peter meet each other’s supporting cast while developing a shared world. Their banter while fighting as Spider-Men and their shared encounters in the coffee shop create one spectacular first step in what will surely be an amazing Spider-Man comic journey.

Spider-Man: Life Story #1-6 by Chip Zdarsky, Mark Bagley, John Dell & Frank D’Armata

Spider-Man: Life Story, in many ways, achieved more in six issues than the Amazing Spider-Man comic series achieved in over 60 years of publication. Peter Parker could actually grow up, thanks to the lack of a sliding timescale. In Life Story, Spider-Man graduated from college, married Mary Jane, had kids, participated in last hunts and civil wars and died a hero.

Life Story is the perfect comic for any Spider-Man fan tired of Marvel’s sliding timescale that often stunts character growth. It’s hard for 616 Peter to change when Marvel keeps resetting the status quo. Spider-Man: Life Story isn’t held by such chains.

1 A New Peter Parker For A New Ultimate Universe

Ultimate Spider-Man (Vol. 3) #1 by Jonathan Hickman, Marco Checchetto & Matthew Wilson

While the mainline Amazing Spider-Man comic series continues to divide fans, as it seems to do with each new volume, Jonathan Hickman, Marco Checchetto and Matthew Wilson have crafted something truly fresh and invigorating with the newest volume of Ultimate Spider-Man.

In a new Ultimate Universe where the timeline has shifted, Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man as an adult with a family. Ultimate Spider-Man‘s writing, art, humor and action are all breaths of fresh air, promising a new take on the classic Spider-Man mythos, with a living Uncle Ben, two new Spider-Man children, a new Green Goblin and a brand-new era that awaits.