Spider-Man has still been going strong since his first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15 in 1962. Those early stories are still canon within the main Spider-Man titles, excluding other universes, such as Ultimate Spider-Man. While Peter Parker has appeared in most issues published since then, other characters have seen their own character development spread out through all those years within a much more restrained set of issues.
Our lists of essential Spider-Man issues, based off of our popular Spider-Man Reading Order, highlight these characters or moments and selects the most important ones. This makes it easier for you to read the source material associated to these subjects by removing the fluff, keeping just the essential Spider-Man issues you need to read. This is not to be confused with the line of reprints titled Essential Spider-Man
Essential Spider-Man issues are featured regularly on our blog. This handy list keeps tabs on all of the lists we published, for a quick, easy reference. Now, onto the lists!
Essential Spider-Man Lists
Essential Spider-Man : Best Overall
Best Spider-Man Stories of All Time
Essential Spider-Man comics outside of the core titles
Indispensable Spider-Man Essential Issues Master List
For individual parts of this list by era with comments:
Spider-Man Essential Issues from 1963-1966 – Part 1
Spider-Man Essential Issues from 1966-1971 – Part 2
Spider-Man Essential Issues from 1971-1975 – Part 3
Spider-Man Essential Issues from 1975-1979 – Part 4
Spider-Man Essential Issues from 1979-1982 – Part 5
Spider-Man Essential Issues from 1982-1984 – Part 6
Spider-Man Essential Issues from 1984-1987 – Part 7
Spider-Man Essential Issues from 1987-1988 – Part 8
Spider-Man Essential Issues from 1988-1991 – Part 9
Spider-Man Essential Issues from 1991-1994 – Part 10
Spider-Man Essential Issues from 1994-1995 – Part 11
Spider-Man Essential Issues from 1995-1996 – Part 12
Spider-Man Essential Issues from 1996-1998 – Part 13
Essential Spider-Man : List of Spider-Man Villains in Reading Order
The Lizard Essentials Reading Order
Doctor Octopus Essentials Reading Order
Green Goblin Essentials Reading Order
Hobgoblin Essentials Reading Order
Essential Spider-Man : Supporting Cast and Spider-Man girlfriends in Reading Order
Mary Jane Watson Essentials Reading Order
Gwen Stacy Essentials Reading Order
Black Cat Essentials Reading Order
Essential Spider-Man : Events
List of comics of Spider-Man being Unmasked
List of comics of when Spider-Man quits
List of comics of Mary Jane Watson in battles
Essential Spider-Man Artists
Todd McFarlane Essential Issues (Essential Spider-Man and others)