Explore some great Marvel tales in our Spider-Man Homecoming Comics Guide!
Spider-Man is coming home to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Spider-Man: Homecoming. While the modern comic book movie began nearly twenty years ago with Blade and X-Men, it was Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy that paved the way for the MCU and proved that superhero films could be mega-blockbusters. A lot has changed in the intervening years, and now Spidey is getting a boost from Robert Downey Jr.‘s Iron Man.
RELATED: Spider-Man Origins and Evolutions
Among superheroes, there are very few characters who are as relatable as Peter Parker. Even when he’s Spider-Man, he’s got the worst luck. And as himself, Peter’s real world problems can be overwhelming. But the reason that people keep coming back is that Peter deals with his issues even if he doesn’t always conquer them. His struggles are our struggles.
Considering that there are over five decades worth of Spider-Man comics to get through, it can be a little intimidating to start reading up on Spidey if you don’t know where to start. That’s why ComingSoon.net has put together a list of the essential Spider-Man Homecoming comics, all of which deal with some aspect that relates to the film. Welcome to Spider-Man 101! And there may be a test at the end.
The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1
There are some who might argue that the original Spider-Man comics by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko are far too dated to be enjoyed by new comic book fans. We strongly disagree and suggest that the classics are always important, especially when it comes to anyone looking for Spider-Man Homecoming comics. Ditko and Lee captured lightning in a bottle with their early Spider-Man stories, as they captured Peter’s teenage angst and delivered a hero unlike any other at that point.
For Homecoming, this is also where the Vulture and the Tinkerer were introduced as two of Spidey’s earliest enemies. Almost all of the supporting cast members from Homecoming also made their debut in these stories. These comics have withstood the test of time for a reason. If you’re just starting out, we suggest Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man Volume 1 as a good place to start. But if you have $100 and room on your bookshelf, The Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus Vol. 1 has every issue from Lee and Ditko’s original run in a massive hardcover book.
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Untold Tales of Spider-Man
If you really don’t like the ‘60s setting for the Spider-Man stories then you may be wary about Untold Tales of Spider-Man. Back in the ‘90s, writer Kurt Busiek and artist Pat Olliffe were given the chance to create new stories that fit in-between issues of classic Spidey. And they did it so well that it recaptured a lot of what made Spider-Man great in the first place. This is not the easiest series to find in print, but there is an Untold Tales of Spider-Man Omnibus that collects every issue of the book.
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Spider-Man vs. The Vulture
If you’re new to comics, then you’ll soon find that Marvel rarely misses a chance to cash in on the latest superhero movies. The Vulture is probably not anyone’s favorite Spider-Man villain, but he’s got a lot of longevity in the franchise… even when Marvel has tried to introduce new Vultures to take his place. The recently-released Spider-Man vs. The Vulture trade paperback collects several of the Vulture’s most memorable fights with Spidey. That includes the time in the ‘90s when the Vulture essentially became a youth vampire and briefly turned Spider-Man into an old man. It sounds silly, but it worked for the time. And these are some of the best Vulture stories available.
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Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 1
The kids grow up so fast! In the original Marvel Universe, Peter Parker didn’t stay in high school very long because the creative team didn’t realize that they could drag out his adolescence for years and years. And let’s face it, after a couple of decades, the Peter Parker in the Spider-Man comics isn’t the same nerdy guy who starred in the earliest issues. He changed and evolved.
That’s one of the reasons that Marvel started the Ultimate Universe line. It was kind of a soft reboot/alternate universe where Peter Parker was a modern teenager and still in high school. Writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mark Bagley re-imagined almost everything about Spider-Man in their Ultimate Spider-Man series. And it worked. It worked beautifully, and the series ran so long that it built up its own complicated backstory for everyone.
The irony is that even the Ultimate Spider-Man comics are now somewhat dated. But Homecoming recaptures some of the vibe that was introduced in this series.
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Spidey
Until fairly recently, Marvel didn’t have a lot of Spider-Man in high school stories outside of Ultimate Spider-Man. That changed with the release of Spidey, a monthly series written by Robbie Thompson with art by Nick Bradshaw. André Lima Araújo, and Nate Stockman. Unlike the previously-mentioned Untold Tales of Spider-Man, Spidey had a more modern sensibility while maintaining the basics of Peter’s past. There’s even an issue in which Spider-Man and Iron Man fought the Vulture. Don’t be too shocked if that seems a little on point with the latest film.
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The Road to Civil War
Believe it or not, it’s only within the last 15 years that the comics have established a close bond between Tony Stark and Peter Parker. It grew out of their time together in Brian Bendis’ New Avengers run. But in The Road to Civil War, we got to see the adult Peter Parker come under Stark’s wing and emerge with the Iron Spider costume that put Peter’s previous outfits to shame.
Naturally, that relationship took a dive during the Civil War event series. But for a brief moment in time, Spider-Man looked up to Iron Man as someone to be respected and admired. This seems like a perfect fit for the themes of Spider-Man: Homecoming. Whether the MCU’s Tony and Peter are headed to a falling out remains to be seen.
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Ultimate Comics Spider-Man Vol. 1
This is what happened when Peter Parker died in the Ultimate Universe. Rather than a resurrection, Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli introduced Miles Morales as the new Spider-Man… and he was arguably even more relatable than Peter! Miles has since attracted a fandom of his own and he’ll be starring in the animated Spider-Man movie coming next year. You may notice that Miles’ best friend, Ganke Lee, has a lot in common with Homecoming‘s Ned Leeds. That’s probably not a coincidence.
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Amazing Spider-Man: Worldwide Vol. 1
Imagine if Peter Parker grew up to become the next Tony Stark. It’s totally plausible, and it basically happened in Dan Slott’s most recent relaunch of Amazing Spider-Man. As the head of Parker Industries, Peter even pulled the classic Tony Stark stunt of claiming Spider-Man as his bodyguard to justify his appearances around the world. This era of Spider-Man comics may be coming to an end soon, but it’s very amusing to see Spidey in a role far beyond his traditional neighborhood. Maybe someday, we’ll see this play out on film.
Which of these entries in our Spider-Man Homecoming comics guide are your favorite? Are there any you’re anxious to check out? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
