Spider-Man PS4: 10 Comic Storylines Insomniac Must Use

You'll struggle to find a character with as much baggage as your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man. He is, after all, Marvel's most prominent and indeed popular hero. Over the years, the character has been subjected to dozens of films, animated shows, comics and, of course, video games. That brings with it a wealth of expectation for any new arrival to the array of wall-crawling literature, but it's not all bad; at least there's a lot to draw inspiration from.

The latest addition to the web-slinger's nigh-gargantuan library of cross-medium exploits is Insomniac's untitled PS4 Spider-Man game (rolls right off the tongue, doesn't it?), which, apart from being a masterstroke in terms of exclusivity and console partisanship, is already shaping up to be something truly special indeed. It's not a movie tie-in. It's not half-assed. And it most definitely isn't falling into the same pitfalls of licensed games gone by. Rather, Insomniac are looking towards DC and the Arkham games in particular, creating their own universe for their version of the wall-crawler to reside in - unburdened by editorial oversight and convoluted continuity restraints.

Quite simply, the studio look to be doing to Spidey what Rocksteady did for Batman. And who can blame them? It's not as if poor ol' Peter's been experiencing an easy ride as of late. Though some will chalk that up to a transcendental level of 'Parker's luck', it's pretty sucky that we've not had a halfway decent Spider-Man game for sometime now.

What better way to ensure the character's success than by looking towards his source material though? The hero clearly has an unbelievably good level of literature to consume, and with the trailer having seemingly revealed the presence of both Norman Osborn and Mr Negative, it looks as though the comics have made an overwhelming impression already.

My personal introduction into the world of Marvel Comics, J. Michael Straczynski's run on the Amazing Spider-Man has garnered a divisive reputation in recent years. I don't really know why (all of the writer's early stuff is still some of the best Spidey has ever been), especially considering the irreconcilably bad 'One More Day' was largely caused by editorial interference. But hey-ho, I am but one voice on the internet.

One thing that is certainly not up for debate however is the absolutely trailblazing story-arc involving Aunt May discovering Peter's alter-ego. It addressed one of the biggest contrivances in the Spider-Man mythos and in-turn elevated May and Peter's relationship to a level that has never since been eclipsed. Straczynski succeeded in grounding Parker in a manner that didn't totally emotionally destroy him or appear fundamentally incongruous. It made sense, and showcased the more human elements of Parker - the elements that made the character so endearing in the first place - right at the forefront of the book.

I say this should be essential reading for Insomniac because, well, whilst I understand gameplay is paramount in a title focusing on the wall-crawler (and that not everyone is going to want to play the more mundane aspects of Pete's life), it's absolutely vital to ground the character. He's still a freelance photographer, he struggles with everyday issues and relationships; it's part of what makes Parker such an amazing character.

This isn't Batman. There is no psychological divide between Peter and his alter-ego. Address that and you won't just have a fantastic Spider-Man game, but a riveting narrative to boot.