10. Amazing Fantasy #15
Marvel ComicsThis is where it all began, and it's actually kinda surprising how many of the core elements that make up the story and character of Peter Parker are there from the very start. Usually going back and reading the very first appearances of superheroes is a bit of drag, because they haven't quite nailed down the concept properly yet, or the costume's a bit crummy, or just the cheesiness inherent in a story written and drawn over forty years ago gets a bit overwhelming. We're not saying that Amazing Fantasy #15 isn't dated at all, just that it's not as bad as some, and still enjoyable in a goofy sort of way. Not totally goofy, actually. After all, it's still got the tragic backstory that leads the new masked vigilante to adopt the mantra of "with great power comes great responsibility". You're probably aware of the basics of Spidey's origin story, having seen it at least twice on the big screen at this point, but it's fun to see how close those adaptations have hewn to the source material. You also get that, the basics of Peter's character and his family life, plus the gunning down of Uncle Ben all in something like fifteen pages, which takes significantly less time to get through than a 90+ minute movie. And this doesn't involve Tobey Maguire, which is a definite plus in our eyes.
Where to read it: It's been republished so many times it's hard to count, but the first volume of Essential Spider-Man has that and the first twenty issues of Amazing Spider-Man, if you want a more extended history lesson