10 Essential Storylines To Read If You're Just Getting Into Spider-Man

9. Spider-Man No More! (Found In Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection Vol. 3)

1967's Spider-Man No More! has already had its day on the big screen, with Sam Raimi's second Spidey film having replicated John Romita Sr.'s famous panel from the book, so it stands to reason that fans are already familiar with the comic without having actually read it.

There's a reason for that though; Spider-Man No More! may just be the high point of Lee and Romita's stint on Spider-Man, with its tale of a worn down Peter walking away from his web-sling responsibilities typifying the House of Ideas' then revolutionary commitment to make vulnerability a key tenet of their storytelling. There wasn't a story quite like it when it first released, and when all's said and done, you'd struggle to find a superhero story more influential than it.

Marvel's sixties books are taylor-made for new readers, meaning that, if you are looking for a crash-course on Spidey's history, it's the perfect place to start. Add on the fact that Lee, Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby et al. where crafting amazing stories in and of themselves, and you have as good a reason as any to check out the publisher's most important years in the industry.

Marvel have made a decent effort of collecting these earlier texts in trade paperbacks, so if it sounds like your cup of tea, they're only a quick call to your comic book store away from being yours.