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

4. Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt

Spider-Man Kraven's Last Hunt
Marvel Comics

Kraven's Last Hunt is one of the most atmospheric Spidey comics out there, and with it being a self-contained story, it lacks the baggage most other comics all inevitably carry.

A strong contender for being the best Spidey comic ever, J. M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck's tale of Kraven's victory over Spider-Man is one of the medium's greatest, and a fine example of the kind of story that was published when Spidey and the black suit were pretty much inseparable.

Centred around Kraven as he sets out to defeat the wall-crawler once and for all, DeMatteis' story lies towards the darker Spidey books, albeit for a justifiable reason. It stands today as one of the most atmospheric comics of all time and, while it might not seem like a traditional Spidey book, there's a reason why it's so revered.

It'll certainly change your perception of Kraven, with DeMatteis electing to depict the hunter in more sympathetic terms than when he was originally introduced. He might just be the best Spidey villain ever, but if you're not quite sold on that, then Kraven's Last Hunt will surely convince you otherwise.

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WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well. In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.