10 Spider-Man Graphic Novels You Must Read Before You Die

If you're looking for a standard punch bad guys in the face while wisecracking like Groucho Marx tale, then move along, nothing to see here. On the other hand, if you're looking for a heart-wrenching story of lost love, then 'Spider-Man: Blue' is right up your street.

Every Valentine's Day, Peter Parker returns to the scene of Gwen Stacy's death to leave a single rose, and this year is no different. Returning home and feeling down he picks up a tape recorder and recounts the events surrounding their time together; he remembers how it took Gwen to make the first move before they became an item and how Mary Jane was always somewhere in the background, as well as the many battles he had as Spider-Man that would eventually lead up to that fateful night she became a victim of the Green Goblin's hatred.

Jeph Loeb weaves a masterful tale, showing Peter at his lowest ebb as he still pines for Gwen. A story like this could easily get bogged down in schmaltz and the fact that it never once does is a testament to Loeb's ability as an author.