Spidey!

[DavidXBrunt]

Off hand there are 7 or 8 JMS books available. Of the ones I've read there's nothing particularly unsuitable for kids, but I don't think there'd be much appeal either. JMS is writing for his audience, i.e. mostly adults and writing about an adult Peter Parker. There are whole issues without any action scenes and lots of talk which whilst great might not appeal to kids. The first is 'Coming Home' but I can't remember what the others are.

The Essential Spiderman is much more kid friendly, the stories are all told in more or less selfcontained 22 page chunks, there's a big villain in each issue, lots of fights and broader humour. It's aimed at kids after all. I think older readers will appreciate the talent of the creators and get a lot of fun out of them but these are simpler comics from a simpler time.

Plenty of on-line, free, Spidey comics and catalogues of what's available over at the official Marvel web-site.

Link: Excelsior, true believers!

[VampiraJen]

that link doesn't work.

[Conexus]

This is the link

Link: http://www.marvel.com/dotcomics/" target="_blank">Marveldotcomics

[Oddboy]

but be warned, the ending of volume 1 will probably leave you very, very keen to get onto volume 2.


O how true! I was given 'Coming Home' by a friend who had been given it but didn't want it.
This was my first ever Marvel comic, and yes I *had* to get the 2nd book - but I thought the second book was pretty disappointing personally. Might get #3 to see if it gets better again.
However - Be warned - the collection contains the AWFUL 9/11 "The Firemen are the *REAL* superheroes" episode. (and due to bad publishing, this episode is printed in both my volume 1 & volume 2 books!! (Gah!)

[JamieB]

Start with the first ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN collection, and work your way through 'em from there. It's all pretty good stuff, and saves you the horror of Lee's clunky-ass 70's dialogue / the Clone saga / all that dreadful Venom spin-off crap / Rocket Racer.

J-Bo-1

[VampiraJen]

yes, that 9/11 one.....couldn't decide whether it was increadibly moving or increadibly shit.  probably the latter.  rambling on about how we must all stand tall, and united, and not respond in the same way as the 'bad guys' did.  the art was fantastic though.

[Tom F]

Oddboy, that's because you got the UK edition of volume one, and the US edition of volume two.

The UK edition puts the 11/9/01 story in with the first arc. the US edition splits the second arc into two books and sticks the terror story in with the first bit.

The UK edition sticks the second and third arcs together in the same book, no terror story. personally I think it reads better that way. although I don't think they should have stuck the terror story in there; it interrupts the flow and it's just going to date the volume as the years wear on.

[Oddboy]

Figured it'd be something like that Tom - they're certainly in different 'styles' from the covers.

[Tom F]

And the paper stock, price point, publisher etc :)

[Mr C]

The 9/11 issue does have Dr Doom crying over the loss of innocent lives.
Slightly hypocritical IMO.

Anyway, grab the essentails, have a look at the Ultimate run (although it's not to my taste)
The JMS volumes are great, but then I'm a spidey fan and as has been mentioned, JMS is aiming directly for the fans. But, it is the best Spidey's been for a looong time.

[Dan Kelly]

There's also "The Death of Captain Stacy" Lee/Romita Sr. reprint doing the rounds at the moment that would be a good lead in to Spidey 2.

Although is slightly further down the line than the movie goes AIUI...

Dan

[DavidXBrunt]

Oh, that reminds me - there are a couple of volumes tying into the movies, which have an adaptation of a film and other Spidey comics under the snazzy cover. There are also 'Best of' books which are oversized editions with hardbacks.