10 Best Spider-Man Comics Of The 21st Century (So Far)

Spider-Man has been a popular character since his debut in Marvel Comics in 1962, when he was created as a teenager gaining powers from a radioactive spider. Over the decades, fans have followed his life – from high school and college to his time as an Avenger, experiencing both triumphs and setbacks. The 21st century brought significant changes to Spider-Man’s story, including a particularly controversial storyline called One More Day, which many consider a low point. Despite this, the comics that followed offered some truly excellent storytelling.

Here’s a ranked list of the best Spider-Man stories from the 21st century, covering everything from his supposed death to his quest for revenge against iconic foes.

10) Back in Black

Many fans disliked the “One More Day” storyline, and Spider-Man was portrayed poorly during the “Civil War” event. However, a truly great Spider-Man story from the 21st century happened between these two arcs: “Back in Black.” It began after Aunt May was tragically killed by an assassin working for Kingpin.

After publicly disagreeing with Iron Man, Spider-Man became a wanted man and switched back to his black suit. He then aggressively fought his way through Kingpin’s entire operation, taking down everyone in his path. These battles were particularly intense because Spider-Man unleashed his full power, showing no restraint. He eventually confronted Kingpin in prison, unmasked himself, and delivered a brutal beating, even pointing out how easily he could have killed him, before ultimately deciding to spare him. It was a powerful and impressive display of Spider-Man’s strength.

9) Spider-Island

The ‘Spider-Island’ storyline was a surprisingly successful and incredibly enjoyable Marvel Comics event. It featured the return of the Jackal, whose experiments transformed the entire population of Manhattan – even other superheroes – into spider-powered beings.

Now that everyone in town can use spider-like powers, being special feels impossible, and this affects how people choose to use them. The whole idea was lighthearted and enjoyable, proving that comics don’t need to tackle heavy topics to be truly great.

8) Spider-Verse

The Spider-Verse storyline was a huge, enjoyable event for Marvel Comics, bringing together all of its Spider-Man characters in one epic battle. It started in The Amazing Spider-Man #9 in 2014 and included nearly every Spider-Man and alternate version created over the past 50 years, since the first appearance of Peter Parker with superpowers.

This storyline brought the heroes into a fierce battle against incredibly powerful enemies, led by the villain Morlun and known as the Inheritors. While there have been other Spider-Verse stories, this original one truly stood out, showcasing the unique strength and teamwork of the Spider-Family.

7) Coming Home

J. Michael Straczynski wrote some compelling Spider-Man stories before the controversial One More Day storyline. One notable arc was Coming Home, which introduced Ezekiel Sims, an older man with spider-like abilities. Ezekiel understands the true source of Spider-Man’s powers and plays a key role in the story.

As a huge Spider-Man fan, this storyline is a total game-changer. It’s where we first meet Morlun, and honestly, their initial showdown is still the best fight they ever had. But it’s more than just a great battle. This is where the idea of the ‘spider-totem’ came in – this whole concept that connects Spider-Man to all these other spider-powered characters across the multiverse. It seriously revamped everything we thought we knew about Spidey and remains one of the most fascinating additions to his story in recent years.

6) Brand New Day

Most fans disliked One More Day because it ended Peter and Mary Jane’s marriage and had Peter make a questionable deal with the devil, Mephisto. Despite the negative reaction, it paved the way for Brand New Day, a surprisingly successful fresh start for the character.

Fans were upset when Peter and Mary Jane broke up, and that made it hard for readers to accept any new love interests. However, the story that followed was actually well-written, and Dan Slott showed he could handle the series after its controversial restart. While One More Day was poorly received, Brand New Day wasn’t the cause of the problem—it was an attempt to fix things.

5. No One Dies

“No One Dies” is often considered a standout Spider-Man story written by Dan Slott, especially because it wasn’t tied to a large, overarching event. The story begins immediately after J. Jonah Jameson’s wife, Marla, passes away, and Peter Parker feels immense guilt for being unable to save her. This leads Spider-Man to make a promise he knows he won’t be able to fulfill.

Spider-Man is determined to prevent any more deaths under his protection. Having already lost people close to him – including Gwen Stacy, Jean DeWolffe, George Stacy, and Harry Osborn – he’s faced immense tragedy. This recent event felt like the peak of all that pain, and writer Dan Slott crafted a deeply personal story that stands out as one of the best in the comic’s history.

4) Death of Spider-Man

The story The Death of Spider-Man is part of the Ultimate Marvel Comics series, which reimagined classic characters like Peter Parker as teenagers for a modern audience. A key feature of the Ultimate line was its willingness to permanently kill off characters, making this storyline particularly impactful. During a battle between The Ultimates and New Avengers, Spider-Man sacrificed himself to save Captain America from a gunshot fired by the Punisher, resulting in a deeply emotional moment for readers.

Spider-Man faced off against the Ultimate Goblin to protect Aunt May and his friends, ultimately winning the battle but sacrificing his own life. The scene was incredibly moving, with Mary Jane comforting him as he died and Spider-Man reflecting on his inability to save Uncle Ben despite saving Aunt May. The subsequent interaction between Aunt May and Captain America was particularly powerful, and this storyline beautifully set the stage for the emergence of Miles Morales as a new hero.

3) Last Remains

Although opinions varied, the Spider-Man story arc Last Remains was a complex and well-crafted tale. It introduced a new villain, Kindred, who had extensive knowledge of Spider-Man’s history and assembled a large team of other villains to execute a grand scheme. This included using Sin-Eater to eliminate numerous villains, surprisingly turning Norman Osborn into a heroic figure. The story culminated in the Sinister War, gathering nearly every villain who had ever been part of the Sinister Six.

Kindred impersonated Harry Osborn, causing major problems for Spider-Man, and quickly drew in a lot of powerful villains, including the Kingpin and the Spot. The story even brought Mysterio back to life! While the reveal of Kindred’s true identity wasn’t a huge surprise, the journey to get there was fantastic, and showed writer Nick Spencer at his best.

2) Spider-Man: Life Story

The comic series Spider-Man: Life Story imagined what would happen if Marvel heroes aged realistically, matching the timeline of their comic book appearances. In this version, Peter Parker gained his powers as a teen in the 1960s and lived through the decades accordingly – he was in his twenties during the 1970s, thirties in the 1980s (around the time of Secret Wars), and in his fifties during the events of Civil War in the 2000s.

This comic complemented Fantastic Four: Life Story nicely. It was enjoyable to see Spider-Man’s life and the Marvel Universe unfold from a new angle, especially as Spider-Man aged into his 70s and the story came to a satisfying conclusion. It’s a well-written, emotional tale and stands out as one of the best comics of the 21st century.

1) Superior Spider-Man

The most acclaimed Spider-Man comic of the 2000s surprisingly focused on Doctor Octopus, not Peter Parker. Facing a terminal cancer diagnosis, Doc Ock fought Spider-Man and then shockingly swapped bodies with him, transferring his mind into Peter’s before dying. This resulted in the birth of the ‘Superior Spider-Man,’ with Doc Ock now in control of Spider-Man’s powers and body.

The series featured Doctor Octopus taking over Spider-Man’s body and attempting to become a hero. While he used his intelligence for good, his methods were much more aggressive and his ego remained strong, causing conflict with Spider-Man’s friends. Meanwhile, Peter Parker’s mind wasn’t completely gone and he subtly influenced Ock to be more heroic. Ultimately, Peter regained control of his body, and Ock received a new cloned body, but the story arc, Superior Spider-Man, stands out as exceptional storytelling for the 21st century.

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2025-11-26 20:43