What's the best ongoing Spider-Man comic book series?

It's crazy to think we've had over 62 years' worth of Spider-Man comic books over the years. Some series have been simply iconic, such as Ultimate Spider-Man (2000). Others, like One More Day, are a stain in the character's history, and a few have been on both sides of history. But regardless of the number of wins or losses, there's one thing for certain: there's no stopping the wall-crawler.

Currently, Spidey fans have no shortage of series to read. Of course, we have the main continuation in the hero's history in the form of The Amazing Spider-Man (2022). Parallel to that, The Spectacular Spider-Men (2024) also takes place on Earth-616, but it features a completely different tone and pace than the main series. Venom War (2024) has also been making headlines for all the right reasons, and Ultimate Spider-Man (2022) acts as a "What If" scenario where Peter Parker gets married (no tricks this time around) and even has kids. But as if all of that wasn't enough, we also have Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2022), Chasm: Curse of Kaine (2024), Spider-Boy (2023), and Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider (2024).

With so many series to read, the question begs to be asked: which one is the best? Of course, every single one has its strengths and disadvantages and a lot of it undoubtedly comes down to personal preference. However, here are a few series more beloved than others, and it's time to break down why.

What is the best Spider-Man comic book series?

Let's start with the most disliked candidate: The Amazing Spider-Man. Much like in One More Day, Zeb Wells created a story that undid Peter and Mary Jane's marriage. Unsurprisingly enough, the critical reception was almost identical as it was mostly hated by fans (who would've thought?). But if that wasn't enough, Peter Paker also turned evil after inheriting Norman Osborn's sins, got close to Felicia Hardy only for them to go nowhere, and basically became a "punching bag" without any major redeeming storylines along the way. Fortunately, things seem to have changed for the better now that Joe Kelly has taken over the saga, but it's still too early to say for sure. So with all of that in mind, it's easy to remove TASM from the list of candidates for best Spidey comic book series (even if that could change in the future).

Venom War (2024), on the other hand, has been a very fun time. Stakes are high, many popular Spider-Man characters are involved, and the ending will set up two highly-anticipated comic books to come in the form of All-New Venom and Eddie Brock: Carnage. However, the series has one major problem in that you need a lot of background knowledge to understand what is really going on. Readers would ideally have gone over Donny Cates' Venom (2018) which has 35 issues, The King in Black arc with 5 issues, and Al Ewing's Venom (2021) which has 39 issues and counting. Even then, some parts of the story may be a bit confusing given the time-traveling aspect of the story. So even if Venom War is definitely a great pick, it is not beginner-friendly at all.

The Spectacular Spider-Men is also a very fun and light-hearted series that gives readers a much-needed breather from the events of TASM. Miles and Peter team up to fight bad guys in what are, without exaggeration, some of the best action sequences out of every Spider-Man comic out there. Besides, some heart-touching moments involve Peter and Miles joining a group therapy session and helping survivors cope with their traumatic events. Granted, the clone storyline so far may not be anything too exciting, but it is solid nonetheless. The Spectacular Spider-Men is definitely a must-read, but it falls short of another incredible ongoing series.

Ultimate Spider-Man is what fans need right now

Was there any doubt? Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) is the clear winner for the best Spider-Man comic series by a long margin. The only real complaint one could have about USM is its shortage of action sequences. But what it lacks in explosive moments it compensates with a heartfelt family story. In a time where Peter and M.J.'s marriage usually means nothing, it's nice to see them be a happy couple for once. Peter's wife and children support his superhero adventures so much so that they came up with the "Spider-Man" name and suit color.

Aside from the plenty of heart-warming moments in USM, the series genuinely has good storytelling courtesy of Jonathan Hickman. Never did I know I needed Uncle Ben and J. Jonah Jameson to team up and uncover the secrets behind a great conspiracy in New York, but here we are. Besides, let's not forget the amazing art of Marco Checchetto which easily elevates the saga to a whole new level. And the best part? You don't need to read any other comic book to understand what is going on. Granted, this is Marvel we're talking about, so there's a greater overarching story in store with major players such as The Maker having a protagonistic role. But even then, USM does a great job of getting you up to date with everything you need to know beforehand.

Granted, the series is not without its problems. I think issue #7 has been the weakest link so far, and even if the fights are really cool, they are also very scarce. So if we were to go by based on action and nothing more, then Venom War (2024) and The Spectacular Spider-Men (2024) do a much better job without a doubt. But in every other aspect, USM is the clear winner (at least for us).

What's your favorite Spider-Man comic book series? Let us know on our social media pages! And stick around with Whatever A Spider Can for everything Spider-Man-related.