Ranking EVERY Spider-Man Centennial Comic!

With everyone’s favorite arachnid celebrating the 900th issue of his core title…

…I think now is the perfect time to rank every centennial comic that the old webhead has ever appeared in from worst to best. And I’m not just talking about the flagship Amazing Spider-Man title; I’m also including Spectacular, Web and even Ultimate in this conversation! Across the numerous titles the webbed wonder has helmed, the quality of each of these milestones has varied to say the least, so this will be interesting.

Remember, this is strictly my opinion, so if you disagree, feel free to let me know in the comments below. And away we go!

 

15.) Web of Spider-Man #100

by Terry Kavanagh & Alex Saviuk

The spider-armor suit you see on the cover is perhaps the only noteworthy thing of this entire issue…and even that is nothing to write home about as it only lasts a few pages before being destroyed entirely. The rest of the issue merely consists of Spider-Man battling a bunch of boring, unremarkable villains whose names I’m already struggling to recall. The story is nearly non-existent, the action is unexciting and it feels entirely undeserving of its centennial status (a pattern you will see a lot with the bottom entries). There just isn’t anything remarkable in this comic at all.

Come to think of it, this issue perfectly encapsulates Terry Kavanagh’s tenure on Spider-Man as a whole: boring, directionless, inconsequential and only somewhat bolstered by Alex Saviuk’s great artwork.

 

14.) Spectacular Spider-Man #300

by Chip Zdarsky, Adam Kubert & Juan Frigeri

The characterizations and action are all decent enough here, but again, the story just isn’t very memorable or interesting. First of all, the Tinkerer being the big villain for the 300th issue is an odd decision, as I highly doubt you’ll find many people who would declare him one of Spidey’s better rogues.

Second and more importantly, the Tinkerer’s scheme with the machines taking over the world is unnecessarily convoluted, yet simultaneously cliché and dull.

And while I understand that Chip Zdarsky wanted the story to feel large and epic, there are way too many characters in this issue vying for space. It almost feels like more of an Avengers comic than a Spider-Man one.

But arguably the worst part of this issue is that it’s all just set-up for the next story, even going as far to end on a cliffhanger with nothing being resolved.

I understand all too well that this is a common trope in comics, but centennial issues should not have to resort to such methods. Chip Zdarsky had plenty of hits during his tenure on Spectacular, but the 300th issue sadly wasn’t one of them.

 

13.) Amazing Spider-Man #600

by Dan Slott & John Romita Jr.

Of all the centennial and milestone issues that Spider-Man has starred in, I can safely say that this was definitely one of them. Jokes aside, this is arguably the most forgettable centennial issue of Amazing thus far. Doctor Octopus having a terminal illness due to years of blunt force trauma is interesting, but we don’t really get any payoff on this plotline until another hundred issues.

Doc Ock genuinely wanting to help humanity with his technology, only to end up unwittingly creating more chaos due to his subconscious spite for people, is a decent story direction, but again, nothing particularly noteworthy comes out of it. All this leads to a rather underwhelming “mental” battle between him and Spidey that doesn’t hold a candle to any of their past encounters.

Aside from the unmemorable Doc Ock plot, the only other noteworthy aspect of the story is Aunt May marrying Jay Jameson Sr. but does anyone really care about that?

All in all, there just really isn’t much to say about this comic. It’s nowhere near as bad as a lot of Dan Slott’s later work (particularly Worldwide), but there just isn’t anything about this that helps it standout, other than the typically great artwork from John Romita Jr. His artwork alone actually bumped it up a spot for me. That and at least the villain is Doc Ock and not the Tinkerer or…whoever those guys were in Web #100. Otherwise, “forgettable” truly is the best word to describe this effort.

 

12.) Amazing Spider-Man #100

by Stan Lee & Gil Kane

Aside from being the wall-crawler’s first ever centennial comic, the story feels rather basic and unremarkable (seeing a pattern yet?). Peter Parker concocts a formula to rid himself of his spider powers so he can have a normal life with his love Gwen Stacy, only to pass out and hallucinate immediately after ingesting it.

Said hallucinations are sadly quite cliché and uncreative, as they merely consist of brief skirmishes with Spidey’s rogues gallery that end about as quickly as they begin.

Even the banter Spidey has with his “foes” merely consist of generic taunting and don’t explore the character in any meaningful manner. George Stacy appearing in Peter’s dream to remind him that he can never, nor should he, escape his responsibilities is a solid idea, but again, its execution is very surface level and doesn’t offer any greater insight into the character. Did anyone actually think Peter was going to give up being Spider-Man for good?

And as for the so-called “shocking” ending?

…okay…? To be fair, Peter growing four extra arms is surprising, but I don’t think it quite has the punch that Stan Lee intended. This obviously wasn’t going to be permanent and it literally occurs at the tail end of the comic. Did we really have to read an entire issue of filler just to get to this ending?

Stan Lee is undoubtedly the greatest writer to have ever worked on the character and his legacy more than speaks for itself. That being said, I think it was becoming clear by this point that he was running out of steam.

 

11.) Spectacular Spider-Man #100

by Al Milgrom

At the risk of repeating myself, this is yet another basic story that doesn’t feel worthy of its centennial status (anyone else getting deja vu?). Thankfully, there is at least some fun to be had with this comic, particularly with the Spot.

The character is more or less a total joke, but that’s part of his charm. And despite his laughable design, the Spot does at least offer up an amusing fight scene.

Speaking of fight scenes, Spidey actually gets a pretty good one with the Kingpin.

But as those bottom three panels may indicate, the biggest failing with this story is something that Al Milgrom had consistently fumbled during his time on the title: the Black Cat’s characterization. In the issues leading up to #100, Felicia Hardy had been written as a childish, obnoxious twit who did nothing but complain about how much she couldn’t stand her boyfriend’s civilian identity and only wanted Peter Parker to be “my spider” (ugh). This makes the intended emotional moment of their breakup fall completely flat since her character had become so unlikable that it’s hard not to cheer when Spidey finally sends her packing.

Despite its entertaining bits, all this issue really does is remind me of how badly the writers botched Felicia’s character and how long it took her to recover from it. It’s a real shame because she showed so much promise in her earlier appearances.

 

10.) Amazing Spider-Man #900

by Zeb Wells & Ed McGuiness

The web-slinger’s newest centennial comic is…okay. It’s an entertaining (albeit silly) issue that, yet again, doesn’t feel deserving of its milestone status. The story features the Living Brain of all things creating a Super Adaptoid that absorbs all of the powers and personalities of the Sinister Six to take down Spider-Man.

This naturally leads to a little team-up between our hero and his rogues to bring the Adaptoid down.

If all of this sounds and looks ridiculous, that’s because it absolutely is. But you know what? It’s amusingly ridiculous. The story itself may be inconsequential fluff, but unlike the bottom five, I at least enjoyed reading through it. It’s a fun comic, but a waste of a centennial celebration.

Oh and I suppose I should mention…

Yes, Peter Parker should be with Mary Jane Watson, but I’m not against a temporary reunion between Peter and Felicia Hardy if the writers actually handle it well. Mary Jane will always be Peter’s soulmate, but when written properly, Peter and Felicia do have some great chemistry with one another. Now let’s move on to the next entry before my house is riddled with bullets.

 

09.) Ultimate Spider-Man #100

by Brian Michael Bendis & Mark Bagley

When Brian Michael Bendis announced that he was going to be writing his own interpretation of the infamous Clone Saga for the Ultimate universe, fans were understandably confused…and frightened. Thankfully, Bendis’s rendition of the ’90s fiasco ended up being far better than it had any right to be. Unfortunately, if you try to read this issue without any prior context, you’re going to be incredibly confused.

Seeing as how this issue is the middle chapter of an ongoing story, it doesn’t exactly stand on its own as a centennial comic should. Because if you try to read this on its own instead of the entire story, it’s not going to make a lick of sense.

With all that being said, I highly recommend you do read the entire arc because it is one wild ride that you won’t soon forget.

 

08.) Amazing Spider-Man #800

by Dan Slott & too many artists to name

While this comic is mostly just one big, dumb fight scene, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a lot of fun. I’d normally hate to see Norman Osborn being written as a cartoon villain, but it suits the tone of the story well enough.

Don’t get me wrong, this issue has flaws and is far from perfect. For starters, Dan Slott couldn’t help but force Doctor Octopus into the story despite there being absolutely no reason for him to be there.

And despite the actual death scene being handled decently, did anyone really believe that Flash Thompson was gone for good?

Those flaws aside, the core conflict of the issue between Spider-Man and the Red/Green Goblin is quite entertaining and contains some standout sequences.

For the 800th issue, Slott decided to deliver a silly slugfest over a substantial narrative, but you know what? That’s not always a bad thing. As much as we all love the rich complexities that superhero stories can and often do offer, we also love seeing two larger than life figures in absurd outfits punching each other in the face.

 

7.) Ultimate Spider-Man #200

by Brian Michael Bendis & Dave Marquez

This is the one comic on this list that I was the most pleasantly surprised by. Like many people, I loved what Brian Michael Bendis did with Ultimate Spider-Man, but I honestly lost all interest in the series when Peter Parker was killed off and replaced by Miles Morales. I know Miles has his fans, but I’ve simply never cared for the character or his exploits and promptly dropped the title once he took over. As such, I wasn’t excited when I sat down to read the 200th issue because I assumed it would be all about Miles. Thankfully, what I got instead was a surprisingly solid, heartfelt exploration of the impact Peter Parker had on those around him.

Having all of the supporting characters get together on the anniversary of Peter’s death and discuss where they think he’d be today if he was still alive was great. It really served to underscore how strong a character Ultimate Peter was.

All in all, a touching story and a strong tribute to the life of Marvel’s greatest hero.

 

06.) Amazing Spider-Man #400

by J.M. DeMatteis & Mark Bagley

Most people would probably place this issue much higher in their ranking and I’ll explain why it’s here in a moment. But first, let’s discuss the positives. Every scene in this issue between Peter Parker, Mary Jane and Aunt May is incredibly touching. J.M. DeMatteis expertly portrays the strong bond between the three and makes them feel like a real family.

The two sequences where May reveals that she knows that Peter is Spider-Man and later passes away peacefully in her bed surrounded by loved ones are easily among the highlights of DeMatteis and Mark Bagley’s entire careers (no small feat).

With such high praise, you’re probably wondering why this comic didn’t crack the top five at the very least. Well for starters, I thought the subplots with the Jackal, Judas Traveller and yet another clone were uninteresting and only served to distract from the far superior A-plot.

It also doesn’t help that after May dies in that beautiful sequence, we’re thrusted into the next story arc with Peter being arrested for murder.

Lastly, even though this isn’t the issue’s fault at all, this story has been completely ruined in the years since. Just a few short years after this comic was published, May was needlessly brought back to life and it was revealed that the person who died wasn’t even her (long, stupid story).

Still, in spite of the aforementioned flaws, this is a must-read for Spidey fans. The Parker family dynamic has arguably never been stronger than it was here.

 

05.) Amazing Spider-Man #700

by Dan Slott & Humberto Ramos

This is probably going to be my most controversial placement, but hear me out. Amazing #700 was the first Spider-Man comic in a long time that felt like it had genuine stakes. Doctor Octopus swapping bodies with Peter Parker, leaving our hero trapped in a dying shell, provided a terrific amount of tension that the books had not seen in quite some time.

As the issue wears on, Peter gets closer and closer to death, his time draining rapidly. He knows that if he dies, Ock will have full control of his body and life.

For the first time in heaven knows how long, I actually wasn’t sure if Spider-Man would actually win. And to the writer’s credit, he doesn’t. By the end, Doc Ock does succeed and Peter “dies”…but not before imparting a little wisdom onto his nemesis.

I know that a lot of people didn’t like to see Spidey lose so badly at the end, but I actually think this was a bold decision. A lesser story would have had everything resolved neatly by the end with Peter back in his own body, but Dan Slott didn’t take the easy route. There actually were major ramifications for this story and we wouldn’t see Peter reclaim his life for awhile.

Whether you love or hate Superior Spider-Man, this was easily one of the most surprising and daring Spider-Man stories we had seen in a long time.

 

04.) Amazing Spider-Man #500

by J. Michael Straczynski, John Romita Jr. & John Romita Sr.

The story here opens in gripping fashion as we see our webbed-wonder thrust into a bleak future.

Before we can even begin to process what this could mean, our hero is transported into the past where he must face an unending gauntlet of his greatest foes and challenges if he has any hope of making it back to the present with Doctor Strange.

This all leads to what might be the single greatest splash page in the entirety of the character’s history.

And of course, after all the fighting and heartache, what is Peter Parker’s ultimate reward?

Some might see this comic as nothing more that a glorified nostalgia romp, but to me, it’s a superb celebration and homage of everything that makes the character great: his triumphs, tragedies, spirit, humor and undying love for the people in his life. Happy birthday indeed, Spider-Man.

 

03.) Amazing Spider-Man #300

by David Michelinie & Todd McFarlane

Now we’re really getting into some stone-cold classics. Eddie Brock a.k.a. Venom may have suffered from overexposure and bad writing as time went on, but it will be hard to forget just how great his initial appearance truly was.

From the get-go, Venom grabbed readers’ attention immediately thanks to the fantastic design courtesy of Todd McFarlane, his interesting backstory, his personal connection with the hero through the symbiote and a thrilling fight scene.

The story itself might be rather bare-bones and straight forward, but that is actually one of its strengths. Brock’s single-minded determination to kill Spider-Man at any cost is exactly what made him such an effective antagonist.

By this point in the web-spinner’s career, it seemed unlikely that any new villains would be able to measure up to his classic foes, but David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane ended up creating one that would surpass most of them in popularity.

 

02.) Amazing Spider-Man #200

by Marv Wolfman, Keith Pollard & Jim Mooney

Of all the grand villains Spider-Man could have faced for his 200th issue, having him lose his powers and go up against the burglar who murdered his uncle all those years ago was a stroke of genius.

Marv Wolfman really taps into the character’s spirit and determination here, as even without the aid of his superpowers (courtesy of Mysterio), Peter Parker refuses to back down from his responsibilities and still gives it everything he has. And as it turns out, he has quite a bit, super-strength or not.

Aside from Norman Osborn, Peter has never loathed anybody like he does the burglar, which adds some excellent drama to the narrative. Peter’s sheer hatred for the bottom-feeder who changed his life forever is a sight to behold as our hero is seething with rage during every encounter he has with him.

This leads to both an excellent battle and climax where Peter actually reveals his identity to the lowlife and makes it crystal clear just how much anguish he has caused him during a riveting monologue.

The stakes might not be as high as some other centennial issues, but this is easily one of Spider-Man’s most personal battles and stories, placing it above all of the others. Well, all except…

 

01.) Spectacular Spider-Man #200

by J.M. DeMatteis & Sal Buscema

Even after all these years, Spectacular #200 remains the gold standard for centennial issues featuring the adventurous arachnid. And how could it not? Harry Osborn’s descent into madness is nothing but compelling as he tries to follow in his father’s footsteps and avenge him without becoming the complete monster that he was.

The dialogue that Harry has with himself and the other characters is fantastically written, as it becomes clear to those paying close attention that he doesn’t actually hate Peter Parker. In reality, Harry hates his father for his cruel treatment of him but can’t bring himself to admit it.

All this drama culminates in a brutal clash between former friends, an earned last-minute redemption and a tragic passing.

J.M. DeMatteis and Sal Buscema truly outdid themselves with this effort. Not only is this the best Spider-Man centennial issue, it’s one of the best Spider-Man stories period. No matter how many times Harry dies or is resurrected, Spectacular #200 is an all-time classic.

 

So what do you think? How would you rank all of Spidey’s centennial comics? Let me know in the comments below!