We’re (again) going back to the MCU with this week’s “So You Want To Read Comic”, our weekly feature where we take a look at a single topic, then give you two comic book recommendations, perfect for new readers, based on that topic.  This week we’re taking a look at Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Yes, there will be some spoilers. 

As of writing this Spider-Man: No Way Home has garnered a hefty $1.5 billion global box office take. So, chances are you might have already seen the third film starring Tom Holland’s version of the old web-head.  This movie has been celebrated for its approach to the character of Peter Parker/Spider-Man, as well as the direction they take the character, and the rest of the cast, by the end of the film.  Also, one of the major stories having to do with this film is the way that the filmmakers were able to pull material and characters from all the various live action incarnations of Spider-Man that has reached the silver screen, making this a film for fans of Spider-Man movies spanning decades at this point.  Now, while this film is very much steeped in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s continuity rather than being directly influenced by any specific comic book series, there are a couple that might tickle your fancy if you enjoyed the movie.

And here just happen to be two of those comic series right now.

SPIDER-MAN: SPIDER-ISLAND

Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Stefano Caselli
Publisher: Marvel Comics

One of the best parts of Spider-Man: No Way Home absolutely has to be seeing three different versions of Spider-Man interact with each other and seeing how the lessons that have come with being the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, have impacted each one uniquely.  Now, what would happen if everyone in New York City suddenly had Spider-Man powers,  would they all be able to learn those lessons, or is there something special about Peter Parker? That’s what we get with Spider-Island.  Much like how No Way Home deals with all the ramifications and consequences that Peter has to face due to his decisions as Spider-Man, in this series we see the reverse of this where we get a whole city of people who have the powers, but none of the responsibility. Plus, we get some fun moments when we see some of the other Marvel heroes get their spider powers in unexpected ways.

SPIDER-MAN: VELOCITY

Writer: Dennis Hopeless
Artist: Emilio Laiso
Publisher: Marvel Comics

So this is going to come off a bit of a strange choice.  Spider-Man: Velocity is actually an entry into the continuity featured in the universe that is shown in the video game Marvel’s Spider-Man.  But, what this means is that there is a low barrier of entry when it comes to past events and stories you might need to know to get the full grasp of this story.  As for this series itself, one of the key components to the plot is how being Spider-Man affects Peter Parker’s relationship with Mary Jane (MJ).  Granted, this is a common theme in a lot of Spider-Man stories, but I think it’s shown quite well here and has a similar tone to the same conflict we see in Spider-Man: No Way Home. As we saw with the movie, Spider-Man’s supporting cast is just as important to these tales as the titular hero, and I think we get to see that on full display with this series.

What did you think of these recommendations? What are some of your favorite Spider-Man stories? Let us know in the comments section below.

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