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After much anticipation, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was finally released to well-deserved fanfare. Insomniac Games’ latest entry in its Spider-Man series of games does exactly what the previous entries in the franchise did by remixing some common Spider-Man stories and presenting a refined and fresh narrative. With that being said, it’s clear that there are some comic books that inspired the story of the game. So, if you’re finished with the game already and are jonesing for some more web-slinging, here are five comic books that you should read if you loved Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Remember that this is intended for people who have finished the game, and from here on out, there will be spoilers for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. So, if you haven’t rolled credits yet, turn back now. But be sure to check this out once you have beaten it.
Venom by Donny Cates
So much of the symbiote storyline in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 seems to have taken inspiration from the Venom comic books by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman. In fact, many of the elements from the last half of the story seem to be taken directly from that run. Including the King in Black and Absolute Carnage events, branded symbiotes taking over New York, Venom’s wings, and the hive mind are all either from or fleshed out in this run of comic books.
The ongoing run, which began in 2018, is highly recommended, but if you want to see just how weird symbiotes can get, keep reading to both the Absolute Carnage event and the King in Black event. It’s unknown if symbiotes will be back for Insomniac’s next Spider-Man title, but just a peek at those events might open your eyes to the direction they might take, especially if Carnage is in the picture.
Venom: Lethal Protector
One of the best Venom comic books to read if you want to know more about the character and the rest of the symbiotes is Venom: Lethal Protector by David Michelinie, Mark Bagley, Ron Lim, and Sam DeLaRosa from 1993. This is the book that takes Venom away from Spider-Man, moving him to San Francisco, where he deals with offshoots of his symbiote created by the Life Foundation, a version of which was seen in the Venom movie.
You might also get a kick out of seeing the first appearance of Scream. In Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, the Scream symbiote takes over Mary Jane Watson, whereas, in the comic books, Scream has taken over a few women. But, in Lethal Protector, Scream is Donna Diego and appears alongside Phage, Lasher, Agony, and Riot.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man
It feels bad not to have a Miles Morales pick in this list, but it’s a hard choice to make. Not because there aren’t great Miles Morales stories, but more because of his shorter publication history, since Peter Parker has nearly 50 years of extra comics to choose from. That isn’t even to say that his comics have been bad, as he’s had a pretty solid trajectory since his first series by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli.
But, once he was separated from the Ultimate timeline of Marvel Comics, he gained the freedom to interact with the rest of the Marvel Comics 616 Universe. So, Miles Morales: Spider-Man by Saladin Ahmed and Javier Garrón from 2018 onwards would be a great place to start. The run features all your favorite supporting characters, like Aaron Davis, Miles’s parents, and of course, Ganke.
Agent Venom
Colloquially known as Agent Venom, you’ll want to check out the relaunch of Venom from 2011, starting with Venom #1. Instead of Eddie Brock (or Harry Osborn), this version of venom is Peter’s childhood bully, Flash Thompson. After fighting in the Iraq War he becomes an amputee. The military gives Flash access to the Venom symbiote, so he can act in black ops missions as Agent Venom, but only for 48 hours.
At the beginning of Thompson’s run in the symbiote, the series was written by Rick Remender, with Cullen Bunn taking over before the ongoing wrapped up. It mimics how Harry first used the symbiote when fighting alongside Peter in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. He wasn’t overly aggressive at first, and the style of his symbiote was quite similar to Agent Venom’s.
Kraven’s Last Hunt
If you liked the Kraven storyline in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, you would probably love Kraven’s Last Hunt by J. M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck from 1987. It’s not too similar to the story of the game, so fans should appreciate a different take on Kraven’s final outing. Instead of hunting super-powered individuals like Kraven did in the game and in other comics, Kraven’s Last Hunt sees Kraven hunt Spider-Man while he’s wearing the black suit.
Once he has incapacitated our hero, Kraven wears his suit. Much more brutal than Peter, Kraven runs around New York, killing criminals dressed as Spider-Man. Like his fight with Venom, he fights a villain named Vermin, who has been eating people. The story does get more than a little somber and macabre, with Spider-Man thinking about the people he’s lost and Kraven facing his own mortality. Kraven’s Last Hunt is, without a doubt, a seminal Spider-Man comic, and it might be the best one to feature Kraven the Hunter, too.
