Reading guide · 1987
Kraven's Last Hunt: reading order and where to read it
Everything you need to read Kraven's Last Hunt: the issues in order, what it is about without spoilers, why it matters, and the books in print today.
Read six issues in this order: Web of Spider-Man #31, Amazing Spider-Man #293, Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #131, Web of Spider-Man #32, Amazing Spider-Man #294 and Spectacular Spider-Man #132 (1987). It is in print now in Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection: Kraven's Last Hunt, with Peter and MJ's wedding, and a cheaper Marvel Premier Collection paperback is due February 9, 2027.
- Published
- 1987
- Length
- 6 issues
- By
- J.M. DeMatteis, Mike Zeck and Bob McLeod
- Good for new readers?
- Yes. It stands on its own. Knowing that Peter and Mary Jane have just married is all the background you need.
- Start with
- Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection: Kraven's Last Hunt
Reading order
In this order. The notes are spoiler-free.
| # | Read | Year | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Web of Spider-Man #31 | 1987 | Part 1 of 6 |
| 2 | Amazing Spider-Man #293 | 1987 | Part 2 of 6 |
| 3 | Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #131 | 1987 | Part 3 of 6 |
| 4 | Web of Spider-Man #32 | 1987 | Part 4 of 6 |
| 5 | Amazing Spider-Man #294 | 1987 | Part 5 of 6 |
| 6 | Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #132 | 1987 | Part 6 of 6 |
What it's about
Kraven the Hunter is getting old, and he has never beaten Spider-Man. So he plans one last hunt. He shoots Spider-Man with a tranquilizer rifle, buries him, and puts on his costume to prove he can be the better Spider-Man, hunting the rat-like killer Vermin on his own. Two weeks later, Peter claws his way out of the grave, held together by the thought of Mary Jane, his new wife.
Why it matters
It ran across all three Spider-Man titles at once, six parts in two months, and it reads like a novel rather than a superhero comic: dark, poetic and more interested in Kraven's mind than in the fights. It is a fixture on lists of the best Spider-Man stories and the best superhero comics of the 1980s, and it is the story most people mean when they say Kraven is more than a man with a lion vest.
The big twist (spoilers)
Show the spoilers
Kraven captures Vermin barehanded, something Spider-Man needed Captain America's help to do. When Peter finally confronts him, Kraven does not fight back, because he believes he has already won. Kraven then takes his own life, leaving a confession that clears Spider-Man of everything he did in the costume, and the grave he dug turns out to have been his own.
Where to read it
The story and the wedding
Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection: Kraven's Last Hunt
Collects: Amazing Spider-Man #289–294 and Annuals #20–21; Spider-Man vs. Wolverine #1; Web of Spider-Man #29–32; Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #131–132
Paperback, 496 pages (2023 printing). In print now, with Peter and Mary Jane's wedding in Annual #21.
Just this story
Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt (Marvel Premier Collection)
Collects: Web of Spider-Man #31–32; Amazing Spider-Man #293–294; Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #131–132; Amazing Spider-Man: Soul of the Hunter #1; a story from Sensational Spider-Man Annual '96
Paperback, 256 pages. Due February 9, 2027; available to preorder.
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Who would win?
The characters at the heart of this story, rated one-on-one under this site's fight rules.
What to read before and after
- The Night Gwen Stacy DiedRead before · 19732 issues
- The black costume and VenomRead next · 1984–887 issues
- Spider-Man: BlueRead next · 2002–036 issues
Questions and answers
What order do I read Kraven's Last Hunt in?
Web of Spider-Man #31, Amazing Spider-Man #293, Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #131, Web of Spider-Man #32, Amazing Spider-Man #294 and Spectacular Spider-Man #132. All six came out in 1987.
How many issues is Kraven's Last Hunt?
Six, two from each of the three Spider-Man titles of 1987.
Is Kraven's Last Hunt good for new readers?
Yes. It is self-contained, and the only background you need is that Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson have just married.
Where can I read Kraven's Last Hunt?
In Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection: Kraven's Last Hunt, in print now, or in the Marvel Premier Collection paperback due February 9, 2027. It is also on Marvel Unlimited.
All Spider-Man reading guides · The essential Spider-Man comics, in order