Reading guide · 2002–03
Spider-Man: Blue: reading guide and where to read it
Everything you need to read Spider-Man: Blue: the issues in order, what it is about without spoilers, why it matters, and the books in print today.
Read Spider-Man: Blue #1–6 (2002–03), by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. It is now sold as Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale: Spider-Man, a 2025 paperback with all six issues.
- Published
- 2002–03
- Length
- 6 issues
- By
- Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale
- Good for new readers?
- Yes. It was written to be read on its own, and it is one of the best introductions to the classic cast.
- Start with
- Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale: Spider-Man
Reading order
In this order. The notes are spoiler-free.
| # | Read | Year | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazing Spider-Man #40–48 and #63 (optional) | 1966–68 | The classic stories that Blue retells. |
| 2 | Spider-Man: Blue #1–6 | 2002–03 | The whole story, in order. |
What it's about
On Valentine's Day, years after Gwen Stacy's death, Peter Parker records a message to her about how they fell in love. The story he tells takes place in his first college years, as the Green Goblin, the Rhino, the Lizard and two Vultures come at him one after another, and as he meets two women who change his life, Gwen and Mary Jane.
Why it matters
Loeb and Sale made a set of these color-titled love letters to Marvel's past, including Daredevil: Yellow and Hulk: Gray, and Blue is the most loved. It takes stories from the 1960s and tells them again with an adult's grief, and Tim Sale's art is a tribute to John Romita Sr. If you only read one Spider-Man book about Gwen, many fans would pick this one.
The big twist (spoilers)
Show the spoilers
The villains who keep attacking Spider-Man are being sent by one man: Kraven the Hunter.
Where to read it
The whole story
Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale: Spider-Man
Collects: Spider-Man: Blue #1–6
Paperback, 168 pages (June 2025). The current edition of Spider-Man: Blue, under a new title.
Links to Amazon and Bookshop.org are affiliate links: as an Amazon Associate and a Bookshop.org affiliate, SpiderOdds earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you, and Bookshop.org shares its sales with independent bookstores. Affiliate links never change which books we recommend. Most of these issues are also on Marvel Unlimited, Marvel's digital subscription, and any local comic shop can order the books.
Who would win?
The characters at the heart of this story, rated one-on-one under this site's fight rules.
- Spider-Man vs. Green GoblinSpider-Man rogueSpider-Man 60%
- Spider-Man vs. RhinoSpider-Man rogueSpider-Man 70%
- Spider-Man vs. LizardSpider-Man rogueSpider-Man 60%
- Spider-Man vs. VultureOriginal Sinister SixSpider-Man 85%
What to read before and after
- The Master Planner SagaRead before · 1965–663 issues
- The Night Gwen Stacy DiedRead next · 19732 issues
Questions and answers
How many issues is Spider-Man: Blue?
Six, published from July 2002 to April 2003, by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale.
What comics does Spider-Man: Blue retell?
Events from Amazing Spider-Man #40–48 and #63 (1966–68), told out of order through Peter's memories.
Where can I buy Spider-Man: Blue?
It is now sold as Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale: Spider-Man, a 2025 paperback that collects all six issues.
All Spider-Man reading guides · The essential Spider-Man comics, in order