In December 2006, french writer Fabrice Sapolsky (creator of Comix Box Magazine) pitched the idea of a 1930s pulp version of Spider-Man to David Hine. This led to Marvel Noir, a Marvel Comics alternative continuity combining elements of film noir and pulp fiction with the Marvel Universe. The Marvel Noir line was launched with Spider-Man: Noir #1 and X-Men Noir #1, in February 2009. For Spidey, Carmine Di Giandomenico drew the first stories and Marko Djurdjevic his cool costume.
Earth-90214, sometimes also called Earth-Noir, is a hard-boiled world. Spider-Man’s story begins in the 30s, during the Great Depression when New York is dealing with some economical issues and most of the people do not have jobs. Norman Osborn mostly rules the city, with Vulture, Kraven, and the Enforcers as members of his crew. Peter Parker has been raised by his paternal aunt and uncle, activists May and Ben Parker, and gained arachnid powers after being bitten by a supernatural spider. If you’re a fan of Batman, this Spider-Man is the closest version there is of the character in the Spider-Verse — his alias is The Spider-Man, for a good reason.
Spider-Man Noir became quickly a popular character, earning a sequel, but also appearing as a playable character in the 2010 video game Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions — a year after his first comic appearance. Despite existing for less than 15 years, Spider-Man has featured already in a few crossover stories and quite a number of video games, but also in television and film (like in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse). No doubt, Spider-Man Noir is photogenic!
Spider-Man Noir Reading Order:
As said above, Spider-Man Noir’s story began in 2009 in the Marvel Noir line.
- Spider-Man Noir
Collects Spider-Man Noir #1-4. - Spider-Man Noir: Eyes Without A Face
Collects Spider-Man: Noir: Eyes Without A Face #1-4
The Spider-People of the multiverse must become allies in order to fight the Inheritors who feed on the energy of the spiders in the event called Spider-Verse: Here is the full reading order of the event. Spider-Man Noir has a limited role in this event, only present in 6 issues. It is optional, but it’s a good event and if you like spiders, you will always stumble on this event!
- Amazing Spider-Man: Edge of Spider-Verse
Collects Edge of Spider-Verse #1-5. - Spider-verse
Collects Amazing Spider-Man (2014) #7-15, Superior Spider-Man #32-33, Spider-Verse #1-2, Spider-Verse Team-Up #1-3, Scarlet Spiders #1-3, Spider-Woman (2014) #1-4, Spider-Man 2099 (2014) #6-8 And Material From Free Comic Book Day 2014 (Guardians Of The Galaxy) #1.
Following the events of Spider-Verse, The Spider-Man joined the Web Warriors to live interdimensional adventures. During that time, he found himself stranded in his home dimension alongside Spider-Man of Earth-50101 (Paviitr Prabhakar) and Spider-Ham (none of them has a reading order yet!).
- Spider-Verse: Warzones
Optional. This story is not part of the main continuity. The Spider-Man teams up with the other Spider-People during the Multiverse ending event of Secret Wars. - Web Warriors of the Spider-Verse Vol. 1: Electroverses
Collects Web Warriors #1-5, Amazing Spider-Man #1 (Web Warriors story). - Web Warriors of the Spider-Verse Vol. 2: Spiders Vs.
Collects Web Warriors #6-11.
A follow-up to Spider-Verse, Spider-Geddon deals with the Inheritors’ return. The Spider-Man’s participation in this event is quite limited, first in a little short film available on Youtube and then in the first issue of the event (check out our full reading order). But it is an important issue.
- Spider-Geddon #1
Collected in Amazing Spider-Man: Spider-Geddon
Miles Morales is at the center of a new multiverse adventure in Spider-Verse: Spider-Zero. The Ultimate Spider-Man comes to Earth-Noir and team-up with The Spider-Man, in an issue revealing what happened to the character after the events of Spider-Geddon.
- Spider-Verse #5
Collected in Spider-Verse: Spider-Zero
A month after his team-up with Miles Morales, The Spider-Man has his own limited series, taking place in his world. It’s now 1939, the specter of war looms on the horizon, and a very noir Spider-Man fights the good fight at home.
- Spider-Man Noir: Twilight in Babylon
Collects Spider-Man Noir (vol.2) #1-5
Dan Slott is back with the third and last chapter of the Spider-Verse saga. This time, this is “The End of the Spider-Verse,” and Spider-Man noir appeared in advance in the first issue of the Edge of Spider-Verse miniseries.
- Edge of Spider-Verse
Collects Edge of Spider-Verse (2022) #1-5.