Next week on July 3, Sony's relaunched Spider-Man franchise with The Amazing Spider-Man debuts starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. Already, the film has received very positive reviews, and is expected to do well for the Spider-Man name.
As a fresh take on the hero, fans old and new can treat this as a jumping-on point without regard for the Tobey Maguire movies. Whether to re-familiarize yourself with the classic icon, or to discover his virtues, now is a great time to start reading some classic Spider-Man stories. He's one of Marvel's most iconic heroes with almost 50 years of continuity behind him, so there's plenty from which to choose. I've compiled a short list of those stories I think will will best prepare you for the movie — whether to improve your notice of fanservice, or to get you more excited!