• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Comic Book Herald

A Comic Book Reading Order Guide For Beginners & Fans

  • Reading Orders
    • Marvel
    • My Marvelous Year
    • DC Comics
    • All Comic Book Publishers
    • Most Recent
  • Beginner Guides
    • Beginner’s Guide To Comics In 2025
    • Marvel 2025: Where to Start?
    • DC 2025: Where to Start?
    • Best of Lists
    • Tablets for Comics
    • Guides for Digital Readers
  • Reviews
    • Marvel Comics
    • DC Comics
    • Comic Book Movies
    • Comic Book TV
    • Video Games
  • Podcasts & Video
    • My Marvelous Year
    • Best Comics Ever (CBH)
    • CBH on Youtube!
  • About Me
    • My Favorite Comics of All Time
    • Columns
    • CBH Monthly Email
  • Support Comic Book Herald
    • Ways to support
You are here: Home / Featured / The Best Spider-Man vs. the Vulture Comics!

The Best Spider-Man vs. the Vulture Comics!

June 22, 2017 by Dave Leave a Comment

After five Spider-Man movies (and a Captain America 3: Civil War appearance), the Vulture’s finally ready to make his first cinematic appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Sure, good old Adrian Toomes was reportedly going to be played by John Malkovich in the apocryphal Spider-Man 4 (directed by Sam Raimi), but the wait for Michael Keaton and Iron Man cameos appears to have been worth it.

As that delayed film entrance suggests, the Vulture has had a tough time maintaining A-list (or even B-list) Spidey villain status, which is exactly the sort of thing that would drive this jealous avian menace wild. Nonetheless, Vulture is actually the second recurring supervillain Spider-Man ever faced (in Amazing Spider-Man #2), and a founding member of the original Sinister Six (in Spider-Man Annual #1).

There’s never been a better time to enjoy Spider-Man comics through the ages with a focus on his aerodynamic, age-challenged nemesis.

Related Reading Orders:

Comic Book Herald’s Amazing Spider-Man reading order

Collected:

Spider-Man vs. The Vulture

Spider-Man vs. the Vulture!

Vulture vs. Spider-Man in the 60's

Steve Ditko, Stan Lee, and Vulture in the 1960’s

Amazing Spider-Man #2, #7

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 (Sinister Six)

Amazing Spider-Man #48 to #49

Adrian Toomes appears to die in prison, but not before revealing the location of his wings to Blackie Drago, who takes on the role of the new Vulture. Drago never surpasses Toomes as the Vulture for me, but these issues do feature a classic super-villain team-up gone wrong (is there any other kind?), with Kraven the Hunter.

Amazing Spider-Man #63 to #64

Amazing Spider-Man Marvel GIT comics collection

Toomes is back and mad at Blackie Drago! I got every intention that Romita and Lee actually intended to off Toomes in favor of a younger Vulture, but a mere fifteen issues the original geriatric genius is back!

Amazing Spider-Man #127 to #128

“The dark wings of death!” The Vulture appears to be on a murderous rampage and only Mary-Jane Watson can testify as a witness! One of those times Peter Parker comes across like a total pompous fool to MJ. It’s a wonder she ever said yes to marrying him.

Vulture vs Daredevil

Roger Stern Reinvents The Vulture For The 1980’s

Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #4 to #5

Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #45

The first of Roger Stern’s takes on The Vulture. Transforms him into a villain with clearer Kingpin interests. Sure, the Vulture’s rule of the New York mafia never really takes flight (hee), but it’s interesting to see him try.

Amazing Spider-Man #224

“Let Fly These Aged Wings.” Vulture breaks out of a nursing home, in perhaps the most on the nose and excellent poke at Vulture’s extensive age. An excellent issue from Stern, with oft-forgotten but long-lasting ramifications for the Parker family.

Amazing Spider-Man #240 to #241

Vulture lashes out at an old business partner for stealing his technology, in what would become one of the most frequently used tropes in non-comics media appearances. From the 90’s Spider-Man The Animated Series to the late 2000’s Spectacular Spider-Man, Adrian Toomes always begins his descent into villainy after being crossed in the corporate world (usually by Norman Osborn).

Web of Spider-Man #1, Web of Spider-Man #24, Web of Spider-Man #45

Louise Simonson and Greg LaRocque’s opening salvo on Web of Spider-Man introduces the Vulterions, a trio of prisoners who memorize Vulture’s flying technology designs in prison. Actually one of the more entertaining takes on the legacy of the Vulture.

Daredevil #225

Denny O’Neil and David Mazzucchelli deliver a Daredevil vs. Vulture throwdown, with some of my absolute favorite 80’s Vulture art.

New Mutants #86

Vulture’s Acts of Vengeance crossover appearance in New Mutants (by Louise Simonson and Rob Liefeld) might be the most gloriously villainous the ornithological oldie had ever been. Reading all of Acts of Vengeance is generally a good idea, but honestly you can just jump straight into this one and enjoy a wild ride.

Spider Man animated series vs Vulture

Vulture In The 1990’s

Amazing Spider-Man #334 to #339

Return of the Sinister Six by David Michelinie and Erik Larsen, where Vulture proves himself the only member sensible enough to suggest attacking Spider-Man all at once instead of one at a time.

Spider-Man #18 to #23

Revenge of the Sinister Six by Erik Larsen.

Spectacular Spider-Man #186 to #188

Lethal Foes of Spider-Man #1 to #4

Amazing Spider-Man #386 to #388

David Michelinie and Mark Bagley in the comic book story that would fuel the 90’s Animated “Neogenic Nightmare.” Vulture develops technology to sap victim’s youth directly into his body, giving us the toyetic Young Vulture for three issues.

Untold Tales of Spider-Man #5, #20

Kurt Busiek “lost” Vulture stories.

Spidey vs. Vulture by artist Darwyn Cooke

Spidey vs. Vulture in the 2000’s!

Spider-Man’s Tangled Web #11, #13

#11 is a Valentine’s Day farce by Darwyn Cooke (with likely the happiest ending the Vulture ever gets in any comic book), and #13 is a seedy villain bar with Vulture, new Kraven, and a mysterious figure swapping stories of Spidey. Both well worth the read.

The Pulse #2

Marvel Knights Spider-Man #1 to #4

Identity Disc #1 to #5

If you’ve followed Comic Book Herald long enough (perhaps in the My Marvelous Year reading club) you know I try to champion this blatant The Usual Suspects homage any chance I get. That’s partially because it’s one of the best Vulture stories in the modern era, with perhaps his greatest victory in comics.

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #14 to #16

A Peter David written story in the wake of Spider-Man revealing his identity to the world in Civil War #2. Vulture uses the information to lash out at Deb Whitman (Spider-Man’s ex-girlfriend and author of a tell-all confessional) to draw out Peter, who of course happens to be in attendance.

Punisher War Journal #13 to #15

Vulture would almost certainly like to pretend these issues never happened, with Kraven the Hunter displaying Vulture in his animal-themed villain super-zoo.

Amazing Spider-Man #592 to #594

Amazing Spider-Man Marvel GIT comics collection

Avengers: The Initiative #27

Amazing Spider-Man #623 to #624

 

Filed Under: Featured, Marvel Characters Tagged With: Spider-Man, vulture

Heroically Support Comic Book Herald!

Comic Book Herald is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a qualifying affiliate commission.

If you like Comic Book Herald, and are able to donate, any small contribution will help keep CBH alive and updated. Donate here! Or, support My Marvelous Year on Patreon for exclusive rewards! Thank you for reading!


CBH Monthly Newsletter



About Dave

Dave is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Comic Book Herald, and also the Boss of assigning himself fancy titles. He's a long-time comic book fan, and can be seen most evenings in Batman pajama pants. Contact Dave @comicbookherald on Twitter or via email at dave@comicbookherald.com.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

The My Marvelous Year Podcast!

Apple PodcastsRSS

CBH Monthly Newsletter!

Marvel Amazing Spider-Man GIT digital comics collection
My Marvelous Year Podcast and Reading Club 1

Recent Posts

  • 2011 Pt. 5: Fear Itself & Journey Into Mystery July 7, 2025
  • My Favorite Graphic Novels of June 2025 July 1, 2025
  • 2011 Pt. 4: Spider-Man: One More Day Redeemed??? And Venom is a Soldier now! June 30, 2025
  • 2011 Variant Cover B: Best Comics of 2025 So Far! (W/ Zack Quaintance) June 23, 2025
  • The Best Comics of 2025 (So Far!) June 18, 2025
  • 2011 Pt. 3: Hickman’s FF, SHIELD, & Secret Warriors June 16, 2025
  • Extra Issues – Dykes to Watch Out For (1983) June 9, 2025
  • 2011 Pt. 1: Avengers: The Children’s Crusade June 9, 2025
  • My Favorite Graphic Novels of May 2025 June 4, 2025
  • 2011 Variant Cover A: DC and Marvel cross over, Zack has a really compelling dream, and Dave runs the Eisners now June 2, 2025
  • 2011 Pt. 2: Uncanny X-Force, X-23, & Wolverine (Pt. 1 is delayed) May 26, 2025
  • 2010 pt. 10: The WORST Spider-Man Comics of All Time?! And FrankenCastle (again) May 19, 2025
  • 2010 Variant Cover E: Thunderbolts Review w/ Tiffany Babb May 12, 2025
  • Extra Issues – Lucifer Pt. 2 (2000) May 8, 2025
  • 2010 Pt. 9: Thor: The Mighty Avenger, Bucky on Trial, & Invincible Iron Man May 5, 2025

Popular Articles

DC Rebirth Guide

Batman Reading Order

DC New 52 Reading Order

Marvel Ultimate Universe Guide

Civil War Reading Order

Marvel Cosmic Reading Order

The Best Comics of All Time!

Deadpool Reading Order

Justice League Reading Order

Complete Thanos Reading Order

X-Men Reading Guide (Modern Era)

Age of Apocalypse Reading Order

Modern Marvel Universe in 25 Trades

Best Tablet For Digital Comics

Is Marvel Unlimited Worth It?

Footer

New to Comic Book Herald?

Hey there - my name's Dave and this is my comic book blog. It's my way of sharing my borderline obsessive addiction to the comic book medium, and to help you enjoy the comics!

Most people that come here are looking for my Marvel reading order guide. You can probably also get a sense if CBH is for you by taking a look at some of my recent favorite comics.

If you like what you see, check out the CBH monthly newsletter . Or, leave a comment on the blog here, I'm always looking for new awesome people in the comic book community.

More on Comic Book Herald

  • Home
  • About
  • Support CBH
  • My Marvelous Year
  • Monthly Newsletter
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service

Recent Posts

  • 2011 Pt. 5: Fear Itself & Journey Into Mystery
  • My Favorite Graphic Novels of June 2025
  • 2011 Pt. 4: Spider-Man: One More Day Redeemed??? And Venom is a Soldier now!
  • 2011 Variant Cover B: Best Comics of 2025 So Far! (W/ Zack Quaintance)
  • The Best Comics of 2025 (So Far!)

Copyright © 2025 · Metro Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in