Untold Tales of Spider-Man #19

The cover by Pat Olliffe and Al Williamson frames the charm of this series perfectly: Spider-Man dodges the mechanical arms of Doctor Octopus atop a rooftop, while below, Aunt May peers anxiously through a window murmuring that she hopes Peter is "all right out there — he's so frail!" That irony — Spidey locked in a rooftop brawl directly above his oblivious, worrying aunt — gives the scene a warmth that sets Untold Tales apart from grittier fare. Kurt Busiek and G. L. Lawrence's approach to early Spider-Man adventures was always about heart as much as action, and this 1997 issue, still priced at just 99 cents, captures that spirit in a single glance.