Spidey spins a tangled web

Spider-Man is one of the world's most popular superheroes. Introduced as a nerdy high-schooler in the pages of Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962), Spider-Man has gone on to become one of the most recognizable characters in comic book history. The web-head made his cinematic debut in 2002's "Spider-Man" directed by Sam Raimi and starring Tobey Maguire in the title role. The film and it's 2004 follow-up, "Spider-Man 2" (widely considered one of the best superhero films ever made), were massively successful, though the glutinous "Spider-Man 3" officially ended the Raimi/Maguire pairing.

Spidey was rebooted in 2012 with "The Amazing Spider-Man," an emo-heavy take on the character based primarily on the Ultimate Spider-Man comic book series. "The Amazing Spider-Man" and its sequel, "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," lost audiences and put a quick kibosh on the reboot plans. Andrew Garfield did a decent job as Spidey in the second go-round, but fans didn't latch on to the actor as much as they had his predecessor, Maguire.

Third time's the charm? Spidey will be officially introduced into the massive Marvel cinematic universe next month in "Captain America: Civil War," with British actor Tom Holland ("In the Heart of the Sea") donning the webs this time around. Spider-Man looks promising in the "Civil War" trailers (image below), but we will know for sure if Holland can spin free of the tangled web that has become the Spider-Man film franchise.

Spider-Man in "Captain America: Civil War"

There are literally thousands of Spider-Man collectibles available to discerning fans, from comic books to sculptures to action figures. We couldn't possibly discuss them all here, so let's just take a peek at some of our personal favorites.

Amazing Spider-Man #298-328 – The McFarlane run

Amazing Spider-Man #298 

Iconic artist Todd McFarlane was hardly a household name when he took over Amazing Spider-Man with issue #298. But McFarlane's 28-issue run on the series turned heads and sent the artist into the stratosphere of comic-art success. McFarlane's dynamic artwork gave Spidey new life, and the run features some great issues and appearances, such as Captain America (issue #323), Sabretooth (issue #324) and the first appearance of Venom (issue #300).

Spider-Man statue, Bowen Designs (2012)

Spider-Man statue by Bowen Designs

I know, I know. We're starting to look a bit like Bowen Designs homers here (and, to be fair, we are). But there is no denying the semi-retired sculptor has produced some incredible statues. Case in point – this gorgeous rendition of Spider-Man, which features an intricate base boasting some of Spidey's favorite villain memorabilia.

Black Costume Spider-Man Secret Wars figure (1984)

Black Costume Spider-Man, Secret Wars

One of the great toy lines of the 1980s was Mattel's brief but memorable Secret Wars, which included this early glimpse at a black-suited Spider-Man. In comic lore, the suit, an alien symbiote, would go on to become Venom.

Not everyone loves spiders (heck, most people hate them), but you would be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t like Spider-Man. Thanks, web-head.