AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #639

“One Moment in Time, Chapter Two: Something New”

Writer: Joe Quesada

Penciler: Paolo Rivera and Joe Quesada

Inker: Paolo Rivera and Danny Miki

Colorist: Paolo Rivera and Richard Isanove

“Spidey Sundays”

Writer: Stan Lee

Penciler: Marcos Martin

Inker: Marcos Martin

Colorist: Muntsa Vicente

Cover Art: Paolo Rivera

Variant Cover 1: Joe Quesada, Danny Miki, and Richard Isanove

Variant Cover 2: Joe Quesada

Be warned – there are SPOILERS ahead!

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AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #638

“One Moment in Time, Chapter One: Something Old”

“Writer”: Joe Quesada

Penciler: Paolo Rivera and Joe Quesada

Inker: Paolo Rivera and Danny Miki

Colorist: Paolo Rivera and Richard Isanove

Featuring pages from The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 by …

Plotter: Jim Shooter

Scripter: David Michelinie

Penciler: Paul Ryan

Inker: Vince Colletta

Colorist: Bob Sharen

“Spidey Sundays”

Writer: Stan Lee

Penciler: Marcos Martin

Inker: Marcos Martin

Colorist: Muntsa Vicente

Cover Art: Paolo Rivera

Variant Cover 1: Joe Quesada, Danny Miki, and Richard Isanove

Variant Cover 2: Joe Quesada and Danny Miki

Be warned – there are SPOILERS ahead!

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As the first phase of this reboot comes to an end, the future is uncertain.  Rumors abound that the book is headed for a creative change, shifting to a twice-monthly title written solely by Dan Slott.

In this installment, each panelist discusses his overall opinion of Brand New Day.  The panelists will also ponder this rumor, and discuss what changes we would like to see going forward.

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While some will hopelessly cling to the idea that Brand New Day has been completely amazing or completely awful, like all things the truth lies somewhere in the middle.  How far to the ends, though, is where the argument lies.  Either way, Brand New Day has had its highs and lows, and in this installment, we discuss our high and low points of the revamp.  Just for bonus points, we also discuss our favorite and least favorite writers and artists as well.

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Much like the supporting cast discussed in the previous installment, Brand New Day has used a combination of new villains and old ones updated for the new continuity.  In the latter case, many of these villains have been dramatically revamped.

In this installment, we look at the villains of Brand New Day, both the new villains introduced and the revamps and reintroductions of the classic rogues.

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One of the strengths of the Spider-Man mythos, going back to the heights of the Lee/Ditko and Lee/Romita runs, has always been the supporting cast.  A rich grouping of characters representing multiple ages, races, and societal rank, the supporting cast alone could make for an interesting title.  However, one of the interesting things about these supporting characters is that the vast majority of those popular with fans can be traced back to those aforementioned classic runs of Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, and John Romita.  For a long time, the cast surrounding Spider-Man has been virtually identical to that which could be found in the late 1960s.  Nearly every new writer has attempted to augment this supporting cast with new characters, with varying results.  (Anybody remember the TriCorp Research staff?  Anybody?)

Brand New Day, true to form, has introduced new supporting characters, while attempting to update the classic cast to the new continuity.  This entire potpourri of new and old faces has, not surprisingly, been met with a wide spectrum of response.  In this installment, we take a look at the people that surround Peter Parker in his everyday life.

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Amongst the readers that do not support the new direction, one of the biggest complaints lies with the character of Peter Parker himself.  While some laud Brand New Day as a return to form for the “swingin’ single Spidey,” others claim that this Peter Parker is barely recognizable at best – and those at the extreme describe him as an incompetent loser that, at times, is intended as a proxy for the writers themselves.

In this installment, we take a look at the man behind the mask: Peter Benjamin Parker.

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In January of 2008, The Amazing Spider-Man became a thrice-monthly title, displacing the old model of a main title and satellites to refocus the brand with a single, continuous volume.  The days of disconnected stories, lack of communication between creative teams, and implausible gaps in availability were to become a thing of the past.  Whether or not that has come to pass is a matter for debate … and what do you know, that’s the entire point of this thing!

In today’s installment, our panelists discuss their opinions of the thrice-monthly format, and the inherent advantages and disadvantages of publishing the book in that manner.

[UPDATE: It was bound to happen ... Brad sent in his comments, but a snafu on my end made me miss them.  They're in now.  Feel free to lambaste me in the comments!]

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When it arrived at the start of 2008, Brand New Day ushered in a new era in Spider-Man’s history, one that promised to break new ground and hearken back to the past at the same time – recapturing the feel of classic Spidey stories in a new, modern setting.

Wait … where have I heard that one before?  That’s right, folks: Brand New Day is the 2008 version of the infamous Mackie Reboot from 1998!

The Mackie Reboot is widely reviled by Spider-Man fandom, and to this day remains a lightning rod for criticism of the tenure of Bob Harras as Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief.  It effectively ended Howard Mackie’s career as a major comics writer (though I, for one, was glad to see him make a comeback with the excellent Spider-Man: The Clone Saga miniseries).  Nearly all of the major changes introduced during this time have either been undone or outright ignored by later writers and editors – including changes to Spider-Man’s origin, the redesign of the Daily Bugle, the villain revamps, and most of all, by bringing Mary Jane back from the dead.  Jill, Paul, and Arthur Stacy haven’t been seen since.  Ultimately, this era has been virtually wiped from the collective memory of fans and creators alike.

Is Brand New Day doomed to the same fate?

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AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #637

“The Grim Hunt, Conclusion”

Writer: Joe Kelly

Penciler: Michael Lark and Marco Checchetto

Inker: Stefano Gaudiano, Matt Southworth, and Marco Checchetto

Art Assist: Brian Thies

Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth

“Hunting the Hunter, Part Four: Burning Bright”

Writer: J.M. DeMatteis

Penciler: Max Fiumara

Inker: Max Fiumara

Colorist: Fabio D’Auria

“Spidey Sunday Story Part Three”

Writer: Stan Lee

Penciler: Marcos Martin

Inker: Marcos Martin

Colorist: Muntsa Vicente

Cover Art: Mike Fyles

Variant Cover Art: Olivier Coipel, Mark Morales, and Justin Ponsor

Be warned – there are SPOILERS ahead!

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AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #636

“The Grim Hunt, Chapter 3”

Writer: Joe Kelly and Zeb Wells

Penciler: Marco Checchetto and Michael Lark

Inker: Marco Checchetto and Stefano Gaudiano

Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth

“Hunting the Hunter, Part Three: War”

Writer: J.M. DeMatteis

Penciler: Emma Rios and Max Fiumara

Inker: Emma Rios and Max Fiumara

Colorist: Fabio D’Auria

“Spidey Sunday Story Part Three”

Writer: Stan Lee

Penciler: Marcos Martin

Inker: Marcos Martin

Colorist: Muntsa Vicente

Cover Art: Mike Fyles

Variant Cover Art: Esad Ribic

Be warned – there are SPOILERS ahead!

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AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #635

“The Grim Hunt, Chapter 2”

Writer: Joe Kelly

Penciler: Michael Lark

Inker: Stefano Gaudiano

Art Assist: Matt Southworth

Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth

“Hunting the Hunter, Part Two: A Prophecy”

Writer: J.M. DeMatteis

Penciler: Max Fiumara

Inker: Max Fiumara

Colorist: Fabio D’Auria

“Spidey Sunday Story Part Two”

Writer: Stan Lee

Penciler: Marcos Martin

Inker: Marcos Martin

Colorist: Muntsa Vicente

Cover Art: Gabrielle Dell’Otto

Variant Cover Art: Mike Fyles

Be warned – there are SPOILERS ahead!

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According to Rich Johnston (via Bleedingcool.com), Dan Slott will become the sole writer of the soon-to-be-twice-monthly Amazing Spider-Man.  Here’s what Rich had to say:

The rumour on today’s books is that Steve Wacker is to manage a new scheduling revamp of Amazing Spider-Man, currently a three-times-monthly title with a rotating creative team

In a week where two issues of the series shipped as well as an Amazing Spider-Man spinoff series , there do seem to be some scheduling issues. Working with different teams, with different work practices can lead to certain overlap as well as readers encountering changes of tone every month or so. So it seems there is a solution of sorts.

The story goes that Amazing Spider-Man may be going through another change in schedule, the popular rumour is that the title will now be twice-monthly, and Dan Slott will be writing each issue. He is already a leading writer on the title, now it seems that it will be his, all his. Mwah hah hah hah hah…

Marvel did not choose to comment and Dan Slott did not return e-mails. Don’t blame him. Expect a San Diego announcement maybe?

What do you think?  Discuss this on the boards or in the comments below.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #634

“The Grim Hunt, Chapter 1”

Writer: Joe Kelly

Penciler: Michael Lark

Inker: Stefano Gaudiano

Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth

“Hunting the Hunter, Part One: Adrift”

Writer: J.M. DeMatteis

Penciler: Max Fiumara

Inker: Max Fiumara

Colorist: Fabio D’Auria

“Spidey Sunday Story Part One”

Writer: Stan Lee

Penciler: Marcos Martin

Inker: Marcos Martin

Colorist: Muntsa Vicente

Cover Art: Leinil Francis Yu

Variant Cover Art: Mike Fyles

Villain Variant Cover Art: Joe Quinones

Be warned – there are SPOILERS ahead!

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AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #633

“Shed, Part Four”

Writer: Zeb Wells

Penciler: Chris Bachalo and Emma Rios

Inker: Tim Townsend, Jaime Mendoza, Victor Olazaba, Mark Irwin, Chris Bachalo, and Emma Rios

Colorist: Antonio Fabela

Cover Art: Chris Bachalo and Tim Townsend

Variant Cover Art: Mike McKone and Jeromy Cox

Be warned – there are SPOILERS ahead!

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AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #632

“Shed, Part Three”

Writer: Zeb Wells

Penciler: Chris Bachalo and Emma Rios

Inker: Tim Townsend, Jaime Mendoza, Victor Olazaba, Chris Bachalo, and Emma Rios

Colorist: Antonio Fabela

Cover Art: Chris Bachalo and Tim Townsend

Variant Cover Art: Jay Anacleto and Brian Haberlin

Be warned – there are SPOILERS ahead!

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AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #37

“The Spider and the Shield!”

Writer: Karl Kesel

Penciler: Paulo Siqueira

Inker: Paulo Siqueira

Colorist: Fabio D’Auria

“Make Mine Marvel!”

Writer: Kurt Busiek

Penciler: Pat Olliffe

Inker: Pat Olliffe

Colorist: Steve Buccellato

Cover Art: Marcos Martin and Javier Rodriguez

Be warned – there are SPOILERS ahead!

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AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #631

“Shed, Part Two: The Death of Curt Connors”

Writer: Zeb Wells

Penciler: Chris Bachalo and Emma Rios

Inker: Tim Townsend, Jaime Mendoza, Chris Bachalo, and Emma Rios

Colorist: Antonio Fabela

Cover Art: Chris Bachalo and Tim Townsend

Variant Cover Art: Doug Braithewaite

Be warned – there are SPOILERS ahead!

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AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #630

“Shed, Part One”

Writer: Zeb Wells

Penciler: Chris Bachalo

Inker: Tim Townsend and Jaime Mendoza

Colorist: Antonio Fabela

Cover Art: Chris Bachalo and Tim Townsend

Variant Cover Art: Joe Quinones

Be warned – there are SPOILERS ahead!

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AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #629

“With Great Power …”

Writer: Roger Stern

Penciler: Lee Weeks

Inker: Lee Weeks

Colorist: Dean White (with Matt Hollingsworth)

“Shed: Prologue”

Writer: Zeb Wells

Penciler: Chris Bachalo

Inker: Chris Bachalo

Colorist: Chris Bachalo

Cover Art: Lee Weeks & Dean White

Be warned – there are SPOILERS ahead!

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According to a post from Tom DeFalco on the Spider-Girl message board, this could be the last stand for Mayday — the Spectacular Spider-Girl miniseries could be the last original Spider-Girl material.  Here’s the beginning of his post, with the rest following the jump …

Hi, Guys!

Here’s the current deal with Spider-Girl…
SPECTACULAR SPIDER-GIRL is going to be a 4-issue limited series.

#1 will include a 16 page Spider-Girl story, a 5 page American Dream story and 8 additional pages (but I don’t know what they will be.)

#2 will include a 16 page Spider-Girl story, a 5 page Buzz story and 1 page L’il Benjy story.

#3 will include two 16 spage Spider-Girl stories.

#4 will also include two 16 page Spider-Girl stories.

There is also talk about an additional Spider-Girl one-shot, but I don’t really have any details on that.

While MARVEL DIGITAL will print all the above material, they have decided to stop buying any new Spider-Girl stories.

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AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #628

“Vengeance Is Mine!”

Writer: Roger Stern

Penciler: Lee Weeks

Inker: Lee Weeks

Colorist: Dean White

“Brother, Can you Spare a Crime?”

Writer: Mark Waid & Tom Peyer

Penciler: Todd Nauck

Inker: Todd Nauck

Colorist: Andres Mossa

Cover Art: Lee Weeks & Dean White

Variant Cover Art: Michael Del Mundo

Be warned – there are SPOILERS ahead!

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A new animated series based on Ultimate Spider-Man is set to debut in the fall of 2011 on Disney XD, it was announced today.  Unfortunately for fans of The Spectacular Spider-Man, this is probably the end of the road for the critically-acclaimed show.

Eric S. Rollman, President of Marvel Animation: “Ultimate Spider-Man will be a unique journey exploring our favorite web-slinger as he teams up with other fan favorite Marvel Super Heroes in never before seen stories with a new life filled with great challenges, new friends, intense action and character growth.”

What do you think?  Feel free to discuss this on the message board and in the comments section of this article.  It certainly promises to be a very divisive topic going forward …

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #627

“Something Can Stop the Juggernaut!”

Writer: Roger Stern

Penciler: Lee Weeks

Inker: Lee Weeks

Colorist: Dean White

Cover Art: Lee Weeks & Dean White

Be warned – there are SPOILERS ahead!

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AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #626

“The Sting”

Writer: Fred Van Lente

Penciler: Michael Gaydos

Inker: Michael Gaydos

Colorist: Michael Gaydos

Cover Art: Michael Del Mundo

Be warned – there are SPOILERS ahead!

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