New York Comic Con hasn’t even started yet and we’ve already got another big announcement to chew on. This one comes courtesy of the recently rebranded USA Today and it’s a doozy.
The Amazing Spider-Man #700 will be the “last” issue of that series and come January it will be replaced by The Superior Spider-Man.
Written by Spider-Man overlord Dan Slott, and featuring a rotating cast of artists–Ryan Stegman on the first arc, followed by arcs by Humberto Ramos and Giuseppe Camuncoli–The Superior Spider-Man promises a newer, darker Spider-Man. First up? New costume. Second up? New abilities. Third up? New man behind the mask? Possibly. They’re being cryptic about that last point. (My guess? Probably not.)
One thing they’re not being cryptic about? Spider-Man’s about to get dark.
“The one thing that does not go with this Spider-Man is the term ‘Friendly neighborhood.’ No. That’s gone,” Slott says in the article. “I’ve always been the omniscient hand that’s been protecting Peter Parker and Spider-Man, and not letting anything too bad happen to him. And now I’ve become this cruel god. There’s something exciting about that, about going, ‘Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha, here is what’s going to happen to you, Spider-Man!’ And it’s drastic and it’s big and it’s exciting and it’s never been done before.”
Click on over to USA Today for more from Slott, artist Ryan Stegman, and editor Steven Wacker.
UPDATE!
Marvel has released this character design sheet:
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Uh really?!
I’ve enjoyed most of Slott’s run. I’m all for changes, but to me Spider-Man shouldn’t be Batman.
This.
Exactly… Spider-Man is my favorite Marvel superhero and I’ve been reading the title for a while now… If something ain’t broken, why the fuck do you want to fix it!? (And to the smart ass that’s going to answer me: Duh, cause Marvel can!, well screw you buddy, screw you!!) 🙁
Agreed. It’s been what separated spidey from the rest of the books I read. I don’t see the need to rebrand without changing the creative team. In fact, this reeks of desperation.
This quells some of my fears about the whole spidey getting doc ocks arms. Slott says whatever he has in store has never been done before and if anyone would remember Funeral for an Octopus besides me it would be Slott
however if this happens again http://scrawl05.tripod.com/images/ls/octopus1.gif after Slott said this was a brand new never been done before idea I’m writing a letter and calling shenanigans
Thank the lord theres no doc ock arms. Very interested now and stegman can’t get better.
I never feared for that once. It would be a HUGE re-hash of the multiple arms story only with metal arms. I’m 100% behind @JeffMichaelVice now. Pete is forced to kill Doc Ock in a “kill me or else” situation. It’s so mentally destructive to Pete that his “The Other” weapons come back and he get’s “dark” because he has to break his moral code.
i can’t believe it superior spider man i think thats all i can take keeping sloot was bad but this i already have scarlet spider as my dark spider man why more dark.well i started at 529 and end at 700 probably not i don’t know yet.
maybe i took it to hard i like slott i just would had liked a changed other then the name but i was a little hard and i’m sorry i spelled slott name wrong i use a ps3 to type and can’t allows tell again sorry.
I really don’t mind the change in tone if it’s handled well, but it doesn’t quite sit right that there won’t be a book on the shelf called Amazing Spider-Man. i know its happened to other long-running titles, but still, just seems wrong.
That cover is pretty sweet though. I am curious about it though. I’ll probably give this two arcs to grab me.
That’s how i feel. I’m all for a new tone and a new direction but not being able to walk into a shop and buy the new ASM is going to be weird.
also Superior Spider-Man doesn’t have the same ring as Spectacular or Sensational
This isn’t the same pic as Ryan Stegman posted earlier but the cover price was $4.99 can anyone confirm if thats going to be the ongoing price.
http://ryanstegman.tumblr.com/post/33310459168/superior-spider-man-hath-been-announceth-my-new
Wow, this sounds terrible! Talk about a jumping off place for Spidey fans!
Ehh as Slott said in an article…keep reading, theres a point. I’m in.
Didn’t they already “Turn Off the Dark”?
I hate to be a negative one, but I was a huge DC fan, and yet The New 52 has me buying only like 3 DC titles now (down from close to 15) and I haven’t been buying hardly ANY Marvel titles in the last year and none of the new Marvel Now books look terribly exciting. I used to love Spider-Man, and the artists are good, but there’s really nothing left that leaves me to be all that excited. #700 may just be a great stopping point. It is just me?
I feel the same way. I was getting 12 titles from DC and now I get 2. Same for Marvel. I buy more Image books though.. TWD,Saga,Invincible. For the first time in over 20 years i might not have ASM on my pull list!
Well, I guess this Spider-Man thinks he’s just a little bit superior to the old one.
-The Church Lady
Eeeeeeee….*tugging collar*
I’ve never liked Slott’s Spider-Man work, and now that he’s removing what makes Spider-Man who he is (friendly and neighborhoodly) in exchange for darkness and angst, I can now NEVER pick this book up and I’ll be totally happy about it…
If Peter Parker turn becomes a crime boss and erects a Japanese tower in the middle of Time Square, I will never forgive Dan Slott. Ever.
Also, Marvel better be VERY careful how they introduce a “new man behind the mask”. Kirkman did it in Invincible because its an obvious temporary change while Mark is injured. Bendis was able to do it in Ultimate because Miles is awesome and that Peter Parker is dead. In the mainstream 616, changing the man behind the Spider-Man mask has never gone well. I hope Slott knows what he’s doing.
Lastly, why is it “Superior” Spider-Man? That sounds REALLY cocky for no apparent reason.
Is this announcement really a “doozy”.
Same writer, same character, very slight change of costume?
I’ll definitely be jumping off after ASM #700.
Yeah I’m dropping off too at 700. I’ve enjoyed Slott’s run, but I just need a break.
Really? You’ve enjoyed his work so why quit on him for tryiing something different?
I just need to cut back on some titles. I just finished Ends of the Earth and I’m behind on this and some other titles
Biggest Marvel fan around. But now your just pissing me off. (wow… speechless and super pissed)
I wonder why Marvel had Slott stay on Spider-Man. It’s not like his run was the best in history. Should have given it to some other writer to mess around with.
like nick spencer or D&A that would had worked
I am still pissed that Stegman left Scarlet Spider (even if I like Pham).
This makes me wonder if that was the plan all along or if Stegman’s going to bail after a certain number of issues. Mr. Stegman, I know you’re a member here, so can you please illuminate us?
I look at Scarlet Spider as the title Stegman was put on to earn a higher spot on the totem pole. “If you nail the fuck out of this shit, we’ll upgrade you to the top books, brah.” (Had to throw the bro in) Then he nailed the fuck out of that shit, and got Fantastic Four and now Spidey. Sucks he ain’t on Scarlet Spider, but that book is still good and he earned his spot on two of the biggest books Marvel has. Good on em, I say.
They’re renumbering a book. Not a big story at all.
“I am frothing with rage over the fact that Marvel has the audacity to change the adjective of a title and renumber the book for the second time. In response, I will bitch about the decision for three months, passing up no opportunity to publicly shout my rage to the mountaintops, even though the mountains do not listen, or really care. I do so because it makes me feel superior (ironically enough). However, once my disdain has been properly expressed, I will probably buy the issues in January, just so I can have something new to bitch about. Because this is the way…”
The one rumor that seems to have gained some steam from this announcement is that Doctor Octopus is taking over Peter/Spider-man’s body….there are actually quite a few hints that this could be the case.
WOO HOO!!! I’M IN!!!
I just don’t get those of you who are jumping off because of this switch. Just think of it as 701 and enjoy what Slott and company are doing. Who cares what number it is or what the title is changed to. if you enjoy the character and its creators, stick with it!!!
the problem is marvel said new writers not same writers with new ideas but new everything so sloot stay we have a right to be mad.
They never said that the new writers/artists deal was line-wide. So stop bitching about something you thought you heard/read.
Also, it’s Slott. Not Sloot.
so Marvel makes and announcement and the reaction is
1. They are changing something, that’s it, I’m out
2. They aren’t changing anything, that’s it I’m out.
you know forget the New 52 and Marvel Now, I think its the fans that need a reboot/restart/rewhatever
that’s it im out
Well said.
I’m one of those who enjoys Slott’s stuff, so having Stegman on board is a total plus.
Hinting that bad things happen and that the book will be darker doesn’t sound bad either. Despite being fairly upbeat, Slott has hammered us down a couple times over the course of his run, so he can do the dark stuff. Plus, wouldn’t you want to change it up as a writer? He’s been doing the Big Time fun stuff for a good while now. I’m down to see if he can stretch his legs a bit. I mean, if it sucks, I’ll drop it. Ain’t no biggie.
Bring on the Stegman, Slott!
Full agreement with you, man. I’ve been reading Spidey for about 18 years now. It’s going to take a lot more than whatever everyone’s dreading to make me quit.
i might give it a try. Dark and Gritty Spiderman though…eh really does not sound appealing to me at all. who knows could be cool, but kinda weird at this point.
Kinda sucks there will be no comic called “Amazing Spiderman”
But I kind of thought the point of Spider-Man was that he WASN’T superior…? He was supposed to be the character that everybody could relate too. :-/
I will check it out for sure. I’ve been enjoying Slotts run. As long as Alpha doesn’t become Spider-Man or something.
…I would read this for the artists alone…
The biggest difference between the New 52 and Marvel Now is the titles…. yes they changed the costumes and gave all our heroes a brand new beginning but at the very least DC had the decency not to fuck with the titles. Superior Spider-Man doesn’t exactly have a nice ring to it in the very least…. Also if they really do decide to replace Peter Parker with somebody else this is going to blow.
It’s amazing to me how everybody judges a book before it even comes out. Come on people, stop enhancing the stereotype of the bitchy whiny fanboy! How about judging something on its actual content and not one piece of promo art and a blurb? I have been loving what Slott has done with Spidey in the past and can’t wait to see what h has in store for us in this new title. Maybe I will keep loving it, maybe I won’t, but I’m not about to judge the book until its actually released and I ave actually read it!
I’m all in for this. I had doubts about other titles (Uncanny X-Force for example) that make the top of my stack every time they come out now. If it doesn’t grab me so be it. It’s better than missing something awesome that I’ll enjoy.
Just looked at the design sheet… *huge sigh*
Retractable claws on fingers and big toe… humm.
Looking forward to this………..
also picked up my books today and got a Marvel NOW! poster. Is it just me or does Spidey’s costume in the poster resemble Miles Morales’ costume a bit?
I Love Stegmans art. And i Love Slott’s run on Spider-man so far. But part of what i Loved so much was that it wasn’t dark. I have enough faith in Slott to at least give the first arc a shot. But, honestly it does not sound good.
If “dark” can mean “serious”, than I’m in favor. All the clowning and joking inspired me to drop the title. Yes, I know Spidey is known for humor, but Slott’s executions were over the top and cringe worthy.
That’s exactly why I love my ASM book! I like it cause it’s funny and full of references to pop-culture, it’s the nerd book of Marvel!
I really enjoyed that Peter had a cool job that allowed him to do his Spider-Man stuff and his life was going well but still had complications. If the story has a plan then I will stick around to see if I like where its going. Everyone cried when Azrael replaced Bruce as Batman but that story had a point and things returned to more of a status quo once the story was complete. Hopefully Superior Spider-Man is a nice contained storyline and they will restart Amazing Spider-Man in time for the next movie.
Didn’t they do this- trying to change Spider-Man- a few years ago? Stark built him new suite, and then the whole ‘Evolve or Die’ story line. Parker had these Wolverine-like ‘stringers’ that shot out of his wrist, he can sense his environment using the hairs on his body, and things can stick to him and he got organic web shooters.
Well that really didn’t work… IMO… Spider-Man is always about the story, not about powers.
I am so tired of Marvel ending titles only to restart them again. Amazing Spiderman should not end. They should start this new title like they have done so many times in the past. It doesn’t sound even remotely close to how Peter would be and before you say give it a try before you blast it, for the record, I have been collecting Amazing Spiderman since 1975 so I have stuck by this title for many changes. I m not one to complain(If I were I probably wouldn’t still be collecting Marvel Comics since the 1970’s), but honestly enough is enough. If they want to change the tone of the title they can do so withing the confines of Amazing Spiderman and start the change at 701. Not every change in a book requires a new title or a new number. Sorry to complain but my 35 plus years of collecting Marvel Comics gives me a good perspective.
I felt the same way about Batman and Detective Comics last year. But….eventually I got over it. We are in this for good art and good stories. If it has that then the rest is just a title and a number on the cover IMO.
Over the 50 years AMS has been published, it’s been such a flexible book. Writers have been able to do just about anything they’ve wanted to. There’s been tragedy, comedy, and all manner of drama in-between. So we’re heading for a dark period in Spidey’s life. I wonder if the character can be stretched far enough to be the anti-hero that they’re teasing him becoming. Peter/Spidey’s personality is well defined by now. Where is there room for wisecracks if you turn Spider-Man into the Punisher or even a Batman style hardass? And is Spider-Man really Spider-Man without his sense of humor?
Great points triple, you nailed it completely!
Looking at it that way makes the idea work and is true for the history of the book. Well said, I love that psychology has such an effect on a good comic book character and whether or not the fan “gets it”.
Why Superior? Title sucks but don’t mind the changes, his costume was red and black when he 1st came out and it works well with the new eyes design but my question is just how dark are we talking cause like a few fellow fans above I feel “he doesn’t need to be Batman”, “I already have Scarlet Spider for dark” and “what I like is that he doesn’t feel like any other characters”. I’ve liked plenty of Slott on ASM and Stegman will be a treat but see no point in changing the title, an edgier Spidey could be a nice change but dark? We already have Venom, Scarlet Spider, Carnage…all of them in one mini series….500 other dark characters……Amazing!
I like all the exclamation points after “angry!” and “aggressive!” in the drawings. You can tell they’re having fun with it.
I’m loving reading everyone’s reactions to the claw too. It’s a friggin’ claw! I could install one in my shoe, dudes. Ain’t no big deal for super science nerd to install a damn claw.
Hell, what if it’s Kaine in the suit? Something bad goes down and Scarlet Spider has to take over for a hot minute. Wouldn’t be the first time, and as a fan of the current Kaine/Scarlet Spider book, I’d be down.
I don’t know why y’all are so scared of – oooohhhhHHH DUM DUM DUM – POSSIBILITIES! OMG POSSIBILITIES! Rabble rabble rabble!!
When I read the book would be called “Superior Spider-Man”, I was excited, as clearly JMS would be coming back, right? Otherwise, it’s called “So-So Spider-Man”.
I dropped this book when the so very awful Spider Island confirmed that Marvel no longer gave a crap about the character.
I am waiting for Sanctimonious Spider-Man to hit the shelves.
I’d only buy that if it was the re-launched #1 after they ended the epic run of the ‘Supercilious Spider-Man’! That’s the one where his new costume has a frilly lace pattern instead of the webs. 😛
Followed by ‘The Superfluous Spider-Man,’ in which the job of spider-based hero is outsourced and Peter is laid off.
I still prefer Slott’s run on “Superb Spider-man”, when he went to people house and changed their clothing style to be more classy.
Love all of Slott’s stuff so far so I’m willing to be optimistic here and embrace the new changes. As long as the stories are good and the changes are made for a legitimate reason, I won’t have a problem. Roll on #700.
Spider sense tingling… telling me to purchace Avengers books instead.
I love Miles in the Ultimate U but if Peter isn’t “Spiderman” I don’t know why I’d want to read “Superior” Spiderman…
Kitty claws and a free-standing big toe… With a claw of its own for good measure. Drop Amazing in favor of the Church Lady’s Superior tag line because… Well… Just because! I tend to be unhappy with story changes driven by editorial directives that conflict with with the ongoing narrative. Dark Reign produced a few months of horrible-to-read comics, as writers tried to adjust to the new status quo. I regret reading this press release info because now I’ll be reading this comic with built in skepticism that it was a natural story evolution, and not just a crass marketing stunt. And I think that’s a proper response. This sounds more like “The Other” than the Death of Gwen Stacy to me. Dark Spider-Man stories can be great; stunt Spider-Man stories almost never are. But I like to look at Ryan Stegman’s art, and I know I’ll read the first two issues before deciding if I find any entertainment merit to the change, but there’s no denying the sudden about face has already left me with a bad feeling.
I’ll at least flip through it when it comes in, but I have to admit this sounds ridiculously bad. More stunt than story, I assume it’s something that would have no merits if not for the great creative team on it. Oh well, there are always back issues.
If what I read on the internet somewhere else is correct, Marvel has announced at NYCC that the Superior Spider-Man is NOT Peter Parker under the mask and that this Spider-Man, whoever he is, will be getting together with Mary Jane. The cover of SSM #2 has a big picture of SM kissing MJ in a ‘sweeping off her feet’ motion.
Let the speculation begin. Is Peter dead? Injured? Mind controlled / invaded by someone else?
Wait… Peter can’t be with MJ but a new, replacement Spider-man can be with MJ immediately upon meeting her? I hope you misunderstood whatever it was you think that you heard/read…
Nope, It’s looking more official as other sites have posted the cover to SSM #2 and quoted Marvel as to what I wrote above. We should know more by the end of the weekend.
Different costume, different powers, different guy in the suit. ‘All-new’ darker tone. There is absolutely nothing in there that hasn’t been done before. They’ve all been done before, and they’ve always sucked, in fact. Every time. Those elements were what almost destroyed the character and buried the book 15 years ago. I know that’s why I stopped reading. Seriously, do Marvel and DC have some kind of suicide pact type thing going here? Because both companies seem hellbent on repeating every stupid mistake from the nineties they can possibly manage.
My guess for who’s in the suit now: 616 Miles Morales. Because that would be original and we’ve never seen it before.
When you mentioned the nineties, you forgot to mention the enormous sales the big two had. Recently Batman 13 had a die cut cover; my LCS told me that Valiant is going to do a hologram cover. The gimmicks aren’t limited to packaging, but can be found in the storytelling and art, too. Before I bust a blood vessel over the announcements, I’m going to actually read the books to find out if it’s just a stunt or not. If I don’t like what I read, I’ll drop it.
“My guess for who’s in the suit now: 616 Miles Morales.”
Ha! How perfectly that could fit into the end of Spider-Men #5. I’d stick around for that!
Though not sure how I’d feel about a darker Miles.
Ooh :O cool!
I’m not gonna judge before I read it, which I definitely will do. I will say this. There are some characters in comics that I don’t think should be tampered with. Peter Parker as spider man is one of them. I am curious to see how this book will fare. I really have enjoyed all Slott’s Spidey work.
I agree with this. I don’t read the comic because I just want to read about someone with spider-based powers. Peter Parker is the draw for me. That said, I’ve enjoyed Slott’s run thus far and I want to see what he will do.
I wonder what Mephisto thinks of this.
I wish them great success.
I’ve been reading since Big Time.
#700 will be the last issue I buy.
I’ll catch up with this later in a public library trade.
Time for some subscription culls.
Claw on the TOE? Really?
Nothing’s gonna make me stop read Spidey, but I’m a little weirded out by this “new” spider-man.