Marvel’s Next Big Thing: Spider-Man: Big Time!

Had a nice chat today with Dan Slott and Stephen Wacker today about the future of Spider-Man. Both Amazing Spider-Man #648 and #649 hit in November, courtesy of the new singular creative team of Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos. The story line is called "Big Time" and for good reason. Everything about Spidey's life is changing in some pretty dramatic ways, and it's all happening in an increasingly bigger book. Slott promises 30 pages of content per issue, either as single 30 page stories or a 22 page main story with 8 page backup. Wacker's calling the book a "one-stop shop" for readers of the Marvel U, joking, "If you're only gonna read one Marvel book…" Slott emphasized just how seriously he's taking Spidey's place at the center of Marvel's continuity. This boy from Queens has the ear of Captain America, but as Wacker explains, he's the readers' "doorway" into this larger world. 

What else is big? The danger. Spidey's gonna have to face off with tons of villains from Brand New Day like Mr. Negative as well as some older rogues like the original Scorpion and the Kingpin (Slott wants him back after Frank Miller stole him away to Hell's Kitchen those many years ago). Hobgoblin's back too (with Vulture-tech wings AND a glider), and we'll know his alter ego from the get go. Slott also reminded us that he's responsible for 24 issues a year, so there's plenty of room to play with all this bigness. We'll be seeing a lot of old Spider-Man characters resurface. Their lives are changing too, and for some that might mean romance, and for others, leaving Peter Parker's neighborhood for a while. Expect a few cameos by the Avengers and the new Spider-Girl as well. 

What else? How about a brand new heroine?

Then there's Peter Parker's changing life. There's a new girlfriend on the horizon, though we'll know who she is well before Big Time starts up. And the biggest news by far? Peter's no longer going to have to live paycheck to paycheck. As reported earlier, Pete's getting a full-on career. Asked about the nature of this promising new gig, Slott conceded that it will be related to science, and this all ties in to Spider-Man's powers and costumes. He talked at length about the early days of Spidey's career when Pete would constantly develop new tech for his suit. That's since fallen away, but Slott promises new experimentation and advancements in wall-crawling and crime fighting. Wacker explained that one of Spider-Man's friends with a seemingly forgotten scientific past will open the door to this new career and all the resources that go with it. I asked if Spider-Man would be getting his own "Cave" or "Spider-Hole" as a setting for the development of such Big new things, but Slott was reticent to classify it that way.  

Here's a look at Amazing Spider-Man #648, the BIG-sized debut issue: 

 

 

Any guesses as to Pete's new career in science or the old nepotistic pal? 

Comments

  1. Cannot wait for this. I’ll miss the other writers but the stuff Slott has been saying about his run has me jazzed. Plus it’ll be nice to be buying spidey only twice a month

  2. Nice to know Spidey’s life is gonna improve a little bit. Can’t wait.

  3. Thanks so much for the preview, Paul. So we’re still getting almost as much material as with the current three issues per month. Excellent.

    I’m very happy that Peter’s job misery will be over, I hate seeing him pretty much a pauper, when he has so many pals who could give him a job/lend him money/provide quarters. I wonder who has the long-forgotten scientific past? I know Betty Brant can change a typewriter ribbon with the best of ’em.

     Just so long as Michelle remains in the book. I love Michelle. 

    Humberto Ramos isn’t an artist whose work clicks with me, but I hope he has fun on the book. I know Dan Slott will. 

  4. Big Time’s gonna be good times!

  5. It genuinely sounds like a goog time to check out Spider-Man. Lots of forward momentum. 

  6. Love Humberto Ramos’ Spiderwoman on that last page.I’m in!! BTW, 30 pages of content and the price stays $3.99?

  7. Is it still 3 times a month? I haven’t read ASM for yonks, although I might start picking it up again, the art in this is PURDY.

  8. @Jesse1125:  The art is great, but Spiderwoman’s right hand looks broken or something.  

  9. @Dodd – Twice a month, but with 30 pages per issue, all by Slott and Ramos, 

  10. I’m gonna say he works at the Baxter Building.

    http://i.newsarama.com/images/spideymartin_02.jpg 

  11. It’s been a good time to be a fan of Spidey, and by the looks of this it’s still going to be a good time to  be a fan of Spidey

  12. @magan – the Baxter Building? But Reed’s scientific past is hardly ‘seemingly forgotten’? Or are you thinking of Johnny’s mechanical knack, building the Spider-Mobile?

  13. I want to try ASM again, especially now the crap with BND is finally going to end. But the art…..oh man I hate it so much. Guess it is a good time as any to say I am not a Humberto Ramos fan. Way too cartoony for my taste and in general everything is just too off model for me. It’s a shame because I like Dan Slott and the stories coming out of ‘Big Time’ sound great…..Maybe trade wait.

  14. I don’t usually like Spider-Man, but it would be kinda cool if he were developing weapons-tech for SHIELD or something.  There’s a lot of moral ambiguity in being a weapons designer, but it’s good work, and good money (just ask Haliburton).  Oooh, maybe Pete will work for Haliburton!

  15. @TNC – isn’t this a continuation of BND (which, unlike OMD, has been generally very good)?

  16. Ramos art simply fantastic!

  17. I love Humberto Ramos.

  18. this looks good, I want to buy this!! November huh? wonder if I’ll remember by then

  19. @Mart: In a way yes. But I’ve seen interviews where Slott (and the people from BND) state that, that period of ASM is over. There will probably still be lingering storythreads, villains, and what not; but on a while it looks like ‘Big Time’ is a completely new era for ASM.

  20. @TheNextChampion Hmm, ta – I wonder how an ‘era’ is defined in comics today.

  21. Aarrr I dropped this comic 2 issues ago. When you finally get out they pull you straight back in.

  22. Avatar photo PymSlap (@alaska_nebraska) says:

    I’ve always loved Hobgoblin.

  23. Sounds great. I’m excited that Ramos is on the book and love his rendition of the Avengers.

  24. Great art, reminds me of Ramos run with Jenkins five or so years ago. But I won’t touch a spider-man book (aside from Ultimate) with a ten foot poll, and a Dan slott written one with twenty.

  25. Nepotistic? Was that word just created? 

     Since Peter Parker specializes in bio chemistry and whatnot, maybe he’s the next Kurt Connors, but with a lot more examples of what not to cook up in the lab.

     Glad to hear that Spidey’s getting back to his roots, showing off the big brain some more.

  26. That art looks DAMN FINE.  I’ll have no problem living with that for a while.

  27. @robby:I am intensely interested ib why you fin this art appealing to you. I’m not being sarcastic or confrontational. I am sincerely fascinated… 🙂

  28. When they talked about this at SDCC, they made mention that Spidey and the FF will be closer then ever. I’m going to guess that Parker who will now have his "dream-Job" will be working for Reed Richards making all sorts of new inventions and some things that he can use while out swing around.

  29. I was concerned they were going to drop the Brand New Day reality…I was prepared to drop the book if the marriage was brought back. BUT after OMIT I feel good that things are going to stay they way I like them and this upcoming team has me as jazzed as Thor’s new creative team!

    Big Time? Sounds like a good time to me!

  30. I love that highly stylized art. I might have to check this new run out.  

    @jumpingjupiter–at least for me i’m moving towards a more cartoon-y stylized aesthetic like this…its almost what i think comics should look like. The super realisim style that is so common just falls so flat for me usually because its not drawn from life (even though it feels like it needs to be). Its not good enough to be real, and not stylized enough to fee like a comic. If that only makes sense to me then thats cool. ha.  I think stuff like Guillroy’s work on CHEW is the gold standard for my tastes right now. 

  31. This sounds like ALL the right things to address with Spiderman-

    Better villians- back to the science roots- less of loser parker– he’s evolved time to admit it.

    Lets leave the days of street thugs in super powered costumes and magical demons who fuck with mortals lives b/c they have nothing better to do – behind us.

     

    This coud be a fully realized Spider-man.

  32. I….. want this!

     

    And that Spider-Man and Spider-Girl pic on the end is quite lovely. 

  33. @wally I like cartoony cartooning but to me a lot of Humberto’s art just looks off – like that Cap on the first page here …. it reminds me of that infamous Rob Liefeld Heroes Reborn Cap, with the tombola chest.

  34. Wait… so Ramos is going to be drawing 60 pages a month!?  This will kill him!

  35. I’ve never been a big fan of Ramos but his art is leaps and bounds over what it used to be. He art in the 90’s was too "anime" looking. Hated the big feet he always drew. Today his art is hit or miss depending on what he is drawing.