About a month ago I put out an article urging first-time comic book readers to check out Marvel Comics’ All-New, All-Different relaunch – a vast all-encompassing universe-shifting (literally) change that started everything with new issue number ones. Now, that doesn’t mean Marvel’s thrown away the past. In some ways, this new Marvel universe is literally the culmination of their mainstream universe of the past and their formerly popular Ultimate universe that began in the early 2000s; however, the nice part is the new series work for fans of those comics that came before as well as newcomers since they act as an extension of those old stories without relying on them as a crutch.
Courtesy Marvel Comics
This relaunch has allowed me to get back into comics after many years away, and that’s why I’m here today to recommend my personal favorite so far: The Amazing Spider-Man. Now, yes, I may be a little biased since Peter Parker has been my favorite superhero essentially from the very day I discovered them (maybe the Tick at first? It’s difficult to say for sure…). In any case, this comic is pretty great! Longtime Spidey fans know Peter Parker has always struggled in his personal life, always putting Spider-Man’s needs over his own. Constantly underachieving, selling himself short, compromising beyond reason, Peter has had a rough time over the years; and this is precisely what makes the new Amazing Spider-Man so cool.
Courtesy Marvel Comics
Peter is finally on top of the world! He is in charge of his own tech company, Parker Industries, which has essentially taken the place of Tony Stark’s company in the Marvel universe in terms of innovation and significance (Stark is broke right now, essentially). With offices around the world, he’s changing the way people integrate technology into their lives – even the very way the internet works. On top of all this, he opts out of a huge salary in order to better service the world through his charity organization, The Uncle Ben Foundation.
Courtesy Marvel Comics
Now this is great and all, but what does it mean for Spider-Man? That’s the best part: Spidey has a budget – a BIG budget! A new reinforced suit with glowing eyes and spider-logo, high-tech web shooters with alternate forms of webbing (like concrete, acid, and metal webs), a Spider-Mobile that even the most implausible of James Bond films wishes they thought up, gadgets and gizmos galore! He might even have twenty thing-a-ma-bobs! Awful Little Mermaid references aside, this new Spider-Man is teched-out to the max and even can afford a permanent sidekick on payroll in the form of Hobie Brown, the Prowler.
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Now, as a long-time fan and reader it was a little jarring at first to see him so successful – after all, part of what made him so interesting was his underdog status. Some goofy kid from Queens decides to become a superhero and quickly became one of the most formidable out there. If you want those stories again, Marvel also currently prints Spider-Man which features Miles Morales as a teenage hero in the modern mainstream continuity or Spidey which tells stories from Peter Parker’s past as a teenager. Honestly, it’s kind of nice to see Parker as a successful adult for once. After all he’s worked for, this finally feels like a good payoff and keeps the new Spider-Man stories feeling fresh and interesting. Entire new sides of Parker’s personality and new problems for Spidey can arise from his new high-profile life – he now has everything to lose.
Courtesy Marvel Comics
Perhaps the best part is that this new series starts out strong with an interesting villain. An international terrorist organization called Zodiac is causing all sorts of trouble for S.H.I.E.L.D. and Parker Industries, so it’s up to Spider-Man to take them down – but their leader Scorpio may have some secret plans of his own. It’s a good story that kicks off right away and just feels very natural for the characters. I’m very excited to see where this series goes in the future, and definitely recommend you check it out.
What do you think about the all-new, all-different Amazing Spider-Man? Let us know in the comments below!
