Marvel‘s web-slinger is swinging into a fresh chapter this April as the publisher announces another relaunch of its flagship, Amazing Spider-Man, with an all-star creative team at the helm. The new era brings together writer Joe Kelly, fresh from The 8 Deaths of Spider-Man arc, alongside veteran artist John Romita Jr. and rising star Pepe Larraz, who recently garnered acclaim for his work on Blood Hunt and X-Men. While the series marks yet another #1 issue for the franchise, Kelly emphasizes continuity over reinvention.
“Even though this is a new #1, I don’t think of it as a ‘restart’ per se,” Kelly explained to Polygon. “I’m writing the next chapter of the story of one the world’s greatest characters, lucky enough to follow in the footsteps of the folks before me. After that sinks in, I spend a lot of time thinking about what I love about Spider-Man and his cast, what stories resonated with me at different times of my life, and how I can synthesize all of that into something that works with what came before but breaks new ground… I feel a drive to take bold, unexpected swings in order to see how Spider-Man deals with Marvel-sized curve balls. Pressure makes diamonds.”
The series finds Peter Parker in familiar territory — unemployed and job hunting — when his search is interrupted by “a rampaging Rhino who is but the tip of a sinister iceberg.” Marvel teases that a major Spider-Villain is “working behind the scenes weaponizing other Spider-Villains including one we haven’t seen in OVER SEVEN YEARS,” while also promising updates on the “Goblin-free Norman Osborn.”
Artist Larraz has taken a particularly methodical approach to capturing Spider-Man’s world. “The most important part of Spider-Man that I wanted to portray accurately is Peter,” he shared. “Of course I can talk about drawing a believable New York, I shot hundreds of pictures of details of the city for reference, or how I’ve focused on drawing the flow of Spidey’s movement and speed in a way closer to animation than comics. But I think Spider-Man comics work because we care about Peter and his world, so that was my main focus: To draw a Peter that you instantly recognize and empathize [with].”
Spider-Editor Nick Lowe expressed surprise at securing Kelly for an ongoing run.
“I didn’t think we could get Joe for a substantial run of Amazing Spider-Man. He’s always so busy with animation and television and movies, so he usually just dips in and out of comics,” Lowe noted. “That’s why we tapped him for The 8 Deaths of Spider-Man. He was doing so great, so when he asked if we’d consider him for being the ongoing writer, I felt like I won the lottery. Add Pepe Larraz’s masterful and supersonic talent to the equation, and we knew we had the makings of an instant classic. Then John Romita Jr. agreed to stay on… fireworks went off. I better go buy some lottery tickets!”
The relaunch succeeds Zeb Wells’ controversial run and comes as Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man, featuring a married version of the character, reportedly outperforms the main title in sales. However, the publisher appears committed to maintaining the current status quo established by the “One More Day” storyline.
Amazing Spider-Man #1, featuring colors by Marte Gracia and a wraparound cover by Larraz, swings into comic shops on April 9, 2025. The series promises to explore new aspects of familiar characters while delivering what Marvel describes as “classic Spidey storytelling with bold new horizons.
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