Marvel Noise

Spider-Man Faces An All-New Menance (Literally!) in Amazing Spider-Man #549

The thrice-monthly adventures of your favorite friendly neighborhood Spider-Man continue in Amazing Spider-Man #549 as the wall-crawler faces an all-new menace – the appropriately named Menace! (duh) Brand New Day continues as writer Marc Guggenheim (Wolverine) and Salvador Larroca (newuniversal) kick off an all-new story arc. And as if that wasn’t enough, superstar artist David Finch provides a jaw-dropping variant cover!

In Amazing Spider-Man #549, not only will Spidey have to contend with the newest addition to his rogues gallery in Menace, but he’s… being sued?! Plus, the mystery surrounding the dead bodies tagged with spider-tracers deepens! It’s more of that ol’ Parker luck for Webhead, but he’s about to receive a helping hand from New York’s newest, red-headiest super hero –Jackpot!

Brand New Day has been met with great reviews as the first issue of Spider-Man’s new era, Amazing Spider-Man #546, has sold out at Diamond (though copies may be available at the retail level). But don’t worry as Amazing Spider-Man #546 Second Printing Variant, with a new cover featuring the spectacular interior art of Steve McNiven, is on its way!

Marvel urges retailers to check their orders on all issues of Amazing Spider-Man, as the series continues to receive high profile coverage from Newsweek, Yahoo.Com, People Magazine, USA Today, The New York Daily News and more!

Now that Amazing Spider-Man ships thrice monthly, it’s three times the amazing, three times the action and three times your favorite super hero!

Keep checking the new Spider-Office blog at http://www.marvel.com/blogs/Spider-Office for images and information you won’t find anywhere else!

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #549 (NOV072127)
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #549 FINCH VARIANT (NOV072128)
Written by MARC GUGGENHEIM
Art & Cover by SALVADOR LARROCA
Variant Cover by DAVID FINCH
Rated A …$2.99
FOC – 1/17, On-Sale—2/6/08

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #550 (NOV072129)
Written by MARC GUGGENHEIM
Art & Cover by SALVADOR LARROCA
Rated A …$2.99
FOC – 1/24, On-Sale—2/13/08

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #551 (NOV072130)
Written by MARC GUGGENHEIM
Art & Cover by SALVADOR LARROCA
Rated A …$2.99
FOC – 1/31, On-Sale—2/20/08

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #546 SECOND PRINTING VARIANT (NOV078192)
Written by DAN SLOTT
Art & Cover by STEVE MCNIVEN
Rated A …$3.99
FOC—1/17/08, On-Sale—1/30/08

SPIDER-MAN: SWING SHIFT DIRECTOR’S CUT ONE-SHOT (OCT072080)
Written by DAN SLOTT
Pencils & Cover by PHIL JIMENEZ
Rated A …$3.99
On-Sale—1/30/08

To find a comic shop near you, call 1-888-comicbook

Marvel is pleased to announce that Amazing Spider-Man #546, beginning the landmark Brand New Day storyline, has sold out at Diamond (though copies may be available at the retail level). Written by the friendly neighborhood dream team of acclaimed writer Dan Slott (Avengers: The Initiative) and superstar penciller Steve McNiven (Civil War), and kicking off the thrice-monthly shipping of Amazing Spider-Man, this issues launches a bold new era for Peter Parker as he must confront the new criminal elements, new threats…and search for a new job!

To meet the overwhelming demand for this issue, Marvel is going back to press with Amazing Spider-Man #546 Second Printing Variant, with a new cover featuring the spectacular interior art of Steve McNiven!

“As the controversial first issue of a new era for Spidey, Slott, McNiven and everyone else involved hit this one out of the park,” said editor Steve Wacker. “Love it or hate it, everyone’s takling about Spider-Man.”

ComicBookResources.com’s Augie De Blieck Jr gushed that Slott is, “the perfect writer for a Spider-Man book,” a sentiment echoed by SilverBulletComicBooks.Com’s Dave Wallace, declaring Brand New Day, “a reinvigoration of the Spider-Man mythos and a return to the classic roots of the character.”

Marvel urges retailers to check their orders on all issues of Amazing Spider-Man, as the series continues to receive high profile coverage from Newsweek, Yahoo.Com, People Magazine, USA Today, The New York Daily News and more!

Now that Amazing Spider-Man ships thrice monthly, it’s three times the amazing, three times the action and three times your favorite super hero!

Keep checking the new Spider-Office blog at http://www.marvel.com/blogs/Spider-Office for images and information you won’t find anywhere else!

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #546 SECOND PRINTING VARIANT (NOV078192)
Written by DAN SLOTT
Art & Cover by STEVE MCNIVEN
Rated A …$3.99
FOC—1/17/08, On-Sale—1/30/08

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #547 (OCT072078)
Written by DAN SLOTT
Art & Cover by STEVE MCNIVEN
Rated A …$2.99
On-Sale—1/16/08

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #548 (OCT072079)
Written by DAN SLOTT
Art & Cover by STEVE MCNIVEN
Rated A …$2.99
On-Sale—1/23/08

SPIDER-MAN: SWING SHIFT DIRECTOR’S CUT ONE-SHOT (OCT072080)
Written by DAN SLOTT
Pencils & Cover by PHIL JIMENEZ
Rated A …$3.99
On-Sale—1/30/08

To find a comic shop near you, call 1-888-comicbook

I’m sure this surprises no one coming from me, but as far as Spider-Man stories go, this was really, really good.

I’m not writing this as a full on review, but I had to jot down some notes regarding the main story of this issue (I’m not talking about any of the three backup tales, although the one spotlighting Aunt May was cute).

The art was top-notch. There may be some well of stock poses Steve McNiven goes to from time to time, but no more than George Perez, John Byrne, Dan Jurgens, or Jerry Ordway. Peter looked great, the women looked hawt, and Harry hasn’t looked this good since Gil Kane last drew the chap. Dexter Vines is a phenomenal inker, whose lines give the art just so much more depth. And of course, Morry Hollowell’s colors make everything shine. When the situation calls for it, that is. There are some scenes in alleys and the way they are colored, well, let’s say I’d keep my distance from the walls just out of the fear that I wouldn’t be able to wash the dirt out.

I like Dan Slott. No, actually, I love Dan Slott. He writes an.. er, amazing Spidey tale. And this is only the first part! Peter is witty, Harry is arrogant (in a good way), May cares but doesn’t want her nephew lounging around the house, and J.J.J…. Well, he’s J.J.J.

This issue explains that it’s been a few months since there have been any Spider-Man sightings. We do not know why Peter and Mary Jane split up. Yet. All we know is that she left for California after they’ve been seriously dating for years. We find out where Harry met his current squeeze, what May does at night, that the “Parker Luck” is still in full effect, and that things aren’t all sunshine and roses at the Daily Bugle.

There’s a spread that gives you the status quo and when I read it, I immediately felt that this is something that Stan would have written. Well done, Mr. Bob Gale. Having it illustrated by John Romita Jr. and Klaus Janson doesn’t hurt, either.

I’m not going to spoil anything because I think this is an issue that should be read. Judge it on its own merits. Without complaining about editors. Or tales from the past. Or delays. If you don’t think this is a real and honest-to-goodness Spider-Man story, I’d love to know why.

Highly recommended.

Writer: Dan Slott
Pencils: Steve McNiven
Inks: Dexter Vines
Colors: Morry Hollowell
Letters: Cory Petit
Editor: Stephen Wacker