Spider-Manis arguably Marvel Comics' most popular superhero, and most readers are familiar with his history. However, Spider-Man’s life before high school isn’t explored as frequently as what comes after, and his new creative team has set out to change that by doing a deep dive into Peter Parker’s past.
On April 9th,The Amazing Spider-Man#1by Joe Kelly, Pepe Larraz, and John Romita Jr. will kick off an exciting new reboot of the Web-Slinger’s classic series. In an interview withAIPT Comics, writer Joe Kelly opened up about the many aspects of Peter Parker that the upcoming story will be delving into, and he reveals that this comic is exploring a part of Spider-Man’s past that many other series don’t touch upon as much.
According to Kelly,The Amazing Spider-Manwill touch upon Peter’s life prior to high school, shedding light on his middle school years in a surprising shift from his usual depictions.
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Ahead ofThe Amazing Spider-Man#1’s release this April, Joe Kelly discussed many story elements that will be unraveled within the comic, one of which involvesPeter Parker’s past. He said the following when discussing why he intends to portray a middle school-aged Peter in some capacity:
I’m sort of fascinated with Peter as a young person, like pre-high school. Because we haven’t really spent any time with him at that time period. And I feel like we get a lot of our hard wiring at that age.
The vast majority of Spider-Man stories out there tend to focus on Peter in either high school or his adult life, hardly ever exploring the periods prior to those stages.As such, a focus on who Peter was before he started high school and gained his superpowers via a radioactive spider bite would mark an interesting change.
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Kelly also elaborated on what exactly readers can expect from his depiction of a younger Peter Parker. He said:
You hit that age where you’re like 13, 14, and you start processing things differently. He lost his parents when he was younger, but what does that really mean to him as an adolescent? Does he act out? Is he more reserved? We always see him as the nerdy kid, but was he angry? Because when I go back and read those early books, Peter was mad a lot.
While Peter Parker isn’t known for being particularly rough around the edges nowadays, his younger versions - such as his teenage self - have been notably angrier. Adaptations may have lost this quality over time, butKelly’s take on Spider-Man will revive this idea by shining a spotlight on an adolescent Peter who is still working through the loss of his parents at such a young age. Exploring Spider-Man’s past is an intriguing prospect, and fans shouldn’t miss this bold perspective on Peter Parker’s early days.
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In many ways, Spider-Man’s next comic series will be going back to basics for Peter, pitting him againstclassic rogues and epic new villainsalike as he deals with grounded struggles like unemployment. Amidst these familiar concepts, however, the creative team will also be breaking new ground with its narrative direction for Peter. A younger, angrier Peter whohasn’t yet become Spider-Manwill be fascinating to see, offering something special for readers who have been curious about his earlier years.Spider-Man’s new era is a must-read for fans of the hero, as Peter Parker gets the character study he deserves.
The Amazing Spider-Man#1will be available on April 9th, 2025 from Marvel Comics!
