Spider-Man: Brand New Day Vol. 1

Collects Amazing Spider-Man #546-548 written by Dan Slott and drawn by Steve McNiven, Amazing Spider-Man #549-551 written by Marc Guggenheim and drawn by Salvador Larroca, Spider-Man: Swing Shift (from Free Comic Book Day 2007) written by Dan Slott and drawn by Phil Jimenez and a story from Venom Super Special #1 written by Dan Slott and drawn by Mark Bagley. Also includes three three-page teaser stories by Marc Guggenheim/Greg Land, Bob Gale/Phil Winslade and Zeb Wells/Mike Deodato.

Spider-Maan, Spider-Maan, spins his web like no one caan, duu-du-duuh, here comes the Spider-Maaan!!! I have been waiting for this book ever since I heard the first rumors of Spider-Man getting a makeover and going weekly! I liked some of the Straczynski stories, especially the early ones, but I am in that particular camp where people believe that Spider-Man had moved too far away from the core of what was originally Spider-Man and therefore I wholly applaud the idea of a reboot. Although I do consider continuity important, I think the integrity of a series is more important, and that was exactly what I felt was missing. I liked Straczynski's early stories exactly because they felt like a new beginning, but the more magic stuff and totems was introduced during the run, the less I felt like I was actually holding a Spider-Man comic in my hands. Straczynski had some interesting ideas, but they just didn't fit well with the core of what makes Spider-Man. Granted, Straczynski had been given a difficult job getting the series back on track after a decade of Spider-tragedies best left forgotten, and his was actually some of the better stories of that period.

So if you're in the opposite camp where people have a hard time forgetting Peter's and MJ's marriage, and want grown up Peter back, chances are you will disagree with this review. Ok, now don't say you weren't warned!

Included in the back of this book is a text titled 'Spider-Man Manifesto' written by Spider-Man executive editor Tom Brevoort, detailing his thoughts on what Spider-Man should be like after the relaunch and this is interesting reading. The original idea was to return Spider-Man to what originally made the series back in the late 60's/early 70's, which is considered by many the golden age of Spider-Man, so great, but modernize the setting, characters and concepts so as to not fall into the trap of simply copying what had been done before.

A main concern of Brevoort's has been to have Peter Parker take center stage again, and let Spider-Man come second, which means incrementally rebuilding the whole cast of (civilian) characters and reestablishing his secret identity. It also means that Peter Parker is now 25 years old, and a lot less 'established' than he was in recent stories. Spider-Man has once again become a coming-of-age story, and I was personally thrilled to see him trying to get a birthday cake to his aunt May, taking pictures for the Bugle, having girl trouble and cursing his Parker luck...ah, just like the old days...

But at the same time it feels new. Spider-Man of 2008 (well, 2007...) is set firmly in the Marvel Universe of that same year. He isn't registered and therefore the police is constantly after him. The baddies are somewhat more ruthless than they were 40 years ago. The dialogues are certainly updated, and the stories are that bit more suspenseful and edgy in the way that people have come to expect from the top creators of today. I guess you could say that the campiness is gone, but I think that is part of what makes it feel new.

And Marvel has certainly committed themselves to this project in bringing in the big canons, both script- and art-wise, and making the book (almost) weekly. The fact that it's published three times every month, means there will be a new tpb out every two months or so. Can you see the distinction between traditional comic books and tpb's fading like I do? I really hope this goes well, and I also hope that similar plans will be introduced for other of Marvel's major titles like X-Men and Avengers.

There's tons of other stuff I could comment on here, but I suggest you read the book yourself and see what you think. I haven't even commented on the stories themselves, don't get me wrong, they're good and makes you want for more, but the essence of this book is that Spidey is back and this time it feels right!

9/10