Marvel Thwips Up New Look at the Relaunched Amazing Spider-Man #1

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 7) #1 swings onto stands April 9.

January 14, 2025, 7:10pm

Amazing Spider-Man #1 wraparound cover by Pepe Larraz

With great power comes great relaunchability. Marvel’s previously announced relaunch of The Amazing Spider-Man may have a new #1 (on sale April 9), a new volume number (Vol. 7), and a new artist (X-Men and Blood Hunt‘s Pepe Larraz), but it’s more of a renumbering than a restart. Not only will this new era feature some of Spider-Man’s classic enemies — alongside one Spider-Villain “we haven’t seen in over seven years” — but it will be written by former Spider-Man/Deadpool writer and current Amazing Spider-Man scribe Joe Kelly, with art by Larraz and John Romita Jr. (best known for legendary runs on Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1, the J. Michael Straczynski-penned Vol. 2, and 2022’s relaunched Vol. 6 under Zeb Wells).

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In addition to a villain-filled wraparound cover by Larraz, 2025’s Amazing Spider-Man #1 will mark Eisner-nominated artist Simone Di Meo’s return to Marvel following his runs on DC’s Batman: The Brave and the Bold and Batman and Robin. The just-revealed variant cover by Di Meo, below, comes over five years after his work on issues of Immortal Hulk: The Best Defense, Old Man Logan Annual, Venom Annual, and Champions.

The debut issue will also feature variant covers by Ryan Stegman (X-Men and Superior Spider-Man Returns), Lee Bermejo (Daredevil and Winter Soldier), and the late Gil Kane, who penciled 1971’s Amazing Spider-Man #101 (the first appearance of Morbius) and the classic “The Night Gwen Stacy Died” arc spanning 1973’s Amazing Spider-Man #121-122.

A synopsis states, “The new run finds Peter Parker without a job and looking for gainful employment, but his job search is interrupted by a rampaging Rhino who is but the tip of a sinister iceberg. What major Spider-Villain is working behind the scenes weaponizing other Spider-Villains including one we haven’t seen in OVER SEVEN YEARS?! Also, what is that Goblin-free Norman Osborn up to these days?”

Amazing Spider-Man #1 wraparound cover by Pepe Larraz

Might that secret Spider-Villain be Mendel Stromm, a.k.a. Robot Master? Once the pre-Green Goblin Norman Osborn’s business partner before he became a cyborg supervillain, Stromm has been known to back other villains before his apparent death back in 2018’s Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 5) #5… seven years ago.

“Even though this is a new #1, I don’t think of it as a ‘restart’ per se,” Kelly told Polygon about the relaunch. “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.”

Kelly continued, “I’m fascinated by the internal lives of these characters and exploring new territory there — Peter’s youth is interesting, for example, the days before he was ‘puny Parker’ in high school. At the same time, 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.”