In 2006, Kaare Andrews' groundbreaking Spider-Man: Reign series introduced Marvel fans to a cold, harsh world where Peter Parker lost everything. That searing portrait of Marvel's most iconic hero has lingered in our hearts ever since, and this year, a long-awaited sequel will finally be released.
In July, Kaare Andrews returns to this landmark, genre-defying saga in Spider-Man: Reign II, a five-issue limited series which will reveal more of the experiences this older, grizzled Peter Parker has had to endure from epic tragedies to inspiring triumphs.
However, hope always remains where the web-slinger is concerned, and in addition to those bleaker elements, it's said that we'll meet an all-new Black Cat, and catch up with another Spidey...Peter isn’t the only one who aged; just wait until you see what happened to Miles Morales!
"I never imagined that I would ever be creating a sequel to a comic series from so long ago, my first major work in comics," Andrews says. "Nor did I anticipate that a four-issue mini-series would continue to vibrate in the public consciousness today. But without fail, Spider-Man: Reign is mentioned in articles, lists, and social media posts. Many call it the most infamous Spider-Man story ever told."
"But for me, what’s kept it relevant is the love behind creating that book. This is the character I grew up with, the one that taught me how to be a man, how to live with failure and keep standing back up, the unrelenting force of trying to make things better."
"Reign was full of tragic and dark absurdity that only a young creator could come up with," he continues. "A way to challenge the idea of personal power and responsibility. But as I’ve grown older, and after sitting with this story for so long, I started to ask myself this question, 'What if there was a way to go back and change what happened? What if I could fix everything?'"
Spider-Man: Reign featured plenty of shocking developments, including the now-infamous revelation that Mary Jane Watson had died after years of being exposed to Peter Parker's radioactive bodily fluids.
Poor Spidey isn't quite in his right mind in this grim future so it should be fascinating to see how Miles, a character who didn't exist when the original series launched, factors into the story moving forward.
You can catch a glimpse at Miles Morales' Spider-Man: Reign II debut on the cover below.
SPIDER-MAN: REIGN II #1 (OF 5)
Written by KAARE ANDREWS
Art and Cover by KAARE ANDREWS
Variant Cover by KAARE ANDREWS
On Sale 7/3