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Marvel Returns to Spider-Man: Reign
Last summer, Marvel Comics made a bold announcement regarding its intention to revisit what they referred to as “The Most Notorious Spider-Man Story Ever Told.” This declaration left many wondering for more specifics, prompting the world to demand further clarification. It was eventually revealed to be a sequel to Spider-Man: Reign, which led to yet another outcry, this time recalling the controversial element involving radioactive bodily fluids.
Exploring Spider-Man: Reign II
Marvel announced that Spider-Man: Reign II is set to kick off this summer with a five-issue miniseries. The original writer and artist of Reign, Kaare Andrews, known for this being his first significant work in the world of comics, is returning to delve back into the narrative he created in 2006. The story is an alternate future tale featuring an older, grizzled version of Peter Parker, grappling with a lifetime lived as Spider-Man. Notably, the continuity of this tale revealed that Peter’s radioactive fluids inadvertently caused his wife, Mary Jane, to develop cancer. This shocking revelation is revisited as Peter has a conversation with Mary Jane’s corpse, exhumed from the cemetery.
Andrews acknowledges the somewhat over-the-top elements of the original Reign and sees this return as an opportunity to bring a more mature perspective to his storytelling. In his own words, “Reign was full of tragic and dark absurdity that only a young creator could come up with. A way to challenge the idea of personal power and responsibility.” Furthermore, Andrews expressed a desire to explore the idea of rewriting the past and correcting the mistakes made in the previous narrative.
Speaking to the enduring relevance of the story, Andrews remarked, “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,” Andrews added. “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.”
What to Expect from Reign II
While details about Reign II remain sparse, it has been revealed that the series will introduce older iterations of fan-favorite characters such as Felicia Hardy, also known as the superthief Black Cat, and a second Spider-Man in the form of Miles Morales. The alternate cover art for the first issue hints at a somber direction for the narrative, with Miles replicating an iconic image from the original Reign series, albeit with a darker twist.
Set to commence on July 3, Spider-Man: Reign II promises to delve deeper into the complex themes and character dynamics introduced in the original storyline. The return of Kaare Andrews to this universe opens up new possibilities for storytelling and character development. Fans of the Spider-Man mythos eagerly await the next chapter in this intriguing saga.
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