It’s been established that Peter Parker will return in April’s new “Amazing Spider-Man” #1, but there’s no reason to assume it’ll be a smooth transition back to life. An April-debuting entry in Marvel Comics’ digital-first Infinite Comics initiative from writer Joshua Hale Fialkov and artist Juan Bobillo is set to pick up with Peter in the process of a bank robbery, devoid of his memories.
“If you remove identity and get to the core of who Peter Parker really is, is he a hero? Does his heroism go beyond Uncle Ben dying, beyond Gwen and Captain Stacy dying?” Fialkov asks, in an interview announcing the series on Marvel.com. “All the people and things he’s lost. All those sacrifices. At his heart — as a blob of tissue, removed from all personality and experience — would he act as a hero, when presented with the opportunities of a villain?”
Fialkov, currently writing much of Marvel’s current Ultimates output, has prior experience in the Spider-Man world, having written the “Alpha” miniseries starring the one-time Spidey sidekick. Bobillo has illustrated a number of Marvel projects over the years, most recently issues of “FF” written by Jonathan Hickman.
The new Infinite Comic, said to be composed “under the watchful eye” of long-running Spider-Man scribe Dan Slott, is set to run for 13 digital installments.
“You can put [Spider-Man] in horrific situations, but it’s inherent in him to deal with things with a light touch,” Fialkov said of the tone of his story. “He’s gonna keep working; keep grinding, no matter what. Yeah, it’s a drag. Yeah, it’s a bummer. But he knows that the only way to cope with it is to be Spider-Man.”
In the interview, Fialkov also expressed his admiration for the Infinite Comics format, which is intended to make use of the unique storytelling opportunities provided by tablets and other mobile platforms.
“It’s a whole new medium to work in, and that’s pretty exciting,” Fialkov said. “I can sit down with my daughter and read this form of comics, and it’s less overwhelming for her in that guided view. It’s a great educational tool and a great way to tell story.”
