{"id":711823,"date":"2026-07-26T10:14:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T10:14:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/711823\/"},"modified":"2026-07-26T10:14:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T10:14:14","slug":"7-comics-you-must-read-before-spider-man-brand-new-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/711823\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Comics You Must Read Before Spider-Man: Brand New Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spider-Man, Spider-Man, less than one week \u2018til Spider-Man\u2026 Yes, true believers, Destin Daniel Cretton\u2019s Spider-Man: Brand New Day<\/a> is only a few short days away. But even as the MCU movie<\/a>\u2019s press tour kicks into overdrive, with Tom Holland, Zendaya, and co flying around the world to promote their street-level Spidey movie, it\u2019s kind of wild just how little we actually know for certain about what\u2019s coming in Peter Parker\u2019s big-screen return.<\/p>\n

Trailers have teased enough to leave us all tangled up in Brand New Day\u2019s web of intrigue, flashing glimpses of a crazy caper involving some rogue\u2019s gallery deep cuts, a potential Jean Grey, a possible Savage Hulk, and, er, \u2018Spider-Puberty\u2019<\/a>. When it comes to how everything ties together and what it all might mean however, Brand New Day\u2019s mysteries remain, well, a mystery.<\/p>\n

So, Team Empire has hit the books \u2014 comic books, that is \u2014 to try and find some clues as to what Spider-Man: Brand New Day may have in store for us on 29 July. From title-based teases to thematic through-lines to character-specific key books, we\u2019ve dug into Marvel Comics\u2019 back-catalogue to pull seven stories that may offer a taste of what Cretton\u2019s been cooking.<\/p>\n

And so, whether you\u2019re a comics superfan or hardly know your Hand from your elbow, scroll on and prepare to bulk up your pre-BND reading list\u2026<\/p>\n

1) Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2008)<\/p>\n

The Amazing Spider-Man #546 \u2014 564<\/p>\n

\"Spider-Man:<\/p>\n

Writers(s): Dan Slott, Marc Guggenheim, Bob Gale, and Zeb Wells<\/p>\n

On 27 December, 2007, the world of Marvel Comics was changed forever by the final instalment of J. Michael Straczynski\u2019s \u2018One More Day\u2019. A divisive yet hugely consequential run of The Amazing Spider-Man, JMS\u2019 dramatic storyline climaxed with Peter Parker making a deal with the actual devil, Mephisto, to spare Aunt May\u2019s life in exchange for his marriage to MJ, erasing their entire history as husband and wife in the process.<\/p>\n

When Spidey swung back onto the scene in the Dan Slott spearheaded \u2018Brand New Day\u2019, he reemerged in a world that didn\u2019t know his true identity, to an MJ he still loved but couldn\u2019t be with, and essentially found himself getting back to basics \u2014 a real Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man mostly tackling gangsters, goons, and otherwise non-superpowered folk. All of which is to say that if you\u2019re looking to catch the vibe Destin Daniel Cretton\u2019s movie is going for, to see the \u2018classic elements\u2019 of Spider-Man<\/a> Kevin Feige\u2019s been talking about bringing into the MCU, then there\u2019s a very good chance that you\u2019ll find it within these comics\u2019 pages. (Also, for comic book newcomers, this is a pretty solid place to start.)<\/p>\n

2. The Other (2005 \u2014\u00a02006)<\/p>\n

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1-4; Marvel Knights Spider-Man #19 \u2014 22; The Amazing Spider-Man #525\u2013528<\/p>\n

\"Spider-Man:<\/p>\n

Writer(s): Peter David, Reginald Hudlin, J. Michael Straczynski<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve been watching the most recent Brand New Day trailers and wondering just what the hell is actually happening to Peter Parker in this movie then, honestly, fair enough. Blacked out eyes, organic webbing, and heightened aggression in our lovable, dorky webslinger is hugely foreign territory for the MCU. But these alarming new developments in Pete\u2019s powerset have strong roots in the comics. Enter \u2018The Other\u2019.<\/p>\n

To cut a long and strange story short, \u2018The Other\u2019 is a four-act comic arc that sees Peter Parker die, shed his skin (yes, literally), and re-emerge from a cocoon having learned to embrace both the \u2018Spider\u2019 and \u2018Man\u2019 parts of himself. Both spiritually and literally reborn (seriously, this has to be read to be believed), Pete finds himself newly powered up with night vision, hypersensitivity to his webbing\u2019s vibrations, and also like a super sticky back. So if you want to chart a possible route we\u2019re about to head down as Pete tackles \u2018Spider-Puberty\u2019 in Brand New Day, give this fascinating, freaky, lore-heavy arc a swizz. There could however be an altogether stranger yet explanation for Pete\u2019s seeming BND transformation\u2026<\/p>\n

3. Man-Spider\u2019s Marvel Debut (1982)<\/p>\n

Marvel Fanfare #2<\/p>\n

\"Marvel<\/p>\n

Writers: Chris Claremont, Roger Mckenzie<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for an out there but not entirely implausible explanation for Peter Parker\u2019s extra spidery characteristics in Brand New Day, then we have to consider the possibility that the MCU is heading into Man-Spider territory. No, that isn\u2019t an alternate universe where a spider gets bitten by a radioactive man and takes on all of his human abilities. Rather, this is a full-on humanoid spider \u2013 pincers, extra limbs, and all \u2013 as first seen in Spider-Man\/Angel team-up series Marvel Fanfare.<\/p>\n

In the comics, Man-Spider is brought about by an unidentified machine transforming Spidey into the above-mentioned humanoid spider, a pitiful beast fully aware of \u2014 and able to articulate \u2014 his humanity slipping away. Perhaps more notable however is Man-Spider\u2019s appearance in Spider-Man: The Animated Series\u2019 \u2018Neogenic Nightmare\u2019 arc, where we learn that this arachnoid evolution is actually the final part of Peter Parker\u2019s post-spider-bite genetic mutation. When Tramell Tillman talks about the life cycles of a spider in Brand New Day\u2019s trailers, could he be teasing a more monstrous change in store for Peter? Perhaps that\u2019s why everyone and their nan seems to be out for Spidey in this film\u2026<\/p>\n

4. The Punisher Strikes Twice! (1973)<\/p>\n

The Amazing Spider-Man #129<\/p>\n

\"Spider-Man<\/p>\n

Writer: Gerry Conway<\/p>\n

The prospect of seeing Tom Holland\u2019s Peter Parker and Jon Bernthal\u2019s Frank Castle \u2014 aka The Punisher \u2014 sharing the screen at long last is easily one of Brand New Day\u2019s biggest draws. (Especially since Holland himself promised us we\u2019re getting \u201cthe Frank Castle we know\u201d here<\/a>.) And if you\u2019re looking for a sense of the chalk-and-cheese duo\u2019s dynamic before heading into the multiplex, there\u2019s really only one place to start: The Punisher\u2019s Marvel Comics debut in The Amazing Spider-Man #129.<\/p>\n

For starters, this issue perfectly tees up the ideological conflict between the merciful Pete and the merciless Frank as The Punisher finds himself hunting Spidey down. Further, it also comes just a few issues after \u2018The Night Gwen Stacy Died\u2019, and sees Peter Parker trying to find a way forward after losing his first love \u2014 a familiar headspace to the MCU\u2019s own heartbroken webhead<\/a>. And \u2014 AND! \u2014 TASM #129 introduces Brand New Day\u2019s rumoured secret big-bad Jackal, a biochemist and geneticist with a special interest in cloning\u2026 who just so happens to work at Empire State University. (Yes, that is the same ESU Bruce Banner is seen lecturing at in BND\u2019s promos.)<\/p>\n

5. X-Men Origins: Jean Grey (2008)<\/p>\n

X-Men: Origins Jean Grey One-Shot<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Writer: Sean Mckeever<\/p>\n

We\u2019re just a month out from Brand New Day\u2019s release now, and we still haven\u2019t had confirmation who Sadie Sink is playing in this movie. But c\u2019mon, she\u2019s wearing a Jean-coded green and yellow hoodie in the trailers, clearly has telepathic\/telekinetic powers, and is being introduced in the same movie that\u2019s bringing anti-mutant baddie William \u2018Bill\u2019 Metzger (Tramell Tillman) into the MCU. Surely that can\u2019t all just be a coincidence, right?<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re unfamiliar with Jean Grey\/Phoenix\/Marvel Girl\u2019s work, then our pick for the best place to start with Marvel\u2019s most powerful mutant would be Sean Mckeever\u2019s 2008 Origins one-shot. While Chris Claremont\u2019s iconic Dark Phoenix Saga may be the definitive Jean Grey story, it\u2019s not exactly a straightforward jumping-on point for the character. Mckeever\u2019s book however, gorgeously drawn by Mike Mayhew, is a quick read that covers all bases \u2014 from traumatic origins, to the extent of her powers, to the gift and the threat her abilities represent. If \u2014 and it\u2019s still a big if \u2014 Sadie Sink is playing Jean, then let\u2019s just say the balance of power in the MCU is about to change\u2026<\/p>\n

6. Hulk: Gray (2003 \u2014 2004)<\/p>\n

Hulk: Gray #1-6<\/p>\n

\"Hulk<\/p>\n

Writer: Jeph Loeb<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a mad thought: by the time Brand New Day comes out, it will have been eight years since we last saw Mark Ruffalo\u2019s Bruce Banner go full Savage Hulk mode, and fourteen years since the Green Goliath last transformed on-screen. But with cast members teasing a potential appearance from Banner\u2019s alter alter-ego Grey Hulk in Cretton\u2019s film, and the trailers teasing Savage Hulk\u2019s return, we reckon now\u2019s the time to revisit Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale\u2019s seminal Hulk: Gray, in which Hulk is both grey and savage.<\/p>\n

A key inspiration for Louis Leterrier\u2019s The Incredible Hulk<\/a>, this all-timer limited comic series offers a borderline Universal Monsters style redux of Hulk\u2019s origin story, indelibly capturing both the Hulk’s savagery and Bruce Banner’s vulnerability. For more on Grey Hulk specifically, Peter David\u2019s fun 2023 miniseries Joe Fixit \u2014 which actually features Spidey swinging into action to deal with a mob enforcer Hulk \u2014 will serve you well. Whether Brand New Day\u2019s Hulk winds up being Savage or Grey, suffice it to say that Smart Hulk\u2019s days seem well and truly numbered. For some wildly speculative further reading, maybe try Tom Taylor’s The Immortal Hulk: Great Power. Bruce Banner may not remember Peter Parker, but how about Hulk?<\/p>\n

7. Frank Miller\u2019s Daredevil (1981)<\/p>\n

Daredevil #174<\/p>\n

\"Daredevil\"<\/p>\n

Writer: Frank Miller<\/p>\n

The last time we saw The Hand in the MCU, the mystical troupe of ninjas seemed to have been dismantled for good \u2014 digit by digit \u2014 by New York\u2019s Defenders<\/a>. But following the Defenders\u2019 return in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, The Hand are also back back back in Brand New Day, tangling with Spider-Man in what looks to be some sort of high-security prison. If the MCU\u2019s Netflix era somehow passed you by however, then A) rectify that immediately, and B) get on Frank Miller\u2019s legendary Daredevil run.<\/p>\n

The Hand first surface in Daredevil #174, where they\u2019re hired by Wilson \u2018Kingpin\u2019 Fisk to take down Matt Murdock\u2019s Daredevil \u2014 and find themselves fighting both The Man Without Fear and his twin-sai wielding ex Elektra. Straight away, The Hand\u2019s, er, hand-to-hand combat prowess is clear to see, and if you continue with Miller’s stellar run then you’ll leave with a more-than-solid primer on Marvel’s agile assassins. As for their Brand New Day involvement, our best guess is that there\u2019s a really good lawyer who needs busting out of jail, and Spidey\u2019s gonna have to go through The Hand to free him. But don\u2019t quote us on that!<\/p>\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n

So there you have it, a solid comics starting point to tide you over until Spider-Man: Brand New Day thwips its way into cinemas on 29 July. In the meantime, if you\u2019re still craving more Marvel and more Spidey, then why not check out our ranked list of every MCU movie<\/a>? Or our ranking of all the Spider-Man movies<\/a> so far? A Brand New Day is coming, webheads\u2026 and our alarms are set!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Spider-Man, Spider-Man, less than one week \u2018til Spider-Man\u2026 Yes, true believers, Destin Daniel Cretton\u2019s Spider-Man: Brand New Day…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":711824,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[96,2839,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-711823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-entertainment","tag-movies","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/711823","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=711823"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/711823\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/711824"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=711823"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=711823"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=711823"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}