Press Release
Spinning out of the top-selling Marvel NOW! sensation “Superior Spider-Man”, Eisner Award Winning writers Mark Waid (Daredevil, Kingdom Come), James Robinson (Starman) and international superstar artist Gabriele Dell’otto (Secret War) take the world’s greatest super hero on a globetrotting adventure like never before in Spider-Man: Family Business – hitting stores worldwide in April 2014! Someone has Spider-Man in their crosshairs and there’s only one person in the Marvel Universe who can save him…Peter Parker’s secret sister! As the web-slinger faces his darkest hour, will she end up becoming his greatest ally…or the one who damns him? This all-new, fully painted, original graphic novel marks the second offering in Marvel’s all new original graphic novel line, featuring the world’s most popular super heroes brought to life by the best creators and debuts in a high-end, oversized format featuring sophisticated packaging and design.
Spider-Man’s life is full of deadly twists and turns, and when his greatest surprise is not only related to him but his sister, Spider-Man’s world is turned upside down! Who is this mysterious member of the Parker family, and can she be the ally Spider-Man desperately needs while the Kingpin is organizing the greatest global crime syndicate in the history of the Marvel Universe?! Thrust from the comforts of New York City and into the terrors of international crime, Spider-Man faces one of his greatest challenges yet.
“This is a blast.” said Waid. “Adding new elements to the Spider-Man mythos, redefining the Kingpin, and doing it all in partnership with one of the medium’s best and most celebrated writers. What’s not to be excited about?”
“This is a truly unique moment in the life and career of Spider-Man and I’m honored to be a part of the team that gets to tell it,” added Robinson. “It’s been a blast working and collaborating with Mark, Gabriele, and editor Stephen Wacker. There is no amount of thanks or excitement that can truly measure the scope of the opportunity!”
To meet demand from Marvel Entertainment’s rapidly growing international fan base, Spider-Man: Family Business will be released simultaneously worldwide in North America, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Brazil, Finland and Turkey. Every international edition of Spider-Man: Family Business will be translated into each area’s primary language, allowing fans all over the world to effortlessly join in the global release of this graphic novel.
“Ask anyone in the world who their favorite super heroes are, and there’s no doubt that Spider-Man sits on the top of their list,” said David Gabriel, SVP Sales, Print & Digital, Marvel Entertainment. “With that peerless popularity in mind, we worked hard with Panini to ensure that Web-heads can enjoy Spider-Man: Family Business no matter where they are.”
“When you release a cutting-edge graphic novel featuring the greatest pop-cultural icon of this century, you spare no expense,” said Axel Alonso, Editor in Chief, Marvel Entertainment. “That’s why we brought out some of the comic industry’s top guns—Mark Waid, James Robinson and Gabriele Dell’Otto—for an unforgettable adventure that will surprise both new and seasoned longtime Spider-Man readers.”
Additionally, this original graphic novel will also include a code for a bonus digital edition of Spider-Man: Family Business, redeemable for reading via the Marvel Comics app (for iPhone®, iPad®, iPad Touch® & Android devices) and online in the Marvel Digital Comics Shop. This code is included at no extra charge, allowing fans to keep their copy of Spider-Man: Family Business safe on their bookshelves but still carry this jaw-dropping adventure with them on the go to read anytime, anywhere! Spider-Man: Family Business features special augmented reality content available exclusive through the Marvel AR app – including cover recaps, behind the scenes features and more that add value to your reading experience at no additional cost.
Spider-Man: Family Business will be available April 2nd, 2014 in book stores, comic shops, the Marvel Comics app (for iPhone®, iPad®, iPad Touch® & Android devices) and online in the Marvel Digital Comics Shop.
Stay tuned to www.marvel.com for more details on Spider-Man: Family Business and join the discussion on Twitter using #SpiderMan.
9 Comments
Waid is awesome but I am so sick of the “secret sibling” trope.
Boo
Spiderman, world’s greatest hero? When did that happen?
I would think in the Marvel-verse it would be Iron Man if we are measuring popularity. Everyone loves those movies. After the original Sony picture the Spiderman franchise went to hell (though Amazing Spiderman was pretty rad).
Also last time I checked (admittedly it has been a long time since I cared enough to read about the web slinger) doesn’t Spiderman get a lot of flak from the citizens of Marvel’s NYC?
PS. I think Cap is the most hero-ey hero there is. Guy makes Superman look like a jerk.
Secret sister… You’d think after the clone saga they’d learn, but we never know it might turn out well.
Still think it a bad move, unless it’s ulitmate U spiderwoman been sent to the main verse, that could work.
Dawn Parker?
So… which Spiderman is this? The original Pete, the Clone Pete, the Ben Rielly Spiderman, the Ultimate Spiderman, The Minority Spiderman or the Doc Ock Spiderman? Score card! You can’t tell the teams apart without a score card! Didn’t they already do this this only with Pete’s daughter only to later retract the whole thing? I am so confused…
Spider-Man has a hyphen. Every time you type it without, they kill another member of the Lee/Romita supporting cast…
I like the concept but it’s nothing new. Marvel started out with a line of Epic Graphic novels that featured square bindings, white paper, superior coloring (for the day) and great story lines. We got such wonderful graphic novels as “The Death of Captain Marvel” “Starstruck” “God Loves Man Kills” and the first “Moonknight”… it was some wonderful stuff, back in the day. What happened to it? Marvel wasn’t able to sustain the quality, to be honest, and made the decision to milk the cow long after it ran dry. The Epic line turned into little more than monthly comics with the same mediocre quality as the regular monthly books (i.e., occasional moments of brilliance hidden between issues of shlock) and eventually Epic just faded from the scene. I am willing to bet that history will repeat itself here, too, so my advice to everybody is to jump on the bandwagon and enjoy the ride before it goes south on us.
Why, though, are they announcing this nearly a year ahead of time? That does not bode well. If they don’t get enough pre-orders does this turn into a phantom book?
This has been done before.
Back in the early 2000’s, Adam Troy-Castro wrote a trilogy of prose novels featuring the Sinister Six.
http://www.amazon.com/Spider-Man-The-Sinister-Six-Combo/dp/074348715X
In it, Peter Parker found a photo of his parents holding a baby. The problem is that the picture was taken two years BEFORE Peter was born…and it was a baby GIRL.
At the same time, the Sinister Six was reforming, along with a new member, a girl named Pity. Throughout the books, Peter (and the reader) is not sure whether or not Pity is actually Peter Parker’s long-lost sister.