NY Comic Con - Amazing Spider-Man

Marvel Comics is relaunching their entire universe this fall with Marvel Now. Many existing series will wrap up their established runs and start fresh with a brand new first issue. The initiative is to help bring in new readers who may find decades of continuity daunting while cleaning up said continuity for long-time readers.

Today has been officially declared Spider-Man Day by New York City's Mayor Bloomberg so it was very fitting that the Amazing Spider-Man panel at New York Comic Con was today. With many books and series relaunching, it came as quite a shock when it was announced earlier this year that Marvel's flagship title Amazing Spider-Man would finish its fifty year run this December with issue 700. Current series writer Dan Slott even joked on Twitter the day that he finished writing the last issue that long-time fans would probably hate him and that he would have to go into hiding when they read the last page.

With many books relaunching in Marvel Now, it was assumed that January's Superior Spider-Man would simply pick up Spidey's story where Amazing Spider-Man left off. To the shock of many attendees, Slott announced, "It's an all new Spidey. This ain't Peter Parker."

When asked why the series was ending its run, Editor Stephen Wacker said, "We like stories to come to an end. It's been going for fifty years. [Long running hit TV series] Cheers came to an end."

"[Superior Spider-Man is the [Cheers spin-off] Frasier for Spider-Man," Slott joked.

Amazing Spider-Man #700, the final issue of the series, will come out December 26. "Put away the presents and bring out the Kleenex," Slott warned the audience. The only other Marvel book coming out that week will be Avenging Spider-Man #15.1 which will bridge the gap between Amazing and Superior

The first issue of Ultimate Spider-Man Infinite Comic is available for free downloadtoday and will go to the regular $2 pricing tomorrow.