Make Mine Marvel: Looking Back at “Brand New Day”

Marvel Comics has no shortage of classic stories. All Marvel fans have a favorite character or series they’ve been reading for a long time, but every now and then Marvel creates a story that draws everyone’s attention and stands out above the rest.

With that in mind, I’ve decided to take a look back at these classic stories and maybe help you decide whether or not you would like to check them out. Our next series is perfect for the start of the new year. After everything changed for Spider-Man at the end of the “One More Day” arc, he had to begin a…

Brand New Day

The events following Civil War became very complicated for Peter Parker. While promoting the Superhuman Registration Act, Peter unmasked and revealed to the world that he was Spider-Man. That of course made things difficult for a hero who kept his true identity a secret for so long. The unfortunate result was a hired hitman shooting and killing his beloved Aunt May.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, Peter was approached by Mephisto, a demon who comes to him with a deal. To save his dear old aunt, Peter has to forget his marriage with his wife Mary Jane Watson and start over. After a heartbreaking series of comics, Peter agrees and his life is changed forever.

What follows, is the beginning of a “Brand New Day.” Peter has his secret identity back, Aunt May is alive and volunteering at a homeless shelter and Mary Jane Watson wants nothing to do with him. And with all that, we also get a new wave of Spidey villains to give the wall-crawler some brand new headaches. Mister Negative, Menace, Freak and Screwball all show up to ruin Peter’s day.

“Brand New Day” is perfect for people who want a fresh Spider-Man story. It’s almost a reintroduction to the character as so many things in his life have changed. If you’re tired of reading the same old villains and plots, this story arc has something, well… brand new for you.

This also makes it a perfect point to jump in for casual fans. If you have an idea of who Peter Parker and his supporting cast is, but haven’t read a ton of Spidey comics, this story is easy to pick up. It may seem like there’s a lot going on, but trust me, you know jus tas much as anyone else at this point. Everything is new to every reader so you’ll be right at the same level.

Spider-Man also has one of the best rogues galleries of any superhero out there. So when “Brand New Day” spends its first several issues introducing a new wave of villains, it’s both concerning and exciting. Fans of classic Spidey villains may not be so ready to move away from the Doc Ocks and the Green Goblins, but this arc delivers some great new foes for the web-slinger. There’s also a great new cast of other supporting characters as well.

And yes, “Brand New Day” changes a lot of Peter’s past, but it still delivers a classic Spider-Man story. The old Parker luck is still running rampant with Peter’s love and professional life while he spends most of his time protecting innocent people. And of course, nothing Spider-Man ever does is good enough to earn the love of everyone in New York. This is a Brand New Day, and yet it’s still the same old thing for poor Peter Parker.

You can find “Brand New Day” here. And be sure to check out some of our other looks back at other classic Marvel Comics here.

Mike Mack
Mack is the Editorial Director for Marvel and ESPN content and he has covered comic cons, theme park events, video game showcases and other fun events. He is a fan of theme parks, sports, movies, Marvel Comics and is a self-proclaimed "nerd."