Is there a superhero more attuned to rocking out than Spider-Punk? The superhero enigma — once a background character and afterthought — is now one of the most popular Spider-Man characters thanks to his unique style. (But also? Last summer’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.) Writer Cody Ziglar and artist Justin Mason have only added to the character’s popularity with the excellent Spider-Punk series, which is getting a sequel miniseries due out on February 28.
The Spider-Punk encore is appropriately titled Spider-Punk: Arms Race. It sees Hobie Brown and his Spider-Band facing off against Justin Hammer and Doctor Octopus, but they won’t be alone. As Ziglar told me in an exclusive interview, the series will introduce Earth-138 Black Panther and Shuri for the very first time. There will also be a few more yet-to-be-revealed familiar faces, but you’ll have to pay for admittance to learn more about that.
After you read Ziglar’s answers — including new plans for Hobie and why the universe remains so fun to write — be sure to check out never-before-seen designs of Black Panther, Shuri, Doc Ock, and his Slayers. Plus, unlettered preview pages!
Courtesy of Marvel Comics.
AIPT: It has been over a year since you and Justin Mason teamed up for Spider-Punk. Was returning to Earth-138 always in the cards, or did the inspiration hit you to do a sequel?
Cody Ziglar: Doing a sequel was never guaranteed, but Justin and I would always talk about how much fun we had making it and would just constantly bug our editor, Danny Khazem, about doing something else in the punk verse. After the success of Hobie’s debut in the Spider-Verse and how well-received our original run was, the first thing we did was text Danny like, “Ok, but can we do one now???”
AIPT: Speaking of, is it a definitive “sequel” to your last story arc?
CZ: Yes, it definitely picks up where the first one ended. Osborn’s admin is gone, and communities are mostly policing themselves. However, there are holdovers might not be super happy about how the country is being run, which is what brings our villains into the mix.
AIPT: With that first story arc under your belt, are you approaching world-building or writing Hobie any differently?
CZ: Hobie definitely stepped up to be a community leader now — he did a lot of kicking himself in the previous run — but he’s settled into that now and (with help from some Wakanda benefactors) is learning what it means to lead a community.
AIPT: You and Justin are going in completely fresh introducing Earth-138 T’Challa and Shuri. How do you keep these characters familiar, but also brand-new?
CZ: Ah man, designing T’Challa, Shuri, and the Wakandans was so much fun! It was a cool mix of afro-futurism and afro-punk and I’m really excited for folks to see the designs.
AIPT: Will T’Challa and Shuri be as punk as Hobie?
CZ: They will definitely, in their own Wakandan way, be as punk as Hobie & the Spider-Band.
AIPT: You’ve got four issues to introduce them, might we see any other new takes on heroes or villains?
CZ: I don’t wanna spoil anything but you’ll definitely see some new punk takes on some classic villains and maybe a new hero or two.
AIPT: What makes this anarchy-inspired universe so fun to write in?
CZ: Honestly, the fact that Marvel gave us basically free reign to do what we want to in this universe has been so fun and cool!
AIPT: The last issue had a six-page spread; is there any chance Justin is going for 7 (or more) or pushing the limits visually elsewhere?
CZ: Haha! I don’t want to punish Justin with [a] seven-page spread but we’re definitely got some fun/interesting page layouts this run.
AIPT: The idea of Spider-Slaying Sentinels is so dope. What’s their vibe?
CZ: Giant Doc Ock themed mechs — what more can I say!
AIPT: I’m sure you’ve shared your thoughts elsewhere on this, but what’s your definitive opinion on Hobie from the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse film?
CZ: Spider-Verse Hobie is so fucking fun — I loved him! One of my favorite spider-person adaptations I’ve seen! They nailed it.
AIPT: You get to tell 10-year-old Cody you’re writing Deadpool, Miles, and Spider-Punk in 2024. What’s his reaction?
CZ: Honestly, he’d probably run around in a circle for five minutes before screaming and passing out [laughs].
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
You must be logged in to post a comment.