To explore the creative direction behind this era of Amazing Spider-Man, I spoke with writer Joey Kelly for an in-depth conversation designed as a multi-part deep dive into his run. Across this seven-part series, with part one launching today, Kelly discusses his thematic goals, new characters, the realities of producing a twice-monthly flagship title, the upcoming “Death Spiral” crossover, and how the entire story is building toward Amazing Spider-Man #1000.
From hallucinations and cosmic threats to Norman Osborn stepping into Spider-Man’s shadow, Kelly’s run (alongside artist Pepe Larraz and colorist Marte Gracia, among other collaborators) has expanded Spider-Man’s world in dramatic ways.
As the story has expanded, Kelly has widened Spider-Man’s world without losing that emotional core. Early arcs explore real-world anxieties alongside superhero spectacle, while later storylines introduce threats like Hellgate and send Peter into cosmic conflict. Meanwhile, Larraz and Gracia heighten the storytelling through bold visual choices that merge memory, action, and character development, and John Romita Jr.’s covers bring a grounded intensity to Spider-Man’s street-level struggles. Throughout the run, identity, guilt, and responsibility remain central forces driving Peter forward.
Yet beneath all that grand spectacle, Kelly says he entered the series with a very specific emotional blueprint.
“It was definitely the plan up top,” Kelly said. “I try, to the best of my ability, structure these arcs in a way that there’s some sort of thematic underpinnings.”
For Kelly, that underpinning begins with fear. More specifically, Peter Parker’s lifelong fear of losing the people he loves.
“The first arc was to set up Peter’s biggest fear really, ultimately, the sphere of loss and where it comes from,” Kelly said. “And that’s why we did the childhood stuff and set all that up with Hobgoblin. And then, of course, we make him lose everything with Hellgate. It’s like, let’s see what happens when his worst fear comes true.”
The cover of Amazing Spider-Man #1. Courtesy of Marvel.
Since launching the new #1 issue on April 9, 2025, the Kelly-penned Amazing Spider-Man has consistently dug into Parker’s psyche, leaning heavily into fear, memory, and emotional fallout. Through stylized flashbacks and surreal storytelling, the run has explored how Parker’s past continues to shape his present, pushing Spider-Man into strange and often dangerous territory while keeping the focus firmly on Parker’s humanity.
Kelly is less interested in testing Spider-Man’s physical endurance than he is in examining how the character responds when stripped of emotional stability. The idea echoes one of Spider-Man’s most enduring storytelling traditions, where external conflict reflects internal anxiety.
Once Parker’s fear is fully exposed, Kelly then began shifting the narrative into two simultaneous explorations. One set to examine Parker’s sense of self in isolation in space, while the other looks outward at what Spider-Man represents to others who step into his orbit. That’s where Norman Osborn and Ben Reilly came into play.
“Now we’ve got these two parallel tracks,” Kelly said. “Who is Spider-Man when he’s not in his element? So who is Peter when he’s off by himself? Is he still Spider-Man? And then what does Spider-Man mean to other people?”
That second question has allowed Kelly to weave Norman and Ben into the book in ways that feel thematically deliberate rather than simply nostalgic callbacks. Each character embodies a distorted version of Spider-Man’s identity, forcing Parker to confront the fragility of the mantle itself.
“So taking on that identity, messing around with the identity of Peter and the identity of Spidey in general,” Kelly said. “Norman trying to figure himself out and obviously Ben, you know, whose relationship to identity is very complicated.”
Flashbacks are a key element in Kelly’s run. Courtesy of Marvel.
Kelly’s approach reflects his broader storytelling philosophy. He prefers long-term planning over improvisation, especially on a flagship title that must balance crossovers, rotating artists, and publishing deadlines.
“I’ve done it where you sort of just do the full tight wire act, and you just hope it’ll work out,” Kelly said. “I hate that. It keeps me awake.”
Instead, he builds a roadmap that gives him emotional guardrails while leaving space for organic storytelling shifts.
“I like knowing at least in this window, this is happening in this window,” Kelly said, “to give a general guide.”
That structure has allowed Kelly to steadily build toward larger payoffs without losing focus on our hero’s core humanity. It also explains why many of the run’s seemingly disconnected elements begin to reveal deeper connections over time.
Now, nearly a year into the series, Kelly feels those narrative seeds are starting to bloom.
“Now it’s kind of all coming to fruition,” Kelly said. “Which is great.”
Kelly’s confidence comes from knowing the foundation was always designed to support bigger emotional consequences ahead. With major crossover events and milestone issues still approaching, the themes he introduced early may soon face their most intense tests.
And if Kelly’s run has a defining promise, it may be that Spider-Man’s greatest battles will continue to take place inside Peter Parker as much as they unfold across rooftops or far-off galaxies.
Upcoming Release Schedule
- Part II: Writing Amazing Spider-Man on a bi-weekly schedule with two artists (Thursday 2/12)
- Part III: Expanding Spider-Man’s world with new villains, heroes, and cosmic mythology (Tuesday 2/17)
- Part IV: Peter Parker’s childhood, trauma, and Spider-Man’s voice (Thursday 2/19)
- Part V: Inside “Death Spiral” and Spider-Man’s breaking point (Tuesday 2/24)
- Part VI: The road to Amazing Spider-Man #1000 (Thursday 2/26)
- Part VII: Legacy reflections, Sal Buscema, and MAD About DC (Tuesday 3/3)
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