If part one of this interview series explored the emotional thesis behind Joe Kelly’s Amazing Spider-Man, part two turns toward the mechanics required to execute that vision. Writing Spider-Man is demanding under any circumstances. Writing it on a twice-monthly schedule while coordinating two distinct artistic styles introduces another level of complexity.
One of the defining structural elements of Kelly’s run has been its visual duality. Cosmic storylines feature Pepe Larraz’s artistic tone, while street-level conflicts are managed by John Romita Jr. For Kelly, that division was not simply aesthetic — it was born out of experimentation with Marvel’s production model to keep two artists going and meet the bi-weekly deadlines.
“That definitely helps,” Kelly said. “And you know, again, that was something, it was an experiment for sure.”
Traditionally, flagship comics rely on rotating artists working in staggered arcs, allowing each artist time to complete their pages while another carries the current storyline. Kelly described that model as a relay system built around long arcs.
“Typically, obviously we do as long an arc as possible with one artist,” Kelly said. “So the other artist has time to then work.”
Under Kelly, the Amazing Spider-Man schedule attempted something more aggressive. Instead of waiting for artists to leapfrog each other, the goal became maintaining a consistent monthly presence from both creative voices.
“They were like, ‘Hey, this is crazy,’” Kelly said. “What if they both came out every, essentially every month? Could we build in enough time?”
The experiment presented real logistical hurdles, but Kelly believes it also enriched the storytelling experience.
“It obviously had its challenges,” Kelly said. “But it was a really cool way to try to deliver the work.”
Kelly credits the success of the format to the natural contrast between artists. He sees certain creators as uniquely suited to specific storytelling environments.
“The flavors are so different,” Kelly said. “Like, Pepe and the cosmic stuff was just sort of a perfect fit. He loves doing these wild environments and these new designs and stuff.”
Meanwhile, Kelly describes street-level Spider-Man as benefiting from an entirely different artistic energy.
“Having, you know, J.R. Jr. on the street stuff and Norman,” Kelly said. “Especially because I really love the way he draws Norman.”
From Amazing Spider-Man #16 (John Romita Jr.) Courtesy of Marvel.
Kelly’s scripts even build narrative bridges between the artistic halves of the book. He revealed that narration techniques were designed to connect the earthbound and cosmic chapters into a single emotional timeline.
“We tried to do Peter’s narration while Norman’s on Earth, like right after Hellgate…[and the] narration that he’s actually doing in space.” That didn’t quite work, however. That said, there was considerable risk in what they did. Added Kelly, “So if we split them up completely, it might not work correctly.”
That storytelling structure raises interesting questions about how the run will eventually be collected. Kelly admitted he is curious to see how future trade editions handle the dual narrative structure.
“It would be awesome to just let each story breathe on its own, kind of [like] a remix,” Kelly said.
The complexity of balancing creative teams, story arcs, and publishing schedules has led Kelly into writing multiple arcs simultaneously, something he acknowledges is both exhilarating and demanding.
“I’m definitely writing, I think, four arcs at the moment,” Kelly said.
Kelly’s enthusiasm for the workload reflects his broader commitment to crafting Spider-Man stories that are expansive without sacrificing cohesion. The dual-artist structure enables him to explore markedly different tonalities while maintaining a unified emotional core. As the run continues to expand, that balance between logistical precision and creative freedom may become one of its defining achievements.
If you haven’t already, read part one, where Kelly discusses balancing character arcs and playing with fear/anxiety across Spider-Man’s life.
Upcoming Release Schedule
- 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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