Spider-Man Teams Up with ‘Top Chef’ Eli Kirshtein in Free Digital Comic [Preview]

Marvel fans familiar with C.B. Cebulski will not be surprised to learn the company's Senior Vice President of Creator & Content Development has overseen the creation of a cooking-based comic book. Cebulski's popular Twitter feed is characterized by his love of gourmet food as much as it is comics, and his Eataku blog is a must-read for wannabe chefs and foodies alike. With Marvel's robust Digital Comics Unlimited platform in place, Cebulski commissioned Spider-Man: A Meal To Die For, a free short story that combines his two loves by putting Spidey into an adventure in the middle of a gourmet cooking competition. The story also stars Eli Kirshtein, who many will recognize as a former contestant on Bravo's hugely popular Top Chef.Being celebrated players in the realms of comics and food, it was natural that Cebulski and Kirshtein would become friends on Twitter. It was through those interactions that Spider-Man: A Meal to Die For was born, as Kirshtein said in a press release.

"I on a whim, almost jokingly asked if [Cebulski] could get me into Spider-Man. With no hesitation he said sure! It's an amazing honor to be part of the legend that is Spider-Man. It's every kid's dream!"

The story finds Peter Parker taking his girlfriend Carlie on a date to an exclusive cooking competition in which Kirshtein is participating. The chef plays a crucial role in averting disaster and helping Spider-Man defeat Mysterio.

C.B. Cebulski, Marvel SVP of Creator & Content Development, added, "The more we explore the similarities between art and food worlds, the more we've discovered certain connections between chefs and comics, especially on a creative level. Upon hearing Eli was a comic fan, asking him to appear in a comic for us seemed like such a natural fit. The fact Eli was also open to playing an active role in the story and helped lend his culinary expertise to ideas on how to help Spidey out of a super-villain jam really added to the overall experience we had making this comic with him!"

Written by Marc Bernardin with artwork by Mike Henderson and a cover by Ale Garza, Spider-Man: A Meal To Die For is as classically action-packed, silly and pun-filled a Marvel comic as you're likely to find today, and it's available for free via Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited and the Marvel Comics App.