Superior Spider-Man Panel: Venom, Carnage, and Sister Parker [SDCC 2013]

The Superior Spider-Man panel at San Diego Comic-Con just wrapped, and Peter Parker is still dead.

Any fan who thought the story of Doc Ock taking over Peter Parker's body and life was going to be wrapped up in a year is in for a surprise. The Superior era is just getting started, and it brings symbiotes galore, a couple of sinister sixes, and a dash of 2099.

Dan Slott was not in attendance at the panel, but he dialed in from a remote location. The panel featured line editor Steve Wacker, writers James Robinson, Christos Gage (Superior Spider-Man Team-Up), Chris Yost (Scarlet Spider), Nick Spencer (Superior Foes of Spider-Man -- or 'SUP, FOES, as CA editor Andy Khouri likes to call it), and Kevin Shinick (Superior Carnage), and artists Chris Samnee (Daredevil), and Humberto Ramos (Superior Spider-Man).

The return of Spider-Man 2099 in Superior #17-19, with Ryan Stegman on art, is not news, but Wacker said the story sets up events for the next 18 or more issues. When asked if it might lead to a new Spider-Man 2099 book, Wacker said it would depend on the end of this story and how much interest there was.

Issue #20, with art from Giuseppe Camuncoli, is billed as the biggest issue of the Superior story since Amazing Spider-Man #698.

Issue #22 launches "Darkest Hours," a story co-written by Slott and Christos Gage, with art by Humberto Ramos, which pits the Superior Spider-Man against Venom -- Flash Thompson's Agent Venom, to be precise. A good guy wearing a villain versus a villain wearing a good guy. The story marks the first encounter between Venom and Spidey in a long time.

When asked in the Q&A if a symbiote would make contact with Spider-Man and realize he's not Parker, Wacker said, "Wouldn't that be interesting?" in a way that indicated that, duh, yes, that, exactly that.

Here are the other highlights from the panel:

Chris Yost talked about how Spidey is assembling a new team now he's been booted off the Avengers -- and they're his old team, the Sinister Six. That story will play out in Superior Spider-Man Team-Up, the book that replaced Avenging Spider-Man. No word on whether they will interact with the other Sinister Six in Superior Foes of Spider-Man.

Yost and Wacker shared their amazement that Scarlet Spider has survived as long as it has, and Yost expressed his thanks to the readers. The resurrected Kraven the Hunter plays a big role in the title's future.

Kevin Shinick, a writer and producer on Robot Chicken, is bringing back Carnage in Superior Carnage with art by Stephen Segovia.

Chris Samnee revealed that the cover to the Halloween issue of Daredevil came out of Samnee's head, and Waid is trying to write a story to fit it. Wacker talked about the decision to give supporting cast member Foggy Nelson cancer as a way to explore the experience of living with the disease. They've reached out to cancer charities to make sure it's an informed and sensitive story. Wacker promises the story is heading somewhere huge in the next six months.

James Robinson announced that he's working on a graphic novel, Family Business, with Mark Waid and artist Gabriel Del'Otto, which introduces the character of Peter Parker's sister. It's a spy story. Wacker indicated that the story will fit in to continuity. Family Business is the second of Marvel's original graphic novel series, following Avengers: Endless Wartime, by Warren Ellis and Mike McKone.

Finally; when is Peter Parker coming back? The audience cheered louder for Parker when asked which version of Spider-Man they prefer, but Wacker was unequivocal; "There's no more Peter Parker. How much clearer can we make it? There's no twist."

Artwork from the panel: