Ultimate Spider-Man

We still don’t have the clearest picture of what Marvel’s new animated Spider-Man series will look like, though it appears we’re webs-up this summer. The first official teaser has arrived, and to quote the man himself, “this just got awesome.”

It’s been a few months since Marvel first announced that Disney XD’s Ultimate Spider-Man would be shuttered in favor of a new “back to basics” series ostensibly tied to Spider-Man Homecoming. No new details have been released, but some reported merchandising concepts may reveal fan-favorites “Spider-Gwen” and the Miles Morales Spider-Man taking part.

Marvel’s animated offerings have made no secret of following the films, between Guardians of the Galaxy and Avenger subsets like Ultron Revolution, and now Spider-Man is going back to basics. Not only will the current Ultimate Spider-Man come to a close in January, Disney XD will launch Marvel’s Spider-Man in 2017.

Born on this day in 1967, Brian Michael Bendis is one of the most important and influential figures in western comics in the 21st century. From indie comics wunderkind to top dog at Marvel Comics, Bendis’ career has been expansive and occasionally revolutionary, so today we're taking a moment to celebrate his achievements.

San Diego Comic Con is without a doubt the biggest event on the industry’s calendar, and people will be flying from around the world to attend panels, watch trailers, meet creators, and make friends. This year’s event is bigger than ever, with so much going on every single day that it can be difficult to sift through all that information and decide how to spend your time. Yesterday we gave a rundown on what to expect on Thursday and Friday, but things heat up as the weekend kicks in and the major studios make their presence known. Expect big reveals from Marvel Studios, DC's TV offerings and more, plus great panels featuring your favorite creators in comics.

Since the dawn of the Silver Age, legacy characters have been a staple of superhero fiction, and having a new character step into a well loved role can open up new opportunities for writers and artists to tell different kinds of stories. In The Replacements, we’ll look back at the notable and not-so-notable heroes and villains to assume some of the most iconic mantles in the superhero genre. Peter Parker isn't the only web-headed wonder in the Marvel universe, and this week we're looking at the heroes and the villains, the threats and the menaces, who have donned the webs and proudly called themselves Spider-Man.

Among Spider-Man fans, Mark Bagley is largely known as the artist of Ultimate Spider-Man, and with good reason. The Ultimate line was a shot in the arm for a character who had taken a downward turn in the mid-90s, with an overlong and largely panned story, The Clone Saga. He hadn't fully returned to the spotlight, despite some good follow-up stories. But to peg Bagley as just the artist of an astonishing run on Ultimate Spidey is to undercut his accomplishments on the regular Marvel U version of the character a full decade earlier. And it's all pretty good.

Marvel went a bit light on TV at Comic-Con 2015, between Agent Carter and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s dual panel, and Marvel Animation, but we can always expect New York, home of the Defenders to deliver. Jessica Jones, Daredevil, the Agents and all the rest will be on hand for New York Comic-Con 2015, and so will we.

If yesterday’s Marvel TV panel closed the gap on Comic-Con 2015’s lack of movies, Marvel’s upcoming animation slate might well pave over it. Preview the animated Guardians of the Galaxy, along with Marvel’s Avengers: Ultron Revolution and Ultimate Spider-Man Vs. The Sinister 6 by our full panel coverage!

Marvel and Disney have an understandable habit of tailoring the animated series to match the films (just look at Guardians of the Galaxy), and both Avengers Assemble and Ultimate:Spider-Man are in line for makeovers. Not only will they each get new seasons, but they’ll do so as Marvel’s Avengers: Ultron Revolution and Ultimate Spider-Man vs. The Sinister 6.