Summer is a time for blockbuster premieres and big events. With that in mind, Marvel Comics is releasing a giant-size Amazing Spider-Man special teaming him with the Fantastic Four. However, this special is also notable as heralding the return of Kevin Smith to Marvel.
The filmmaker and comic writer will join with artist Giuseppe Camuncoli on a story teaming Marvel’s First Family with the Amazing Spider-Man. This will coincide with the build to the release of Fantastic Four: First Steps. The special will also feature a comic by Al Ewing and Mark Buckingham, which will explore the history of the web-swinger.
While Kevin Smith is best known for his work as a filmmaker, he has also written many comics. He first found mainstream comic success kicking off a new volume of Daredevil in 1998. His eight-part ‘Guardian Devil’ storyline established a new status quo for the Man Without Fear. It also led to an offer to write the Amazing Spider-Man monthly title in 2002.
(Image Source: Marvel / Terry Dodson)
Unfortunately, Smith’s film work made it hard to adhere to the schedule required of a monthly comic writer. As a result, his initial introductory six-issue story arc was reworked into a miniseries; Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do. Unfortunately, Smith was still so busy with his movies that he couldn’t manage to get the miniseries completed on time either. There was a notable three-year gap between the third and fourth issues, with the final chapter releasing in March 2006.
Smith was later offered a monthly assignment on a Marvel Knights Spider-Man series. Again, scheduling conflicts got in the way, and the series was ultimately given to Mark Millar. Apart from another unfinished Daredevil project, Smith would not work with Marvel Comics for 20 years until this Amazing Spider-Man special.
Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on June 11, 2025.