Spider-Man gets a Superman-style twist in Heroes Reborn spin-off

Peter Parker, The Amazing Shutterbug #1 cover
(Image credit: Mike McKone (Marvel Comics))

Spider-Man is getting a makeover this summer for Marvel Comics' 'Heroes Reborn' event - making him more like his DC counterpart.

No, not Batman. Not Superman. Jimmy Olsen.

(Image credit: Marvel Comics)

As part of the 'Heroes Reborn' event, Spider-Man will be re-imagined in a new one-shot titled Peter Parker, The Amazing Shutterbug #1. This Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen-esque take on Marvel's wall-crawler will be written by journalist-turned-fiction writer Marc Bernardin and artist Rafael De Latorre.

"I couldn't be more excited to put Peter Parker through his paces for the 'Heroes Reborn' event," Bernardin tells Newsarama. "As a New York nerd, Spider-Man has always held a special place in my heart, and to get to strip away much of what we know about the character and rediscover what makes Peter tick is proving to be a blast. A lifetime spent making dumb quips is, finally, being put to good use."

In Heroes Reborn: Peter Parker, The Amazing Shutterbug #1, Bernardin and Latorre put Peter Parker BACK in his digs as a photographer at The Daily Bugle - this time as a chance for wallcrawler to get buddy-buddy with his favorite superhero, Hyperion. (Yeah, that's part of the 'Heroes Reborn' status quo change as well). 

(Image credit: Mike McKone (Marvel Comics))

"Peter Parker is the biggest Hyperion fan in the world, and he also just happens to be chummy with his favorite hero thanks to a photography gig at the Daily Bugle!," reads Marvel's description of the one-shot. "SURELY, nothing can go wrong, with his camera (and him) in the heart of the action… Right?"

Based on that and the infamous Parker luck, we imagine something DOES go wrong "with his camera (and him) in the heart of the action... "

This change to Spider-Man fits well with Marvel's long-held idea of the 'illusion of change'; a formula they perfected, and has become a staple of superhero comics even over at DC.

Heroes Reborn: Peter Parker, The Amazing Shutterbug #1 goes on sale this May, along with several other Heroes Reborn one-shots. Look for Marvel Comics' full May 2021 solicitations later this month. 

Keep up with this and all the Spider-Man (and Shutterbug) stories coming with our constantly-updated list of the new Spider-Man comics, graphic novels, and collections in 2021 and beyond.

Chris Arrant

Chris Arrant covered comic book news for Newsarama from 2003 to 2022 (and as editor/senior editor from 2015 to 2022) and has also written for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel Entertainment, TOKYOPOP, AdHouse Books, Cartoon Brew, Bleeding Cool, Comic Shop News, and CBR. He is the author of the book Modern: Masters Cliff Chiang, co-authored Art of Spider-Man Classic, and contributed to Dark Horse/Bedside Press' anthology Pros and (Comic) Cons. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. Chris is a member of the American Library Association's Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table. (He/him)