After 16 issues and four volumes, Peter David and Greg Land's Symbiote Spider-Man saga returns once more with a new limited series that crosses over with another series from the writer's past: The Incredible Hulk.
The upcoming five-issue series Symbiote Spider-Man: Crossroads reunites the entire team - inker Jay Leisten and colorist Frank D'Armata as well - for another 'untold story' from Peter Parker's brief time carrying the Venom symbiote as Spider-Man.
"This time, they’re taking Spider-Man down the road less traveled to the supremely psychedelic CROSSROADS DIMENSION!" reads Marvel's description of Symbiote Spider-Man: Crossroads #1. "In their most ambitious series yet, the SYMBIOTE team puts Peter Parker and his alien costume on a collision course with none other than THE INCREDIBLE HULK, in a story set just before Peter David’s landmark run on the Hulk series!"
David's seminal Incredible Hulk run went from 1987 to 1998 (with a few returns since), and has settled to become the defining run with the character in its entire history - - with Al Ewing's current Immortal Hulk run coming in a close second.
So what is the Crossroads Dimension at the center of Symbiote Spider-Man: Crossroads? It's essentially the space between all other dimensions, becoming a thoroughfare - and yes, a crossroads - when going from one to another. Originally created by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema in 1984's Incredible Hulk #300 (and collected in Incredible Hulk: Crossroads), the Crossroads Dimension has become a frequent traveling point for the likes of Doctor Strange and others.
In fact, the Hulk's connection to the Crossroads Dimensions comes because of the Sorcerer Supreme. After a particularly calamitous period for the Hulk, Strange marooned the Bruce Banner there in an effort to sort out his issues. This occurred just before Peter David took over the Incredible Hulk series in 1987, so this is probably where this new limited series is set.
Symbiote Spider-Man: Crossroads will be the fourth volume in this saga, following the original 2019 Symbiote Spider-Man limited series, the one-shot Absolute Carnage: Symbiote Spider-Man, 2019-2020's Symbiote Spider-Man: Alien Reality, and the recent Symbiote Spider-Man: King in Black.
Symbiote Spider-Man: Crossroads #1 (of 5) goes on sale on July 28. In addition to a primary cover by Land, there are variants planned by Todd Nauck, Ernanda Souza, and Mike Del Mundo. Check out the main cover Del Mundo variant in the gallery above.
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