Shocking: Spider-Man 2099 By Peter David And Will Sliney Confirmed

I didn’t read Spider-Man 2099 when it first came out in 1992, for a few reasons. 1992 was the year Image Comics debuted and when The Death of Superman was released, so an alternate universe packed with what looked, at face value, like “X-Treme!” gimmick knockoffs meant to get us to buy two books with the same character every months, and God knows that only a savage would double-ship a character to make some extra bank. Besides, in 1992 I was a junior an college and only had money for six comics a week, or one comic a week and beer. I think we all know that I made the prudent and wise choice.

By the time I graduated and started having a few bucks in my pocket to buy more comics, Marvel was playing peek-a-boo with crippling bankruptcy, firing editors left and right, Peter David had left the book, and it seemed like my money would be better used on Vertigo books, or perhaps by chucking it into an open gutter.

So I wasn’t particularly familiar with the character beyond the knowledge that his alter ego was Miguel O’Hara and he said “Shock!” a shitload for reasons I could never fucking understand. He’s been an intriguing presence in the modern Marvel Universe by way of his appearances in The Superior Spider-Man, but not a big enough presence that I’ve really felt like I’ve gotten to know the character. Although he still says “shock!” an awful Goddamned fucking lot.

Well, that’s gonna change come July, when Marvel is publishing a new Spider-Man 2099 standalone title, written by Peter David with art by Fearless Defenders artist Will Sliney.

The book will feature Miguel O’Hara still in the modern Marvel Universe, trying to navigate the 21st century while still trying to influence events in his own time. So what’re we in for, Will?

Miguel is now trapped in the present day Marvel Universe, so straight away we have to deal with the fact that in the greatest of Marvel traditions, we have a hero out of time… I’m looking forward to drawing that iconic costume in the surroundings of some of New York’s gritty and textured looking neighborhoods.

According to David, one of the first storylines will involve Miguel trying to tweak the ancestors of his 2099 nemesis, Tyler Stone, to make the future a better place, and not using the standard method of recycling or reducing carbon emissions or randomly bashing strangers in the head just in case they become Space Hitler or something:

Miguel is going to be endeavoring to reform Tiberius Stone; to make him into someone who cares about other people and might actually do a better job of raising Tyler Stone and thus make Miguel’s life easier… Not to mention that he will try to exert influence over what sort of company Alchemax develops into.

So overall, this is good news. Keeping Miguel O’Hara in the present day 616 universe will help keep the character grounded for people like me who aren’t that familiar with the Marvel 2099 universe, and it keeps the character written by the guy best known for writing him for fans of the original property. And by keeping him in the “real” Marvel Universe, maybe someone can teach him how to say something besides, “Shock.” For fuck’s sake.

(via Newsarama)