Writer/artist Kaare Andrews will revive the classic Marvel Comics title Amazing Fantasy, in which Spider-Man made his 1962 debut in Amazing Fantasy #15 (opens in new tab), for a five-issue limited series starting this July.
Unlike the original Amazing Fantasy, which focused on one-off sci-fi anthology stories before introducing Spider-Man, the new Amazing Fantasy will unite three time-tossed versions of Marvel heroes for a fantastic adventure.
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“From award-winning creator Kaare Andrews comes a brand-new series that will blend different Marvel eras and genres for one epic adventure starring Captain America, Spider-Man, and Black Widow,” reads Marvel’s official announcement of Amazing Fantasy #1. “Known for his unforgettable work on series such as Spider-Man: Reign (opens in new tab) and Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One (opens in new tab), Andrews is back at Marvel Comics and ready to capture readers’ imaginations with this astonishing take on the Marvel Universe.”
The three heroes who take the spotlight won’t just be the current Black Widow, Captain America, and Spider-Man – they’ll be taken through time from specific points in each character’s history, sorta like the roster of the classic ’90s story Avengers Forever (opens in new tab).
“Red Room Black Widow, teenage Spider-Man, World War II Captain America — the most iconic versions of your favorite Marvel characters from across time and space all wake up on an island of intrigue, darkness and…Amazing Fantasy,” reads Marvel’s description.
“Are they dead? Are they dreaming? Or have they truly been transported to another fantastical realm? And is there any way for them to return home?,” it continues. “This isn’t just a love letter to your favorite Marvel eras, it’s a reinvestment in the seminal characters you’ve always loved, plucked from their quintessential timelines.”
This isn’t Andrews’ first time writing a version of Spider-Man from another era. He’s also known for his work on the aforementioned Spider-Man: Reign, a kind of Dark Knight Returns (opens in new tab)-esque future story that tells the last adventure of an aging Peter Parker in a New York that has left him behind.
“It is a thrill to return to a new Marvel limited series, writing and drawing not just my favorite characters – but my favorite versions of those characters,” Andrews states in the announcement. “I just had to come up with a plan to put WWII Captain America, teenaged Spidey, and spy school Black Widow into the same adventure.”
True to his expressive, boundary-pushing style as an artist, Andrews also sheds some light on how his Amazing Fantasy is going to look – and how he’ll incorporate different styles of art depending on the aspect of the story he’s drawing.
Here’s a gallery of interior pages:
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“This is a story that combines not just different Marvel eras but different art styles to depict them. As a creator, sometimes you want to invent new heroes and villains to expand the universe into different places or ideas, but sometimes there is an even greater power in embracing what has come before. In telling fresh and passionate tales with heroes that an audience has already invested a lifetime in,” Andrews explains. “There is a beating heart to these archetypes. And they need to live again!”
Amazing Fantasy #1 (of 5) goes on sale on July 28. Stay tuned to Newsarama for Marvel’s full July 2021 solicitations coming later this month.
Amazing Fantasy has shades of Avengers Forever, one of the 10 best Avengers stories of all time.