Scott Aukerman Shocks Peter Parker to the Core for 'Astonishing Spider-Man'

Ever since a radioactive spider bite turned him into Spider-Man, Peter Parker has tried his best to keep his super hero act out of his personal life—with varying degrees of success. So, when the people closest to him come under attack, Peter immediately finds himself on the defense in ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN INFINITY COMIC (2024) #1 by Scott Aukerman and Salva Espin, now available to read for free on Marvel Unlimited.

Speaking to Marvel.com, Aukerman promised that no one is safe when his story begins in ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN INFINITY COMIC (2024). He teased that Peter's situation will continue to escalate as the story continues, with each adventure taking place in-between the events of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2022). He also heaped praise on series artists Salva Espin and Julian Shaw, explained the reason behind his approach of blending pathos with humor and street-level heroics, shared his excitement to explore new avenues of Peter's life, and more.

MARVEL.COM: Set the stage for us. What do readers need to know before they swing into ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN?

SCOTT AUKERMAN: Whether you're a regular reader of Spidey, or you've never even read a single comic featuring the ol' Wall-Crawler before, there'll be something in ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN (2024) for you! These are in-continuity adventures that slot in-between his regular escapades over in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2022).

The one thing you might want to catch up on is SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED #39-#42, which I also wrote, and acts as a sort of prequel to some of the stories and characters we're doing in this book.

MARVEL.COM: If you had to narrow it down, what would you say is the one critical thing every Spider-story needs?

SCOTT AUKERMAN: That's the great thing about Spider-Man—you can tell so many different types of stories with him. I can only tell you about the types of tales I've loved over the years, which I'm trying to emulate in my writing. Those include a healthy dash of humor, gut-wrenching pathos, and street-level adventures that you could never imagine with another super hero!

MARVEL.COM: Over the last 60 years, Spidey has amassed quite an extensive cast of supporting characters. Who might we run into along the way? Which character were you particularly excited to work with?

SCOTT AUKERMAN: I have to admit, I get a rush of excitement every time I type the words "J. Jonah Jameson." He's so hilarious to write, and I think we've figured out something fun for him to be doing. That said, as much as I love the old characters, I'm also trying to create new ones, in the spirit of the old Stan Lee/Steve Ditko tales, where you would never know what was going to happen next!

MARVEL.COM: As a friendly neighborhood super hero, Spider-Man often interacts with the everyday residents of New York City. How did you explore this element of the character in ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN?

SCOTT AUKERMAN: That's one of the things that's unique about Spider-Man. As much as some people view him as a hero, most of the people in the city just find him to be a nuisance. And annoying! Which I relate to. So it's fun to play upon the tropes of super heroes and turn them on their head a little.

MARVEL.COM: In ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN's first arc, Peter faces a pretty personal villain. How worried should we be for him and his friends?

SCOTT AUKERMAN: I wanted to start our book by putting Peter into a terrible situation which doesn't have any easy outs, and let's just say it gets worse as it goes along! It's the kind of thing that is going to really make Peter Parker examine why he does what he does, and whether he should even continue doing it. So no—no one in his life is really safe at this point!

MARVEL.COM: Tell me a little about working with Salva Espin and Julian Shaw. What do they bring to this story?

SCOTT AUKERMAN: Salva brings such a playful sense of fun to the story with his layouts and the facial expressions on everyone's faces. Plus, he's designing characters in a really unique way. He's great with both action and the emotional scenes we're creating. It gets me excited about writing new ideas, because I know he can handle anything I throw his way!

And Julian Shaw, who's alternating arcs with Salva, is so creative with his layouts; his characters have incredibly expressive faces. I know that if I write anything from action to a talky scene, he'll nail it every time.

MARVEL.COM: What are you most excited for readers to see in ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN?

SCOTT AUKERMAN: When I got this opportunity, I really wanted to write plots and dialogue that you've never seen in any other Spider-Man book. The most exciting part of writing it is exploring avenues of Peter's life that we've never explored. And I just can't wait to see if people find it compelling enough to come back week after week!

ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN INFINITY COMIC #1 and #2 are available to read now for free on Marvel Unlimited!

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