Joe Kelly is no stranger to Spider-Man, including his 2022 film in the incredible Spider-Man.
After talking to AIPT recently, Kelly’s enthusiasm was virtually evident.
“Oh, my God, yeah. I’m very excited,” Kelly said. “Spider-Man has always been my favorite superhero, and while I’ve had the opportunity to work on EM before, I certainly never kicked off the series again and rebooted it at #1.”
He joined in the book by superstar artists Pepe Lalaz and John Romita Jr., who make visual storytelling as dynamic as writing. Kelly comes in a book fresh from the deaths of the eight Spider-Man, the story of the bridge that leads to this reboot.
But the question asks: what is his plan for his acquisition, and what can we expect from Spider-Man under Kelly’s guardianship?
(Editor’s note: Keep an eye out for the AIPT Comics Podcast this Sunday, featuring an unedited version of this interview.)
Courtesy of Joe Kelly.
The challenges of writing Spider-Man
Workload is not a small feat, as the incredible Spider-Man is a biweekly book. Kelly was warned of a rapid pace, but accepted the challenge.
“Speed is a challenge,” Kelly said. “And obviously, like you said, it’s a flagship guy. It’s my personal favorite and in addition to what I always want to do right… he’s a superhero. He’s the best.”
Despite his difficult responsibilities, Kelly trusts his instincts and prioritizes fun, the core element of Spider-Man’s DNA.
“Whether it’s dark, scary or intense, I’m giving what I think is the most persuasive story for my readers,” Kelly said.
Ryan Stegman’s Issue #1 Variant Cover. Provided by Marvel.
We’ll explore Peter Parker’s past
One of the most interesting aspects of Kelly’s execution is that it focuses on Peter Parker’s past, particularly his high school days. Although the origins of Spider-Man have been told countless times, Kelly is fascinated by the early, almost unexplored periods of Peter’s life.
“I’m just like high school, as a young person, and I’m fascinated by Peter,” Kelly said. “Because we’re not really spending time with him during that time, and we feel like we get a lot of hard wiring at that age.”
Kelly believes this period is crucial in shaping Peter’s worldview.
“You bump into that age like 13, 14 and start processing things differently,” Kelly said. “He lost his parents when he was young, but does that really mean to him as a young man? Will he act? Is he more reserved? We always see him as a nerd kid, but was he mad?
This emotional quest plays a key role in Kelly’s incredible Spider-Man, shaping not only Peter’s past but how he handles current challenges.
Provided by Marvel.
Balance of humor and high stakes
One of the first things readers noticed when Kelly was in the book was humor and returned to Peter Parker, a heavy quip.
“I came and said, ‘Yeah, hey, it’s crazy and completely weird here. Doom and the Magician’s best.
However, Kelly is also interested in exploring Peter Parker’s emotional depths. Peter’s past inspection of his past feeds directly on the current struggle, creating more layered and complicated character take.
Provided by Marvel.
Evolutionary storytelling with Larraz and Romita Jr.
Working with two major power artists, including Pepe Larraz and John Romita Jr., he urged Kelly to evolve his storytelling. He spoke about how each artist’s strengths influenced his approach to writing.
“I didn’t dive deep into his work, despite knowing that he was incredibly talented with Pepe,” Kelly said. “Now I have some issues with him so I know what he likes and what he’s doing. It absolutely affects what I wrote for him. He can destroy emotional scenes just as much as he does killer action scenes.
For Romita Jr., Kelly had a different kind of learning curve.
“I probably made a lot of assumptions as a fan, like, ‘Oh, this is what he likes.’ And he surprised me,” Kelly said. “I had an issue that I thought I was giving him a room with a big, flashy image. He went back and proposed more panels and added layers to the story. It was a great and eye-opener for me.”
These collaborations allowed Kelly to tweak how he structured his scripts, making the most of each artist’s unique storytelling style.
New villains and legacy challenges
Kelly teases a new villain named Helgate. Helgate has promised to shake Peter Parker’s world in unexpected ways.
“I think Hellgate will be a really fun character,” Kelly said. “He’s going to be pretty mystical, but he’s going to do a lot and he’s very strong.”
Creating a new villain for a hero with one of the best rogue galleries in the comics is not easy.
“Like the villains, some of these characters I really love,” Kelly said. “And some of them, I feel like they’ve seen it many times.” So he wants to get the right balance between revisiting the classic enemy and introducing fresh threats that Peter will challenge both physically and mentally.
Designed by John Romita Jr. Helgate. Provided by Marvel
Legacy Weight
While there’s nothing guaranteed in the long run with the incredible Spider-Man, Kelly wants to leave his mark.
“I want to spend a few years,” Kelly said. “It’s certainly a plan. If people are happy, you know, I’ll be with you.”
However, Kelly doesn’t overly focus on legacy and wants to tell a good story.
“It’s not even a long life for me,” Kelly said. “It’s an effective effect. Did this story hit you? Cool. And hopefully, you get a bunch of them in a row. It runs.”
Spiderman soundtrack
When asked if there was a song to encapsulate his first story arc, Kelly mentioned Cowboy Bebop’s seatbelt “tank.”
“It’s a crazy jazz bee-bop with a trumpet and it’s very explosive,” Kelly said. “So you really get a sense, yeah, there’s action and excitement. It drifts a bit in melancholy, but it’s hidden in almost every crazy rhythm.”
It’s clearly a right choice, capturing both Spider-Man’s energy and underlying emotional complexity.
Looking ahead
With promising romance, career shakeups and ample villain, Kelly’s incredible Spider-Man run is considered both thrilling and introspective. Fans can expect big moments, high stakes action, and deep dive into what Peter Parker clicks.
Or, as Kelly himself says, “It’s big, fun, great work, and make sure I do it well.”
For the entire unedited interview, listen to the AIPT Comics Podcast this Sunday!
