It's a big week and weekend for announcements with New York Comic Con starting today. Many fans know by now that issue 700 of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN will be the last issue of the series. What happens next? Well, according to USA Today, starting in January, 2013, your favorite web-head will be back on the shelves of your LCS in the book SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN fans can rejoice as Ryan Stegman (SCARLET SPIDER cover artist) teams up with ASM writer Dan Slott for this new, darker look at Spider-Man. This book will have rotating artists as well. Fans will see the return of Humberto Ramos and Giuseppe Camuncoli to work on this new Spidey-book.

Spidey will have a bit of a redesign as well. Here is character sketch to the right, from the USA Today article.

There will be a few changes to the costumes, as you can see, which includes some new colors on the costume to reflect the new attitude and era of the book, including some black leggings.

Many people are saying the events of issue 700 are going to change the way fans look at the character. As we've seen in more recent issues, Spidey has become a bit more short with his villains. He seems to have lost compassion for those who truly are good inside, like his recent run-in with Morbius in the last Lizard story arc.

Could this be what "Superior" means? Does Spider-Man find himself a superior being to all those around him or does he have new powers that make him superior to his former self? Stegman said in the USA Today interview that he will indeed have some new abilities.

Writer Dan Slott gives us a good idea of what we can expect from this new series.

He's not going to be doing things the old Spider-Man way. There will be a new way of doing things...The first story arc is called 'Hero or menace?' I think that pretty much tells you where we're going.

Looks like we'll all be waiting on the edge of our seats until issue 700 hits the shelves in December, then SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN releases in January.

What do you guys think of the new creative team and costume for this new Spider-Man book?

Slott + Stegman =  

hmmmmmmmm, I am so curious now about how issue 700 is going to unfold. I really, really hope its not another death (specially MJ), but I guess we shall see.

@k4tzm4n said:

Slott + Stegman =

Yes! And Ramos and Camuncoli as well! I am no longer sad about ASM ending

@inferiorego:

Cancelled or ending?

@Tellumo said:

@inferiorego:

Cancelled or ending

Ending, sorry. Mispoke

i have a strong feeling MJ's gonna die..but who knows.....oh n if that is the case, DS better hide..

Spider-man has claws now? Is Miguel in the suit rofl!?

Anyway i'm interested to see how this goes!

I smell a power upgrade

maybe this is the part of his story where he slowly becomes one of the greatest hero's of all time

yeah yeah, since I saw ''Slott'' I already knew it was Spidey, all I want to know, how bad is this going to be?

He has claws? (+ "Alien" nose design just like morbius) u can see it in the sketch and in the cover as he smashs his hands in the wall... maybe Morbius bit him and Vampire + Spider DNA didnt mix well which will make him Superior. well im just guessing..

I think Spidey's gonna kill someone. Not sure who, but I see it as a possibility. That would explain Slott's comments on the final issue and the new darker tone.

As long as he's still Peter, Im game.

Of course...

It's ALWAYS Spider-Man.

I've never been a huge Spidey fan but I might pick this up

Sooooo excited!!!! Slott and Stegman finally!!!!

The first arc sounds good, but sort of similar to scarlet spider. Anyway sounds good!

Only thing I'm not so happy about is that hes now the Superior Spiderman. I liked Amazing. Like the new design though.

Could it be Kaine under the mask O_o

i smell that the other upgrade is going to come back. either way this looks so good. cant wait. maybe slott goes into hidding because he will become our new spider-man god writer.

@Don_Jay said:

I think Spidey's gonna kill someone. Not sure who, but I see it as a possibility. That would explain Slott's comments on the final issue and the new darker tone.

I thought the same. don't know how i would feel about it. It would take something away from the character and its a big leap from "no one dies" to spider-murderer.

Sort of holding my breath on this one. I have been reading ASM for more than 30 years. Change is good. Just don't screw it up, Marvel.

@k4tzm4n: that kicked ass.

this actually has me excited. come to think of it, he has been losing that can-do spider-man attitude of yore over the past few years. he's lost all patience with his asshole villains that have become more dangerous and threatening on a grander scale. osborn and octavius had the world in the palm of their hand on separate occasions in recent years. people have been dying in more brutal, senseless ways (not in an ultimatum, stop-it-loeb sort of way) and his last crusade of no one dying on his watch is definitely taking its toll. if he goes full wolverine on his enemies that's going to really change the game. safe to say that slott has definitely proven himself as the de facto spider-man writer like snyder is to batman.

I knew this would be the team! I tweeted Stegman and Slott a few weeks ago jokingly saying Weird that you are the only 2 without a NOW title.. Do I smell a team up!!? Glad to see its come true. This is now tied with Hulk for my most anticipated of the NOW books.

Looks awesome! Love the suit redesign and the new title and logo. I'm kind of starting to think that he might be transformed or disfigured along with gaining enhanced powers to the point where he cant really live a normal life, therefore decides to focus all his efforts into being Spider-Man all the time. Personally though I want him to lose all his powers and choose to carry on being a hero Batman style with gear and gadgets.

G-Man called it lol, i havent been a huge fan of standard Spiderman (i prefer my heroes to be darker) but with Stegman doing the pencils im interested, love his art!

so no more friendly neighborhood spiderman kewl i like the changes in suit as long as its peter parker il gave it a read

You had me at Stegman. (Don't wanna disparage Ramos and that guy with the hard to spell C name. Their Spidey is great, but Stegman's looks flat-out amazing. Some might even say......Superior. Huh? Huh? You get it? Cause it's the name of the book.)

Also I'm kinda warming up on Slott. He hasn't thrilled me as much as he has others, but he's still a great writer.

I'm really looking forward to this but I'm going to miss Amazing Spider-Man and the comical parker :-(((

Either he's mutating or it's most definitely not Peter under the mask.

I really like the team behind this book, but I've just gotten tired of so many books going so much darker. I understand that other people really like it when books take this tone, but between this, books like Avengers Arena, and the tone of the New 52, I've started to realize that comic book companies are no longer trying to get audiences like me.

I do not like the sound of this. I personally have been meh about Slott's run, and this may make me drop Spider-Man.

@k4tzm4n said:

Slott + Stegman =

QFT. Really looking forward to what Slott will write next!

The 1990s called, it wants its edgy lettering back.

better be good

Wooooo Looks awesome!! :D

But 4.99 O: Surely that's only the first issue tho.

SO, Scarlet Spider Mk II then....

@alex6166: i know right. they've been calling batman all day. the dude just doesnt pick up.

Not Dan Slott again! he's awful, he's only continued the Sharpe decline in spider man since OMD, can't believe marvel let him touch spider-man again, another 2 years of awful 90's style stories!

well at least ultimate spider-man is still excellent.

What if he gives himself the Parker Particles? That would explain the new abilites and also drive fanboys to rage over the changes. Either way can't wait for 700.

Oh great, cause a darker take on Spider-Man worked out really great in the 90s.

@thveej said:

hmmmmmmmm, I am so curious now about how issue 700 is going to unfold. I really, really hope its not another death (specially MJ), but I guess we shall see.

I really wish they weren't restarting from issue one like everything else. But i'd be cool with the second half of what you said.

@Novemberx2: what you about noob? dan slott is great on spider-man.

So now we have three dark "Spider-Men"

@Jonny_Anonymous said:

So now we have three dark "Spider-Men"

Yep....honestly I don't see why we need another laxed morals Spider-man. Kaine is doing an awesome job on that by himself i'd prefer to keep a jokey light guy as Spider-man.

@obscurefan said:

I really like the team behind this book, but I've just gotten tired of so many books going so much darker. I understand that other people really like it when books take this tone, but between this, books like Avengers Arena, and the tone of the New 52, I've started to realize that comic book companies are no longer trying to get audiences like me.

Same thing here, it was the only book without dark comedy.

@constocorp: I hope not. I like what's happening with his character. He's had a lot of development because he's forged his own identity.

The toe thing looks a bit silly.

Well we all know that Aunt May won't die at the end of ASM #700 now/

@Spidey0528 said:

Sort of holding my breath on this one. I have been reading ASM for more than 30 years. Change is good. Just don't screw it up, Marvel.

This. Although 20 years for me ;)

This looks so awsome, i bet Spidey will kill doc ock. But as long it is Peter under the mask I'm happy!

Not sure how I feel about the new title, but I;'m excited to know that Slott will be continuing his run with our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man!!! ^__^

At least I know now the name of the Spider-Man book I was going to pick up.