The Daily Bugle returns to its investigative roots in this exclusive preview
As the journalism industry goes through sweeping changes, the fictional newspapers of Marvel and DC’s superhero universes have transformed to reflect the times. The Daily Bugle has gone through major transitions in ownership and editorial agendas over the years, but with the rising need for good journalism in a time of misinformation, the publication is returning to its investigative roots to provide a vital public service.
The new Amazing Spider-Man: Daily Bugle miniseries uses the newspaper’s back-to-basics approach to tie together threads in the current Amazing Spider-Man and Daredevil ongoings, offering a journalist’s-eye-view of major happenings on the street. Writer Mat Johnson knows how to use investigative journalism to drive a compelling story, as evidenced in his two Incognegro comics following a light-skinned black man as he investigates racially motivated crimes, and Daily Bugle gives him the opportunity to flex that muscle in a more fantastic environment.
This exclusive preview of next week’s Amazing Spider-Man: Daily Bugle #1 takes readers on a tour of the Daily Bugle office, capturing the chaos, anxiety, and determination that flows through each department. Johnson immediately establishes the challenges faced by modern news publications, using these obstacles as a source of gallows humor as editor Joseph “Robbie” Robertson makes all of his employees nervous with his pacing. The artwork by Francisco Mobili, Mack Chater, and colorist Dono Sánchez-Almara grounds the story in reality with a clearly defined space bustling with productivity, and the artists’ experience with street-level Marvel heroes makes them a great fit for this story.
