It’s a big day for Brian Michael Bendis. In November, DC Comics announced that it had signed Bendis to an exclusive contract after over 15 years of him writing for Marvel Comics, and today Forbes revealed the specifics of DC’s new relationship with Bendis. After making his DC debut in April’s Action Comics #1000 with a story illustrated by Jim Lee, Bendis will write the six-issue weekly Man Of Steel miniseries with an all-star lineup of artists: Ivan Reis, Evan “Doc” Shaner, Ryan Sook, Kevin Maguire, Adam Hughes, and Jason Fabok. Man Of Steel sets the stage for Bendis’ takeover of both Action Comics and Superman, which begins with Action Comics #1001 and a new Superman #1 in July. Bendis is taking over the most popular superhero in the world, but he’s also bringing his creator-owned Jinxworld imprint to DC Comics with plans to launch a new imprint spotlighting his favorite DC characters.
But before Bendis begins his tenure at DC, he still has some stories to wrap up at Marvel, two of them featuring Bendis creations who have become major forces in Marvel’s entertainment line-up. Jessica Jones is facing off against her archnemesis Purple Man in Bendis’ final issues of Jessica Jones, and an old face from Miles Morales’ past is also at the core of his problems in the pages of Spider-Man. Miles’ family dynamics set him apart from Peter Parker, and Bendis is leaning into that aspect as he wraps up a story that has spanned years and multiple universes. This exclusive preview of next week’s Spider-Man #237 shows how Miles reacts to his supervillain uncle’s resurrection, and he wastes no time immediately running home to warn his parents.
Artist Oscar Bazaldua and colorist Brian Reber have kept the visuals on Spider-Man consistent with the original art team of Sara Pichelli and Justin Ponsor, and this preview showcases the crisp clarity of Bazaldua and Reber’s work, particularly with the emotional beats in the conversation between Miles’ parents. Miles’ father takes pride in his son’s secret identity in that scene, but as Miles discover new facets of his powers and leaves adolescence behind, it’s very possible that he’ll give himself a new superhero name and identity. Since being integrated into Marvel’s primary 616 universe, Miles has been stuck in the shadow of the original Spider-Man, and for his final issues, Bendis is introducing the possibility of Miles abandoning the Spider-Man name to create his own heroic legacy.