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The Amazing Spider-Man (1999) (Collected Editions) #21
The Amazing Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Vol. 3
The DB, New York's trashiest tabloid, has just hired the sleaziest, most muckraking, lowlife paparazzi of them all...PETER PARKER?! Say it ain't so, True Believer! Also, J. Jonah Jameson finds inner peace and harmony...(Hey, it could happen! Maybe.) All this and the first-ever livestreaming Screwball! It's web-slinger vs. wall-crawler as we answer the question- who is "The Other Spider-Man?" It ain't comin' down to another clone saga, is it? Collects Amazing Spider-Man #559-563.
120 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2008
14 people are currently reading
263 people want to read
About the author
Dan Slott
2,004 books454 followersDan Slott is an American comic book writer, the current writer on Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man, and is best known for his work on books such as Arkham Asylum: Living Hell, She-Hulk, Silver Surfer, The Superior Spider-Man, and Ren & Stimpy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
March 14, 2022
4.5 Golden Stars
first 5 star, in Spidey comics! (but now I'm thinking maybe giving first Brand New Day a 5 too? the plot was stronger there in general)
well, what can I say? I loved it! good times!
even the side plot was awesome (mainly because of its fun, but the villain was also intriguing & unique)
(tho I'm still not sure if the main thing (spider-tracer) also finished? well, I keep continue reading)
I love the cover!
first 5 star, in Spidey comics! (but now I'm thinking maybe giving first Brand New Day a 5 too? the plot was stronger there in general)
well, what can I say? I loved it! good times!
even the side plot was awesome (mainly because of its fun, but the villain was also intriguing & unique)
(tho I'm still not sure if the main thing (spider-tracer) also finished? well, I keep continue reading)
I love the cover!
March 24, 2018
Pretty pointless...
World: The art is aight, nothing special nothing memorable. With Brand New Day we get a new status quo and since the first two arcs the world has been back to the past and the status quo is fairly...meh. The new pieces don't really feel anything fresh and the world really does feel like a step back.
Story: The paparazzi storyline is pretty stupid and pretty much against that males Peter...well Peter. It's stupid and long winded and boring. Then we get the gambling story which is even worse. So pointless, so meaningless and a chore. What does this bring???
Characters: Peter is okay. His banter is okay and his sense of humor is pretty good. That being said it's a retread of things past and kinds pointless. Then there's the new villain which looks cool but that's about it. The gambling story is soooo dumb.
Pointless and forgettable...zzz
Onward to the next book!
World: The art is aight, nothing special nothing memorable. With Brand New Day we get a new status quo and since the first two arcs the world has been back to the past and the status quo is fairly...meh. The new pieces don't really feel anything fresh and the world really does feel like a step back.
Story: The paparazzi storyline is pretty stupid and pretty much against that males Peter...well Peter. It's stupid and long winded and boring. Then we get the gambling story which is even worse. So pointless, so meaningless and a chore. What does this bring???
Characters: Peter is okay. His banter is okay and his sense of humor is pretty good. That being said it's a retread of things past and kinds pointless. Then there's the new villain which looks cool but that's about it. The gambling story is soooo dumb.
Pointless and forgettable...zzz
Onward to the next book!
July 30, 2020
As usual for a book of this type, the story was great, and the artwork outstanding...but it was a bit edgier than I would have liked.
January 11, 2021
This book was horrendous, Peter becomes a Paparazzi and has to go after some movie star while some Paper cut girl is in love with him and it turns into a weird 1960s soap opera which is so corny and Peter leaves DB and then fights some bookie guy whose father is...yeah this book was horrible, I skipped out in the end. Its Peter acting amateurish and annoying and stories are not even worth reading. I understand why people say Dan Slott's run on Spider-man is bad and this volume proves it.
April 27, 2016
Peter agrees to take on papparazzi jobs for his new boss if it means more money in the bank, which doesn't sit well with his friends. Of course this leads to Spider-Man intervening between a famous actor and the obsessed Paper Doll, and Pete manages to find out who the actor is secretly dating: . Next, Spider-Man takes on the Bookie and the Enforcers, and then the vehicle-enhancing criminal Overdrive makes his first appearance since volume one.
Once again there's a noticeable difference between Dan Slott's writing (fun and modern) and Bob Gale's writing (bordering on silly and clichéd). The "Brand New Day" comes to a close, but plot threads introduced in the first volume are still hanging out there. Entertaining stuff overall, but not quite gripping enough for me to want to push forward from this point. BND is still a good place to jump on board with today's Spider-Man, but the shifting writers are obvious enough to be a minor distraction to me. When I do resume my Spider-Man catch-up, I think I'll jump forward about 100 issues to Big Time where it looks like Slott takes a permanent position as writer.
Once again there's a noticeable difference between Dan Slott's writing (fun and modern) and Bob Gale's writing (bordering on silly and clichéd). The "Brand New Day" comes to a close, but plot threads introduced in the first volume are still hanging out there. Entertaining stuff overall, but not quite gripping enough for me to want to push forward from this point. BND is still a good place to jump on board with today's Spider-Man, but the shifting writers are obvious enough to be a minor distraction to me. When I do resume my Spider-Man catch-up, I think I'll jump forward about 100 issues to Big Time where it looks like Slott takes a permanent position as writer.
July 8, 2015
Eh again just like the rest of the Brand New Day series it's just ok. Nothing fancy. MJ is back dating the super star, Peter is a paparazzi. And now living with a cop. There's some great set up for stories but that's about it. I did enjoy the art a lot, probably my favorite part of this series all together
January 21, 2021
I bought this mostly because I’ve always been a fan of Marcos Martin’s art since I read MYSTERIOSO many years ago. I’ll get to the point — Slott writes a decent Spidey story here, one with the right dilemma, but compromises Peter’s character in doing so. Peter wants to get his life on track and move out of his Aunt May’s, and to get a lot of money quick, agrees to do some paparazzi to shoot a huge celebrity, Bobby Carr. Peter ends up getting shots of him attacking other people due to his fame, and this gets Peter a lot of money. Turns out, the villain of this arc, is a psychotic, obsessive fan girl of Carr’s, and can turn into a thin figure, Paper Doll. The people that Carr ends up attacking in Peter’s photos, end up victims of Doll, because she’s trying to make Carr’s life easier.
The dilemma is there and it’s set up right, it’s just not the right chess pieces. The way Carr is even blended into both Peter and Spidey’s life is good. So Peter hurts for money because he wants to better his life, takes a really sketchy job to get said money. Peter’s life benefits, but in doing so, Spider-Man’s life gets worse due to what Peter’s actions are and he ends up with dead victims of a new supervillain. One life benefits while the other suffers, and thus, should put Peter at a compelling standstill.
Firstly, Peter Parker would never take a morally low job such as being paparazzi. He would find another way especially if it was just to get his own apartment. Slott doesn’t help his case either, since supporting characters like Robbie and Harry are the voice of reason, questioning Peter’s choice. Peter, by the end of the arc, learns his lesson through Carr, who vocalizes what it’s like to be a huge celeb and having his private life made public. The better version, the more “correct” version, would be Peter needing money to afford hospital bills for Aunt May, instead of just wanting to move out and better his life. THEN, if paparazzi was his only choice, he’d have to say yes to it. It’d be a bit more compelling due to what Peter is fighting for and what’s at stake. Here, Peter is just fighting for part of his status as a human being. Which, there’s nothing wrong with that, since Peter is like you and me — he’s more human than superhuman, and has everyday wants and wishes. But saying yes to paparazzi-ing for money to help his own life out was a big red flag to me. Peter is more selfless than selfish. I think that’s where this component suffers..
Secondly, Slott writes a very very lame villain in Paper Doll. There is nothing to it. No further motivation. She is just an obsessive fan girl. No huge revelation of her being an ex co-star of Carr’s or nothing. Just a fan girl. Really boring and pretty lame, making it real easy to dislike her.
You can tell someone else was writing in the last issues of the book, when a low thug on TV calls out Spider-Man to meet him to fight and Peter thinks to himself that he can show up as Peter to at least make sure no one gets hurt. A guy who thinks that, isn’t the same guy to say yes to a paparazzi job, one that involves peaking into, and intruding in people’s lives. That being said, Bob Gale didn’t write much of a better story either, with “The Bookie” being a villain basically about addiction in gambling, with family drama. I will say though.. Gale can write some perfectly spot on Spidey quips..
I will say, the art absolutely delivered with Martin, as well as Mike McKone, who I don’t think I’ve ever seen before but would love to check out what else he’s done..
The dilemma is there and it’s set up right, it’s just not the right chess pieces. The way Carr is even blended into both Peter and Spidey’s life is good. So Peter hurts for money because he wants to better his life, takes a really sketchy job to get said money. Peter’s life benefits, but in doing so, Spider-Man’s life gets worse due to what Peter’s actions are and he ends up with dead victims of a new supervillain. One life benefits while the other suffers, and thus, should put Peter at a compelling standstill.
Firstly, Peter Parker would never take a morally low job such as being paparazzi. He would find another way especially if it was just to get his own apartment. Slott doesn’t help his case either, since supporting characters like Robbie and Harry are the voice of reason, questioning Peter’s choice. Peter, by the end of the arc, learns his lesson through Carr, who vocalizes what it’s like to be a huge celeb and having his private life made public. The better version, the more “correct” version, would be Peter needing money to afford hospital bills for Aunt May, instead of just wanting to move out and better his life. THEN, if paparazzi was his only choice, he’d have to say yes to it. It’d be a bit more compelling due to what Peter is fighting for and what’s at stake. Here, Peter is just fighting for part of his status as a human being. Which, there’s nothing wrong with that, since Peter is like you and me — he’s more human than superhuman, and has everyday wants and wishes. But saying yes to paparazzi-ing for money to help his own life out was a big red flag to me. Peter is more selfless than selfish. I think that’s where this component suffers..
Secondly, Slott writes a very very lame villain in Paper Doll. There is nothing to it. No further motivation. She is just an obsessive fan girl. No huge revelation of her being an ex co-star of Carr’s or nothing. Just a fan girl. Really boring and pretty lame, making it real easy to dislike her.
You can tell someone else was writing in the last issues of the book, when a low thug on TV calls out Spider-Man to meet him to fight and Peter thinks to himself that he can show up as Peter to at least make sure no one gets hurt. A guy who thinks that, isn’t the same guy to say yes to a paparazzi job, one that involves peaking into, and intruding in people’s lives. That being said, Bob Gale didn’t write much of a better story either, with “The Bookie” being a villain basically about addiction in gambling, with family drama. I will say though.. Gale can write some perfectly spot on Spidey quips..
I will say, the art absolutely delivered with Martin, as well as Mike McKone, who I don’t think I’ve ever seen before but would love to check out what else he’s done..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2022
There's nothing that really stands out about this particular volume for me. There were some high stakes fighting scene, and Peter has to deal with the fact that he has a job as paparazzi, and of course we finally get to see MJ. We also still get some of the famous Spider-Man banter, which is probably one of my favorite things about the comics. But I wasn't necessarily sold on the overall story in this volume.
The art wasn't really my favorite thing here either, especially in one of those later issues. I just don't think it was the best of Spider-Man art, and I wanted a little more from the story overall.
The art wasn't really my favorite thing here either, especially in one of those later issues. I just don't think it was the best of Spider-Man art, and I wanted a little more from the story overall.
January 18, 2024
i am not a fan of Dan Slott's writing
February 12, 2013
Goofy - the silly Parkour was fine, but the panels of Robbie Robertson silently moralising at Peter is just sad. I know it's written like the old days, but at least write so it doesn't come off as stale or anachronistic.
And seriously - the villain Paper Doll's real name is Piper Dali? For real? That's just revoltingly bad.
Otherwise Slott's writing is pretty good - solid, funny dialogue when Slott's not trying to be clever with the puns, and a slightly interesting moral turnaround for Parker (from paparazzo to decent poor guy again).
Martin's art though is far out - not good, very 60's style, hard to take caricature at all seriously.
I'm not even interested in reading more Gale dreck, but slogged through it anyway for the plot points. Pretty harmless story done a thousand times - the Enforcers and a bookie, a little double cross, a few punches and a good deed for Aunt May. Meh. The only good thing here is trying to address (but really just drag out) the framed-for-murder subplot. At least McKone's art was better than Martin's.
And seriously - the villain Paper Doll's real name is Piper Dali? For real? That's just revoltingly bad.
Otherwise Slott's writing is pretty good - solid, funny dialogue when Slott's not trying to be clever with the puns, and a slightly interesting moral turnaround for Parker (from paparazzo to decent poor guy again).
Martin's art though is far out - not good, very 60's style, hard to take caricature at all seriously.
I'm not even interested in reading more Gale dreck, but slogged through it anyway for the plot points. Pretty harmless story done a thousand times - the Enforcers and a bookie, a little double cross, a few punches and a good deed for Aunt May. Meh. The only good thing here is trying to address (but really just drag out) the framed-for-murder subplot. At least McKone's art was better than Martin's.
March 5, 2015
This installment was very OKAY for me.
Paper Doll was super creepy and it was kind of cool seeing some... old characters... pop up, but overall I found this volume to be not as engaging as the previous two.
Paper Doll was super creepy and it was kind of cool seeing some... old characters... pop up, but overall I found this volume to be not as engaging as the previous two.
November 12, 2018
The Dan Slott and Marcos Martin three parter is actually a fun read but the two-parter at the end was a huge dud of bad writing and mediocre art.
The Slott story is still not Slott at his best - that was yet to come when he was the primary writer for Spider-man and there wasn't the revolving door of writers (I believe this was because they made the comic come out twice a month). But it had some elements I love of Slott - he had the humour - the history of the character - a message to say and it ended on an optimistic note. This story was about Parker being lured in by the money to become a paparazzi photographer - getting the dirt on celebrities. The villain was an obsessed fan of the celebrity. Some solid art and a fun story.
The two-parter that follows is so forgettable and poorly plotted it is no wonder I have never heard of the writer. The basic idea is there is a guy who places bets on what will happen with super-heroes and villains, when they clash. Kinda. And there is a bar where villains who are wanted can hang out. Ugh. I am writing "ugh" because Spider-man finds this bar and after he gets the info he needs he leaves...leaves behind all the wanted criminals. You know - cause that's what a super-hero deos when he finds a bunch of wanted criminals hanging out. He leaves them to their drinking.
So I have read all 3 of the first volumes of Brand New Day and was not impressed. Better things follow when Slott takes over completely and Spider Island is on its way.
The Slott story is still not Slott at his best - that was yet to come when he was the primary writer for Spider-man and there wasn't the revolving door of writers (I believe this was because they made the comic come out twice a month). But it had some elements I love of Slott - he had the humour - the history of the character - a message to say and it ended on an optimistic note. This story was about Parker being lured in by the money to become a paparazzi photographer - getting the dirt on celebrities. The villain was an obsessed fan of the celebrity. Some solid art and a fun story.
The two-parter that follows is so forgettable and poorly plotted it is no wonder I have never heard of the writer. The basic idea is there is a guy who places bets on what will happen with super-heroes and villains, when they clash. Kinda. And there is a bar where villains who are wanted can hang out. Ugh. I am writing "ugh" because Spider-man finds this bar and after he gets the info he needs he leaves...leaves behind all the wanted criminals. You know - cause that's what a super-hero deos when he finds a bunch of wanted criminals hanging out. He leaves them to their drinking.
So I have read all 3 of the first volumes of Brand New Day and was not impressed. Better things follow when Slott takes over completely and Spider Island is on its way.
September 25, 2025
Peter Parker sells his soul for a lucrative job as a paparazzi photographer, much to the disgust of his friends and peers. However, it becomes a job for Spider-Man when one of the celebrities he's hounding is targeted by the murderous supervillain stalker Paper Doll. He is then forced to track down and confront someone who is impersonating Spider-Man to rig an illegal gambling operation.
I will say this for the storytelling in this book; it does a good job of imitating the style of Spider-Man's iconic 1960s stories (as written by the likes of Stan Lee). This feels like back-to-basics Spider-Man storytelling where he has to overcome some supervillain shenanigans whilst in costume, whilst also juggling a troubled (romantically or financially) private life as Peter Parker.
That said, this book doesn't feel like it has the same soul as those 60s classics. It's very hard to quantify why, but you just don't feel as invested in this story as you would in one of the ones from actual era it's mimicking. On top of that, the artwork here feels like it's trying to capture the retro style of Darwyn Cooke, but somewhat unsuccessfully.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
I will say this for the storytelling in this book; it does a good job of imitating the style of Spider-Man's iconic 1960s stories (as written by the likes of Stan Lee). This feels like back-to-basics Spider-Man storytelling where he has to overcome some supervillain shenanigans whilst in costume, whilst also juggling a troubled (romantically or financially) private life as Peter Parker.
That said, this book doesn't feel like it has the same soul as those 60s classics. It's very hard to quantify why, but you just don't feel as invested in this story as you would in one of the ones from actual era it's mimicking. On top of that, the artwork here feels like it's trying to capture the retro style of Darwyn Cooke, but somewhat unsuccessfully.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
February 2, 2026
Looking for better pay, Peter Parker shifts over to the paparazzi section of The DB, formerly The Daily Bugle under J. Jonah Jameson. The new editor is much worse and encourages Peter to go after a Hollywood celebrity in town. Unfortunately, the celebrity has a supervillain stalker called Paperdoll who is in fact a flattened woman who can make other people just as flat (though they die from the condition). Peter struggles with the ethics of the job as he fights the very weird villain. A second story follows Spidey as he confronts The Bookie, a guy who frequents a local bar for supervillains and gets them to bet on pretty much anything. The Bookie might have some information on someone who is framing Spider-Man as a serial killer, so Spidey has a lot of motivation to take him down.
The villains in these stories are a little disappointing. It's hard to imagine them coming back again in future stories. The "Peter Parker trying to get by" story is more interesting and fun.
Mildly recommended.
The villains in these stories are a little disappointing. It's hard to imagine them coming back again in future stories. The "Peter Parker trying to get by" story is more interesting and fun.
Mildly recommended.
June 29, 2025
"LOOK AT YOU. A GROWN MAN IN FOOTIE PAJAMAS. BET YOU STILL LIVE AT HOME IN YOUR MOM'S BASEMENT!"
- Screwball to Spider-Man (who, by the way, lives with his aunt... so there!).
Meet Screwball, a live-streaming super(ish) villain who does parkour and smart-ass comments.
Then, a two-dimensional villain who's stalking a Hollywood movie star. Finally, an original idea.
Finally, the Bar With No Name (favorite watering hole of super-villains), multi-generational bookies, and counterfeit Spider-Men.
Overall, very cool. Four stars.
- Screwball to Spider-Man (who, by the way, lives with his aunt... so there!).
Meet Screwball, a live-streaming super(ish) villain who does parkour and smart-ass comments.
Then, a two-dimensional villain who's stalking a Hollywood movie star. Finally, an original idea.
Finally, the Bar With No Name (favorite watering hole of super-villains), multi-generational bookies, and counterfeit Spider-Men.
Overall, very cool. Four stars.
August 17, 2025
2 different storylines in this TPB. The first one from Slott and Martin is quite nice. Pete becomes a paparrazzo to make ends meet and tries to rationalise how he fell so low while fighting a villain who has the merit of being original. Nothing transcendent but enjoyable with a nice graphic part.
The second by Gale and McKone is more anecdotal and involves a rogue bookie - ain't they all? Having said that, these episodes are light and the bookie's family relationships are pretty funny.
All in all, a totally dispensable volume, but not unpleasant to read.
The second by Gale and McKone is more anecdotal and involves a rogue bookie - ain't they all? Having said that, these episodes are light and the bookie's family relationships are pretty funny.
All in all, a totally dispensable volume, but not unpleasant to read.
June 21, 2019
Still going through my journey through the earlier Slott books and this definitely feels like part of the getting into the groove books. It had interesting moments with the whole "Peter Parker becomes a paparazzi photographer" and a Mary Jane tease as well. But the book still feels a little raw or like they don't quite know how to flesh out their ideas just yet but will get there.
July 26, 2024
Brand New Day is amazing! These feel like authentic Spider-Man stories in the tradition of Stan Lee, Gerry Conway, Roger Stern, and Tom DeFalco. The Spidey “brain trust” of Gale, Guggenheim, Slott and Wells really seem to get what Spider-Man is all about.
October 18, 2025
Bu ciltte iki hikaye var ilki Peter' ın paparazzilik yaptığı ve enteresan bir hikaye. Farklı bir villian ve olay örgüsü olduğu için sevdim. Ancak bahis olayları ile ilgili olan 2. hikaye baya sıkıcıydı.
August 19, 2018
Mike McKone and Marcos Martin both draw amazing Spider-mans
June 24, 2019
The more I thought about this volume, the more I liked it. At first, it felt like we were treading water, but there are actually some important developments to the character of Peter Parker.
January 13, 2020
Got a little more exciting toward the end, but still not that fun of a read.
April 10, 2022
rating: 3.5* | can we just take a moment to appreciate the artwork I'M OBSESSED
April 10, 2022
Not the most exciting volume, but great art all around.
June 1, 2022
kinda boring rip :/
September 19, 2023
Omg sooooo booorrrriiiinngg
November 3, 2023
La historia de Peter Parker siendo un papparazzi (es con dos p?) es god y la historia de los weones que apuestan por peleas de spider-man tambien es god, god.
January 1, 2024
Entretenido y gracias ya sería decir mucho.
August 4, 2024
Didn’t finish.
August 4, 2025
love quippy spiderman
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews