In the long, ever-evolving history of Spider-Man, few eras have lived up to their name quite like 'Brand New Day.' Launched in 2008, the storyline marked a deliberate reset for Peter Parker; a return to the core ingredients that defined the character for decades, filtered through a modern lens and a fast-paced publishing schedule. With a rotating team of writers including Dan Slott, Marc Guggenheim, Zeb Wells, and Bob Gale, and artists like Steve McNiven, Salvador Larroca, and Phil Jimenez, Marvel set out to rebuild Spider-Man’s world from the ground up, one issue at a time.

The result was a back-to-basics Spidey: juggling money problems and navigating a New York City filled with both familiar faces and brand-new threats. But Brand New Day wasn’t just about revisiting old ground... it also introduced major additions to Spider-Man lore, from the rise of Mister Negative to new heroes like Jackpot, while reshuffling the supporting cast in ways that would ripple through the comics for years.

Now, with Marvel Studios naming its next Tom Holland film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, interest in the storyline has surged all over again. What exactly happens in this era of comics? Why did it redefine Spider-Man for a generation of readers? And what elements could make the leap from page to screen?

We’re breaking down the 'Brand New Day' storyline, from its biggest twists to its lasting impact, and why it still matters today. Let’s get into it.

What happens in the Spider-Man: Brand New Day ending in the comics?

As part of an ongoing, ever-changing Spider-Man comics storyline that's been with us since 1964, it's hard to answer how any comic storyline 'ends.' After all, isn't there always going to be the certainty of another issue, especially from a character as popular as Spider-Man? But what we can tell you is that after resetting the pieces on the proverbial Spider-Man chessboard, the multiple writers and artists behind Brand New Day weren't afraid to start moving them again and even add some of their own players. Here are some highlights:

• Spider-Man: Brand New Day introduced the character of Mister Negative to Marvel Comics, inspiring countless adaptations of the character, most notably in the Insomniac Spider-Man video games.
• Spider-Man: Brand New Day introduced a New York hero that readers would come to know as Jackpot, and yes, that's the same identity that Mary Jane Watson herself would take over one day.
• Spider-Man: Brand New Day ended the relationship between J. Jonah Jameson and the Daily Bugle, putting Robbie Robertson in the position of editor.

In the final issue of what is considered Spider-Man's 'Brand New Day' era, the somewhat-restored webhead has gone toe-to-toe with the Mister Negative crime syndicate and come out on top, but as you well know by now, comics reader, that kind of peace never lasts for long. Introduced in Amazing-Spider-Man #565 was an all-new kind of baddie with a personal vendetta against our hero.

Or maybe "vendetta" is the wrong word. See, this villain sees Spider-Man as more of a challenge to herself than anything, the next potential victim in her lifelong hunt for greater enemies. And if that sounds familiar to you, reader, you probably won't be super surprised to hear the name this villain is going by: Kraven the Hunter.

... but maybe we're getting ahead of ourselves.

What is the Spider-Man: Brand New Day comic about?

I know, I know, you're not here to talk about comic book numbering (although we will gladly do so if you want us to, reader), you're here to talk about what's actually in the story of Spider-Man: Brand New Day - so let's get into it. As you may recall from Popverse's extensive history of the comic storyline, the biggest reason Brand New Day existed was to bring Spidey back to basics after the narrative decisions made in the previous storyline, Spider-Man: One Day More.

If you'll recall, those decisions included Peter Parker undoing his public unveiling as Spider-Man in the Civil War storyline, saving his Aunt May from death, and radically shifting his relationship with Mary Jane Watson (which we'll get into in a moment). Rather than simply redo those decisions, though Brand New Day decided to bypass them in favor of starting a new story where all these characters were in more familiar positions 

For example, Aunt May was alive and in Peter's life again as a parental figure, Harry Osborn had returned from a previous death and was (maybe?) acting as a Green Goblin again, and that plucky news photographer Peter Parker was working for the Daily Bugle to get pictures of J. Jonah Jameson's least favorite crime fighter.

Most of Spider-Man's relationships had returned to an old status quo, save one notable exception...

Did Brand New Day erase Mary Jane Watson's marriage to Peter Parker?

No, it didn't - that was Spider-Man: One More Day that erased their marriage, which remains (in mainline Marvel Comics anyway) a thing of the past. Basically, Spider-Man sacrificed his marriage to MJ (and the child they would've had) to Mephisto in exchange for saving Aunt May from death and for erasing the world's memory of his true identity. But we're focusing on a different storyline there - let's get back to the comic in question, which may or may not influence the upcoming Spider-Man movie.

So, since we brought it up... 

What comics will Spider-Man: Brand New Day be based on?

Not only do we not know the extent to which the new Spider-Man film will be based on the Brand New Day comic, but we're also not even sure what other comics will be worked into the plot. For example, it sure seems like Peter Parker will turn into a more monstrous human/spider hybrid, an event which happens in 1984's Marvel Fanfare comics as well as in 2005's storyline 'The Other: Evolve or Die.'

What we can tell you, though, is that the Spider-Man: Brand New Day comic lasted from January to July of 2008, or in issue terms, from The Amazing Spider-Man#546–564. And if that numbering doesn't quite make sense to you (20 issues in 6 months?), know this: beginning with the Spider-Man: Brand New Day storyline, Marvel started publishing multiple issues of The Amazing Spider-Man over the course of each month, subsuming two other comics that were running before it - The Sensational Spider-Man and Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

Marvel's most reliable superhero has proven he can do a whole lot more than just 'whatever a spider can.' Swing into Spidey's history with Popverse's...

• Best Spider-Man comic books 
• The best Spider-Mans (or is it Spider-Men?)
• Spider-Man movie watch order
• Spider-Man's actors, ranked
• The best Spider-Man suits
• and the Spider-verse explained!

Just watch out for that radioactive blood.