It isn't a secret that Spider-Man is one of the most popular characters ever created across all media. Thanks to that, any project starring the friendly neighborhood hero usually enjoys some level of success, even if it isn't completely praised by fans (just take a look at the previous era of The Amazing Spider-Man comic book series). However, excitement is especially at a whole other level whenever the big Spider-Men team-ups come our way. Spider-Man: No Way Home broke records for a movie being released during the pandemic era, while Spider-Geddon was Marvel's top-selling comic back in November 2018. Love them or hate them, these "crossovers" always make waves.
But across all the Spider-Men in the multiverse, the two most popular iterations are Peter Parker and Miles Morales. The two wall-crawlers recently stole the spotlight in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 for PlayStation 5 to great levels of success, and have even crossed paths in the Spider-Verse animated movie franchise. With that in mind, it isn't surprising to know that fans are asking to see more of them.
We'd love to see the two heroes eventually share the big screen in a live-action project, and at some point, we asked for them to have their own dedicated comic book series. Unfortunately, the latter did become a reality but failed to stay afloat despite fan expectations.
The Spectacular Spider-Men has been officially cancelled at Marvel
June 2025 will mark the first month when we'll get no new issue of The Spectacular Spider-Men (2024) since its inception — a fate few could've seen coming before the first issue dropped. To say the saga was positioned to become a classic would be an understatement. Greg Weisman, writer of the iconic Spectacular Spider-Man animated series, was also the main writer of this comic book adventure. Furthermore, Peter and Miles had their first shared, ongoing series for the first time in history. However, fast-forward a bit over a year, and the 15th issue contains a message from editor Nick Lowe bidding its farewells:
"It is with a heavy heart that we bid adieu to this wonderful series! The idea came up to do a series starring our two leading Spider-Men, and we jumped at the chance (...). Thank you, our spectacular fans. We're very grateful you came along for this ride."
While the cancellation of The Spectacular Spider-Men (2024) might come across as unexpected at first, it makes sense when you start looking at its sales. The first issue ranked fourth in comic book sales for March 2024, which is an impressive achievement. However, the second issue ranked at position 17, while the third ranked at 37, and the fourth didn't even make it into the top 50. The series' quick decline is evident, and that can come down to multiple factors.
For starters, both Peter and Miles have more interesting and action-packed stand-alone sagas, which made The Spectacular Spider-Men (2024) feel like a bit of a side dish (especially considering its relatively light-hearted tone). Besides, there are many ongoing series featuring the wall-crawler or his allies/enemies that compete for readers' attention, and the two clear winners are Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) and The Amazing Spider-Man. Last, but certainly not least, we need to face the hard reality: Peter and Miles didn't feel like the protagonists of their team-up saga.
InThe Spectacular Spider-Men (2024) No. 9, a new hero called Elementary made its debut. Since that very moment, she felt like the main character, with the two Spider-Men relegated to the action sequences and little else. It's true that Peter and Miles had an interesting arc in the first chapter of the series, which saw them live in a fictional world where they had what they most desired. But ever since "The Arcadium" was destroyed, their characters had no development whatsoever other than teaching someone else how to be a hero on a very superficial level.
Does that mean the other protagonistic characters were boring or had a disastrous storyline? Not at all, but readers don't go to a series called The Spectacular Spider-Men to learn more about common everyday folk that go to a coffee shop, or a new hero called Elementary (regardless of how well crafted their characters were, or how many wholesome moments they shared). Unfortunately, this comic book adventure failed to deliver on its main promise, and it didn't make it past the 15-month mark even when it had the potential to become Marvel's next big thing.
With a bit of luck, many more interesting stories await Peter and Miles. Let's just hope they can truly be the protagonists next time around.