BRAND NEW DAY (part 5, 2008)

Peter Parker's Brand New Day is one helluvva lonnnnnnnng day. It's probably more like a Brand New Month. At least! One of the goals of this new era was to bring some new villains into the mix. And who's out next major nemesis? Another goblin character. What's 'Brand New' about that? So far, this thing really wasn't living up to its own branding...

Get the full story:
[part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [part 6] [part 7] [part 8] [part 9] [part 10] [part 11]

The Daily Bugle is no more! Having been bought up by Dexter Bennett, the paper is now the DB! (exclamation included). And he's ordering a changing of the guard as a large number of employees look elsewhere for jobs as they dont match up to his ideal. Lucky for Peter Parker (or Paul Porter or whichever unamusing version of Pete's name he cooks up on any given page), Bennett think the sun shines out of his web-shooting behind.

Hoping to inspire better journalism, Bennett offers $10,000 to the person who can get a good, clear photo of the goblin character has been beheading random members of the non-costumed underworld. Now that he's a desperate sellout again, Peter dons his Spider-Man costume in the hope of claiming the prize. After all, it should give him enough to pay for a new web-shooter to replace the one that was stolen.

Instead, he gets to team-up with Jackpot and asks her outright is she's Mary Jane (you'd think the little mask wouldn't be enough to successfully disguise his long-term ex-girlfriend - aka "wife from another life" - from him. No wonder he's singe). But, she claims her real name is Sara Ehret. Together, the spark-free duo investigate the activities of the villain the DB! has dubbed Menace, but we're quickly reminded that Spider-Man isn't a fully-licensed, registered hero...

Jackpot switches sides when her fellow registered super-douche, Blue Shield, shows up. Despite their F-lister statuses, they overpower Spidey. It's only the arrival of Menace that throws everyone off their game and allow Spider-Man to escape arrest. He goes after Menace and receives a second beating. All those years of experience, and the guy can't beat these cackers.

Peter checks in on Harry Osborn to make sure he's not giving into his old goblin tendencies, but his new girlfriend, Lily Hollister, vouches for his whereabouts. So, could it be someone new?

J Jonah Jameson's wife is still hiding the fact that she sold off his controlling shares of the Daily Bugle. Despite being a genius, it turns out Peter Parker can't work a computer. Menace attacks the mayoral debate at the Apollo Theatre. And the police trick Spider-Man into attending an off-the-record meeting to use it as a chance to arrest him. With all guns blazing...

Jackpot risks her super-license to rescue Spider-Man from the trigger-happy cops, then they're off to the Apollo to thwart Menace's attempt to kill Councilwoman Parfrey before she has a chance to run for Mayor of New York City. Lucky for Menace, Jackpot does his job for him when she messes up Spidey's rescue attempt, accidentally killing Parfrey with Menace's Goblin Glider. What a putz.

Menace gets away in a puff of clichéd smoke. Spider-Man escapes arrest and goes to Sara Ehret's home address where a woman claiming not to be Jackpot tells him where to stick his nose. Oh, and Pete never gets that elusive $10,000 photo. Loser.

Follow the story in:
Amazing Spider-Man #549-551

Fallout:

Amazing Spider-Man #552 (2008) Spider-Man, Dexter Bennett, Lily Hollister, J Jonah Jameson, Harry Osborn, Betty Brant and Carlie Cooper next appear during Brand New Day.
Amazing Spider-Man #553 (2008) Randall Crowne next appears during Brand New Day.
Amazing Spider-Man #558 (2008) Menace returns during Brand New Day.
Amazing Spider-Man #560 (2008) Sergeant Quentin Palone next appears during Brand New Day.
Amazing Spider-Man #561 (2008) Sara Ehret next appears during Brand New Day.
Amazing Spider-Man #570 2008) Menace attacks Harry Osborn, proving to Spider-Man they're not the same person.
Amazing Spider-Man #579 (2009) Marla Jameson next appears.
Secret Invasion: The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (2008) Jackpot next appears during Secret Invasion.
Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 (2008) Jackpot and Sara Ehret's connection is revealed; Jackpot (Alana Jobson) is killed fighting Commanda and Blindside; Sara Ehret takes back the role she gave up to Jobson and becomes Jackpot again.
Amazing Spider-Man #586 (2009) Menace is revealed to be Lily Hollister, Harry Osborn's girlfriend; Lily reveals her intent to use her Menace identity to help her father win the mayoral election during Character Assassination.
Amazing Spider-Man #588 (2009) Lily Hollister's secret relationship with Norman Osborn (Harry's father) begins during Character Assassination.
Amazing Spider-Man #595 (2009) Lily Hollister reveals she's pregnant with Norman Osborn's child during Dark Reign.
Amazing Spider-Man #614 (2010) The DB! is destroyed by Electro during The Gauntlet.
Amazing Spider-Man: Origin of the Hunter #1 (2010) Blue Shield next appears during Grim Hunt.
Amazing Spider-Man #642 (2010) Lily Hollister gives birth to a baby boy, Stanley Osborn.
Amazing Spider-Man #649 (2011) J Jonah Jameson returns the Daily Bugle to its former glory during Big Time.
Superior Spider-Man #31 (2014) Lily Hollister is transformed back into a normal human during Goblin Nation.