Historical text from Facebook:
 
Robbert Graner
September 18, 2018 11:28 am
 
Amazing, I just checked the Marvel comic sollicitations of December:
 
"SPIDERGEDDON HANDBOOK
 
Various (W/A)
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe returns with an all-new collection of Spider-Man profiles just in time for SPIDER-GEDDON! Among the profiles are the heroic Spiderling (Annie Parker)! Spider-Girl (Ashley Barton)! The vile Inheritors! Spider-Punk! Spider-Man’s sister, Teresa Parker! The Master Weaver! And more! Also featuring updates for Spider-Man (Parker), Miles Morales and two Scarlet Spiders! Plus: A guide to the Spider-Men across the Multiverse!"
Reply 1:
Luke Van Horn
I wonder if there will be any references to (not profiles of) Spider-Boy, Spider-Prime, or other unreferenced Spider-Men from various intercompany crossovers (like from Earth-7642, Magazineland USA, the various Indonesian Spider-Men, etc.).
Reply 2:
David A. Zuckerman
Spectacular news! Hopefully they'll return to the traditional handbook format, but I'll take whatever I can get!
Reply 3:
Rob Horne
Man, I'm just wondering how many pages Parker-616 will get in his update? Seeing as he hasn't received an update since his entry in...*looks it up*...Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Vol 1 11 (the hardcover), which is allegedly cover dated December 2009. So, nine entire years without an entry OR an update. Just think of all the individual entry updates Steve Rogers, The Avengers, or Tony Stark have received since their Hardcover entries!
Reply 4:
Robbert Graner
I hope they will use the old Handbook style again. I didn't like the format changes they made with the last Handbook (All-New All-Different Marvel Universe #1).
Reply 5:
Andy Nystrom
While I hope it's the format circa Hardcovers era, I'll definitely take the All-New All-Different format if that's the only option. Hope sales warrant more Handbooks. Also hoping, given the Spider-Men across the Multiverse guide, that the "Spider-Friends were eaten" bit will have been retconned by the time the Handbook comes out.
 
 
Andy Nystrom
October 31, 2018 11:03 am
 
Anyone want to speculate who will get full entries, as opposed to capsule entries of the different versions of Spider-Man? Already confirmed: Spiderling (Annie Parker), Spider-Girl (Ashley Barton), Inheritors, Spider-Punk, Teresa Parker, The Master Weaver; updates: Spider-Man (Parker), Miles Morales and two Scarlet Spiders. Cover only has one character so hard to play "Identify the characters on the cover."
 
My guesses: Beverly Switzler (long requested, met Spider-Man in her first appearance), Spider-Man (What If? #1; one of the few What If characters to make multiple appearances, fits theme of book), at least one version of Ms. Lion, Spider-Woman (Stacey) update, Spider-Man (Mangaverse), Spider (1602), Spiderman (Jansen; Dutch), Ace, Hammer and Anvil (fought Spidey in Marvel Team-Up, no non-Appendix entry since Deluxe Edition), Dr. Kafka, Nathan Lubensky
Reply 1.
Luke Van Horn
I want Supaidaman and the various Spider-Men from Indonesia :-)
Reply a.
Andy Nystrom
 I'd love to see those. It wouldn't surprise me if non-comic versions are off limits for full entries (with the possible exception of the MCU version, who did make it into the Civll War Guidebook) but if they can at least make it into the Appendix, I'll take it.
Reply b.
Andy Nystrom
Speaking of other media version, on a tangent, I hope Spidergeddon retcons Spiderverse having the Spider-Friends be eaten by a monster.
Reply c.
Luke Van Horn
I would also love an explanation for how the comic Spiderverse event fits in with the cartoon version of the event
Reply d.
Luke Van Horn
Oh, and Supaidaman isn't just a non-comic character. Besides appearing in Spiderverse, he has multiple appearances in original Japanese manga stories. :-)
Reply e.
Nystrom
Okay, is he the same character as Spider-Man (Mangaverse) or a separate Japanese version?
Reply f.
 
Luke Van Horn
He's the guy in that 70s Japanese tv show. There were several manga tie-ins back in the 70s, since I guess it was a popular show in Japan. :-)
Reply g.
Andy Nystrom
I get that he's the guy from the 70s TV show, but my question is, is the Mangaverse Spider-Man the same guy or a different Spider-Man? I'm guessing separate but thought I'd doulecheck.
Reply h.
Luke Van Horn
They're different
Reply i.
Andy Nystrom
Which definitely shows the need for the announced listing of all the versions of Spider-Man. Hopefully the listing will also qualify which cartoon versions are the same (the two 1980s cartoon Spider-Man have a similar look and have the same music so those are likely the same. Conversely Dan Slot reportedly treated the mid-90s Spider-Man and the Spider-Man Unlimited versions as same in Spiderverse despite the different looks).
Reply 2.
Rob Horne
I'm not sure this would be the kind of Handbook that would stray too far from its theme, so I'm hoping for Spider-Man Noir, Spider-UK, Captain Spider, Spider-Ma'am, and an update on Ultimate Peter Parker. Bonus would MC2's Peter Parker.
Reply 3.
Rob Horne
It occurred to me that we don't even know what format this book will be in. The "standard" format found in Handbooks since 2006's All-New OHOTMU 12-issue series? The All-New All-Different Marvel Universe Handbook's format? Or possibly something different?
Reply a.
Rob Horne
Well, I just found a quote from a self-identified member of the Spider-Geddon Handbook's writing staff, over at the CBR forums, answering a question about the S-G Handbook's format: https://community.cbr.com/showthread.php?116128-Spider-Man-December-2018-Solicitations%2Fpage2&highlight=Spidergeddon%20Handbook&fbclid=IwAR0YMLgKI7yLJHX2viQD9C2DXVW_OAHtZsNAH4pqaB_GrRa0CX37JtOPa2c
Reply b.
Andy Nystrom
Disappointing that they are going with the All-New All-Different format but better that than nothing at all.
Reply c.
Rob Horne
Yeah, on the one hand, the ANAD format doesn't lend itself to half-page entries. Those were kind of fun; but what would have been a half-page entry in the 00's OHOTMU format seemed to wind up being translated into full-one pagers in the ANAD format.
 
Second, the ANAD handbook had just 21 entries. Granted, the biggest entries were for Doom's Battleworld and the Inhumans Update, but between the solicited update on Peter Parker-616 and the listing (?) for as many multiversal Spider-_____ characters as possible, this doesn't leave a lot of potential room for potential entries
Reply d.
Andy Nystrom
Another issue is the format doesn't lend itself well to full body illos. Now granted it's less of an issue when many of the characters are contortionists, but it's still an issue.
Reply e.
Rob Horne
On the other hand, it could lend itself to really niche themes, like an Invaders handbook, or a Champions handbook, etc.
Reply f.
Stuart Vandal
It's the new format favored by Marvel editorial, so it's being used for this book, and probably any (hypothetical) future books for at least the foreseeable future.
Reply g.
Rob Horne
Could I ask what about the new format does Marvel editorial like, especially over the old format?
Reply h.
Stuart Vandal
I'm honestly not sure. I think they feel it is more visually appealing to casual readers looking at it in store, which might then encourage sales.
Reply i.
Andy Nystrom
I realize people must like the new layout, but if you removed the text, I would still prefer the hardcover layout myself. That said, one friend I showed both two liked the newer format more because of the larger font size; like myself she's in her 40s so she finds larger fonts easier to read. Sadly the Handbooks probably do skew more towards older readers as we're more used to reading this sort of material offline (though I'm sure the Handbooks do have their share of younger readers), so that could prove to be an increased issue over time.. I wonder how the Handbooks would do in magazine size, where you could have the larger font and maybe come up with a new layout that would appeal to people who like both the old and new looks.
 
Andy Nystrom
December 5, 2018 11:58 am
Out today! Parentheses before the page count part of listing, brackets after the page count my clarifier:
 
Inheritors 4
Master Weaver 2
Otto Octavius update 2
Teresa Parker 2
Scarlet Spider (Kaine) update 3
Scarlet Spider (Ben Reilly) update 2
Sp//dr 1
Spider-Man (Miles Morales) update 2
Spider-Man (Peter Parker) update 9
Spider-Man (Reality-138) 2 [Hobart Brown from Amazing Spider-Man #10 2015]
Spider-Man (Reality-1048) 1 [Peter Parker from Marvel’s Spider-Man 2018 video game]
Spider-Man (Reality-51778 ) 1 [Takuya Yamashiro from 1978 Japanese TV series]
Spider-Woman (Ashley Barton) 1
Spiderling 2
Web-Warriors 4
Appendix: Spider-Men of the Multiverse 7
 
More on the latter in my next post
Reply 1.
Andy Nystrom
Appendix Notes:
Characters listings titled by reality name, not character name, so qualifiers in parentheses. Character is Spider-Man unless noted; otherwise just real name listed if known). Appendix is mostly in order of first appearance. Curiously with a few exceptions, Spider-Men from other media largely omitted, even ones that have previously appeared in comics. Also MIA is Spiderman from Netherlands. With a few exceptions of my own, issue numbers only given for What If…? (hereafter called What If?) and Exiles; the rest can be found when you buy the book)
1. Prime Reality (Spiderman; Blonde Phantom foe)
2. Prime Reality (Peter Parker)
3. Prime Reality (robot that fought Avengers)
4. Reality-665 (Spidey-Man/Peter Pooper from Not Brand Ecch)
5. Prime Reality (Scarlet Spider/Ben Reilly)
6. Reality-772 (Peter Parker from What If? #1)
7. Reality-77013 (Peter Parker – not noted as such but definitely him – from newspaper strip)
8. Reality-78127 (Captain Spider/Flash Thompson from What If? #7)
9. Reality-7840 (Man-Spider/Webster Weaver from What If? #8)
10. Reality-51778 (Supaidaman/Takuyya Yamashiro from 1978 Japanese series)
11. Prime Reality (Spider-Amoeba; Carrion creation)
12. Reality-3123 (Spider-Ma’am/May Parker from, What If? #23)
13. Reality-80219 (Peter Parker from What If? #19)
14. Reality-8311 (Spider-Ham/Peter Porker)
15. Reality-1089 (Peter Parker from What If? second series #4; all further Spider-Men from What If? are second series unless noted)
16. Reality-9105 (Peter Parkers from New Warriors #11)
17. Reality-99476 (Arachnosaur)
18. Prime Reality (Doppleganger)
19. Reality-148 (Ee-Rath’s Excalibur team)
20. Reality-928 (Miguel O’Hara from 2099)
21. Reality-92100 (Peter Parker from What If? #42)
22. Prime Reality (Scarlet Spider/Kaine)
23. Prime Reality (Guardian/Peter Parker clone)
24. Prime Reality (Jack/Peter Parker clone)
25. Reality-958 (Peter Parker from What If? #76)
26. Reality-9500 (Dr. Max Borne)
27. Prime Reality (Spidercide/Peter Parker clone)
28. Reality-688 (Peter Parker from What If? #88; no code name???)
29. Reality-96211 (from Marvel Vision)
30. Reality-9792 (Sheep Boy/Peter Parker from What If? #100)
31. Reality-9997 (Peter Parker from Earth X)
32. Reality-982 (Peter Parker, formerly Spider-Man, from What If? #102)
33. Reality-982 (Kaine from What If? #102)
34. Reality-1298 (Man-Spider/Peter Parker from Mutant X)
35. Reality-1298 (Peter Parker clone from Mutant X)
36. Reality-99062 (Spidey/Peter Parker from Spider-Man #8 1999)
37. Reality-1610 (Peter Parker; Ultimate Spider-Man)
38. Reality-98120 (Miguel O’Hara from Avengers Forever)
39. Prime Reality (Webslinger of Eurth dimension)
40. Prime Reality (Ezekiel Sims)
41. Prime Reality (Ai Apaec)
42. Reality-928 (Gerald Drew from Spider-Girl)
43. Reality-5692 (Peter Parker from Exiles #8)
44. Reality-2301 (Peter Parker; Mangaverse)
45. Reality-600625 (Peter Parker from Startling Stores)
46. Reality-15 (Spider/Peter Parker from Exiles #12)
47. Reality-311 (Spider/Peter Parquagh; 1602)
48. Reality-8545 (Peter Parker from Exiles #20)
49. Reality-9907 (Peter Parker from Spider-Girl #57)
50. Reality-312500 (Peter Parker from Amazing Spider-Man #58 20030
51. Reality-4400 (Peter Parker from Exiles #43; no code name???)
52. Reality-5513 (served Dormammu)
53. Reality-7041 (Spider-Man J/Sho Amano)
54. Reality-5701 (Peter Parker from Cable & Dead pool)
55. Reality-200501 (teenage Peter Parker from Wha… Huh?; likely no code name)
56. Reality-2149 (Peter Parker; zombie)
57. Reality-50101 (Pavitr Prabhakar; Spider-Man India)
58. Reality-50810 (Tony Stark; Mega Morphs)
59. Reality-50810 (real name not listed but almost for sure Peter Parker; House of M)
60. Reality-200515 (real name not listed but almost for sure Peter Parker; aging hero; Wha… Huh?)
61. Reality-70134 (Poison/Venom symbiote with corpse of Peter Parker; What If? Spider-Man: The Other)
62. Reality-6078 (Peter Parker from Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #8)
63. Reality-6375 (Miguel O’Hara from Exiles #72)
64. Reality-7082 (Spider-God/Kwaku Anansi)
65. Reality-7161 (Peter Parker from Sensational Spider-Man #41; likely no code name)
66. Reality-7140 (Peter Parker from Sensational Spider-Man #40; no code name???)
67. Reality-71004 (Peter Parker from Spider-Man: Fairy Tales #4)
68. Reality-7122 (Peter Parker, ninja)
69. Reality-70105 (Dr. Robert Bruce Banner; Bullet Points)
70. Reality-70237 (Peter Parker; Spider-Man: Reign)
71. Reality-8351 (Peter Parker: What If? Spider-Man vs. Wolverine)
72. Reality-8101 (Peter Parker from Amazing Spider-Man Family #1)
73. Prime Reality (Mac Gargan)
74. Reality-90214 (Peter Parker; Noir)
75. Reality-95019 (Peter Parker; Marvel Apes)

I need a break. More to follow.
Reply 2.
Andy Nystrom
The rest:
76. Reality-10082 (Pestilence/Peter Parker?; Avengers #2 2010)
77. Reality-11638 (Ghost Spider/Peter Parker)
78. Reality-999 (Spider-Cat)
79. Reality-1610 (Miles Morales)
80. Realty-11209 (Hunter/Peter Parker; What If? Spider-Man: Grim Hunt)
81. Reality-666 (undead Man-Spider/Peter Parker)
82. Prime Reality (Otto Octavius)
83. Reality-13 (Peter Parker, though not listed as such; Amazing Spider-Man #9 2014)
84. Reality-2818 (cyborg from Superior Spider-Man)
85. Reality-65 (Lizard/Peter Parker)
86. Reality-4 (Old Man Spider/Ezekiel Sims)
87. Reality-94 (Ben Reilly from Amazing Spider-Man #9 2014)
88. Reality-5194 (real name unclear; based on Hostess strips)
89. Reality-833 (Spider-UK/Billy Braddock)
90. Reality-21205 (Green Goblin/Peter Parker)
91. Reality-449 (Spider Moon-Man/Peter Parker)
92. Reality-67 (Peter Parker; listed as from Amazing Spider-Man #9 2015 but appears to be same character as 1967 cartoon series)
93. Reality-3145 (Ben Parker from Spider-Verse)
94. Reality-15312 (Mini-Spider-Man)
95. Reality-31913 (lawman who rode Spider-Horse)
96. Reality-18119 (Peter Parker, husband of Spinneret and father of Spiderling)
97. Reality-15042 (Spider-Mobile/Peter Parkedcar)
98. Reality-138 (Hobie Brown)
99. Reality-13989 (great Spider-Wolf of the Lycansphere)
100. Reality-8 (George Jefferson Maximilian Moreales-Stacy)
101. Reality-28242 (Peter Parker; from Venomverse)
102. Reality-1048 (Miles Morales; from 2018 video game Marvel’s Spider-Man)
103. Reality-71928 (Punisher/Peter Parker; from What If? Punisher)
104. Reality-1048 (Peter Parker; from 2018 video game Marvel’s Spider-Man)
105. Reality-18139 (Spider-Man/Flash Thompson; What If? Spider-Man)
106. Reality-18236 (from Spider-Man/Deadpool)
107. Reality-51838 (Peter Parker; from Spectacular Spider-Man #301)
Reply 3.
Stuart Vandal
l The Netherlands Spider-Man and some others had to be cut for space reasons. We should be putting the complete list up on the Marvel Appendix at some stage.
Reply 4.
Andy Nystrom
Still an impressive list of 107 characters.
Reply a.
Stuart Vandal
l I think the full list is in excess of 300 characters, and that's not including about an additional thirty Spider-Women/Girls.
Reply 5.
Andy Nystrom
By the way, is SP//dr pronounced the same as the word "spider"? If not, what is the correct pronunciation?
Reply a.
Stuart Vandal
No idea. But since the character (or a multiversal counterpart thereof) is appearing in the imminently forthcoming Into the Spiderverse movie, we will presumably be told soon enough.
Reply 6.
Luke Van Horn
Supaidaman! Does it only cover his appearances in the tv show and Spiderverse, or does it also include his manga stories from the late 70s as well?
Reply a.
Luke Van Horn
And I know they couldn't do it for legal reasons, but I would have loved coverage of the Spider-Men from 7642 and other intercompany crossovers.
Reply b.
Andy Nystrom
I haven't read any of those so I can't say for sure the sources of the stories, but as far as I can tell, being a one-pager, it mostly covers his origin story and then more recent adventures, thoigh a couple of in between bits are noted..
Reply c.
Stuart Vandal
The manga stories are considered part of his history, but given the limited space available I couldn't say how much of a mention they get. One of the problems you get for some characters is trying to work in a lot of appearances where not a lot really happens that really impacts on the character, especially in limited space; we want to acknowledge the stories, but if that would devolve into a list of "then he fought X, Y, Z,...." it's better to drop those mentions in favour of mentioning more interesting stuff. Case in point: Spider-Punk's entry gives more coverage to some of his unseen adventures in his home reality alongside his world's version of 616 heroes than it does to some of his witnessed adventures during Spiderverse. That's because (1) he's frequently just one of the crowd during battles in Spiderverse, and even if he gets a few lines he's not always contributing to furthering the story; (2) several other entries in this same book already cover those events anyway so it would be somewhat repetitive reading; and (3) his unseen homeworld adventures are unique to him, provide more background on the kind of world he hails from, and won't be covered elsewhere unless his world or fellow heroes get more adventures and so earn their own entry.
Reply 7.
Andy Nystrom
Out of curiosity, since the Handbook front cover seems to fairly heavily promote the new video game, did that play a major role in greenlighting the Handbook? If so, despite mostly being a non-gamer I heartily encourage new Marvel video games.
Reply a.
Stuart Vandal
The game did play a part, though I couldn't say how much - that'd be a question for higher up the command chain than us mere writers.
Reply b.
Andy Nystrom
Okay, however it happened, I'm glad it did.
Reply 8.
Luke Van Horn
So is there any attempt in any of the entries to reconcile Spiderverse from the comics with Spiderverse from the cartoon?
Reply a.
Luke Van Horn
Or the Spiderverse event in the comics based on the cartoon? :-P
Reply b.
Stuart Vandal
Two different events both called Spiderverse. We've had more than one Secret Wars after all.
Reply c.
Luke Van Horn
But don't both events involve some of the same characters meeting each other for the first time?
Reply d.
Stuart Vandal
Infinite universes meaning infinite versions of the characters, so presumably it's not the same characters meeting each other again yet also for the first time, but virtually identical characters doing so.
Reply e.
Luke Van Horn
Yeah, but I thought Spiderverse explicitly stated (or maybe I'm wrong) that the character in the recent cartoon was involved in the comic event, yet there's the event in the cartoon of the same name wherein he's meeting other Spider characters for the first time. Someone needs to actually read the comic event alongside watching the cartoon episodes and the comics based on the cartoon and see how it all fits together, perhaps with a retcon or two, or some labeling of some characters as from universes we hadn't seen yet.
Reply 9.
Andy Nystrom
Slight tangent, and nothing the Handbook writers can do about it, but reading the Appendix and seeing how many alternate reality characters that I liked were killed off in the Inheritors storyline is a bit depressing
Reply a.
Christopher McCarver
Totally get that... I think the mindset that at least I wrote my Appendix blurbs is that they should reflect the current published status of the characters at the time the issue is printed (obviously prior to the events of Spider-Geddon in this issue's case).
Reply b.
Andy Nystrom
Oh, I agree, which is why I noted that it's nothing the Handbook writers can do about. Because your job is to reflect what's happening in the stories, you can't really change much unless an editor specifically tells you to put an upcoming change in there. It just made me glad I only read a little of the Spider-verse storyline.
Reply 10.
Andy Nystrom
A question about Spider-Man from Reality-67. Is he definitely the Spidey from the original cartoon series, definitely just a look-alike, unrevealed, or a situation like that Dr Demonicus monster from West Coast Avengers?
Reply 11.
Luke Van Horn
Figured I'd add this here rather than as I'd originally done as a separate post, since it's about this handbook:

Found a pretty big error in the Spider-geddon handbook. It says that Supaidaman's first comic appearance was in Amazing Spider-Man #9 (2014). But that's not true. He had a whole string of manga appearances beginning in Adventure King vol. 53 #6 (June 1978).
Reply 12.
Andy Nystrom
One more question: why is the comic strip Spidey stated as living in a B&W world? Given the Sunday strips are in colour, wouldn't suggest that his adventures are in colour, only the readers see them as B&W just like the B&W magazine stories?
Reply 13.
Luke Van Horn
Another further question: why is the Hostess ad Spider-Man said to have his first appearance during Spiderverse? Is this indicating that the Spiderverse character we saw isn't literally the same character as in the Hostess ads? I would actually like that, since a lot of the earlier handbooks had said that various Hostess ads were 616 stories, so this would make those handbooks consistent with Spiderverse.
Reply a.
Andy Nystrom
I think it was more that the Index books suggested that something not exactly the same as the Hostess ads but similar happened in 616 (which is why chronology was given in the Hostess entries but the chronology for a given issue doesn't state that someone appeared next in a Hostess ad). Which would make sense because it's not likely that for a time all the Marvel heroes went on a Hostess kick, but they could have had similar adventures.
Reply b.
Luke Van Horn
There are actual handbook entries that include events from Hostess ads, not just those Index entries. And, of course, several of the Hostess villains have shown up again in other stories, too.
Reply c.
Andy Nystrom
Which is why I think something similar did happen, and versions of all the villains do exist on 616. Icemaster has certainly been confirmed to like confectioneries. I just don't think you can take the ads completely literally. Too much of a reach that heroes would all start getting brainstorms for regarding Hostess products specifically and they would always work. Though I must admit to a slight bias here. I enjoy reading the ads but must admit that I was very disappointed when I actually tried a Twinkie. They don't really taste all that good. There, I said it.
Reply d.
Luke Van Horn
Maybe 616 twinkies are amazing, though :-)
Reply e.
David A. Zuckerman
Out of all the "similar" events that may have occurred in 616, the one with Man Mountain Marko is the only one which we know for sure actually involved a Hostess product.
 
 
Luke Van Horn
December 26, 2018 9:58 am
 
Found a pretty big error in the Spider-geddon handbook. It says that Supaidaman's first comic appearance was in Amazing Spider-Man #9 (2014). But that's not true. He had a whole string of manga appearances beginning in Adventure King vol. 53 #6 (June 1978).