In 2011, Brian Michael Bendis and Sarah Pichelli introduced readers to a new incarnation of Spider-Man whose brand of web-slinging was both classic Spidey and brand-new at the same time. That’s because this Spider-Man, Miles Morales, was an Afro-Latino adolescent from Brooklyn trying to balance the responsibility of his spider powers and a normal teenage life with parents, friends and school.

That combination of quintessential, contemporary and new Spider-Man elements made Miles a comic icon and showed that there’s room for both an adult and adolescent Web-Slinger in the Marvel Universe. Filmgoers will get a chance to discover what's great about Miles and how well he works with Peter Parker in the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which teams him with both Pete and a whole host of alternate reality Web-Spinners, opening Dec. 14.

That same week sees Miles kick off a new era of solo adventures with the launch of the new Miles Morales: Spider-Man comic series from writer Saladin Ahmed and artist Javier Garron. CBR spoke with Ahmed about his take on Miles, how he'll pit his protagonist against both classic Spidey foes like the Rhino and brand-new ones, as well as the role Captain America plays in the series' initial arc.

CBR: With Miles Morales: Spider-Man you're taking over the adventures of a character with a lot of history, which is something you've done before. Miles, though, is one Marvel's newest icons. He's become that in a relatively short amount of time, and his profile is about to become even bigger thanks to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. So, how does it feel to be writing Miles? What's your sense of what he means to people?

Saladin Ahmed: It's a delight to be writing him. He hasn't been around a terribly long time, but he's built up this goodwill with and zeal from fans over that time. So, that shows you what a special character he is. He's a lot of readers, especially younger ones, favorite Marvel character. It's wonderful to see that kind of enthusiasm.

When you create a new character it's always hit or miss... You never know what will take and what won't. And with Miles, Bendis and Sarah Pichelli created someone who spoke to a lot of readers and really won a place in their hearts in a very short time.

When you kick off a run, you want to be welcoming to new readers, but right now there's a pretty big Miles story unfolding over in Spider-Geddon, where he's found himself in a leadership role and a voice of moral opposition to Otto Octavius' Spider-Man. How do you feel that's impacted Miles? And what kind of shape will he be in when you pick up with him?

When we join Miles in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #1, he's got the sort of mileage, [Laughs] no pun intended, of having been through the events of Spider-Geddon. We're not a direct lead off of that series, though. This is very much intended to be a new start for the character and an introduction for folks who have not read his adventures before.

Which of Miles' character traits are of immediate interest to you?

His decency. It sounds like something we almost take for granted with superheroes. Miles is a really cool guy. He's popular and dresses nice, but at the same time he's a really kind and selfless person.

I don't want to say that's a contrast, but we're very used to seeing superheroes who are sort of nerdy and misunderstood, and they find their empathy through that. I think Miles is a different kind of hero, though, in terms of personality. It's a lot of fun to write him.

NEXT PAGE: Jefferson Davis and Rio Morales Are Integral to Miles' New Series

So you're taking some classic teen Spider-Man elements and exploring them from the flip side?

It's not the flip side in that he's not Flash Thompson, and he's a teenager so he has his awkwardness. He's just living a different kind of teenage life from what Peter led.

Miles is unique in the Marvel Universe in that he's a teen hero who has both parents and they're both aware of his identity. So what's it like writing his parents? What kind of roles will Jefferson Davis and Rio Morales play in the book?

It's a big thing for Miles to have that support. After the first few issues this will become a family book. It's going to be about Miles' relationship with his dad, Jeff, and his mom, Rio, which is a relationship that hasn't gotten as much attention. We'll also explore his relationship to his uncle, Aaron, who is the villain known as Iron Spider.

So we'll look at all those familial relationships. It's not so much about, “Oh gosh! Aunt May is going to find out I'm Spider-Man!” It's more what support and what limitations do you get for superheroics when the people who love you know?

Miles doesn't live with his parents all the time. He boards at Brooklyn Visions Academy where he has an interesting cast of teen friends. Who are some of your favorite adolescent supporting characters to write in this book?

Ganke is a rock for the series. So, he'll be there. He'll have a new look for the new school year.

The first issue of the series picks up at the beginning of the new school year, and it's very interested in school. We've seen a lot of Miles as Spider-Man, but we've seen less of him as a high school student. So, I'm really leaning into that. We're going to see some of his teachers and the kids around him as well.

His buddy, Judge, who has been here and there in the series, becomes a bit more of a central character in Miles' life. It will be a friendship that gets some focus in the book. It's fun writing all that stuff.

The preview art I've seen suggests one aspect of Miles' life that will get some attention in your book is his love life. I saw a page that showed Miles out with his girlfriend Barbara Rodriguez.

Yes! Although whether or not girlfriend is the right word is part of the story in Issue #1. [Laughs] There is a definite romance in bloom there with Barbara, though, as we join Miles. There will be some complications to that, and maybe some other faces involved as well. Some folks that people may have seen flirt with Miles before are going to reappear. [Laughs]

NEXT PAGE: Get Ready to See Some Classic Spider-Man Villains From a New Perspective

Miles being Spider-Man gives you access to some of Peter Parker's classic foes, who are some of the best villains in comics. You also have room to create new villains as well. So, what can you tell us about your plans for the villains Miles will run afoul of?

We're certainly walking a line because, as you said, the Spider-Man rogues' gallery is one of the best in comics. You'd be an idiot to deny yourself that as a writer, but at the same time, Miles is his own Spider-Man and you want him to have his own antagonists. So, without giving too much away, we will see some very familiar faces as well as some brand-new ones that, unfortunately for him, are going to stick around in Miles' life.

When Spider-Man villains appear, the cool thing about what Miles lets you do is you get to see them from a different angle. So, for instance, further down the line, we'll see some of Tombstone, but from a different angle than we've seen him from thus far.

I'm also very committed to giving Miles his own villains that speak to the times that we're in. So, he's going to cross paths with some pretty scary foes.

The Rhino is one of the first classic Spidey villains you're pitting Miles against. He's a muscular, working class-style villain. much like the Absorbing Man, who you had a great time writing over in Black Bolt. Do you enjoy writing those types of characters?

Yes, I do have a soft spot for these characters that are often thought of as one dimensional lunkheads, and Rhino is totally that. Readers might not be surprised to find that this isn't a simple story of Rhino being just a baddie for Miles to tackle. It's a more complicated, and I hope a very interesting story.

You're working with artist Javier Garron on Miles Morales, and he's a great choice for the book. His character acting and action skills are amazing

He's been amazing to work with! He's a workhorse in terms of his commitment to this book. And you're right. He draws super awesome, muscular, jump off the page superheroics. He also has a great eye for fashion and a sense of character acting that make him an awesome artist for a high school book. He's doing all those things at 11! [Laughs] It makes for a beautiful book.

Finally, it looks like your initial story has a pretty big name guest star, and it's a character you enjoyed writing briefly over in Black Bolt: Captain America. What's it like returning to Steve Rogers and bouncing him off Miles?

It's a lot of fun because, like Miles, I see Steve as this beacon of decency. They have generational differences. So, they're sort from the same and different worlds. It's really just one issue, but it was really fun to revisit Steve and have him help out Miles, but also understand that he has to make room for this generation of heroes to be heroes.