Amazing Spider-Man #1000 Delayed by Printer Issues

Marvel Comics has confirmed that Amazing Spider-Man #1000 will arrive two weeks later than planned after the printer ran into mechanical problems. Retailers were told the 104-page milestone issue, originally scheduled for September 16, is now dated September 30.

The delay is not the result of a creative dispute or a missed deadline by the creative team. According to reports, the printing equipment itself broke down. Spider-Man may have webbed up his share of villains over the years, but even he cannot stop a printing press from getting gummed up.

The issue was supposed to mark a significant moment for the series. Joe Kelly and Pepe Larraz produce the main 104-page story, titled "Ravaged," which is billed as both a culmination of their run and a turning point that reshapes the book going forward. The plot puts Peter Parker face to face with a new villain described as one of his most frightening adversaries in decades. The story also ties to a possible future version of the character Ravage, originally co-created by Stan Lee.

Backup stories round out the issue with contributions from a string of high-profile writers and artists. Dan Slott and Marcos Martin revisit the night of Uncle Ben's death. Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen pit Spider-Man against the Avengers. Frank Miller and Peach Momoko team up for a story crossing the web-slinger with the Hand. Noah Hawley makes his Marvel Comics debut with a tale about an older Peter Parker. J.M. DeMatteis and Humberto Ramos return to the aftermath of Harry Osborn's death. Larry Lieber, Stan Lee's brother, contributes a Western featuring Spider-Man.

The delay is a small disruption in the grand scheme of things, but it does highlight how physical production still matters in an era when digital distribution is growing. A printing press failure can delay a major title by two weeks, and there is no easy workaround when the physical run has not come off the presses yet.

Collectors and fans waiting for the milestone issue will now have to wait until September 30. The extra two weeks may be frustrating, but a printing press breakdown is a hard problem to argue with.