Kevin Smith and Andy McElfresh Take Spider-Man and Hulk to Church in 'Fire & Brimstone' This August

Marvel has announced 'Spider-Man/Hulk: Fire & Brimstone,' a five-issue limited series from Kevin Smith, Andy McElfresh, and artist R.B. Silva that pits the two heroes against Mole Man before pivoting into the literal exorcism of Bruce Banner. Issue #1 hits comic shops on August 19, 2026.

Marvel is sending Spider-Man and the Hulk to church. Filmmaker Kevin Smith (Clerks, Jay & Silent Bob) is teaming with co-writer Andy McElfresh (The Tonight Show) and superstar artist R.B. Silva (One World Under Doom) on Spider-Man/Hulk: Fire & Brimstone, a five-issue limited series launching August 19 that promises an exorcism, a horde of Man-themed villains, and a guest appearance from Marvel's resident Catholic vigilante.

An Easter Mass, a Horde of Mole Men, and a Plan to Exorcise Bruce Banner

The setup is pure Kevin Smith: irreverent, pun-soaked, and built around a Catholic theological premise. Issue #1 opens on Easter Mass in Central Park, where the festivities are interrupted by Mole Man leading a horde of "Man-themed" supervillains. Peter Parker — never one to let a holiday or a pun go to waste — suits up as Spider-Man to save the day, only for the Incredible Hulk to crash the party in true Jade Giant fashion.

The twist arrives when Spidey teams up with Matt Murdock (Daredevil's devout Catholic alter ego) and learns why Bruce Banner has come knocking on the church's doors: he wants to solve his Hulk problem for good, with the help of an ordained priest. The cure he's after isn't a serum or a containment chamber. It's an exorcism.

Kevin Smith Returns to Marvel — This Time With Hulk Issues

Smith is no stranger to Marvel's web-slinger; his Spider-Man work goes back decades, and he recently brought his View Askewniverse into the mainstream Marvel Universe with the Jay and Silent Bob: Jays of Future Past one-shot, on sale June 10. But Fire & Brimstone is his first time co-writing with the Hulk — and the writer is leaning into both the chaos and the wordplay.

"Andy and I are dropping two of Marvel's most well-known scientists into a spiritual story of Biblical proportions as we exorcise the Incredible Hulk — and I'm not talking cross-fit!" — Kevin Smith

That "two scientists" framing is the key to what makes the pitch work. Both Peter Parker and Bruce Banner are men of science, and forcing them into a story rooted in faith — and into Matt Murdock's spiritual orbit, no less — sets up the kind of philosophical clash Smith has always thrived on. Pair that with Silva's clean, expressive linework (last seen carrying One World Under Doom), and the cover alone signals a book that wants to be both a blockbuster and a character piece.

THWIP-SMASH! What to Expect From the Five-Issue Run

Marvel is pitching the series as "ultra-accessible" — meaning new readers won't need years of continuity homework — and "pun-filled," which tracks for any Smith script. Expect:

• Nonstop action as Spider-Man and Hulk square off against Mole Man's themed villain army
• Guest stars galore, with Daredevil already confirmed and more teased
• Pop-culture references in true Kevin Smith fashion
• A spiritual through-line built around the literal exorcism of Bruce Banner

It's a tonal cocktail Marvel doesn't often serve up — broad comedy, big superhero action, and a religious-horror premise all in the same book.

What Else Is Happening Across the Marvel Universe

Smith's announcement lands during a packed month for Marvel news. Fans following the broader publisher are also tracking the 10-year anniversary of Captain America: Civil War, the trailer for the Punisher: One Last Kill Marvel Television Special, the addition of Black Panther and Hulk to MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, the latest weekly comic releases, and the comics community's tribute to the late Gerry Conway (1952–2026), the writer who created the Punisher and shaped a generation of Spider-Man stories.

What This Means for Marvel Fans

For longtime Spider-Man and Hulk readers, Fire & Brimstone is the kind of high-concept odd-couple miniseries Marvel rarely greenlights anymore — closer in spirit to Smith's earlier Daredevil: Guardian Devil run than to a typical event tie-in. For new readers, Marvel's emphasis on accessibility means this is a perfect jumping-on point if you've ever been curious about either character but found ongoing series intimidating. And for Kevin Smith fans who picked up Jays of Future Past, this is the next chapter in his unexpectedly busy Marvel comeback.

Pre-orders for SPIDER-MAN/HULK: FIRE AND BRIMSTONE #1 are open now at local comic shops; digital readers can grab the issue through the Marvel Unlimited app starting August 19. With four more issues to follow, this is one of the more genuinely strange Marvel books on the late-2026 schedule — and almost certainly the most theological.