Beating the bad guys becomes a fambiz for Spider-Man

It seems even Spider-Man knows the value of sticking with the family when it comes to business – at least that's what you'd think on hearing the title of the latest instalment of the classic Marvel comic.

Spider-Man: Family Business will make its debut in April 2014 and features a mysterious character claiming to be Peter Parker's long-lost sister Theresa.

Parker – the awkward science nerd who becomes the superhero after being bitten by a radioactive spider – has no time to try get to the truth before he and the mystery woman are locked in a battle with Marvel supervillain Kingpin, who is on a mission to expand his crime syndicate across the world.

Mark Waid, one of the team of Spider-Man writers, said: "The story is moving at such a breakneck speed that there's not much of a chance to catch a breath."

He added: "It's always fun to put Peter Parker in situations where he's in over his head."

It looks like this new enterprise is less likely to be plagued by problems such as succession planning and tax than your average family business – it might be a hit with next-gens who are not yet ready to face the real complications of the family firm.