I've been re-reading the first couple of arcs of Brand New Day. It isn't bad, and benefits from some very solid artwork, but it all feels a little hollow and forced. A lot of the dialogue and narration seems desperate to scream out to the reader that this is the classic Spider-Man that readers grew up with. By the time I'd read 5-6 issues it started to really grate.
Dan Slott is clearly an accomplished writer, but I do find that he tends to write very one dimensional characters. It is very difficult to get invested in the likes of Lily Hollister, Carlie Cooper and Dexter Bennett when their entire personality is laid bare in basically every line of dialogue that they are given. Mr. Negative is a great villain and his introduction in the opening arc was handled pretty well. I actually think Menace had more potential and a better design than I remember. I do recall the character going absolutely nowhere. The same is true of Jackpot, who even in her first couple of appearances is clearly a very poorly conceived character.
I'm quite looking forward to reading on. What I would give Brand New Day credit for is creating a real sense of momentum and pace. Whether 'The Brain Trust' were successful or not, the number of subplots and new characters introduced in the first few issues is impressive.