Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider Appreciation 2021

[IamnotJudasTraveller]

Thanks!

How are you not doing this professionally?!!

I got similar responses the first time around I posted these. It's pretty damn flattering, but provided I could indeed go out there with it I wouldn't even know where to begin, haha.

[HypnoHustler]

Thanks!

I got similar responses the first time around I posted these. It's pretty damn flattering, but provided I could indeed go out there with it I wouldn't even know where to begin, haha.

1) You go to conventions and ambush writers/artists/editors with your work during their breaks. It sounds rude, but that’s what Todd Dezago (super nice guy btw) told me when I asked him that same question once. A couple talents have been discovered that way. 2) That, or you have to know someone already in the biz who is willing to vouch for you, but of course that’s a matter of circumstance and most of us don’t. Finally 3), he said it’s a LOT harder to get hired by the Big Two (or even Big Three) right off the bat than it was a few decades ago, since everyone and their mom wants to be on a flagship book. So his advice was self-publish and create your own comic and characters that are successful (I guess this would be the Eastman & Laird route), and maybe it’ll become so popular through word-of-mouth you get contacted for some gigs from the Big Two. But really, that should not be the goal as that’s unlikely and you should make comics because you enjoy making comics. Unfortunately the days of easily breaking into Marvel/DC (still boggles my mind that Gerry Conway wrote Spidey when he was 19) have been over for a long time. It was probably fairly easy in the 1960s/1970s and has gotten progressively harder and the pool of potential talent more crowded every decade since.

Very OT reply, but I thought some might find it interesting!

[IamnotJudasTraveller]

Very OT reply, but I thought some might find it interesting!

It's plenty interesting, no doubt about it. But I'm not even a US resident so that makes it even harder to do, lol (would always love to go creator owned no less).

It's interesting to know that's how DeZago got his foot on the door though - when the PAD ongoing was announced I emailed him and he was kind enough to reply back that he wasn't approached. They were pooling in people like Tom Lyle, Mark Bagley and Ron Lim (even if for just variant covers) and he always seemed to like Ben, so I hoped he'd have been approached at one point or another, but unfortunately he wasn't.

[HypnoHustler]

It's plenty interesting, no doubt about it. But I'm not even a US resident so that makes it even harder to do, lol (would always love to go creator owned no less).

It's interesting to know that's how DeZago got his foot on the door though - when the PAD ongoing was announced I emailed him and he was kind enough to reply back that he wasn't approached. They were pooling in people like Tom Lyle, Mark Bagley and Ron Lim (even if for just variant covers) and he always seemed to like Ben, so I hoped he'd have been approached at one point or another, but unfortunately he wasn't.

To be clear, I don’t know if that’s how Dezago got hired. That’s just the advice he gave me. Yes, PAD is also good with email correspondence. A lot of pros are cool. I sent condolences to Dezago after Mike Wieringo passed, and he sent me a detailed and heartfelt reply about what Ringo meant to him and how much it hurt to lose him (keep in mind, I’m a total stranger to him so he had no reason to take the time to write that). As an aside, I always thought he was criminally underrated as a writer as well. His ‘Sensational’ issues, especially the one with the Looter, were terrific fun.

[HypnoHustler]

I always thought we Ben fans were like the hard-luck fans of a sports team that never wins.

Imagine someone going back in time and telling us 5 or 6 years ago that (a) Ben Reilly is back, (b) he’s taking over as Spider-Man again, (c) Janine is back too, and (d) JM DeMatteis is writing another untold tales mini about Ben as well.

I’m pretty sure you would’ve been laughed off the Ben Reilly 2015 appreciation thread. It sounds like a dream a Ben fan has after having a few too many beers.

[Sr. Bungle]

I always thought we Ben fans were like the hard-luck fans of a sports team that never wins.

Imagine someone going back in time and telling us 5 or 6 years ago that (a) Ben Reilly is back, (b) he’s taking over as Spider-Man again, (c) Janine is back too, and (d) JM DeMatteis is writing another untold tales mini about Ben as well.

I’m pretty sure you would’ve been laughed off the Ben Reilly 2015 appreciation thread. It sounds like a dream a Ben fan has after having a few too many beers.

I'm dreading the moment when the other proverbial shoe drops

[ZeroBG82]

I always thought we Ben fans were like the hard-luck fans of a sports team that never wins.

Imagine someone going back in time and telling us 5 or 6 years ago that (a) Ben Reilly is back, (b) he’s taking over as Spider-Man again, (c) Janine is back too, and (d) JM DeMatteis is writing another untold tales mini about Ben as well.

I’m pretty sure you would’ve been laughed off the Ben Reilly 2015 appreciation thread. It sounds like a dream a Ben fan has after having a few too many beers.

Oh, no question. Even after BR:SS ended, if you'd told me we would ever get HERE, with Beyond looming and this seeming celebration of Ben as Spidey from Marvel, I would never have believed you.

To get it on the 25th anniversary of his death? Just icing on the cake for me. It's a great time to be alive, as a Ben Reilly fan.

That said, Marvel has burned me too many times. Part of me is still waiting for the monkey's paw of Beyond. For the Sword of Damocles. It's out there, I can feel it. I hope I'm just being paranoid, and I can say Marvel genuinely surprised me with how this goes. The announcement of the mini looking back to the time of his first run as Spidey was the first moment I truly felt hope that this wasn't just another attempt by Marvel to draw in Reilly fans for the kick to the nuts and the laughter from all the usual bullies as they get us one more time. I don't need this to be some epic watershed moment in Spider-Man history. I don't need this to be the greatest comic ever. I just want fun, entertaining tales of my favorite character. For a little while. And, heaven help us all, it really does look like we might get it in the end. Fingers crossed!

[Spiderfan001]

Oh, no question. Even after BR:SS ended, if you'd told me we would ever get HERE, with Beyond looming and this seeming celebration of Ben as Spidey from Marvel, I would never have believed you.

To get it on the 25th anniversary of his death? Just icing on the cake for me. It's a great time to be alive, as a Ben Reilly fan.

That said, Marvel has burned me too many times. Part of me is still waiting for the monkey's paw of Beyond. For the Sword of Damocles. It's out there, I can feel it. I hope I'm just being paranoid, and I can say Marvel genuinely surprised me with how this goes. The announcement of the mini looking back to the time of his first run as Spidey was the first moment I truly felt hope that this wasn't just another attempt by Marvel to draw in Reilly fans for the kick to the nuts and the laughter from all the usual bullies as they get us one more time. I don't need this to be some epic watershed moment in Spider-Man history. I don't need this to be the greatest comic ever. I just want fun, entertaining tales of my favorite character. For a little while. And, heaven help us all, it really does look like we might get it in the end. Fingers crossed!

I think you will, it won't last but nothing does.Nothing good at least.
W/ the mini he's just likely manipulated rather than evil.

He's part of the 60th aniversary, that's huge in in of itself.It's clearly a Pete "event" from the trailer, but beyond will be around by then thus so will Ben.

Here' hoping it does a good job

[HypnoHustler]

This is the first time since 1996 that Peter and Ben (blonde again, thank god) sat down in their civilians clothes and had a civil conversation, even some banter, with each other. I can’t say the bromance is back, but I realized this is what has been missing since he was brought back.

067478C5-6229-4E83-88D4-04016D4F1A5C.jpg

[Spiderfan001]

This is the first time since 1996 that Peter and Ben (blonde again, thank god) sat down in their civilians clothes and had a civil conversation, even some banter, with each other. I can’t say the bromance is back, but I realized this is what has been missing since he was brought back.

067478C5-6229-4E83-88D4-04016D4F1A5C.jpg

I liked the banter in costume, This convo was a bit high tension but understandable.Really wished they'd give us like 2+ issues of banter before doing the "coma" thing.Nonetheless if they bring him back by december end then we can get it then.

[IamnotJudasTraveller]

This is the first time since 1996 that Peter and Ben (blonde again, thank god) sat down in their civilians clothes and had a civil conversation, even some banter, with each other. I can’t say the bromance is back, but I realized this is what has been missing since he was brought back.

067478C5-6229-4E83-88D4-04016D4F1A5C.jpg

I doubt it was intentional, but provided they did go for it if we go with color theory they might have done this to show Ben as opposite from the CC personality (dark red business suit vs light blue business suit. Even the inner suit was always shaded to look more like black or gray instead of white like this). But Wells already said he liked PAD writing Ben as "Peter Parker with an edge", so... well, Wells tend to write Peter as way too milquetoast personality-wise so MAYBE that could be good for Ben.

Oh, right, Iron Man #13 preview:

https://aiptcomics.com/2021/10/08/ma...w-iron-man-13/
The only page and the only panel in the top left that matters. Honestly, I think Cantwell wrote a pretty good Ben even if it was probably accidental.

[HypnoHustler]

I doubt it was intentional, but provided they did go for it if we go with color theory they might have done this to show Ben as opposite from the CC personality (dark red business suit vs light blue business suit. Even the inner suit was always shaded to look more like black or gray instead of white like this). But Wells already said he liked PAD writing Ben as "Peter Parker with an edge", so... well, Wells tend to write Peter as way too milquetoast personality-wise so MAYBE that could be good for Ben.

Oh, right, Iron Man #13 preview:

https://aiptcomics.com/2021/10/08/ma...w-iron-man-13/
The only page and the only panel in the top left that matters. Honestly, I think Cantwell wrote a pretty good Ben even if it was probably accidental.

I really appreciate him giving Ben screen-time (page time? What do you say for comics?) for so many issues and not treating him as a joke either. But… it’s kinda odd this is now overlapping with him being Spidey in Beyond. Hopefully there will be some note about how it takes place before the events in Beyond, but editors nowadays don’t seem very good with communication. Oh well, minor nitpick. The more Ben, the better.

[IamnotJudasTraveller]

I really appreciate him giving Ben screen-time (page time? What do you say for comics?) for so many issues and not treating him as a joke either.

When he showed up I was reasonably sure he was going to be written like even Spider-Man is written the most these days on cameos: he makes awkwards jokes all the time and gets on everyone's nerves. If he helps out in the end it almost look accidental.

Instead he wrote Ben having his eye on the prize, wanting to fix things BUT being a smart-ass, which is what both he and Peter should read as because they're not amateurs.

[Spiderfan001]

When he showed up I was reasonably sure he was going to be written like even Spider-Man is written the most these days on cameos: he makes awkwards jokes all the time and gets on everyone's nerves. If he helps out in the end it almost look accidental.

Instead he wrote Ben having his eye on the prize, wanting to fix things BUT being a smart-ass, which is what both he and Peter should read as because they're not amateurs.

Spitting

(new pfp as well,right? Kindred's cosplaying who in that)

[Pav]

I doubt it was intentional, but provided they did go for it if we go with color theory they might have done this to show Ben as opposite from the CC personality (dark red business suit vs light blue business suit.

Y'know, that was my immediate thought as well -- and honestly, I wouldn't put it past the creative team to have done that purposefully. After all, it's a visual medium and they're professionals.

And if it's just a happy accident, that's fine too. Textual evidence is textual evidence.

Honestly, I think Cantwell wrote a pretty good Ben even if it was probably accidental.

He told me on Twitter that he's a big fan of the character, which is why he wanted to use him in the first place. I certainly appreciated how well he nailed Ben's voice.

I really appreciate him giving Ben screen-time (page time? What do you say for comics?) for so many issues and not treating him as a joke either. But… it’s kinda odd this is now overlapping with him being Spidey in Beyond. Hopefully there will be some note about how it takes place before the events in Beyond, but editors nowadays don’t seem very good with communication. Oh well, minor nitpick. The more Ben, the better.

Panel time? Panel space?

Yeah, I have to imagine that the Spidey people and the Iron Man people weren't aware that they were going to be using Ben simultaneously. Maybe plans were originally different. Who knows? Like you said, the more Ben, the better. AND we got to enjoy the Scarlet suit looking great before being taken away by Beyond

As someone who has never been interested in Iron Man comics, I've really enjoyed this run by Cantwell, and I've picked up the issues that don't feature Ben. The art is great; the characterization is great; there's action and emotion and humor. It's a fun run, made all the better due to Ben's inclusion.

-Pav, who also loves Cantwell's depiction of Frog-Man...