AMAZING #75 Review and Spoilers: To Benfinity and Beyond!!!

[Chris0013]

Just got to say...Not Cool. Ben should NOT have put on the suit and called himself Spider-Man without talking to Pete first...and if Pete said 'No' then Ben should not have done it.

[Aura Blaize]

How is it that Misty Knight knows who Ben is?

Iron Man. They went into space together.

So glad I wasn't the only one who picked up on the "brother-ness" between Ben and Peter. Despite the frostiness at the beginning, they really fell back into old habits.

Just got to say...Not Cool. Ben should NOT have put on the suit and called himself Spider-Man without talking to Pete first...and if Pete said 'No' then Ben should not have done it.

To be fair, Ben has a point. They have shared memories and with his experiences, he has just as much of a right to call himself Spider-Man as Peter does. Also, he kinda doesn't have a leg to stand on when Miles, Otto, Kaine, and Miguel have all laid claim to the name. (Well not Kaine so much, but still...)

[scarletspidey]

I think Misty may know Ben from the current Iron Man arc?

[IamnotJudasTraveller]

To be fair, Ben has a point. They have shared memories and with his experiences, he has just as much of a right to call himself Spider-Man as Peter does. Also, he kinda doesn't have a leg to stand on when Miles, Otto, Kaine, and Miguel have all laid claim to the name. (Well not Kaine so much, but still...)

Yeah, plus Ben is the one who said they should share the memories when Peter thought he was a clone. It has to be a two-way street that way. It doesn't seem like Peter would ever care about Ben BEING Spider-Man (HE was the one who suggested both of them should be Spider-Men post-Onslaught), he's just not a fan of the trademark front. He doesn't want it to be 'bought', but when Ben says it's a way for him to find focus in life, Peter doesn't look all that opposed.

[Spiderfan001]

Just got to say...Not Cool. Ben should NOT have put on the suit and called himself Spider-Man without talking to Pete first...and if Pete said 'No' then Ben should not have done it.

Agreed, not that Peter would even mind but ask first.It's the trademark thing that bothered him.

To be fair, Ben has a point. They have shared memories and with his experiences, he has just as much of a right to call himself Spider-Man as Peter does. Also, he kinda doesn't have a leg to stand on when Miles, Otto, Kaine, and Miguel have all laid claim to the name. (Well not Kaine so much, but still...)

Miles is an alt. universe and has blessings from Peter, Miguel is in the far future, Even Otto had his approval and when Peter was in his mind he saw everything so there's that.
Ben being spidey is a no problem, but the Beyond corp and owning Spider-man on their payroll is.

Yeah, plus Ben is the one who said they should share the memories when Peter thought he was a clone. It has to be a two-way street that way. It doesn't seem like Peter would ever care about Ben BEING Spider-Man (HE was the one who suggested both of them should be Spider-Men post-Onslaught), he's just not a fan of the trademark front. He doesn't want it to be 'bought', but when Ben says it's a way for him to find focus in life, Peter doesn't look all that opposed.

Yeah, I just wish Ben was more human about it.Aside from it being the worst time by coincidence, Ben basically tells Peter he has every right to do this and no say in it.Peter should have a say in the trademark thing, and Ben should respect his opinion on that.

[HypnoHustler]

I think Misty may know Ben from the current Iron Man arc?

Ooh, good call. I really enjoyed Cantwell giving Ben a nice supporting spot in ‘Iron Man’ over the last year, but is he even aware ‘Beyond’ is happening? Probably best to wrap that up to avoid confusion.

[Huntsman Spider]

I think Misty may know Ben from the current Iron Man arc?

Ooh, good call. I really enjoyed Cantwell giving Ben a nice supporting spot in ‘Iron Man’ over the last year, but is he even aware ‘Beyond’ is happening? Probably best to wrap that up to avoid confusion.

On that note, looking forward to seeing Misty and Ben interact more, presuming that Beyond hires Misty (and Colleen) to shore up Ben's fighting skills, a la Julia Carpenter/Madame Web getting Shang-Chi to teach Peter kung fu and help him develop the Way of the Spider (which Peter admitted in his guest spot in the recent Shang-Chi series to having lapsed on training). Aside from that, I liked Ben and Janine being back together and Ben and Peter interacting on more friendly terms, even though the circumstances weren't exactly ideal for either of them. As for the scene with Peter and Mary Jane, I can see Revolutionary_Jack's point about it being rather hypocritical for one of the BND Brain Trust to depict MJ worrying by the window after that being one of the chief complaints from the anti-marriage contingent concerning her role in Peter's life and Spider-Man's story once they got married.

However, count me in as one of the people hoping Mary Jane and Ben get the chance to interact again and work things out between them, especially with what's just befallen Peter at the end of this issue. Also, Ashley Kafka ("reanimated" or not) being involved with Ben's therapeutic rehabilitation thanks to Beyond might be for the better, considering that Spider-Man has been in need of some serious therapy for years. Of course, given how demonized and misrepresented mental illness and those who treat it have historically been in superhero comics over the years, I won't be surprised if there's something more nefarious behind this, especially knowing what we know of Beyond Corporation's past ventures. All in all, though, I'd say this was a good enough as an opener to keep me reading the next issues in this saga.

[Pav]

I deeply enjoyed this one. I really like this portrayal of Ben. Is he the exact same Ben we lost after Revelations? No, but “no man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.”

This is a good progression of the character that, for better or worse, has to take into account the frankly garbage stories that have been told with the character recently.

I appreciate when writers can turn ugly continuity into something usable, and I agree with you that this portrayal makes sense considering everything that has befallen Ben. I especially enjoy his determination to put back together a life for himself, even if it means not asking Peter for permission. Ben being more proactive is a beautiful thing.

Kel was in Non-Stop Spider-Man iirc, I dropped that, but she shows up.

As far as the bolded one goes, my humble guess is that the DeMatteis B-title will retcon Kafka and Ben into knowing each other since the Saga, judging by the preview art.

Interesting idea. I could see that retcon working, if that happens to be the case. Seeing Dr. Kafka show up was a major surprise, but a welcomed one. I hope it's not the last welcome surprise we receive!

Is there anyone who doesn't think Janine's being measured up for the coffin-shaped fridge she'll be in by the end of this?

I don't. I think she's going to be the one who uncovers whatever is happening with Beyond; Ben will rebuff her but eventually catch on as well. But I don't think death is in her future.

I think Misty may know Ben from the current Iron Man arc?

OF COURSE. HOW DID I NOT THINK ABOUT THAT, CONSIDERING I'M READING IT?!

Ooh, good call. I really enjoyed Cantwell giving Ben a nice supporting spot in ‘Iron Man’ over the last year, but is he even aware ‘Beyond’ is happening? Probably best to wrap that up to avoid confusion.

I've seen Cantwell on Twitter advertising Beyond to anyone who's been enjoying Ben in his stories. We certainly don't get a ton of Ben over there, but I enjoyed his portrayal. The only thing that doesn't quite shake out right is, in today's issue, Ben implying that he's a little rusty. I mean, he just saved the universe!

-Pav, who hopes we get a big swerve and Beyond isn't the major villain after all...

[Webhead]

Interesting idea. I could see that retcon working, if that happens to be the case. Seeing Dr. Kafka show up was a major surprise, but a welcomed one. I hope it's not the last welcome surprise we receive!

Only problem I see is that it changes Spidey and the doc's dynamic too much, like that DK back-up story where Kafka wants Peter to reach out to him, but he can't because it was Ben as Spider-Man who met him.

Of course JMD is very talented, so it's even possible that he intends to work that in -maybe Kafka always knew more than she let on.

[ZeroBG82]

Ok. The Beyond era is upon us. And so far? It's pretty good.

Let's start off with the good. Ben Reilly is back. Really back (well, maybe, but I'll get into that in a bit). He's heroic, he's funny, and he isn't burdened with existential angst. I loved the teamwork with Peter during the showdown with the U-Foes. His scene with Janine was fantastic (and she looks great with the short hair). And he seems utterly confident in his new role, which was fantastic. Oh, and I got the Ron Lim alternate cover from my LCS, which made me a happy camper.

The big linchpin of the issue is the scene between Peter and Ben over the Spidey ID. I absolutely loved the way Wells wrote this. Ben doesn't need Peter's permission and he knows it. And Peter really can't argue with it, because Ben's ultimate point is just too good. Whoever Ben Reilly is now may be in question, but all of his formative memories are Peter's. If Peter feels obligated to be a hero, to be Spider-man, then so does Ben and for all the same reasons. It's simple, it's elegant, it's 100% true and it gets the elephant out of the room quickly while also establishing exactly who Ben is for new readers. And the fact that Ben acknowledged that Beyond was going to have a Spider-Man with our without him, but that he CHOSE to work with them because he believes he needs this right now (I agree, by the way). I also liked the way Wells wrote Pete's reaction. Peter understands and accepts Ben's reasons, but is still clearly troubled by the whole trademark discussion. It feels true to where these two men are right now.

Ben's new tech is excellent.

I think the ultimate pay off of the issue works pretty well. It's believable that Ben's upgrades pull him through while Pete takes the brunt and Peter getting hurt in this way is clearly not Ben's fault (though it sure looks like it's Beyond's, surprising nobody). Even the way Marcus presented the radiation upgrades to Ben, sourced from intel in the city, gives Ben no reason to suspect that Beyond would have had anything to do with the U-Foes attack. To Ben, he simply benefited from his new team and role while Peter didn't have that help and it got him hurt. The audience sees that Ben isn't asking enough questions, is taking things too easily at face value. But we understand why and so Ben isn't diminished for being a little bit deliberately clueless. I wonder how long the writers will be able to maintain that balance without Ben looking like a moron or a villain.

On the subject of Beyond, the most interesting development is their seeming disinterest in Peter's ID. Ben tried to protect it in the opening, which was a nice touch, but Beyond not only doesn't seem to care, they actively try to avoid learning anything about it. I wonder what's up with that. They present it as a legal argument (probably trademark protection), but I'll be curious if it comes up anywhere else.

And finally, Peter's dream. The man in the mirror. I have to assume this is some kind of foreshadowing. I'm not sure what for yet. The obvious is that Peter is being warned that the man in the mirror is a horrific monster, which doesn't bode well for Ben's future. Not sure how literally to take it, however.

Now, this does bring me to a thought I had during the Dr. Kafka backup story. We, the audience, kind of already know Beyond is evil because of their previous appearances in the MU. But if you had never heard of them before this, and were just taking this story for what is presented in it, the backup raised an interesting possibility. What if Ben isn't yet past his mental instability? What if Beyond is actually trying to help him? What if Beyond isn't the bad guy, what if Ben is? Some of this is my monkey's paw paranoia where Ben is concerned acting up, certainly. But combined with Peter's dream... what if Ben is the real villain in this story, and Beyond is trying to truly rehabilitate him and restore the old Ben? It's an interesting angle to play with, even though we already know Beyond is suspect.

Which means, instead, that Kafka is almost certainly a tool from Beyond to undermine Ben in some way, or to control him. It can't be a coincidence that they brought up the clone buzzword ONLY in that segment. Clone Conspiracy looms large over that subplot.

I liked this. I think it's a great start. There are some mysteries, some tension. The characters didn't feel like they were done a disservice. Both Ben and Peter felt right and true to me so far. I'd give it 4/5, as first issues go. Oh, and a final aside, but the art in that preview for the Ben Reilly: Spider-Man mini was awesome. I'm even more hyped for that now. Keep this up Marvel.

[Spidey_62]

This was a good clean issue, shows a lot of promise for this story! Gleason's art was super sharp and the scripting was full of nice little touches and jokes.

I hope them having a 19 issue plan and sticking to it pays off with a concise enjoyable curated package in the end and they take good lessons from it- ie: having a plan, believing in it and following through on it is good lol.

[omegafix]

who wants free Marvel codes?

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[Hypestyle]

Just got to say...Not Cool. Ben should NOT have put on the suit and called himself Spider-Man without talking to Pete first...and if Pete said 'No' then Ben should not have done it.

this is the problem with returning clones.

[Rob London]

Did ANYONE remember Sir, who appears to be locked away in Ravencroft? I had to look her up and remembered the ONE issue I read back in the post-CS days.

Sir started out as a villain during J.M. DeMatteis' brief Daredevil run - they're definitely DeMatteis' attempt to explore gender issues, much like Cloud in his Defenders run. It's a little clumsy, by modern standards, but it would be interesting to see how he handles them now.

[jda95]

Just got to say...Not Cool. Ben should NOT have put on the suit and called himself Spider-Man without talking to Pete first...and if Pete said 'No' then Ben should not have done it.

Ben literally said that Beyond was going ahead with it regardless of what Ben wanted. For someone like Ben who essentially gets therapy from being Spider-Man, it's a much easier choice than it looks from Pete's perspective.