ASM #76 (877) review and spoilers

[HypnoHustler]

The ring is on the right hand. It's just fashion. Nothing wrong with wearing a ring on your right hand for decoration. If it was on the left hand it would be an engagement ring.

Fashion? I don’t buy that. It’s a little too convenient. Gleason has a ton of panels to draw… with all its connotations, you don’t just put a ring on a character’s finger unless the writer has specifically asked you to.

[HypnoHustler]

So one thing that really jumps out at me is Peter's saying he needs to escape his body.

Given that Doc Ock will be involved eventually, it makes you wonder if his consciousness transfer tech will come in handy...and if he'll try to use Ben Reilly as a "host" for Peter.

Oh man… I hope not. Peter takes over Ben’s body and then takes down Beyond from the inside? I could see it, but it would totally marginalize Ben (plus for all the gnashing of the teeth in the 90s, Peter would indisputably be a clone again).

[xpyred]

I’m a big fan of Ben Reilly. Was disappointed with Clone Conspiracy (what exactly was the conspiracy anyhow?) But this isn’t really grabbing my attention. It’s painfully obvious that Beyond Corp set Peter up. Ben can’t really be that stupid… secondly, this art is god awful. MJ and May look terrible. Why the hell is May pushing 80 again? The only positive is how May is handling this which is better than constantly having heart attacks or ending up in hospital beds. But honestly after Spencer’s run gave me so much fatigue, this just seems boring at the moment.

[Chris0013]

It is (partly) a situation like this that I think MJ should have some links/friendships with some of Peter's other friends. U-Foes put him in the hospital? Call Jessica Jones or Johnny Storm and get a full court press of superheroes like the FF and the New Avengers hunting their cosmic irradiated butts down.

[Ursalink]

It is (partly) a situation like this that I think MJ should have some links/friendships with some of Peter's other friends. U-Foes put him in the hospital? Call Jessica Jones or Johnny Storm and get a full court press of superheroes like the FF and the New Avengers hunting their cosmic irradiated butts down.

Don't you find suspictious how the U-Foes were just staying there, in the place where Ben attacked them? I think this is the first hint that Beyond Corp planned the attack to put Peter out of circulation as Spider-Man.

[Chris0013]

Don't you find suspictious how the U-Foes were just staying there, in the place where Ben attacked them? I think this is the first hint that Beyond Corp planned the attack to put Peter out of circulation as Spider-Man.

I already said that about last issue. I think Beyond is being all kinds of shady. And Ben's handler with his comment about not having a legal way of contacting anyone who used the Spider-Man name just oozes shady.

[Pav]

GOOD DAY TO YOU, MY FELLOW REVELERS OF THE BENNAISANCE!

(I had parent-teacher conferences, today of all days! Yeesh.)

Let's take a walk through the issue together, shall we? I'd like to share some ideas and observations, if you don't mind!

1) I can't help but wonder if Aunt May is going to uncover who Ben is later in the story -- mostly due to the beat that she recognized the difference in his voice on the phone. Hopefully that goes somewhere, but you never know.

2) I really like the art, especially the couple of full-body Ben-as-Spidey shots we get. Very 90s to me -- maybe a little Bagleyesque even? Whatever it is, I dig it.

3) What do we think is going on with Peter? The simplest explanation, to me, is that it's actually his spider-sense doing a lot of the harm to Peter; obviously getting blasted by villain-junk isn't good, and it definitely affected him. But the bigger issue now seem to be that, because his body is ill, his spider-sense is reacting off the charts to the point that it's causing him immense pain -- and eventually puts him into a coma, apparently. Could it be something beyond that? Certainly. But what the issue may be is currently beyond me.

4) Janine doesn't like Whatshisface. Good. I still hope that it's Janine who helps Ben uncover the truth.

5) MAYBE THE MOST INTERESTING DETAIL FOR ME THIS ISSUE: when Colleen and Misty are (rightfully) chastising Marcus aka Whatshisface, in the foreground Ben has his eyes closed and doesn't look happy; in the background are the panels from last issue of Ben punching X-Ray(?) THROUGH THE HEAD.

What, exactly, do we think that is supposed to imply?

6) Marcus says, "That was unexpected," when Ben leaves to see Peter; is Beyond trying to follow a certain path of causality? Perhaps trying to steer towards a certain potential future?

7) I don't like how MJ is treating Ben, but I get it. It does make sense when considering certain details. It's just a shame; I loved how accepting she was of Ben after her initial hesitancy back in the 90s. Here's hoping it too is built back up during this run.

8) Not going to lie: The line, "It's hard when you're around, Ben. It REALLY is," was really tough to hear from Peter. After all, when they believed Ben to be the real Peter Parker, Ben knew the right thing to do was continue as Ben Reilly. I think it's been a long time since Ben has wished he could have Peter's actual life. And like others have pointed out, Peter is already sharing being Spider-Man with Miles (and was even surprisingly forgiving of Otto Octavius) so why he'd have an issue with Ben also being Spidey is a bit of a mystery. That all being said, I am still able to see the other side of it: Miles isn't literally a clone of Peter. Peter and Ben have their history, and that time for Peter was really rough, so I get not wanting to relive those feelings. So I'm glad he was able to overcome the negatives, understand things from Ben's perspective, and therefore reach out to Ben by giving his Spidey blessing. I hope this begins to re-establish the brotherly bond that so many fans really enjoyed in the past. But "it's hard when you're around?" Maybe that indicates Ben will take off once again when this story is over, and maybe it'll be simply more of a mutual respect situation than the family unit many of us are hoping for.

9) When Ben takes of his hoodie to change back into Spider-Man for Beyond, his eyes are covered. He's blind.

10) ...am I crazy to think that maybe there are tiny people inside Peter?

11) Last page: so awesome. Those are some webshooters. And hell yes, Ben is Spider-Man!

I'm really enjoying this ride with everyone! Waiting for the next issue is going to be tough!

-Pav, who hopes Ben keeps wearing his blue hoodie...

[boots]

sounds like an interesting issue, character driven, which is what i'm up for (honestly, i could do a few issues of them just sitting around chatting over coffee but that's me).

]
8) Not going to lie: The line, "It's hard when you're around, Ben. It REALLY is," was really tough to hear from Peter. After all, when they believed Ben to be the real Peter Parker, Ben knew the right thing to do was continue as Ben Reilly. I think it's been a long time since Ben has wished he could have Peter's actual life. And like others have pointed out, Peter is already sharing being Spider-Man with Miles (and was even surprisingly forgiving of Otto Octavius) so why he'd have an issue with Ben also being Spidey is a bit of a mystery. That all being said, I am still able to see the other side of it: Miles isn't literally a clone of Peter. Peter and Ben have their history, and that time for Peter was really rough, so I get not wanting to relive those feelings. So I'm glad he was able to overcome the negatives, understand things from Ben's perspective, and therefore reach out to Ben by giving his Spidey blessing. I hope this begins to re-establish the brotherly bond that so many fans really enjoyed in the past. But "it's hard when you're around?" Maybe that indicates Ben will take off once again when this story is over, and maybe it'll be simply more of a mutual respect situation than the family unit many of us are hoping for.

from peter's perspective i don't mind this. the 90s saga was one of the most horrific times in peter's (and mj's) life. it's up there on the list of parker traumas. yeah, they buried the hatchett and moved on...

and then, ben returns (again) and all that clone conspiracy stuff where i think ben was willing to commit mass murder (i've forgotten a lot of it).

not once has ben rocked up into peter's life and just gone for a picnic with him. it's always drama and big drama at that.

we tend to associate people with how they make us feel, and even though peter might love ben, he wouldn't be wrong for associating pain and confusion with him too.

[themasething]

I guess I'm the only one who is getting sick of Marvel trying to replace Peter as Spider-Man every few years? Ben, Miles, Doc Ock, Miles again, and now Ben again... Why does Marvel feel the need to push Peter out of the costume other than a marketing gimmick to sell more books?

[HypnoHustler]

I guess I'm the only one who is getting sick of Marvel trying to replace Peter as Spider-Man every few years? Ben, Miles, Doc Ock, Miles again, and now Ben again... Why does Marvel feel the need to push Peter out of the costume other than a marketing gimmick to sell more books?

When has Miles ever replaced Peter? Except if you mean Ultimate. But not in 616.

I think the Spidey books have handled legacy characters pretty well, especially in comparison to other Marvel and DC books. I clearly love Ben. ‘Superior’ was one of the only stories Slott did that I really liked (the first half anyway). And as for Miles, I’m not the biggest fan, but I think he’s important for representation and I did really enjoy ‘Into the Spiderverse.’

I understand Peter fans getting annoyed, but how is this not more enjoyable than the last year or drudgery and teases from Spencer? I feel like the book actually has purpose and momentum again, and isn’t just some endless mystery box.

[boots]

I guess I'm the only one who is getting sick of Marvel trying to replace Peter as Spider-Man every few years? Ben, Miles, Doc Ock, Miles again, and now Ben again... Why does Marvel feel the need to push Peter out of the costume other than a marketing gimmick to sell more books?

i really don't think you're the only one, and i can empathise with a certain amount of fatigue seeing stories that are superficially similar again (how many times do they do an "all new all different" x-men roster or some sort of big cross over event that involves every superhero or "back to basics"), but i'd hope that the details of each version on the theme are essentially different. and beyond seems like it will be different to superior on that basis.

but that's a thing with most long running stories, tv or comics. you see patterns over time. how much is a gimmick and how much is a writer's genuine need to tell the story, idk.

[jda95]

This was a great issue, if not a little rushed. The conversation between Ben and Peter provided background to where each of them came from and almost made me cry (as a diehard Ben fan who never thought we'd see such a conversation again). There seems to be interesting setup for Ben's relationships with MJ and May. The May one could potentially be interesting, as the last time Ben encountered May he was sitting on the roof unable to be with her as she "died", so I figure this explains the trepidation he feels on the phone. And as for MJ, it's a little odd seeing her to be less than thrilled that he's back in Peter's life when they shared a really strong relationship back in the 90s.

I guess I'm the only one who is getting sick of Marvel trying to replace Peter as Spider-Man every few years? Ben, Miles, Doc Ock, Miles again, and now Ben again... Why does Marvel feel the need to push Peter out of the costume other than a marketing gimmick to sell more books?

Not counting Miles, we have 1996, 2013, and 2021. Character "replacements" are very much on trend in comics right now, for better or worse, and the fact that Peter has stuck around so long with barely any is a good thing.

[Jman27]

I’m a big fan of Ben Reilly. Was disappointed with Clone Conspiracy (what exactly was the conspiracy anyhow?) But this isn’t really grabbing my attention. It’s painfully obvious that Beyond Corp set Peter up. Ben can’t really be that stupid… secondly, this art is god awful. MJ and May look terrible. Why the hell is May pushing 80 again? The only positive is how May is handling this which is better than constantly having heart attacks or ending up in hospital beds. But honestly after Spencer’s run gave me so much fatigue, this just seems boring at the moment.

She pushing 80 cause she is 80

[Spiderfan001]

Fashion? I don’t buy that. It’s a little too convenient. Gleason has a ton of panels to draw… with all its connotations, you don’t just put a ring on a character’s finger unless the writer has specifically asked you to.

Same, it's either slipped from editorial or they are just being horrible people showing the ring for no reason....

I guess I'm the only one who is getting sick of Marvel trying to replace Peter as Spider-Man every few years? Ben, Miles, Doc Ock, Miles again, and now Ben again... Why does Marvel feel the need to push Peter out of the costume other than a marketing gimmick to sell more books?

I agree, Hopefully after Beyond we're done w/ the replacing.Beyond is a small run so I get it but we're done after this

When has Miles ever replaced Peter? Except if you mean Ultimate. But not in 616.

I think the Spidey books have handled legacy characters pretty well, especially in comparison to other Marvel and DC books. I clearly love Ben. ‘Superior’ was one of the only stories Slott did that I really liked (the first half anyway). And as for Miles, I’m not the biggest fan, but I think he’s important for representation and I did really enjoy ‘Into the Spiderverse.’

I understand Peter fans getting annoyed, but how is this not more enjoyable than the last year or drudgery and teases from Spencer? I feel like the book actually has purpose and momentum again, and isn’t just some endless mystery box.

I agree, this is by far the best replace stories so far.Spencer's was good or even better because it was the most in character Peter and MJ and everyone else we've seen in more than a decade, the OMD teasing was annoying but even the characters made it worth it.

Miles worked better in 1610, Superior vol 1 was messed up(vol 2 was great though).Marvel ignores legacy, Miles calls himself spider-man and yet he and Peter barely interact, etc.

[Spiderfan001]

So one thing that really jumps out at me is Peter's saying he needs to escape his body.

Given that Doc Ock will be involved eventually, it makes you wonder if his consciousness transfer tech will come in handy...and if he'll try to use Ben Reilly as a "host" for Peter.

Either that or maybe he gives his own body/maybe makes him a clone in a sort of reverse Superior and it's Peter attacking Beyond?Okay I want this now but acc. to solicits won't happen.