Originally Posted by
Pav
Hello, Friends of Ben! Our boy is still Spider-Man!
I've had a looong day, but I refuse to let an issue of Benny Boy's run go without a proper thread!
Quick Summary:
If you haven't read the issue, go buy it -- especially if you like Spidey-Clones fighting ninjas, bionic women, and living vampires; and ESPECIALLY if you like subplots: Aunt May in action! Beyond being weird! Janine just chillin! Etc!
Some quick thoughts:
1) The memory thing obviously stands out. My first thought was the first signs of clone degeneration, which is bad enough; but I'm definitely intrigued by some of the ideas others have brought up here, including the notion that Beyond is maybe "erasing" Ben somehow. I also like the potential connection with Peter's dream about Uncle Ben. Are Peter and Ben connected beyond just genetics? Is something otherworldly happening to them both?
2) I love that Aunt May sees no other choice than ringing up Otto Octavius! Their relationship was very silver-age, so how it's played out in a modern context will be fun to see. Beyond that, I'm hoping that he being at Aunt May's beck and call also reaffirms my hope that he's going to continue being a "shades of gray" character rather than the cackling mad scientist he's sometimes presented as.
3) I didn't mind the art, but I'm not a fan of how Morbius looks -- although I do know it's supposed to connect back to his last miniseries (which was, of course, mediocre at best). I still say Morbius' best looks are the black costume from his 90s solo and the way he was portrayed in PP:SM #70somethings by John Romita Jr.
4) Ben and Dr. Kafka had a pretty normal conversation considering she was created in a lab by him.
5) I wonder if the inclusion of Misty and Colleen is directly due to Misty and Ben being together in Cantwell's Iron Man run. Otherwise, I've yet to really see a purpose for them other than maybe affection for the characters by the creative team -- which is fine! I don't mind them at all. Just wondering how their role is going to play out meaningfully.
6) Oh, right -- there's no way Morbius is biting through Ben's costume.
7) One thing I really appreciated was the way Ben approached the situation with Morbius. Whereas Peter is sometimes portrayed as apathetic towards Morbius' plight, I was glad to see Ben have a little compassion for the guy. It's always fun to see how characters with relationships to Peter as Spidey (friendly, antagonistic, or otherwise) end up relating towards Ben.
8) What if Ben brings Morbius into Beyond and he's added to the "team?!" Ben, Morbius, and the Daughters of the Dragon are the beginnings of a very a cool team, and I always enjoyed how Ben bounced off the other New Warriors when he was a member.
9) Totally random, but according to Marcus, Beyond had other options if Ben didn't want to be THEIR Spider-Man. So if and when Ben turns on Beyond, what if they send their other choices after him: Joe Wade, Patrick the MVP Clone, and KAINE?! Ben vs THREE SCARLET SPIDERS would be epic as all get out!
-Pav, whose brain just kinda stopped right there so until next time...