Ben Reilly: Spider-Man/Scarlet Spider Appreciation 2022

[Captain Craig]

Because Marvel hates Ben. They don't know what to do with him, so they decided to fuck him up. I guess they got bored of kicking Peter's ass. Kaine's next, probably.

No, not at all. If they did "hate" him he wouldn't be around still.
There is money to be made with Ben, in print but likely in other media down the road. I don't know where or when but I'll say this, my 4.5yr old is learning about Miles and Gwen/Ghost Spider on the 'Spidey & his Amazing Friends' cartoon. Ben will end up being used like this at some point.

When my daughter came home and asked me about Miles Spiderman cause she saw it at Daycare I was excited, mom rolled her eyes. Mom was all "How many Spidermen are there?". Fun moment

[Prime]

I don't think they hate Ben since he can literally be their scapegoat for all the things we critizr Marvel when handling Peter.

[MisterC]

Baseless optimism and pessimism are two sides of the same coin. We can only work with the absolute truths, and that is Marvel likes money.

For whatever reason in the mid-2000s it was decided that superheroes heroism can only be represented by their ceaseless upholding of the status quo in the face of the most deranged, disturbing, tragic, and horrific events being inflicted upon themselves or their loved ones. So what's going on with Ben seems just par for the course for how heroism is displayed in contemporary superhero comics. I have massive massive gripes about the portrayal of Ben in this story but I truly don't think the writers intended to make him look like an incompetent to fool I think it was just a consequence of the rushed job and last second planning of this so-called event.

I can't be grudge anyone who feels Marvel has it out for Ben considering how horrible clone conspiracy and the previous Scarlet spider series were. But those didn't feel malicious as much as they felt lazy. Comparing the treatment of Ben to say Wally West or even Dick Grayson, you can see a clear malicious intent in those cases whereas clone conspiracy even is just down to Dan not being a good writer.

Given comics as a whole I don't see any reason to come into this situation giving them the benefit of the doubt let the story will end in a positive way. And I think that looking at the quality of the run overall logic would dictate that the ending would be as underwhelming as the rest of the story. But I personally don't see malicious intent

[Sr. Bungle]

Gleason variant cover for #89

https://s3.amazonaws.com/comicgeeks/...jpg?1644000893

[Jman27]

Gleason variant cover for #89

https://s3.amazonaws.com/comicgeeks/...jpg?1644000893

what is going on with her lower half?

[Sr. Bungle]

what is going on with her lower half?

I think she's lying over the glider. Took me a while.

[Captain Craig]

what is going on with her lower half?

She laying on her left side with her legs out of picture going down the otherside of the glider.

[classicgmer]

Because Marvel hates Ben. They don't know what to do with him, so they decided to fuck him up. I guess they got bored of kicking Peter's ass. Kaine's next, probably.

I'm not entirely sure Marvel hates Ben but the bolded part is absolute truth. I don't know why Marvel thought that bringing Ben back as a villain was a good idea or that people would accept him as Jason Todd lite but it all predictably blew up in their faces.

They don't want to give us a characterization that's closer to what he was in the Clone Saga because it's too similar to Peter for their liking but they apparently don't know how to differentiate him from Peter in subtle or nuanced ways which is why we got PAD's SS run.

We'll just have to wait until Beyond concludes to see what we'll end up with going forward but i think any trepidation anyone has about Marvel's ability to handle his characterization or stories going forward has been well earned.

[Huntsman Spider]

I'm not entirely sure Marvel hates Ben but the bolded part is absolute truth. I don't know why Marvel thought that bringing Ben back as a villain was a good idea or that people would accept him as Jason Todd lite but it all predictably blew up in their faces.

They don't want to give us a characterization that's closer to what he was in the Clone Saga because it's too similar to Peter for their liking but they apparently don't know how to differentiate him from Peter in subtle or nuanced ways which is why we got PAD's SS run.

We'll just have to wait until Beyond concludes to see what we'll end up with going forward but i think any trepidation anyone has about Marvel's ability to handle his characterization or stories going forward has been well earned.

Pretty much, sadly.

[JustLuke]

I honestly have more hope in whatever they come up here than I did after Clone Conspiracy. Say what you will about Beyond but it's pretty pretty inoffensive so far imo and Ben has felt probably the most in-character here than he has in a while. I think whatever happens to him in his solo (if that does end up happening) will be better than what we've had before. At least with current day Ben that is.
Also as long as they don't overdo it like they did in PAD's series, I genuinely wouldn't mind Ben having more of an edge than Peter. I actually think it can work for the character considering his history, I know Wells likes that too considering that interview he did a while back. I just wonder what the plan is. Maybe he and Hobie co-lead the Slingers? Or maybe he runs into other obscure/forgotten characters...
...you know, it would really be funny if Ben ran into the other Scarlet Spider...not the one you're thinking of btw:
unknown.jpg
(P.S. If you remember Patrick, you're a real one)

[classicgmer]

I honestly have more hope in whatever they come up here than I did after Clone Conspiracy. Say what you will about Beyond but it's pretty pretty inoffensive so far imo and Ben has felt probably the most in-character here than he has in a while. I think whatever happens to him in his solo (if that does end up happening) will be better than what we've had before. At least with current day Ben that is.
Also as long as they don't overdo it like they did in PAD's series, I genuinely wouldn't mind Ben having more of an edge than Peter. I actually think it can work for the character considering his history, I know Wells likes that too considering that interview he did a while back. I just wonder what the plan is. Maybe he and Hobie co-lead the Slingers? Or maybe he runs into other obscure/forgotten characters...
...you know, it would really be funny if Ben ran into the other Scarlet Spider...not the one you're thinking of btw:
unknown.jpg
(P.S. If you remember Patrick, you're a real one)

Yeah Beyond has been somewhat pedestrian at times but nothing terribly off-putting and that's a step albeit an incremental one in the right direction. Also I have no problem with Ben being a little rough around the edges and a bit of a hot head but like you say they took it too far in the PAD SS series.

Also count me in as being down for a little bit of interaction between Ben and the sole remaining Scarlet Spider from the Initiative days as I loved that series. Have you been reading the Captain America/Iron Man mini series which features some 50 state Initiative characters?

[Sr. Bungle]

Well, Patrick is still a clone too IIRC. Or did they resurrect MVP?
EDIT: The Initiative was one of Slott's shining moments IMHO

[Huntsman Spider]

I honestly have more hope in whatever they come up here than I did after Clone Conspiracy. Say what you will about Beyond but it's pretty pretty inoffensive so far imo and Ben has felt probably the most in-character here than he has in a while. I think whatever happens to him in his solo (if that does end up happening) will be better than what we've had before. At least with current day Ben that is.
Also as long as they don't overdo it like they did in PAD's series, I genuinely wouldn't mind Ben having more of an edge than Peter. I actually think it can work for the character considering his history, I know Wells likes that too considering that interview he did a while back. I just wonder what the plan is. Maybe he and Hobie co-lead the Slingers? Or maybe he runs into other obscure/forgotten characters...
...you know, it would really be funny if Ben ran into the other Scarlet Spider...not the one you're thinking of btw:
unknown.jpg
(P.S. If you remember Patrick, you're a real one)

Yeah Beyond has been somewhat pedestrian at times but nothing terribly off-putting and that's a step albeit an incremental one in the right direction. Also I have no problem with Ben being a little rough around the edges and a bit of a hot head but like you say they took it too far in the PAD SS series.

Also count me in as being down for a little bit of interaction between Ben and the sole remaining Scarlet Spider from the Initiative days as I loved that series. Have you been reading the Captain America/Iron Man mini series which features some 50 state Initiative characters?

Well, Patrick is still a clone too IIRC. Or did they resurrect MVP?
EDIT: The Initiative was one of Slott's shining moments IMHO

Indeed. Cosigning all of you on Patrick, the sole surviving Initiative Scarlet Spider, meeting up with Ben (and/or Kaine) at some point. Could Beyond have been thinking of using him as its sponsored Spider-Man before settling on Ben?

[Sr. Bungle]

Indeed. Cosigning all of you on Patrick, the sole surviving Initiative Scarlet Spider, meeting up with Ben (and/or Kaine) at some point. Could Beyond have been thinking of using him as its sponsored Spider-Man before settling on Ben?

After the last .bey issue I'm leaning towards Ricochet but Patrick is a good guess

[Huntsman Spider]

After the last .bey issue I'm leaning towards Ricochet but Patrick is a good guess

Hmm, yeah . . .