Ben Reilly: Spider-Man/Scarlet Spider Appreciation 2022

[Matt Rat]

Well, since you are being the ever-pessimist

I was making a guess based on an understanding of Parker Luck. That doesn't make me a pessimist. I'm one of few Spider-Man fans who will stick up for Marvel for still giving the marriage a place at the table even when noone else will credit them with it.

[CaptainUniverse]

I was making a guess based on an understanding of Parker Luck. That doesn't make me a pessimist. I'm one of few Spider-Man fans who will stick up for Marvel for still giving the marriage a place at the table even when noone else will credit them with it.

I'm sorry. That was a misunderstanding on my part.

I hate the Parker Luck concept. Why does luck work differently for Peter Parker than it does everyone else? I am being serious here. Does Spider-Man have luck manipulation powers like Domino except his screws him over?

[Huntsman Spider]

Great thread by our very own (?) David Walton:

https://twitter.com/BenReilly149/sta...66254259503104

Indeed, but very unfortunate that it had to be made at all.

[Refrax5]

Great thread by our very own (?) David Walton:

https://twitter.com/BenReilly149/sta...66254259503104

Janine's characterization has been very frustrating. From her first modern appearance in that Beyond prelude, depicting her as being more hardened and volatile, I've been raising my eyebrows at her depiction. A lot of this reads like Wells only read wiki entries on the characters rather than actually doing actual research. I agree with the thread saying how hollow and mean-spirited it all seems.

[Sr. Bungle]

Janine's characterization has been very frustrating. From her first modern appearance in that Beyond prelude, depicting her as being more hardened and volatile, I've been raising my eyebrows at her depiction. A lot of this reads like Wells only read wiki entries on the characters rather than actually doing actual research. I agree with the thread saying how hollow and mean-spirited it all seems.

That's Wells "foreshadowing"

He had that bad idea in mind since the begining, I'll give him that.

[Refrax5]

That's Wells "foreshadowing"

He had that bad idea in mind since the begining, I'll give him that.

Oh, I know, but it rang very false to me. Like, I get that prison is a tough place, but the insistence on depicting Janine as a hardened criminal when she was really a victim felt very gross to me.

[Matt Rat]

[Huntsman Spider]

Oh, I know, but it rang very false to me. Like, I get that prison is a tough place, but the insistence on depicting Janine as a hardened criminal when she was really a victim felt very gross to me.

A fair point, in retrospect. Granted, she may have had to toughen up some to survive in prison, but depicting and treating her as more of a hardened criminal as opposed to someone who did what she had to do to get out of an abusive situation . . . not a good look, to say the least.

[Mister Mets]

Random Ben Reilly Idea- Marvel obviously seems unclear what to do with the character. There are other people with spider-powers and Kaine is more marketable as a clone with his own title. There is always the problem differentiating Peter and Ben.

The recent solution was to make Ben a villain, but I don't think this works.

I suggested that one strategy would be to put Ben Reilly in a different series (IE- a team book), and to allow him to have intense life-changing experiences that could set him in a different direction from Peter.

Could it make sense to have some scenario where Ben becomes older, perhaps he's stuck protecting a village where time moves differently. It would also mean that Ben's perspective, more time has passed since his days as the Jackal or Chasm.

[Toxin45]

Random Ben Reilly Idea- Marvel obviously seems unclear what to do with the character. There are other people with spider-powers and Kaine is more marketable as a clone with his own title. There is always the problem differentiating Peter and Ben.

The recent solution was to make Ben a villain, but I don't think this works.

I suggested that one strategy would be to put Ben Reilly in a different series (IE- a team book), and to allow him to have intense life-changing experiences that could set him in a different direction from Peter.

Could it make sense to have some scenario where Ben becomes older, perhaps he's stuck protecting a village where time moves differently. It would also mean that Ben's perspective, more time has passed since his days as the Jackal or Chasm.

Maybe him a magic user and join the midnight sons for supernatural adventures

[bat22]

Get Ben (and Julia Carpenter for that matter) the heck away from Peter and NYC. The last series did right placing him at the west coast (but not making him Deadpool-Lite) like Nevada or California. Keep his spider powers and make him a hero again but throw in some REPAIRMAN JACK as a vigilante for the common man who simply does not exist. That would be his strength and also weakness, living off the grid but wanting to make a real life for himself beyond the memories that are not his.

[Sr. Bungle]

Random Ben Reilly Idea- Marvel obviously seems unclear what to do with the character. There are other people with spider-powers and Kaine is more marketable as a clone with his own title. There is always the problem differentiating Peter and Ben.

The recent solution was to make Ben a villain, but I don't think this works.

I suggested that one strategy would be to put Ben Reilly in a different series (IE- a team book), and to allow him to have intense life-changing experiences that could set him in a different direction from Peter.

Could it make sense to have some scenario where Ben becomes older, perhaps he's stuck protecting a village where time moves differently. It would also mean that Ben's perspective, more time has passed since his days as the Jackal or Chasm.

Monica recreating NextWave and recruiting Ben to chase Beyond and Maxine Danger. It'd be the most logical outcome from the Beyond storyline, not Dark Web

[Obsidian Spider]

Art break!

As much as I want my optimistic hoodie-sporting clone bro back, this new costume is fun to draw. I wanted to lean into the creepiness with this illustration.

[Matt Rat]

Art break!

As much as I want my optimistic hoodie-sporting clone bro back, this new costume is fun to draw. I wanted to lean into the creepiness with this illustration.

Pretty slick work there

[Refrax5]

Random Ben Reilly Idea- Marvel obviously seems unclear what to do with the character. There are other people with spider-powers and Kaine is more marketable as a clone with his own title. There is always the problem differentiating Peter and Ben.

The recent solution was to make Ben a villain, but I don't think this works.

I suggested that one strategy would be to put Ben Reilly in a different series (IE- a team book), and to allow him to have intense life-changing experiences that could set him in a different direction from Peter.

Could it make sense to have some scenario where Ben becomes older, perhaps he's stuck protecting a village where time moves differently. It would also mean that Ben's perspective, more time has passed since his days as the Jackal or Chasm.

I don't think Ben needs a team book for that. He's already had some very intense, life changing experiences as it is. If and when he gets his mind restored, he's going to have a lot to deal with emotionally. There's all kinds of ways you could have Ben evolve from what's happened to him so far.

I'm not sure about Kaine being more marketable. Kaine's solo lasted about the same amount of issues as Ben's did and I think Ben has a bigger fanbase overall. Don't get me wrong, I love Kaine, but I don't know that he has any real advantage there.

I think a lot of people just want a "Scarlet Spiders" title with both of them on the road together.