Amazing Spider-Man#18 Preview

[Sr. Bungle]

What's really sad is Wells said he wanted to showcase so much why Ben works as a villain and makes him the next great Spider rouge that he couldn't do in Beyond. How much did Dark Web really change from his initial vision. He even said it was one of the first things he wrote and I'm sure is what he used to convince Lowe to get him on the book like Spencer did with Hunted

And why do you believe he had to change so much?

[Kurolegacy]

What's really sad is Wells said he wanted to showcase so much why Ben works as a villain and makes him the next great Spider rouge that he couldn't do in Beyond. How much did Dark Web really change from his initial vision. He even said it was one of the first things he wrote and I'm sure is what he used to convince Lowe to get him on the book like Spencer did with Hunted

Part of me wonders if their plans with Ben changed due to the backlash and that his role in this became more of a formality that they had to do since they had already set it up rather than a step towards making him some big rogue.

[Sr. Bungle]

Part of me wonders if their plans with Ben changed due to the backlash and that his role in this became more of a formality that they had to do since they had already set it up rather than a step towards making him some big rogue.

I hope they make him an anti hero at least then.

[Matt Rat]

The way Ben acts here makes me think he just decides to be a moody jerk around Jaine and she just 'nopes' out of there. It'll be a typical break up rather than a tragic one, or at least a split where they need space.

[TinkerSpider]

Let's see if I have the Zeb Wells's side of Dark Web to date right:

Ben: I'm a bad person now.

Janine: I'm not so sure about me. I'm going to go out in public without a disguise or keeping a low profile despite the fact I broke out of prison and I'm wanted by law enforcement. *leaves* *comes back* The NERVE of people, calling the police on me just because I broke out of jail and I have done nothing to set my record straight! Why won't the world stop judging me on my appearance? I'm bad, now, too.

*Ben and Janine kiss*

Months later.

Ben: Hey, look, Beyond just happens to have a piece of dessicated skin from a baby and for some reason it calls to me! So I'm gonna use this Beyond tech and just go marching in to whatever is on the other side even though the only reason why I'm in this mess is because I used Beyond tech.

Janine: Go get 'em, tiger.

*Ben enters Limbo, sees demons tormenting Maddie about being a clone even though Maddie is the Queen of Limbo and could kill her tormentors, as she did in New Mutants when she first took over from Illyana* Sup.

Maddie: Sup.

Ben: Sounds like you're a clone. Hey, I'm a clone, too!

Maddie: Wow, we are such much alike. Let's do crimes together.

*Months later*

Ben: Let's go to war to get what we want.

Maddie: Yeah, not so sure - haha, just kidding, sign me and my legions of demons up.

Janine: *pouts* I'm just a human girl, I'm useless in a war.

Maddie: Quit yer bellyaching. *turns Janine into Hallow's Eve* You are now a hot woman in a skintight costume and Halloween-themed superpowers, you'll get your own title simply because of your appearance, happy about how the world judges you now? Good. Now go over there and be mostly quiet for the rest of the "event."

*Months later*

Debt collector loitering outside Peter Parker's apartment day and night for months: Sup, fake Peter Parker.

Ben: DON'T CALL ME SHIRLEY - I mean, fake Peter Parker. *kidnaps debt collector, takes him to Limbo*

Maddie: Ooooh, Gus the random debt collector has been a bad person. Oh, that's right, Ben, I can read minds. I could probably read Peter Parker's mind and bring those memories back to you but I don't because, reasons. Anyhoo, here, Gus, eat this poisoned apple.

Gus: Wait. I've seen Snow White - haha kidding, give the apple to me. *dies* *soul becomes smoke*

Maddie: *inhales* Ah, that's just the hit I need...I mean, if you inhale all the smoke, you absorb all of the person who ate the apple. Even though I read his memories earlier and that's really all you say you want, Ben.

Ben: Who do you think I am, Bill Clinton? I want to inhale. And don't you appreciate how I worked in yet another 90s reference?

Maddie: Okeydokey, my army is yours even though I'm pretty sure I already agreed to your war just a few pages - I mean, months, ago. But wait. We need help. *brings in Venom*

Venom: I want my son.

Maddie: Cool. *behind closed doors, turns the calendar back to 1994* Ta-da! Because what we need to win the war is a mindless lethal protector Venom for, reasons!

Venom: BRAINS! SPIDER-MAN BRAINS!

CUT TO: Maddie plays a demonic organ. X-Men aren't happy their Christmas shopping is interrupted. Demons, demons everywhere.

Illyana: This isn't the same Maddie from New Mutants. Whatever happened to the concept of character continuity?! *sigh* Here we go again.

CUT TO: Ben in Norman Osborn's office

Ben: Sup, Norman. You're one of the few things I remember.

Norman: My whole schtick these days is making amends, but #$^% you even though I manipulated your entire life just for revenge and turned you into ash, eat Gold Goblin lead. *Norman is defeated*

Ben: I just beat up Norman.

Spidey: Ben! You're alive! Sup, bro?

Ben: Did you hear me? I just beat up Norman. He's lying there, motionless. And that's after just being in the hospital.

Spidey: Ben! You're alive! Sup, bro?

Ben: Oh, we're doing this then. Sup. I'm the one behind all the demons.

Spidey: *gasp* NO! Not YOU!

Ben: Yep, me. And instead of telling you what I want so we can work together to restore my memories: here, have a Venom.

Venom: BRAINS! SPIDER-MAN BRAINS! *fights Spidey*

Spidey: Oops, forgot my Spidey sense doesn't work around Venom. *runs*

Kamala: Hey, you hurt my boss!

Ben: I'm going to do some sort of Limbo spell because I guess I do spells now, to punish you for being the only one to care that Norman is hurt. *does spell* *spend more money if you want to know what happened* *goes off to threaten Jonah*

Spidey: *finally turns the tables on Venom by setting sentient Christmas trees on fire* Oooh, I need to read Venom, I haven't kept up on what's been happening to Eddie.

Maddie: Hey, thanks for finding our pet for us, we're going to take him to another book and if you want to know what happens, spend more money.

Spidey: Okeydokey, person who looks like Jean--

Maddie: *sigh* Why do I surround myself with such losers? And speaking of losers--

Ben: Sup, Pete. Hey, remember when you laughed in my face and kicked me into psychoreactive goo?

Spidey: No? Because that didn't happen? Maddie is right there, ask her to read my mind--

Ben: FIGHT!!!!!

Spidey: Look, let's try to be logical. You said your memory was destroyed, so how--

Ben: FIGHT!!!!!

Spidey: *sigh*

Sentient scooter: I'm the wacky comic relief! Yuk-yuk-yuk!

Ben: I have new kewl powers out of the blue, because, kewl. And reasons. FIGHT!!!!

[TinkerSpider]

CUT TO: Maddie, Janine and Venom outside the X-Men treehouse

Maddie: It's Christmas, but Janine do your Halloween thing and kick Venom into the treehouse for, reasons.

Venom, speaking for the entire audience, in dialogue taken exactly from the book: "Great, HA HA! Gonna be honest, we're still lost." *last time Venom is seen in Zeb Wells's issues*

CUT BACK TO:

Ben: FIGHT!!!!!!! And that's why you'll lose, because I have all the power and none of responsibility.

Spidey: And now you're just a fake Kaine.

Ben and Marvel editorial: Who?

Ben: Time for me to go fishing, Pete - looky, I've trapped Jonah and Robbie in limbo!

Spidey: Sure, I'll take the bait, this event still has two books and a wrap up issue to go. *Jumps in the portal*

CUT TO:

Limbo. Peter Parker dressed like it's the 1960s.

Little Demon: *makes a stupid joke*

Shark Demon: *not amused.* I'm gonna bite your head off!

Peter: No head biting talk! *Hits Shark Demon so hard, blood goes flying.*

Little Demon: Wow, you saved me even though the Shark Demon was only making a verbal threat but you're the one who actually used physical violence! You're so heroic! I WUV YOU.

CUT TO: Interior, Daily Limbo Bugle. The demons are yelling at Jonah for not emoting enough when he says his lines.

DEMON: More dramatic, Jonah! FEEL the emotion! Really WANT those pictures of Spider-Man!

Peter: Enough is enough! Stop tormenting him!

Theater Kid Demon: This is torment? You wouldn't last one day in drama class. Why, during rehearsals for Dear Evan Hansen, the notes I had to endure, the pain I had to dig down to find-- *voice trails off as demon stalks off page*

Peter: BEN!!! This has gone on long enough. Stop the theatrics.

Ben: Sure. Eat this poison apple first.

Peter: Look, I know you say you've lost your memories, so let me refresh you. We were five years old, Uncle Ben thought it would be fun to show us the DVD of Snow White and Seven Dwarves, and--

Ben: ENOUGH! Eat the apple.

Peter: No.

Ben: Um...sure, yeah, okay. I can wait. *Makes demonic versions of the Sinister Six*

Little demon: I wanna cosplay! I'm in love with Parker-Man so I wanna be Spider-Man.

Maddie: This is stupid. Why am I in this story in the first place? I was in a good place at the end of my New Mutants arc. *leaves*

Ben: Go away, little demon, you have it backwards.

Even bigger demon: Psst. Hey, little demon, wanna buy a watch- I mean, a piece of a symbiote?

Little demon: Sure!

Peter: Hey Jonah, I have a plan. The demons have to have a way to get to New York City. We just follow them.

Jonah: And it took you how long to come up with that? I've been down here long enough to know the weird version of you wants you to eat an apple. Obviously, your aunt and uncle didn't take you to Sunday School or the weird version of you would know why people don't like to eat apples offered by snakes--

Peter: Not now, I need to sew an entire costume including armpit webs by sun up. Got a thimble? And some spandex? And armpit webs?

Jonah: ....

Peter: Never mind, just wait for my signal tomorrow.

Jonah: I feel like we're forgetting about someone...nah.

NEXT MORNING:

Jonah: Hey demons, free demon food in New York City!

*Demons stampede* *Spidey and Jonah follow*

Robbie: Um, what about me? Hello? I'm here, too?

Spidey: There's the entrance to New York City! Run! Run like the wind--*Stopped by the demon Insidious Six*

Spidey: *Actual dialogue taken from the issue* Oh boy. Sigh. Sure.

Insidious Six each take a swing at Spidey. Spidey falls down and can't get up.

Spidey: Welp, looks like I'm gonna lose an eye because Kareem or Norman aren't here to rescue me. Oh well.

ReKrap: Never fear! I am here to rescue you! Let's web whang!

Spidey: Yay. My hero. I'm saved.

Maddie: Hey, Ben? This is all over now. I got what I wanted from Jean. Turns out, she's actually, like, really cool and nice and kind and stuff. But of course she is, because she's me and I'm her, ha ha. So anyway, this has been fun but just like the reader, I'm bored now. Have been for a while.

Ben: Wait. Jean just gave you her memories?

Maddie: I know! Crazy, isn't it? Amazing what happens when you just simply ask for what you want and have an honest discussion without getting, y'know, defensive and stuff. And since Jean is an Omega-level mutant with psychic powers, it was an easy peasy solution. I feel silly now, actually. So anyway, maybe Jean or I could--

Ben: NO!!! I wanna make Pete eat the apple!!! You're a meany for taking this away from me!! C'mon, Janine, let's flounce.

*Ben and Janine flounce*

[Sr. Bungle]

I laughed IRL. Good job!

[The Negative Zone]

Moral of the story, ask people nicely for your memories back?

[Jman27]

Moral of the story, ask people nicely for your memories back?

another moral clones are bad

[Matt Rat]

CUT TO: Maddie, Janine and Venom outside the X-Men treehouse

Maddie: It's Christmas, but Janine do your Halloween thing and kick Venom into the treehouse for, reasons.

Venom, speaking for the entire audience, in dialogue taken exactly from the book: "Great, HA HA! Gonna be honest, we're still lost." *last time Venom is seen in Zeb Wells's issues*

CUT BACK TO:

Ben: FIGHT!!!!!!! And that's why you'll lose, because I have all the power and none of responsibility.

Spidey: And now you're just a fake Kaine.

Ben and Marvel editorial: Who?

Ben: Time for me to go fishing, Pete - looky, I've trapped Jonah and Robbie in limbo!

Spidey: Sure, I'll take the bait, this event still has two books and a wrap up issue to go. *Jumps in the portal*

CUT TO:

Limbo. Peter Parker dressed like it's the 1960s.

Little Demon: *makes a stupid joke*

Shark Demon: *not amused.* I'm gonna bite your head off!

Peter: No head biting talk! *Hits Shark Demon so hard, blood goes flying.*

Little Demon: Wow, you saved me even though the Shark Demon was only making a verbal threat but you're the one who actually used physical violence! You're so heroic! I WUV YOU.

CUT TO: Interior, Daily Limbo Bugle. The demons are yelling at Jonah for not emoting enough when he says his lines.

DEMON: More dramatic, Jonah! FEEL the emotion! Really WANT those pictures of Spider-Man!

Peter: Enough is enough! Stop tormenting him!

Theater Kid Demon: This is torment? You wouldn't last one day in drama class. Why, during rehearsals for Dear Evan Hansen, the notes I had to endure, the pain I had to dig down to find-- *voice trails off as demon stalks off page*

Peter: BEN!!! This has gone on long enough. Stop the theatrics.

Ben: Sure. Eat this poison apple first.

Peter: Look, I know you say you've lost your memories, so let me refresh you. We were five years old, Uncle Ben thought it would be fun to show us the DVD of Snow White and Seven Dwarves, and--

Ben: ENOUGH! Eat the apple.

Peter: No.

Ben: Um...sure, yeah, okay. I can wait. *Makes demonic versions of the Sinister Six*

Little demon: I wanna cosplay! I'm in love with Parker-Man so I wanna be Spider-Man.

Maddie: This is stupid. Why am I in this story in the first place? I was in a good place at the end of my New Mutants arc. *leaves*

Ben: Go away, little demon, you have it backwards.

Even bigger demon: Psst. Hey, little demon, wanna buy a watch- I mean, a piece of a symbiote?

Little demon: Sure!

Peter: Hey Jonah, I have a plan. The demons have to have a way to get to New York City. We just follow them.

Jonah: And it took you how long to come up with that? I've been down here long enough to know the weird version of you wants you to eat an apple. Obviously, your aunt and uncle didn't take you to Sunday School or the weird version of you would know why people don't like to eat apples offered by snakes--

Peter: Not now, I need to sew an entire costume including armpit webs by sun up. Got a thimble? And some spandex? And armpit webs?

Jonah: ....

Peter: Never mind, just wait for my signal tomorrow.

Jonah: I feel like we're forgetting about someone...nah.

NEXT MORNING:

Jonah: Hey demons, free demon food in New York City!

*Demons stampede* *Spidey and Jonah follow*

Robbie: Um, what about me? Hello? I'm here, too?

Spidey: There's the entrance to New York City! Run! Run like the wind--*Stopped by the demon Insidious Six*

Spidey: *Actual dialogue taken from the issue* Oh boy. Sigh. Sure.

Insidious Six each take a swing at Spidey. Spidey falls down and can't get up.

Spidey: Welp, looks like I'm gonna lose an eye because Kareem or Norman aren't here to rescue me. Oh well.

ReKrap: Never fear! I am here to rescue you! Let's web whang!

Spidey: Yay. My hero. I'm saved.

Maddie: Hey, Ben? This is all over now. I got what I wanted from Jean. Turns out, she's actually, like, really cool and nice and kind and stuff. But of course she is, because she's me and I'm her, ha ha. So anyway, this has been fun but just like the reader, I'm bored now. Have been for a while.

Ben: Wait. Jean just gave you her memories?

Maddie: I know! Crazy, isn't it? Amazing what happens when you just simply ask for what you want and have an honest discussion without getting, y'know, defensive and stuff. And since Jean is an Omega-level mutant with psychic powers, it was an easy peasy solution. I feel silly now, actually. So anyway, maybe Jean or I could--

Ben: NO!!! I wanna make Pete eat the apple!!! You're a meany for taking this away from me!! C'mon, Janine, let's flounce.

*Ben and Janine flounce*

My headcanon is this was the first draft.

[CaptainUniverse]

LOL! That is hilarious!

[dornwolf]

Let's see if I have the Zeb Wells's side of Dark Web to date right:

Ben: I'm a bad person now.

Janine: I'm not so sure about me. I'm going to go out in public without a disguise or keeping a low profile despite the fact I broke out of prison and I'm wanted by law enforcement. *leaves* *comes back* The NERVE of people, calling the police on me just because I broke out of jail and I have done nothing to set my record straight! Why won't the world stop judging me on my appearance? I'm bad, now, too.

*Ben and Janine kiss*

Months later.

Ben: Hey, look, Beyond just happens to have a piece of dessicated skin from a baby and for some reason it calls to me! So I'm gonna use this Beyond tech and just go marching in to whatever is on the other side even though the only reason why I'm in this mess is because I used Beyond tech.

Janine: Go get 'em, tiger.

*Ben enters Limbo, sees demons tormenting Maddie about being a clone even though Maddie is the Queen of Limbo and could kill her tormentors, as she did in New Mutants when she first took over from Illyana* Sup.

Maddie: Sup.

Ben: Sounds like you're a clone. Hey, I'm a clone, too!

Maddie: Wow, we are such much alike. Let's do crimes together.

*Months later*

Ben: Let's go to war to get what we want.

Maddie: Yeah, not so sure - haha, just kidding, sign me and my legions of demons up.

Janine: *pouts* I'm just a human girl, I'm useless in a war.

Maddie: Quit yer bellyaching. *turns Janine into Hallow's Eve* You are now a hot woman in a skintight costume and Halloween-themed superpowers, you'll get your own title simply because of your appearance, happy about how the world judges you now? Good. Now go over there and be mostly quiet for the rest of the "event."

*Months later*

Debt collector loitering outside Peter Parker's apartment day and night for months: Sup, fake Peter Parker.

Ben: DON'T CALL ME SHIRLEY - I mean, fake Peter Parker. *kidnaps debt collector, takes him to Limbo*

Maddie: Ooooh, Gus the random debt collector has been a bad person. Oh, that's right, Ben, I can read minds. I could probably read Peter Parker's mind and bring those memories back to you but I don't because, reasons. Anyhoo, here, Gus, eat this poisoned apple.

Gus: Wait. I've seen Snow White - haha kidding, give the apple to me. *dies* *soul becomes smoke*

Maddie: *inhales* Ah, that's just the hit I need...I mean, if you inhale all the smoke, you absorb all of the person who ate the apple. Even though I read his memories earlier and that's really all you say you want, Ben.

Ben: Who do you think I am, Bill Clinton? I want to inhale. And don't you appreciate how I worked in yet another 90s reference?

Maddie: Okeydokey, my army is yours even though I'm pretty sure I already agreed to your war just a few pages - I mean, months, ago. But wait. We need help. *brings in Venom*

Venom: I want my son.

Maddie: Cool. *behind closed doors, turns the calendar back to 1994* Ta-da! Because what we need to win the war is a mindless lethal protector Venom for, reasons!

Venom: BRAINS! SPIDER-MAN BRAINS!

CUT TO: Maddie plays a demonic organ. X-Men aren't happy their Christmas shopping is interrupted. Demons, demons everywhere.

Illyana: This isn't the same Maddie from New Mutants. Whatever happened to the concept of character continuity?! *sigh* Here we go again.

CUT TO: Ben in Norman Osborn's office

Ben: Sup, Norman. You're one of the few things I remember.

Norman: My whole schtick these days is making amends, but #$^% you even though I manipulated your entire life just for revenge and turned you into ash, eat Gold Goblin lead. *Norman is defeated*

Ben: I just beat up Norman.

Spidey: Ben! You're alive! Sup, bro?

Ben: Did you hear me? I just beat up Norman. He's lying there, motionless. And that's after just being in the hospital.

Spidey: Ben! You're alive! Sup, bro?

Ben: Oh, we're doing this then. Sup. I'm the one behind all the demons.

Spidey: *gasp* NO! Not YOU!

Ben: Yep, me. And instead of telling you what I want so we can work together to restore my memories: here, have a Venom.

Venom: BRAINS! SPIDER-MAN BRAINS! *fights Spidey*

Spidey: Oops, forgot my Spidey sense doesn't work around Venom. *runs*

Kamala: Hey, you hurt my boss!

Ben: I'm going to do some sort of Limbo spell because I guess I do spells now, to punish you for being the only one to care that Norman is hurt. *does spell* *spend more money if you want to know what happened* *goes off to threaten Jonah*

Spidey: *finally turns the tables on Venom by setting sentient Christmas trees on fire* Oooh, I need to read Venom, I haven't kept up on what's been happening to Eddie.

Maddie: Hey, thanks for finding our pet for us, we're going to take him to another book and if you want to know what happens, spend more money.

Spidey: Okeydokey, person who looks like Jean--

Maddie: *sigh* Why do I surround myself with such losers? And speaking of losers--

Ben: Sup, Pete. Hey, remember when you laughed in my face and kicked me into psychoreactive goo?

Spidey: No? Because that didn't happen? Maddie is right there, ask her to read my mind--

Ben: FIGHT!!!!!

Spidey: Look, let's try to be logical. You said your memory was destroyed, so how--

Ben: FIGHT!!!!!

Spidey: *sigh*

Sentient scooter: I'm the wacky comic relief! Yuk-yuk-yuk!

Ben: I have new kewl powers out of the blue, because, kewl. And reasons. FIGHT!!!!

It feels like more effort went into this than the actual story

[Cloneurosis]

I don't know, Dark Web up to this preview reads like commentary on mutants being tribalistic self-serving psychopaths. Awful look even among their other recent atrocities.

But almost as annoying is Ben and Janine acting like angsty, sullen teenagers. They don’t even fight Maddie. They just swing off and pout.

Yes! The one person who reached out to a character who's jaded and weary of powerholders, the person who could relate to them both on a personal level, turns cold immediately after getting what she wanted and the only reaction Janine can muster is: "Oh, okay". What was her lashing out at the world for then? Was it to frame her mentally ill lover as a manipulator so Madelyne shoving a demon finger inside her would look innocuous? Like how ASM #14 frames Inferno 2.0 as Ben's baby despite his powerlessness in the setup and Ben singlehandedly mindwiping Eddie in Venom #14 despite it being the telepath's idea? It's all so contrived and backwards even when you go along with it.

And I'm still confused about how Marvel intends to market her solo given her non-presence as Hallows' Eve.

[Crazyspideyfan]

I’ve been loving the art in this arc, love how McGuinness draws Pete and Spidey. Also funny seeing Peter wear a version of his original outfit

[Chris0013]

Spidey: No? Because that didn't happen? Maddie is right there, ask her to read my mind--

Ben: FIGHT!!!!!

Spidey: Look, let's try to be logical. You said your memory was destroyed, so how--

Ben: FIGHT!!!!!

Spidey: *sigh*

No disrespect to your amazing work as you seem to put much more effort into it than the actual writers....but the entire thing boils down to that part I quoted. You have Maddie and Jean right there...how about Maddie just say "I am going to help you Ben...Jean and I are both telepaths. We are going to get with Spider-Man and ask him to share his memories with you so we can resolve this with no further violence."