Amazing spider-man #48 preview

[Lifetap]

I think that that all marvel characters are in the same universe is kinda the root of a lot of plot points that don't seem to really make sense if you think about it like the current Ben problem. there seems to be tons of issues that fall into the 'easily solved by calling x hero to actually fix this problem' that it makes some plot points annoying for both the reader and I would imagine the creative team. How many heroes does Peter know that could solve the Ben problem in an afternoon? But because that wouldn't be entertaining they just have to pretend that isn't an actual option for the moment for some reason.

[Frontier]

Here's my thing: Yes, that's all true, but Peter has not actually tried to fix Ben. No one in this run (besides Kafka currently) is offering to help him. Sure, he feels bad about it, but he's not actually doing anything about it which, at least in my opinion, makes him look like an assh*le moron. Yes, there's the argument that "it might not be as simple as giving Ben his memories back" but we have no actual concrete evidence to support this, it's just speculation. If he got his memories back and still acted all Chasm-y and evil then sure that argument is more valid, but that hasn't happened. Fact is Peter's done nothing to actually help Ben. I know it may be hard to when he's acting like this, but there's such a thing as "tough love", ya know? And it doesn't just involve fighting him. Ben needs help regardless if he wants it from Peter or not, so why is Peter doing nothing to actually help his brother and instead is just acting all depressed? And yes before you ask, I know the answers are "bad writing" and "editorial doesn't want Ben to get help" but that's not the in-universe explanation, again there isn't one. So Peter just seems like a douchebag who won't help Ben and yet still wonder where he went wrong. It's stupid and a testament to the failure of this whole premise.

I think it's just a case that ultimately Peter just can't really accomplish anything and can't drive the plot.

So he doesn't go out of his way to help the people he cares about beyond the bare minimum or when it gets shoved in his face and he's still basically incapable of helping anyone.

[Kurus]

I think that that all marvel characters are in the same universe is kinda the root of a lot of plot points that don't seem to really make sense if you think about it like the current Ben problem. there seems to be tons of issues that fall into the 'easily solved by calling x hero to actually fix this problem' that it makes some plot points annoying for both the reader and I would imagine the creative team. How many heroes does Peter know that could solve the Ben problem in an afternoon? But because that wouldn't be entertaining they just have to pretend that isn't an actual option for the moment for some reason.

I mean , i don’t think many find the current direction with Ben to be that entertaining as it is. Especially given wells seems to treat the character as a joke.

[Garlador]

I mean , i don’t think many find the current direction with Ben to be that entertaining as it is. Especially given wells seems to treat the character as a joke.

We have Lowe's statements that they literally didn't know what to do with him, as they felt he didn't have a place in the current Spider-Man landscape, followed by a lot of curious choices and even other offices grabbing him because he was just sitting around in Limbo doing nothing.

I think that's disappointing that nobody apparently has a strong vision for Ben as a hero because it doesn't take long at all to revisit his origin and stories and see just how much potential and goodwill he brought to the table. It's not like there is a shortage of interviews with the writers who defined him talking about what separates him from Peter and what makes him special and unique.

So the fact they still are aimless and struggling with Ben right now feels like they're just trying to shove a square peg into a round hole and ignore the most obvious solutions fans are asking for.

[Frontier]

We're still getting something with him and Kaine, right?

[Sr. Bungle]

We're still getting something with him and Kaine, right?

It was confirmed by Lowe in letters page of WOS, but he didin't want to spoil the surprise or something like that

[Refrax5]

Here's my thing: Yes, that's all true, but Peter has not actually tried to fix Ben. No one in this run (besides Kafka currently) is offering to help him. Sure, he feels bad about it, but he's not actually doing anything about it which, at least in my opinion, makes him look like an assh*le moron. Yes, there's the argument that "it might not be as simple as giving Ben his memories back" but we have no actual concrete evidence to support this, it's just speculation. If he got his memories back and still acted all Chasm-y and evil then sure that argument is more valid, but that hasn't happened. Fact is Peter's done nothing to actually help Ben. I know it may be hard to when he's acting like this, but there's such a thing as "tough love", ya know? And it doesn't just involve fighting him. Ben needs help regardless if he wants it from Peter or not, so why is Peter doing nothing to actually help his brother and instead is just acting all depressed? And yes before you ask, I know the answers are "bad writing" and "editorial doesn't want Ben to get help" but that's not the in-universe explanation, again there isn't one. So Peter just seems like a douchebag who won't help Ben and yet still wonder where he went wrong. It's stupid and a testament to the failure of this whole premise.

I just assumed that Peter didn't know how to help Ben since, unlike with Madelyne, Ben's memories were artificial implants that held his psyche together in a very specific way and without the technology from Beyond or Warren, he didn't have the understanding of how to reverse the process. Beyond made a point of saying that Warren's clones memories didn't work like a normal person's would.

I guess Peter could be going to Dr. Strange or Reed Richards or someone, but you could say that about a lot of Spider-Man stories over the years. Peter also thought Ben was dead until the current run began and its not like he hasn't had his hands full since then.

I don't really like the Chasm thing or this run, but I don't think it's any more far fetched or implausible than most Spider-Man villains who have some horrible accident that makes them crazy. It's stupid that it happened to Ben, but the concept makes as much sense to me as any of his other villains.

[Jman27]

Queen Goblin attempts to use the Wrinkler Machine on Ben as revenge (I guess she right I dont remember much of Beyond). Peter saves Ben and beat Queen Goblin. Ben and Janine escape and looks like they are done chasing after the memories of Peter. And the Sinister Six are teaming up to go after the Living Brain guess they are still salty about their kidnapping

[Frontier]

Are we sure Zeb Wells wrote this issue?

Because by Wells standards this was...actually not a terrible issue.

Peter actually gets to beat a villain and save the day for once and doesn't look completely incompetent.

Betty gets some good moments, especially where she talks down Janine.

Ben and Janine actually end up in, if not a great place, better than where they started and at least together.

Of course I doubt he keeps this up for the rest of the run, but still.

[IamnotJudasTraveller]

Yeah, I liked this issue as well. Maybe I'm reading into it in ways that won't pan out, but even Janine seemed to be concerned for Peter when Ben says that from what he saw in the device, Peter's in for some bad times. But, if Marvel keeps it true to form, when the whole Spider-Goblin arc happens, Ben won't be in it - Ben showing up to do Peter a solid would be great as far as the whole setup goes (he literally says "I'm not sure who's side I'm supposed to be on", as opposed to whatever measure of "Peter is clearly trying to dupe me" he tended to behave earlier on as).

Kafka's definitely the weak link, though, because I can ride with her using Kingsley to torture Osborn into accepting his sins back - but after Kraven fumbles purifying her with the sins (I mean, he's the rapidly aged clone-son of a mentally unwell man, a rapidly aged clone-son who was literally conceived under duress and threat by an amoral geneticist, are we surprised his totemic skills aren't what they're cracked up to be?!) she's basically thinking we need even more goblins and now she figures not only Peter is enough, we need Ben too?

Have to wait and see, no less. Either way, Nauck's art is always a treat to me, and I liked Shay. So this is another two-parter that joins the small arcs Wells did that I honestly enjoyed, alongside the Sandman/Vulture/Hobgoblin ones.

[Sr. Bungle]

Yeah, I liked this issue as well. Maybe I'm reading into it in ways that won't pan out, but even Janine seemed to be concerned for Peter when Ben says that from what he saw in the device, Peter's in for some bad times. But, if Marvel keeps it true to form, when the whole Spider-Goblin arc happens, Ben won't be in it - Ben showing up to do Peter a solid would be great as far as the whole setup goes (he literally says "I'm not sure who's side I'm supposed to be on", as opposed to whatever measure of "Peter is clearly trying to dupe me" he tended to behave earlier on as).

Kafka's definitely the weak link, though, because I can ride with her using Kingsley to torture Osborn into accepting his sins back - but after Kraven fumbles purifying her with the sins (I mean, he's the rapidly aged clone-son of a mentally unwell man, a rapidly aged clone-son who was literally conceived under duress and threat by an amoral geneticist, are we surprised his totemic skills aren't what they're cracked up to be?!) she's basically thinking we need even more goblins and now she figures not only Peter is enough, we need Ben too?

Have to wait and see, no less. Either way, Nauck's art is always a treat to me, and I liked Shay. So this is another two-parter that joins the small arcs Wells did that I honestly enjoyed, alongside the Sandman/Vulture/Hobgoblin ones.

Ben wasn't happy about what's coming for Peter either. He seemed kinda worried even

[Kurolegacy]

God the PIS of the victims of Maxine blaming pretty much everyone except her is just painful especially when she is literally the one who screwed up both Ben and Kafka. First Ben blames Peter for his mental state and now Kafka blames Ben for her becoming Queen Goblin. Just go after the actual person who’s the cause of this and be done with it.

[CrimsonEchidna]

So this run did a bit of a backdoor setup for Superior where Otto is on the path of becoming heroic again only for him to be back to being his mustache twirling self here.

[Coop]

Here's my thing: Yes, that's all true, but Peter has not actually tried to fix Ben. No one in this run (besides Kafka currently) is offering to help him. Sure, he feels bad about it, but he's not actually doing anything about it which, at least in my opinion, makes him look like an assh*le moron. Yes, there's the argument that "it might not be as simple as giving Ben his memories back" but we have no actual concrete evidence to support this, it's just speculation. If he got his memories back and still acted all Chasm-y and evil then sure that argument is more valid, but that hasn't happened. Fact is Peter's done nothing to actually help Ben. I know it may be hard to when he's acting like this, but there's such a thing as "tough love", ya know? And it doesn't just involve fighting him. Ben needs help regardless if he wants it from Peter or not, so why is Peter doing nothing to actually help his brother and instead is just acting all depressed? And yes before you ask, I know the answers are "bad writing" and "editorial doesn't want Ben to get help" but that's not the in-universe explanation, again there isn't one. So Peter just seems like a douchebag who won't help Ben and yet still wonder where he went wrong. It's stupid and a testament to the failure of this whole premise.

I agree with a lot of this. I think it's another example of why I find the writing on this run to be not good. You don't need to dedicate an issue to Peter trying to help Ben but some lines peppered in from Peter and even Norman(who also had some lip service about wanting to make amends for the Clone Saga) about looking into a solution for Ben or even an some kind of on panel explanation for why they can't actually help him. Even just a line saying "it's hard and will take some time" would have gone a long way.

Sure, Peter mentions that Ben needs help and he wants to help him whenever he shows up. But the only thing they have done or even discussed doing is indefinite detention.

Of course, the reason Ben remains Chasm is because Lowe invested a lot of resources (time+money) into the creation of Chasm and they want a return on that and feel it's a good creative decision. But when the hand of editorial/the author is so visibly impacting the story, I call that bad writing. Similar to how every character had to take their stupid pills to justify Superior Spider-Man.

[Jman27]

So this run did a bit of a backdoor setup for Superior where Otto is on the path of becoming heroic again only for him to be back to being his mustache twirling self here.

if you read superior Otto is doing nothing heroic