Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider #1 (Review/SPOILERS)

[Prof. Warren]

There's been discussion about this issue already in the preview thread but I really think this merits its own thread.

PAD and Bagley take on Ben Reilly and the results are a very intriguing comic.

***SPOILERS***



We open with Ben in the New York, New York Hotel and Casino in Vegas. He's dressed in a spider-themed costume he took from a cosplayer.

He's engaged in a discussion with his former Scarlet Spider self, a kind of Jiminy Cricket conscience figure. When Ben is ruminating about the sad state of his life, his conscience reminds him that Ben's plans as Jackal failed because he was the bad guy.

Before they can discuss further, Ben has to interrupt a mugging. He saves the woman being attacked but then asks for money in return for his efforts. She doesn't have everything Ben asked for but says she'll get it to him. He agrees but warns her not to back out of their deal.

In the meantime, in San Francisco, a man in a Jackal mask confronts Rita, Ben's scientific associate who helped him at New U. Rita believes it's Ben come back and hugs him. But then the figure reveals himself as Kaine, who just wanted to trick Rita into revealing that Ben was still alive. He threatens her to find out Ben's whereabouts and we switch to...

Vegas again, where Ben is having another conversation with a figure in his own head - this time his villainous incarnation as The Jackal. We see that Ben is trying to put the Jackal behind him. He puts on a hoodie and shades and goes onto the floor of the Mercury Rising Casino.

While there, an attempted robbery erupts. Ben grabs one of the robber's guns and smashes it but hesitates to get involved further, not wanting Peter to be tipped off to his presence by reports of a Spider-type figure saving the day.

Just then, casino owner Cassandra Mercury's head of security intervenes. He takes on some bullets but is unaffected but them and is super strong, ripping a table from the floor and hurling it at the robbers.

Ben's actions get him called in front of Cassandra Mercury. In her office, she recognizes Ben's voice as that of The Jackal. We find out that her daughter was one of the clones that he made and that disintegrated at the conclusion of the Clone Conspiracy.

She says she's been waiting for the chance to kill the man who inflicted that torture on her daughter and she points a gun at Ben.

To Be Continued!!





****END SPOILERS****




First off, I have to say I'm not a Ben Reilly buff. The '90s drove me away from Spider-Man for a number of years so this wasn't scratching a nostalgic itch for me. But the draw of PAD and Bagley and curiosity as to how Ben's post-CC status would be handled drove me to give this a shot. And I have to say I really dug it. It's a very atypical superhero book. If anything it's clearly an anti-hero book and I love how PAD handles Ben's character. He's unstable, he's not a "good guy" by standard definition but he's a completely compelling character in that it's going to be hard to anticipate how he'll deal with any given situation. He's a true wild card and that's something you don't see much of in superhero comics. We'll see as the series goes on just how unpredictable Ben will be but I believe PAD will keep finding ways for Ben to surprise readers.

And I really like that Kaine is on his heels and is depicted as being a ruthless character, as his scene with Rita illustrates. When these two meet, it should be quite an encounter.

And I also like that Ben is confronted with someone that he harmed during the Clone Conspiracy. We'll have to see what Cassandra Mercury uses her wealth and influence for in regards to Ben. I'm guessing it won't be anything altruistic.

Anyhow, I really liked this. It may be off-putting to some with Ben not being of totally sound mind but that's what I liked most about it. I hope people give this title a chance as I expect PAD will take it to some interesting places.