Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider Appreciation 2018

[Pav]

I can't speak for HypnoHustler but I think the big difference is that Kaine chose to try & be a better person with his second chance while Ben chose to be a dickhead with his. Kaine still has the trauma from what the Jackal did to him as well as dealing with the fact that he did a lot of horrible things to people who didn't deserve it but he's still trying.


Ben is trying to be better but lets be honest it wasn't until after Lady Death paid him a visit and scared the crap out of him that he's been incentivized to be a better person.

But their second chances weren't the same: Kaine's second chance came because he was finally cured of his degeneration, allowing him to finally function like a human being. Ben's chance came after unfathomable torture at the hands of the Jackal: it makes sense that he'd be messed up, just as it makes sense that Kaine would be in a healthy frame of mind for the first time in his whole life.

-Pav, who appreciates Kaine's progression...

[classicgmer]

But their second chances weren't the same: Kaine's second chance came because he was finally cured of his degeneration, allowing him to finally function like a human being. Ben's chance came after unfathomable torture at the hands of the Jackal: it makes sense that he'd be messed up, just as it makes sense that Kaine would be in a healthy frame of mind for the first time in his whole life.

-Pav, who appreciates Kaine's progression...

Sure it makes sense that he'd have mental trauma but there's a myriad number of comicbook characters who are not the picture of mental health and don't deal with their trauma the same way Ben ended up doing.


I'm not saying the route they ended up going wasn't a viable one but it most certainly isn't the only one
nor is it the most interesting one imho.

[Celgress]

Chapter Twenty-One of Two Lost Souls posted. Ben and two others end up in big trouble. Can the rest of our heroes save them before it is too late?

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12854184/21/Two-Lost-Souls

enjoy

[boots]

Sure it makes sense that he'd have mental trauma but there's a myriad number of comicbook characters who are not the picture of mental health and don't deal with their trauma the same way Ben ended up doing.


I'm not saying the route they ended up going wasn't a viable one but it most certainly isn't the only one
nor is it the most interesting one imho.

nobody really ends up dealing with mental trauma in the same way. it's entirely individual, even when the circumstances of that trauma are similar.

i'm wary of any comparison between groups or individuals' reactions that attempts to prove one set of reactions is superior to the other ( a particular hate is the "this poor person became rich, therefore all poor people can become rich", which implies those that don't are lazy). just because multiple characters have dealt with their particular set of trauma in a certain way does not make ben's wrong as such. its not a mental trauma competition.

it really comes down to what the writers think is most interesting rather than a reflection of actual psychology. some characters will snap like the joker, or speedball and some will just become dark like kaine (or peter when he was TEH SPIDR) or develop coping mechanisms like stark's alcoholism. still others manifest in theri power set like the hulk's multiple personalities. i don't know if superhero comics have the best track record of dealing with mental health issues with nuance. it tends to be heavy handed superficial stuff.

on another note, really enjoyed the mysterio story in ben's series. it's a pity that the whole thing is coming to a close, since i'd actually be tempted to jump on board at this juncture.

[boots]

delete double post (cbr didn’t want to play yesterday)

[Celgress]

I'm sad the current series is being axed, but in a way, I am not surprised. Others have articulated the situation far better than I can so I'll say no more.

[Captain Craig]

The October solicits are here and with it BR:Scarlet Spider #25
BRSS2016025-cov.jpg
BEN REILLY: SCARLET SPIDER #25
PETER DAVID (W)
WILL SLINEY (A)
CoverS by KHARY RANDOLPH
Ever since the conclusion of THE CLONE CONSPIRACY, everything in Ben Reilly’s life has been leading to this.
With young Abigail Mercury’s life in his grasp, will Ben find the strength within himself to do the right thing and save her, and his soul?
Or will he succumb to his worst instincts and try to destroy the DIOGENES INITIATIVE… and damn himself in the process?!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99


I'm a bit surprised the solicit doesn't fully indicate LAST ISSUE or FINALE.
Instead we get the somewhat definitive sounding 'everything...leading to this' line.
Which, true, does signal an end but what if it's just an ending to an arc?
I know sales are really low, like 15K at this point but could there be an issue #26?

[Captain Craig]

A week removed from the solicit for BR:SC #25 and I was wondering if there has been any news that firms things up I might've missed?

The solicit doesn't definitively say LAST ISSUE.

[Miles To Go]

The solicit doesn't definitively say LAST ISSUE.

Neither did Renew Your Vows with it's September solicit, and that's being put on hold for Spidergeddon with RYV writer Jodie Houser writing a crossover title with Annie, Mayday and Anya instead.

[classicgmer]

Anyone else curious as to what role Ben will play in Spider-Geddon will be? I don't know that I'll be following the main title but I do wonder what role he will play however minor or major it is. He's on the cover so I'm assuming something will be going on with him but I haven't seen any mention of him in any interviews or anything so I'm kinda curious as to what his involvement will be.

[Seren]

Alright Ben fans, I was perusing Marvel Unlimited for past Jessica Drew appearances and this popped up in my search. I haven't found the issues that show her and Ben together but uh....Apparently Ben Reilly and Jessica Drew were a thing in 1996. Or at least, he had a thing for her? Can anyone elaborate (the issues it tells you to look into aren't on Marvel Unlimited yet).

BenReillYDatedJess.jpg

[Huntsman Spider]

Alright Ben fans, I was perusing Marvel Unlimited for past Jessica Drew appearances and this popped up in my search. I haven't found the issues that show her and Ben together but uh....Apparently Ben Reilly and Jessica Drew were a thing in 1996. Or at least, he had a thing for her? Can anyone elaborate (the issues it tells you to look into aren't on Marvel Unlimited yet).

BenReillYDatedJess.jpg

Different Jessica. This one was Jessica Carradine, who turned out to be the daughter of the burglar that killed Peter's (and by extension Ben's) Uncle Ben and set him (them) on the path of becoming a hero all those years ago. While Ben and Jessica were interested in each other, that faded on Jessica's end after she found out that Ben was Spider-Man, as she believed her father had merely shot and killed Uncle Ben in self-defense and Spider-Man had wrongfully killed him (he actually died of a heart attack when Peter confronted and revealed himself to him some years later, back in ASM 200). Eventually, seeing Ben risk his life to save some people convinced Jessica that she was wrong about Spider-Man being a murderer and she left town soon after making peace with him.

[Seren]

Aahhh thanks for clarification! I popped up in marvel unlimited under the Jess Drew search. Much appreciated.

[Miles To Go]

Different Jessica. This one was Jessica Carradine, who turned out to be the daughter of the burglar that killed Peter's (and by extension Ben's) Uncle Ben and set him (them) on the path of becoming a hero all those years ago. While Ben and Jessica were interested in each other, that faded on Jessica's end after she found out that Ben was Spider-Man, as she believed her father had merely shot and killed Uncle Ben in self-defense and Spider-Man had wrongfully killed him (he actually died of a heart attack when Peter confronted and revealed himself to him some years later, back in ASM 200). Eventually, seeing Ben risk his life to save some people convinced Jessica that she was wrong about Spider-Man being a murderer and she left town soon after making peace with him.

Jessica made peace with Spider-Man,but never actually talked to Ben other than a few comments to him at the scene, which is what that page is about. She legged it before they could work anything out.

[Huntsman Spider]

Aahhh thanks for clarification! I popped up in marvel unlimited under the Jess Drew search. Much appreciated.

You're welcome.

Jessica made peace with Spider-Man,but never actually talked to Ben other than a few comments to him at the scene, which is what that page is about. She legged it before they could work anything out.

Thanks for that clarification. Come to think of it, it rather sucks that nothing from Ben's time as Spider-Man (or his original adventures as the Scarlet Spider) has been touched on in his current series.