Ben Reilly: the Scarlet Spider #19 Spoilers/Review

[Pav]

Hello again, friends!

Yesterday, we were able to read another chapter in the story of our favorite Spider-Clones, and I found it to be a fun issue!

I don't have the issue here with me, but from my recollection, it went something like this:

Ben and Dusk follow Mysterio and Misty underground to a religious chamber for the demongod Cyttorak. Unbeknownst to Mysterio, his daughter plans to sacrifice him in order to gain tremendous power! However, the arrival of Ben and Dusk surprises Misty, and Mysterio stabs her with the very knife she planned to kill him with!

Of course, Mysterio then gets powered up by Cyttorak and it's up to Ben and Dusk to save the day!

Meanwhile, Kaine and Slate are up to their eyeballs in Mindless Ones; unfortunately, we see very little of that fight due to the focus on Ben and the Beck family.

And the final panels show us that, while her plan didn't work the way she wanted, Misty Beck is not as dead as her father believes, and it looks like she may be gifted with some powers from Cyttorak after all!

Like I said, it was a fun issue. I enjoyed Ben's dialogue a great deal.

I do have questions, though. Most notably, I want to know how it is that Dusk is aware of what Misty has been up to all this time. Part of me believes that PAD won't address it, and we're just supposed to say to ourselves, "Well, she's a superhero and somehow she knows this stuff." But as an old-school Slingers fan, I want to know how it is that Dusk got to this point. In every appearance before Scarlet Spider, she was basically a shadowperson with almost no memories of her former life. She was a ghost. So how it is that she's actively fighting crime?

I hope PAD addresses this, but you know me: I'm just happy the Slingers are being used, so I won't complain if I don't get answers to every question I have!

I feel like there's more to say, but as I mentioned earlier, I don't have the issue with me right now. What did you guys think of the issue? Did you like the inclusion of Mysterio here? How do you feel about Misty as a character? Did you like the partnership between Ben and Cassie? (You know I did!)

-Pav, who can't wait to hear what others thought of the issue...

[Scott Taylor]

The issue was good.

Mysterio and Misty felt a little like they were just story engines here. They never felt like a real threat to me.

Ben and Cassie was the best thing about this issue and I'd like to see more of them together. She could be the influence Ben needs to finally fix his soul, actually. Kaine sure isn't going to be in that role.

[Jman27]

Misty felt incomplete for me as a character good thing she isn’t totally dead. Sucks for Mysterio though. I don’t mind the Ben and Cassie team up it was fine. I’m just waiting for Ben to hurry up and cure the daughter honestly

[Pav]

Misty felt incomplete for me as a character good thing she isn’t totally dead. Sucks for Mysterio though. I don’t mind the Ben and Cassie team up it was fine. I’m just waiting for Ben to hurry up and cure the daughter honestly

Yeah, that subplot has been burning in the background forever. Last time Ben mentioned the doctor, I was like, "Oh yeah, I completely forgot all about that."

Sheldon Sanders? Is that the guy's name?

-Pav, who figures he's gotta be a supervillain...