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Ben Reilly: Spider-Man #1 depicts his time as the Spider-Man during the second Clone Saga, alongside some new adventures and sinister plots.
In the infamous Clone Saga, Jackal cloned Peter Parker and the character Ben Reilly was born. A superhero in his own right, Ben fought crime under the guise of Scarlet Spider, eventually becoming an integral part of the Spider-Man mythos. A complex yet fan-favorite superhero, Ben Reilly swings his way through his mental baggage in a new series from Marvel Comics.
Ben Reilly: Spider-Man #1 by writer J. M. DeMatteis, artist David Baldeon and colorist Israel Silva opens on the bustling streets of New York City, with Daily Bugle chief J. Jonah Jameson walking through a crowded sidewalk when he thinks he sees Peter Parker — but it is the clone of Peter Parker, Ben Reilly, who Jameson mistakes for his photographer. Ben is back in New York after a long time away. In Peter’s absence, Ben has been masquerading as Spider-Man, keeping innocent citizens safe while reminiscing about hist history. His brooding is, however, cut short when he learns Carrion has escaped from the Ravencroft Institute.
The scribe behind Spider-Man: Kraven’s Last Hunt and Justice League: Gods and Monsters, DeMatteis has a knack for writing dark, gritty tales, placing the central characters in precarious situations of moral dilemma. Ben Reilly: Spider-Man #1 takes on a lighter tone and still asks questions of self-worth and self-healing. Even though he wants to help and appears to have come to terms with his circumstances, Ben is still reeling from a crisis of identity as he tries to figure out his place in the world. The issue relies heavily on exposition and flashback montages, while paving a new way forward for Ben’s Spider-Man. DeMatteis captures the essence of the protagonist perfectly and carves up a tale that pays respect to Ben’s hardships over the years.
Baldeon’s stylized artwork gives a cartoonish vibe to the whole issue. While it looks great during action sequences when Ben swings into action in his iconic Spider-Man costume, the somber tone of the story contradicts the art style. That being said, Baldeon is proficient in framing wonderful splash pages and dynamic panels that pose Spider-Man in his acrobatic glory. Colorist Israel Silva uses a bright palette of colors and paints the night sky in a soothing violet shade, but the flat lighting and lack of a shadow gradient make for an average reading experience. Meanwhile, letterer Joe Caramagna prepares the narration boxes in the style of a memoir as Ben Reilly looks forward to new beginnings.
As a debut issue, Ben Reilly: Spider-Man #1 does a good job of filling in readers on Ben’s original storyline, while expanding on his adventures as Spider-Man during the second Clone Saga era. As a result, there are multiple references to past events as old acquaintances make their appearances one by one. Ben Reilly: Spider-Man #1 is an enthralling read that moves at a smooth pace, foreshadowing events to come while ending on an exciting narrative hook.
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