J.M. DeMatteis, writer of influential Spider-Man stories such as Kraven’s Last Hunt and Spider-Man: The Lost Years, will make his celebrated return to Marvel Comics this January with BEN REILLY: SPIDER-MAN! The iconic Spider-Man scribe will reveal new stories in the life of Peter Parker’s clone, Ben Reilly, during his time as Spider-Man. DeMatteis will be joined by X-Factor and Domino artist David Baldeón as they unlock new secrets about this fan-favorite hero! In the same vein as Peter David and Greg Land’s hit Symbiote Spider-Man series, BEN REILLY: SPIDER-MAN will explore thrilling new mysteries set in this classic time in Spider-Man history!
Darkness looms over New York City as murders begin to pile up…but how are they all connected? Meanwhile, a mysterious figure from Ben’s past has crawled his way back into Ben’s life—does the Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane hold the key to their identity?
Here’s what DeMatteis had to say about spinning his webs within the Spidey mythos once more:
“What I’ve always found fascinating about Ben Reilly is that he’s Peter Parker—and yet he’s not. Life has taken Ben on a strange, twisted path and altered him, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse; but, like Peter, he’s a man who’s constantly striving to do the right thing, even if he doesn’t always succeed. Ben is wonderfully, painfully human, immensely relatable—and our new BEN REILLY: SPIDER-MAN series allows me to dive even deeper into Ben’s psyche, to explore him in new and, I hope, interesting ways.
"Having David Baldeon bringing this story to visual life has been the icing on the cake. David’s work is incredibly dynamic. Fluid and powerful. He nails the big moments—we’ve got some major antagonists going up against Ben—but he always holds tight to the characters’ humanity, so that even the smallest, quietest moments shine and have resonance.
“It’s been a true joy returning the Spiderverse and reuniting with my old friend, Ben.”
Return to the era when Ben Reilly was the one, true Spider-Man when BEN REILLY: SPIDER-MAN hits your local comic shop in January!
MARVEL COMICS
(W) Peter David (A/CA) Mark Bagley
One of the most controversial characters in comic-book history returns! You all remember Ben Reilly - Spider-Man's clone, created by the Jackal, who returned years later to turn Peter Parker's life upside down! Ben became the Scarlet Spider and even took Peter's place as Spider-Man for a time, before dying a hero's death. Now, in the aftermath of the Clone Conspiracy, Ben Reilly is back! But he's not the same Scarlet Spider he was before. Sure, he may be putting on the classic threads, but he's madder than ever - and at odds with a deeply connected crime lord and her bruiser of a bodyguard. But they're not the only ones who have it in for him - because where Ben goes, can Kaine be far behind? Collecting BEN REILLY: SCARLET SPIDER #1-5 and material from CLONE CONSPIRACY: OMEGA #1.
Rated T+
In Shops: Oct 25, 2017
SRP: $15.99
MARVEL PREVIEWS Page #96
MARVEL COMICS
(W) Peter David (A) Will Sliney (CA) Mark Bagley
Out of the ashes of THE CLONE CONSPIRACY, Ben Reilly is alive once more - and he's retaken the mantle of the Scarlet Spider! But with enemies bearing down on him from every side, neither of those status quos might last too much longer! Ben is running out of options and running out of time! And it doesn't help that one of the people out for his blood is his spider-powered, web-slinging "sibling" - Ben's fellow clone, Kaine! Can Ben run this latest gauntlet and emerge victorious, or will he lose his new lease on life? And when a mysterious new Hornet flies into Vegas, who's pulling his strings - and what's their connection to the Scarlet Spider? Collecting BEN REILLY: SCARLET SPIDER #6-9 AND SLINGERS (1998) #0.
Rated T+
In Shops: Jan 31, 2018
SRP: $15.99
MARVEL PREVIEWS Page #98
MARVEL COMICS
(W) Peter David (A) Will Sliney, Andre Araujo (CA) Khary Randolph
Ben Reilly, A.K.A. the Scarlet Spider, is a perfect clone of the amazing Spider-Man...but with none of Peter Parker's responsibility! Ben moved west to carve out a new life for himself in Las Vegas, but now Peter's past is encroaching on Ben's turf in the form of the new Hornet! Who is he working for, and what will the former Slingers - Dusk, Prodigy and Ricochet - have to say about the new man under their old teammate's mask? Chances are their views might not quite line up with Ben's. If you've guessed it's all leading up to the return of the Slingers, you guessed right! But when Ben's ally and new benefactor, Cassandra Mercury, deduces his secret identity as the Scarlet Spider, will she use that knowledge against him? Collecting BEN REILLY: SCARLET SPIDER #10-14.
Rated T+
In Shops: May 16, 2018
SRP: $15.99
MARVEL PREVIEWS Page #100
MARVEL COMICS
(W) Peter David (A) Will Sliney, Andre Araujo (CA) Khary Randolph
Ben Reilly faces DAMNATION! As the demonic Hotel Inferno towers above the ruined Las Vegas skyline, the Scarlet Spider allies with new friends and old enemies to battle the forces of Mephisto! Ben is the Spider-Man who can't die - the one who has slipped through Mephisto's grasp time and again. But now, the demon's obsession with the Parker clan may cost Ben more than his life! Will the King of Hell claim the soul of a certain wall-crawling, web-slinging friendly neighborhood spider-clone?! Plus: Mysterio swore he was on the straight and narrow, and Quentin Beck thought he was retired...until his daughter blew into town! Can the Scarlet Spider and the Slinger known as Dusk come between the magical Mysteria and her big score?! Collecting BEN REILLY: SCARLET SPIDER #15-19.
In Shops: Sep 26, 2018
SRP: $15.99
MARVEL PREVIEWS Page #120
MARVEL COMICS
(W) Peter David (A) Will Sliney, Bruno Oliveira (CA) Khary Randolph
For months, the occult Diogenes Initiative has been resurrecting heroes and letting them run amok in Ben Reilly's town. As the Scarlet Spider, he may have a thing or two to say about that! But when a pack of ravenous hellhounds descends on Las Vegas, can Ben and his clone-brother Kaine keep themselves from each other's throats long enough to save the city?! Then, they say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions - and in Ben's case, that may be literal! For months, his attempts to cure young Abigail Mercury's rare illness have proved fruitless - but now salvation is at hand...for a price. Will Ben find the strength to do the right thing and save Abigail - and his soul? Or will he succumb to his worst instincts and damn himself in the process?! Collecting BEN REILLY: SCARLET SPIDER #20-25.
Rated T+
In Shops: Jan 23, 2019
SRP: $17.99
MARVEL PREVIEWS Page #124
