Posted in: Comics | Tagged: ben reilly, marvel, spider-man

Marvel's Almost-Apology For What They Did To Ben Reilly (Spoilers)

Published Fri, 01 Apr 2022 08:57:11 -0500

Amazing Spider-Man #93, featuring the end of the Spider-Man Beyond storyline, had a bit of an apology to make regarding what went down with certain Ben Reilly. Big spoilers here and here. Well, not quite an apology. The letters/editorial page included the following words;

Special mention to Danny Khazem, who isn't in the Spider-Office anymore, having taken the Kessel Run to the Star Wars office. Danny was our in-house Ben Reilly superfan and expert (and editor of ASM #88.BEY) and was a huge asset to what we did here.

With Danny in mind, I wanted to thank and… apologize isn't quite the right word…to the Ben Reilly fans out there. Ben is an incredible character who didn't really have a place in the Spider-Landscape anymore. Peter Parker isn't going anywhere, and Miles Morales is here to stay, so Ben has been a challenge for us, and we thought this story gave us an opportunity to not only give Ben a last run as Spider-Man and to do a rare thing in the world of super hero comics–a tragedy. With most of our characters locked into eternal roles, a truly tragic story is very rare, and we hope we did Ben justice with it. As you just read in our "Days" story, we may not have seen the last of Ben Reilly.

Oh dear oh dear. Those as Marvel posited in their press release yesterday, Ben Reilly's future role will be explored in his new identity, that of Chasm.

After 19 issues of hard truths and soul searching, Ben is more aware than ever that something within is missing. Consumed with the idea that Peter is the source for all that's gone wrong in his life, Ben will now swing through the Marvel Universe as Chasm – a fierce and deeply personal new Spidey foe just in time for Spider-Man's new era, kicking off next month in Zeb Wells and John Romita Jr.'s AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1!

"AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #93 brings us to the end of the mega-arc the Beyond Board worked so hard on. And though this story is coming to an end, Ben Reilly's journey is just beginning," Wells promised. "Keep reading Amazing Spider-Man to find out if Peter can pull Ben back from the Chasm."

"Get ready to get to know the most terrifying new member of Spidey's Rogues Gallery," Editor Nick Lowe said. "Part of the point of 'Beyond' was the creation of Chasm and we have HUGE plans for the artist formerly known as Scarlet Spider, so keep your eyes peeled Web-Heads."

Check out artwork from the issue now as well as a design sheet by Patrick Gleason and pick up this must-have issue today!