Warning: contains preview images for Ben Reilly, Spider-Man #1!
Marvel’s newest Spider-Man, Ben Reilly, perfectly reversed an iconic line from 2002’s Spider-Man film starring Tobey Maguire. In a preview for Ben Reily: Spider-Man #1, Reilly reflects on what it means to be Spider-Man, arriving at a far different conclusion than Maguire’s Peter Parker did in Sam Raimi’s film. The first issue is on sale in print and digital January 19.
After close to two decades in developmental hell, Spider-Man made the leap to the big screen in 2002’s film of the same name, directed by noted horror director Sam Raimi. Starring Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man, Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson and Willem DaFoe as the Green Goblin, the film was not only popular with critics, but was also a massive box office success, spawning two sequels and a handful of reboots. Part of the film’s appeal was how Tobey Maguire perfectly handled the role of Peter Parker. Maguire balanced Spider-Man’s happy-go-lucky attitude with the darkness inherent in the character, such as his origin as well as the idea that those closest to him suffer the most. This theme has been explored numerous times in the comics, but Ben Reilly, the new Spider-Man has different ideas on what it means to be the Wall Crawler. The issue is written by J.M. DeMatteis, illustrated by David Baldeon, colored by Israel Silva and lettered by Joe Caramagna.
As the preview opens, Reilly is on patrol. As he web-slings his way through the city, he can barely contain his happiness, saying, “this is more like it.” As Reilly continues to reflect, he realizes he enjoys being Spider-Man because he can make a positive difference, that it gives him a purpose. Reilly used to believe that being Spider-Man was a “curse” but now he clearly sees his powers as a “blessing.” Reilly then goes into battle against Carrion.
The preview ends there, leaving readers waiting to see how Reilly will put Carrion away, yet the key takeaway here is how Reilly views being Spider-Man, versus the way Peter perceives it. Being Spider-Man has brought Peter Parker untold woe, as he watches family members die and best friends turn into mortal enemies. The final scene of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man captures this; when Parker recites the infamous mantra “with great power comes great responsibility,” he adds: “This is my blessing. This is my curse.” The film acknowledges this unfortunate aspect of Spider-Man’s existence and develops it through the remaining two movies. Ben Reilly, on the other hand, is a clone of Peter Parker, viewed as an inferior copy of the original. Being Spider-Man is Reilly’s way of finding purpose and meaning, of elevating himself above the rest of the crowd.
When Peter Parker became Spider-Man, he lost so much: his beloved Uncle Ben was just the start. He has also seen those closest to him suffer as well, leading him to believe that being Spider-Man is a curse. Ben Reilly does not see it this way, instead seeing Spider-Man as a blessing.