Comics Ben Reilly...returns?!

[crivelliman]

Well said. You know what's really weird? Although I know Wizard is absolute tack, I still buy it every month! lol...

It gives me the same feeling I get watchin' the OC, if it's in front of me, I can't help but look at it!

Also, Marvel/DC and Lord knows who else seem to give them unbelievable amounts of exclusives... Besides, it spawned Toyfare, which Spawned Twisted Toyfare Theatre,,, Which is one of the greatest creations of our time

t:

I used to buy EVERY issue. Now I know better. Plus it's even lamer. At least they used to have hilarious two-page spreads like Dr. Doom's Garage Sale. And Toyfare's Twisted Toyfare [Mego] Theater was the ONLY reason to buy that magazine. Lord knows I still make references to Toyfare's interpretation of Doom and Spidey. My favorite still has to be Doom's Halloween Party. "Doom's toilet is not located in there! The only thing in the back room is... oh no! THE JACUZZI!!"

 

[wolvie2020]

I used to buy EVERY issue. Now I know better. Plus it's even lamer. At least they used to have hilarious two-page spreads like Dr. Doom's Garage Sale. And Toyfare's Twisted Toyfare [Mego] Theater was the ONLY reason to buy that magazine. Lord knows I still make references to Toyfare's interpretation of Doom and Spidey. My favorite still has to be Doom's Halloween Party. "Doom's toilet is not located in there! The only thing in the back room is... oh no! THE JACUZZI!!"

Lol, great stuff

 

[WOLVERINE25TH]

I subscribed to Wizard, but once it runs out that's it.

 

[shinlyle]

I used to buy Wizard...until the Heroes Con fiasco wher ethey tried to effectively shut down a local con by having another on the same weekend merely a state away. After that, I realized that Wizard is simply the MTV of comics. They have enough influence that they try to keep the industry running as they see fit.

They used to do a thing called "Wizard:Edge" every year, where they focused on independant comics only. It went for two whole years as a magazine....once a year. Then, the next year, it wa downsized into an "insert" into their big movie issue. Then it disappeared.

They cater to the big two, and whatever they do, instead of doing like they used to do, and cater to the comic reader.

I can get all the news I need form them on the internet. I don't miss forking out that extra $4.99 every month so that I can see my favorite books get ignored while 52 and Civil War eat up the entire book from cover to cover.

No thanks. I can buy more comics with that money.

 

[Doc Destruction]

You know, technically, Ben would have had to forge documents and papers proving he was someone other than a clone of Peter Parker. In order to get an apartment, let alone the two or three jobs Ben got during his run in NYC after his return, he'd have to have some kind of ID.

Being that the Spider-Team was in such a damn hurry to kill Ben and make everyone happy (except me, given the deus ex of Osborn showing up and being all "I'm behind EVERYTHING! And alive!"), his personal **** would have to have been left sitting there for some time. According to the folk who care about that stuff, he could have gone on vacation for a year or so, for all they know. It wouldn't have expired. And since nobody knew Ben Reilly was Spider-Man (or whoever), they had no knowledge of his "death." Pete swings by the "secret hiding place" where Ben would have kept all his fake documents (possibly crafted by the ever-lame Steward Trainer!), and voila! You've got yourself a working alias. Bam.

OR, when he joins Captain America's side, Nick Fury gives him that alter ego as a big damn joke.

Exactly where I was headed with my predicition.

 

[freemadison]

Marvel gave him the choice if using either Peter or Ben, he chose Peter... His editor kept asking him if he was sure, as Ben had just replaced Peter, and told PAD that Parker wa now obselete. PAD believed that it was a huge error, 'cause he profusley believed that telling fans that the charachter that they've loved and followed for decades was all in vein would piss of people to no end. In his words, no matter what people argued about, fans had become emotionally invested in this character, and to do this, would make people pissed off and lose interest. Lo and behold, that happened, and PAD goes on to state in the article about how he was right, and Marvel were forced to go back to Peter.

So there you go, I don't know what else you want to speculate about, but that's what he said in the article. And this is not a big cheesy fake out Wizrd marketing mag, it's a bit of a serious Brit mag.

I completely agree with PAD in regards to the crossover issue (which i own) as well. Just because I preferred Ben Reilly as a character didn't mean I wanted him to replace Peter Parker as Spider-Man (although given the state of Spider-Man now, I would embrace that with open arms). I also LIKED the idea that he was a clone and felt it added a necessary dimension to his character. In fact, one of the coolest things about Ben is that he's a cut and paste copy of Peter Parker that isn't tied down to the Spider-Man "brand". If Ben and Peter were literal comic books, Peter would be the mint-condition issue sealed and stored in a box while Ben would be the same issue that you would actually read and beat up. Peter Parker is a cultural icon that will outlast me. His story will be retold in movies, toys, tv shows, and different universes of comics. Ben Reilly only existed in any fictional medium for only 2 years in the 90's. That's it. What I don't understand is how lil' ol' Ben Reilly poses a "threat" to Peter Parker as Spider-Man or why he can't serve as an important supporting character in Peter Parker's world.

Guys, don't you think by the sheer fact that the clone saga nearly killed the Spidey comic franchise that JQ would try and avoid it like the plague?

Of course I think that. But here's the thing that I don't think most fanboys who would "stop buying spider-man" if Ben Reilly came back understand:

No one wants to get rid of Peter Parker this time.

No one outside of comic readers even know who Gwen Stacy is, much less Ben Reilly. He is not a threat to the franchise you all know and love.

NEWSFLASH: Everything will revert to the status quo eventually. There. Happy? Now can I have my character please?

Marvel guys don't respect the story of the clone saga, thinking it was a moronic mess of a story

Personally, I think the opinions of Marvel guys generally don't matter. The problem lies more with the general consensus among fans. Of course the writers don't like anything from the 90's. They grew up to characters like Kitty Pryde in the 70's and 80's. But then why is Venom still a prominent character? The writers don't get to decide what remains as popular lore for the character. WE do. Quesada and the writers only try to predict what we like (and what will sell) and our inconsistent opinions don't provide much help.

Heh, homework, haven't had that feeling in MANY years, I used to hate that stuff! Got in the way of my music and comic reading! Lol (Good luck btw)

Thanks...ugh...Another position paper for my argumentation class. Last year of college and then my band is finally free to go on tour.

 

[WOLVERINE25TH]

Actually, Wizard is $5.99 now.

 

[shinlyle]

Actually, Wizard is $5.99 now.

Even more of a reason not to buy it.

 

[ASM]

I'm for it

 

[Dangerous]

Maybe Hobgoblin 2211 will be involved w/ BR returning.

 

[Kraven]

Although now, Hobgoblin 2211 never existed, due to the retcon bomb. How that works out, I've got no idea.

 

[Dangerous]

Oh yeah forgot he got zapped.
Guess we can count that option out.
That whole arc was pretty lame.

 

[SpideyInATree]

SHE got zapped. Hobgoblin 2211 was a lady, well...we don't know FOR SURE...but it had boobs, so you know.

 

[shinlyle]

SHE got zapped. Hobgoblin 2211 was a lady, well...we don't know FOR SURE...but it had boobs, so you know.

Now I remember why I dropped that book....

 

[Dangerous]

Yes, female he was.

 

[TheCaptain22555]

I thought Reilly was damned cool (in 1996) but this thread has my curiosity going. I'll have to be buying the Friendly Neighborhood books too I suppose.

 

[Lt. Figgnuts]

Yes, female she was.

t:

 

[spidey-dude]

if she was retconned out of existance surely that means tht alternate uncle ben never came into the 616 universe??? no?

 

[Stephen Robinso]

Isn't it easy enough to reveal that Ben is still alive? After all, Osborn captured both Parker and Reilly and in PPSM #75, we see Osborn holding up Reilly's battered body while gloating at Parker. Given that Osborn had access to clones, it's possible that he switched Reilly with another clone that had his memories. And that's the one that died.

 

[crivelliman]

My comic shop has tangible issues from next week's Marvel comics, and Friendly is one of them. I looked through it, and all I have to say is...

Spoiler

It's him. It's really Ben Reilly. He has a full beard, but he's got that cynical, kind of light-hearted sense of humor. There's even a clone joke, which he doesn't react well to. He applies for a job at Midtown or something. I didn't have a lot of time, but all I got through was him walking down the road thinking, "Great, I'm working for Flash Thompson." I was wrong. It's not a nickname or codename for Pete. It's a person, around Pete's age, with a beard.

So yeah. Color me surprised.

Spoiler

Oh, and he's blonde.

 

[freemadison]

Isn't it easy enough to reveal that Ben is still alive? After all, Osborn captured both Parker and Reilly and in PPSM #75, we see Osborn holding up Reilly's battered body while gloating at Parker. Given that Osborn had access to clones, it's possible that he switched Reilly with another clone that had his memories. And that's the one that died.

yes. extremely easy.

 

[freemadison]

My comic shop has tangible issues from next week's Marvel comics, and Friendly is one of them. I looked through it, and all I have to say is...

Spoiler

It's him. It's really Ben Reilly. He has a full beard, but he's got that cynical, kind of light-hearted sense of humor. There's even a clone joke, which he doesn't react well to. He applies for a job at Midtown or something. I didn't have a lot of time, but all I got through was him walking down the road thinking, "Great, I'm working for Flash Thompson." I was wrong. It's not a nickname or codename for Pete. It's a person, around Pete's age, with a beard.

So yeah. Color me surprised.

Spoiler

Oh, and he's blonde.

Wow, I thought I had the willpower but I didn't. I had to click it.

Spoiler

YESSSSSSS!!!!

 

[Shockdingo]

Wow, this could actually be interesting

 

[spidey-dude]

I pray this is true!!!

 

[HoratioRome]

I used to buy Wizard...until the Heroes Con fiasco wher ethey tried to effectively shut down a local con by having another on the same weekend merely a state away. After that, I realized that Wizard is simply the MTV of comics. They have enough influence that they try to keep the industry running as they see fit.

They used to do a thing called "Wizard:Edge" every year, where they focused on independant comics only. It went for two whole years as a magazine....once a year. Then, the next year, it wa downsized into an "insert" into their big movie issue. Then it disappeared.

They cater to the big two, and whatever they do, instead of doing like they used to do, and cater to the comic reader.

I can get all the news I need form them on the internet. I don't miss forking out that extra $4.99 every month so that I can see my favorite books get ignored while 52 and Civil War eat up the entire book from cover to cover.

No thanks. I can buy more comics with that money.

sorry to get in late for this conversation, but a couple of montsh ago I was at an event where I met someone who happens to be a Wizard big wig. We got to talking. I explained to her that I no longer buy wizard and told her why. My personal reason was that wizard "sells out" the superheroes as much as Hollywood and Jo Q. does. That wizard capitulates to the big 2 too much, and that they are just a mouth piece to Hollywood and the big 2.
Wizard isn't fair, and isn't unbiased, so I dropped it.
She expressed understanding and told me that she herself was quite frustrated.
Then she told me something she made me promise not to repeat.
It isn't really that big a deal, but I promised so I won't.