Next month Spider-Man clone Ben Reilly is set to take over the Spidey mantle as the new Amazing Spider-Man creative team takes over the title. It’s a good time to be a Ben Reilly fan, especially since today Marvel announced a new Ben Reilly: Spider-Man book from legendary comics writer J.M. DeMatteis.
DeMatteis is no stranger to the Web Slinger having penned influential and celebrated Spidey stories such as “Kraven’s Last Hunt.” Moreover, DeMatteis was among the creators involved in the infamous Clone Saga event of the ’90s that introduced Ben Reilly, so returning to this era of Spider-Man is right up his alley. Joining DeMatteis is artist David Baldeón whose most recent Marvel projects were on the X-Men book illustrating titles such as Domino and X-Factor. The art team will also include colorist Israel Silva. The creative team took to Twitter to share some interior artwork.
This is going to be one beautiful looking book! pic.twitter.com/LgyPTgWbyF
— J.M. DeMatteis (@JMDeMatteis) September 15, 2021
TWHIP.#TheOneTrueSpiderMan pic.twitter.com/FxuJxEF1V2
— David #TheOneTrueSpiderMan Baldeón (@david_baldeon) September 15, 2021
BEN REILLY : SPIDER-MAN #1 Story by @JMDeMatteis Art by @david_baldeon and Colors by Me!! on Sale in January 2022 #TheOneTrueSpiderMan pic.twitter.com/S56RulUCSU
— Israel #TheOneTrueSpiderMan Silva (@IsraelSilvaArt) September 15, 2021
Exploring an earlier time in the Spider-Man history, this Ben Reilly series is described in the same vein as the recent Symbiote Spider-Man series from writer Peter David and artist Greg Land.
Here’s how DeMatteis described working on the series and collaborating with Baldeón:
“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 Baldeón 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 Spider-Verse and reuniting with my old friend, Ben.”
Check out the cover by Steve Skroce and Dave Stewart below and look for Ben Reilly: Spider-Man to arrive in stores in January.
BEN REILLY: SPIDER-MAN #1
Written by J.M. DEMATTEIS
Art by DAVID BALDEÓN
Cover by STEVE SKROCE & DAVID STEWART