Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, J.M. DeMatteis was responsible for some of the biggest Spider-Man stories of the era. Now, the House of Ideas is welcoming him back to their ranks for a new series featuring Peter Parker’s blonde-haired doppelgänger. Starting next year, DeMatteis will revisit the original Cone Saga in the pages of Ben Reilly: Spider-Man.
The series takes place during Ben’s heyday as the webslinger, when everyone believed that he was the original Spider-Man and convinced Peter to take a break from the hero biz. And it sounds like DeMatteis is giving Ben a lot to deal with in his first story arc. Not only will Ben investigate a series of interconnected murders–he also must deal with the reappearance of a mysterious figure from his past, and the Ravencroft Institute might have a better idea of who this person is.
“What I’ve always found fascinating about Ben Reilly is that he’s Peter Parker—and yet he’s not,” said DeMatteis. “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.”
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DeMatteis also praised the work of his collaborator, artist David Baldeón, who has previously had runs on X-Factor and Domino.
“Having David Baldeón bringing this story to visual life has been the icing on the cake,” added DeMatteis. “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.”
Ben Reilly: Spider-Man #1 hits comic shops in January 2022. You can view Steve Skroce and David Stewart’s cover for the first issue below.
Are you excited to see what DeMatteis and Baldeón have planned for the new series? Let us know in the comment section below!
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