This week’s edition of my Ben Reilly retrospective series is a bit different. Legendary Spider-Man writer J.M. DeMatteis was generous enough to provide some insight into the character he wrote extensively in the ‘90s (and is returning to the character in January).
JL: You are writing a five issue series coming out in January titled Ben Reilly: Spider-Man with David Baldeon and Israel Silva on art. What do you think readers should know going into this series?
JMD: If you’re familiar with Ben and his history, that’s certainly a plus, but the goal is to create a series that will appeal to everyone, including the folks that don’t know anything about Ben.
JL: What would you say sets Ben Reilly apart from Peter Parker?
JMD: What’s wonderful about Ben is that he is Peter…and he’s not. He had his entire view of reality, of his personal identity, shredded when he discovered he was a clone. Everyone he knew and loved was taken from him and he was exiled from New York. Five years on the road, with no roots, little chance to establish himself in any way (how can you establish yourself when you’re not even sure who you are?) left him shaken and bitter. He’s a much darker character than Peter but, at his core, he has the same essential goodness, the same decency and desire to help and do the right thing, that Peter has. All of that makes for a fascinating character.
JL: There has been an outpouring of excitement from fans since the announcement that Ben Reilly is once again taking up the Spider-Man mantle. What about the character do you think resonates so much with fans?
JMD: I think it’s everything I just said. He’s so much like Peter—this wonderful character we all know and love—but he’s gone down a very different road and that makes him incredibly compelling. We relate to him, we care about him, we want to see him win in the end.
JL: You are returning to write the character in January for the first time in a starring role as Spider-Man since Spider-Man: Redemption in 1996. What about the character made you want to return to tell his story?
JMD: When my editor, Danny Khazem, called me, all I had to hear were those two words, “Ben Reilly,” and I was in! Reuniting with Ben is like reuniting with an old and dear friend. I’ve missed him. How could I not return?
JL: Speaking of the aforementioned Spider-Man: Redemption, this story is my personal favorite of the original Ben Reilly era. Which stories that you wrote do you think readers should check out ahead of your Ben Reilly: Spider-Man series?
JMD: Spider-Man: The Lost Years and Spider-Man: Redemption are two essential Ben stories, and they certainly feed into the new series. But there were many great Ben stories during the Clone Saga, so maybe picking up a few volumes of the Clone Saga Omnibus would help.
JL: It’s impossible to discuss Ben Reilly without also discussing his “brother” Kaine Parker and their relationship. You have written what I consider to be the defining Kaine stories in Spider-Man: The Lost Years, Spider-Man: Redemption, and the “Hunting the Hunter” backup stories during the “Grim Hunt” story arc. What about Kaine makes him such a good foil for Ben, and do you have more stories you’d like to tell with these two?
JMD: Ben, Peter, and Kaine are brothers: They’re like the Brothers Karamozov of the Marvel Universe. Dysfunctional, argumentative, sometimes hateful, yet tied together by the fact that they’re family, that they’re all variations on the same biological theme. And Kaine is the most tortured, most wounded, brother of all. He’s profoundly scarred, both physically and mentally, by the fact that he’s a damaged clone with cellular degeneration, rejected by his “father,” The Jackal. He’s angry, violent, and wildly dangerous. Yet he, too, contains the essence of Peter Parker in his heart. It’s just buried a little deeper.
JL: Lastly, the “Clone Saga” will have concluded twenty-five years ago this December. What are your thoughts on the legacy it has left and how it has shaped Spider-Man comics since?
JMD: Back in the day, Marvel kind of tossed the Clone Saga in a hole in the ground and then threw in the dirt to bury it. But, over the years, many elements that were essential to those stories have been resurrected and become important elements in the Spiderverse. Was the Clone Saga flawed? Yes! Did it go on way too long? Absolutely! But there were some wonderful stories along the way, told by a group of enthusiastic storytellers who loved Spider-Man and poured heart and soul into the Saga.
That’s a perfectly eloquent note to end on. I’d like to thank Mr. DeMatteis for taking time out of his busy schedule to share his insights.
Ben Reilly: Spider-Man #1 is on sale in January!