In this annual issue of The Amazing Spider-Man we get a look at the whereabouts of Chasm after Dark Web and Spider-Man, with Goblin technology, stumbles upon a rescue mission as Ben Reilly’s girlfriend Janine Godbe aka Hallows Eve tries to free her mentally unstable beloved. Please note I have not read Dark Web and I have yet to be caught up on recent Spider-Man stories but I am aware that Norman Osborne turned over a new leaf and now goes by ‘’Gold Goblin”. He’s also upgraded Spider-Man’s suit with Goblin tech and now Spidey rides on a glider to save the day. I did read Reilly’s arc with the Beyond Corporation and was disappointed with how they ruined Reilly.
In this issue we see more of that Goblin-Spidey dynamic and it’s weird. Seeing Spider-Man with Goblin upgraded tech is like if Batman’s utility belt was upgraded with Joker’s tricks and pranks. While I appreciate the effort, it does not mesh well and I eagerly await Norman’s inevitable return as Green Goblin to see the end of it.
Other than the bizarre mash-up, there were a lot of interesting parts in this issue that gave me hope that Ben Reilly will be redeemed. I did not like the conclusion of Reilly becoming Chasm because the “evil clone” trope is abused to death and it was, if I remember correctly, one of the distinguishable differences between him and Kaine Parker aka Scarlet Spider. Kaine was the psychopathic killer, and Ben Reilly was simply a mirror copy of Peter Parker that lacked his confidence merely because he knows he’s a copy of the original. The introduction of Chasm ruined what made Ben Reilly so special that I’m not sure how they’ll pique my interest, but judging from what I read off this issue it seems Ben will have a lot of atoning to do in the place he’s locked away in. What that means remains to be seen, but I’m hoping Reilly returns to his usual self and makes a return as Spider-Man again. If Miles and an entire multiverse of spider folks can be Spider-Man, so can Ben Reilly, he’s earned it.
Newsdesk