Review: Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider #23, Abigail’s outcome
Ben Reilly had one task to complete and he struggled to get things done. The new issue shows us what the outcome is as he arrives with Abigail’s cure.
Much like Peter Parker, Ben has Aunt June. In Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider #23, she has a small moment that ends up impacting the events of the issue in a big way. However, this is a slow burn as very little happens in the issue. Ben and Kaine get back to the casino and Ben walks in with the cure, but never gives it to Abigail.
Even though very little happens, we do get some reveals. Abigail appears as a time traveller who is over 300 years old, but it isn’t really her. Mephisto interferes and alters everyone’s memory so that they think he just let Abigail die. It’s a clever twist, but we didn’t really think this would be easy for Ben, right? He doesn’t have the best luck when it comes to doing something good, no matter how hard he tries. At least he is trying, though.
Despite the issue not advancing the story a ton, it is well done. It takes time to unravel the situation with Abigail as her mother need to decide what to do. They have every reason to believe that the time traveling Abby is real since crazier things have happened lately. They use her emotions to rope her in and then crush her chances of saving her daughter.
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Review: Venom: First Host #2. dark. Next
The art continues to be well done in this issue. I’m a fan of it a little more when Will Sliney is given more action scenes, but we can’t have all action all of the time. Instead, he depicts the more emotional aspects of these characters well and the colors from Rachelle Rosenberg are a nice touch.
B+. . Peter David, Will Sliney, Rachelle Rosenberg. . Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider #23
Overall, this issue is an important one and it sets us up for an interesting story. Ben has one hour to survive if he wants to have everyone’s memory changed back to what actually happened. Otherwise, it will mean death for him as we see him get stabbed by Ms. Mercury at the end. I’m looking forward to what comes next.