Ben Riley has taken on the mantle of Spider-Man and is supported by the Beyond Corporation. However, when Fisk allows vigilantes, Ben finds himself on the run. Find out more in Devil’s Reign: Spider-Man #1 by Marvel Comics!

DEVIL’S REGIN: SPIDER-MAN #1 (OF 3)  

Writer: Anthony Piper
Artist: Ze Carlos
Colorist: Erick Arciniega
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Editor: Nick Lowe
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: March 2nd, 2022 

Previously in Devil’s Reign: Ben Riley has recently taken over the role of Spider-Man. Unfortunately, Wilson Fisk has targeted superheroes and made a law that vigilantes are illegal. Ben was the first to be arrested after fighting Whiplash and Taskmaster. However, the Thing and the Human Torch broke him out of prison and are planning their next move.

FRIENDS AT LAST

Devil’s Reign: Spider-Man #1 begins with the Thing and the Human Torch dropping Ben off at the Beyond Corporation. Unfortunately, Ben is grabbed off the street as soon as he is alone. The two people arresting him admit that they aren’t actually cops, and Ben decides to try to escape. Calling his girlfriend Janine, he is taken to the Beyond Corporation to get patched up. He planned to get a few hours of rest, but he heard that Marcus Momplaisir had gone missing, prompting him to get back out onto the street.

Marcus was kidnapped by the Rose, who decides to use Marcus as bait for a trapped. The Rose dresses Marcus in a Spider-Man costume and calls the police. Ben jumps in to save Marcus but is attacked by Rose and his super high-tech gun. Still significantly injured, the Rose prepares to kill Ben but not before Marcus punches him, knocking him out. Both safe, they head back to the Beyond Corporation to get some rest.

DEVELOPED CHARACTER

I haven’t followed much of the Ben Riley Spider-Man run, but so far, I’m impressed. Reading Devil’s Reign: Spider-Man #1 gave me lots to think about. I’m fascinated by the relationships in the Beyond Corporation and enjoyed the brief cameo of Misty Knight and Colleen Wing. That and we get some fun banter between Spider-Man and, well, everyone.

I, however, wasn’t compelled by the storyline. This is a story that was definitely pushed by the strength of the characters rather than the strength of the plot. The Rose was a compelling villain that had a lot of inner monologues. But it isn’t interesting to me to see a non-powered person butt heads with a hero as strong as Spider-Man. It lacked that gritty realism of street-level heroes when Spider-Man is so much bigger than that. Luckily, I could forgive that because I enjoyed how the characters portrayed themselves. Great character, but I am not sure if he fits this event.

BOTTOM LINE: WORTHWHILE READ

I really enjoyed Devil’s Reign: Spider-Man #1. The art and colors were solid, and the characters were great. I am looking forward to seeing more Ben Riley, and I hope he isn’t just a placeholder for when Peter Parker gets better. 3.5 out of 5 stars for this issue.

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Devil's Reign: Spider-Man #1

70%

70%

Worthwhile

Devil's Reign: Spider-Man #1 sets up a strong story that shows that a good team is not hard to find.

• Writing

  6
• Art

  8
• Coloring

  7
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