Remember when Marvel Comics decided to anger all Spider-Man fans over ten years of age when they replaced Peter Parker with Ben Reilly? You can now once again relive those days in the reissued Spider Man: Ben Reilly Omnibus Volume 1!
The ill-fated decision to make the nameless clone from Gerry Conway’s 1975 story Spider-Man became “hot” in the speculator age of comics . Believe it or not, Ben is popular once again due to the explosion of Spider-characters after the comic and film version of the Spider-Verse (hey, there wouldn’t be a second printing of a $150 Omnibus if he weren’t!).
The Spider-Man: Ben Reilly Volume 1 Omnibus collects a number of mini-series and appearances in Web of Scarlet Spider #1-4, The Amazing Scarlet Spider #1-2, Scarlet Spider #1-2, The Spectacular Scarlet Spider #1-2, Scarlet Spider Unlimited #1, Green Goblin #3, The Sensational Spider-Man #0-3, Sensational Spider-Man Wizard Mini Comic, The Amazing Spider-Man #407-410, Amazing Spider-Man Annual ’96, Spider-Man #64-67, New Warriors #67, The Spectacular Spider-Man #230-233, Spider-Man/Punisher: Family Plot #1-2, Spider-Man Holiday Special, Spider-Man: The Final Adventure #1-4, Spider-Man Unlimited #11, Spider-Man Team-Up #2-3, and scenes from Venom: Along Came a Spider #1-4.
Surprisingly, the Ben Reilly Omnibus does not include his return to the Marvel Universe in 1994 to kick off the “Clone Saga” in Web of Spider-Man #117, and instead focuses on Reilly’s career as the Scarlet Spider.
There were two Omnibuses dedicated to the entire “Clone Saga” published in 2016 and 2017 that included all of the storyline that would eventually lead to Reilly taking over the reins for Parker (which will most likely be reprinted in the future). Volume One of the Clone Saga Omnibus will be reissued on January 30, 2024.
The Omnibus contains writing by Tom DeFalco, Todd Dezago, Howard Mackie, Glenn Herdling, Dan Jurgens, Evan Skolnick, Tom Lyle, Larry Hama, Fabian Nicieza, Roger Stern, George Perez, Mike Lackey, Glenn Greenberg, Karl Bollers, Eric Fein, Adam Santangelo, Sholly Fisch, and Ron Frenz.
Art is provided by even more creators in the Omnibus including Paris Karounos, Mark Bagley, Gil Kane, Sal Buscema, Tod Smith, Tom Morgan, Scott McDaniel, John Romita, Jr., Dan Jurgens, Patrick Zircher, Joe Bennett, Joe St. Pierre, Tom Grindberg, Darick Robertson, Dave Hoover, Bob McLeod, Ron Frenz, Steve Lightle, Shawn McManus, Mike Harris, Mike Manley, Dick Giordano, Kevin Maguire, Chris Gardner, Javier Saltares, Robert Brown, Joshua Hood, Randy Emberlin, Larry Mahlstedt, Tom Palmer, Jimmy Palmiotti, John Nyberg, Scott McDaniel, Al Williamson, Klaus Janson, Al Milgrom, Andrew Pepoy, Arne Starr, Mike Witherby, Tom Wegrzyn, Mark McKenna, Jeff Albrecht, Joe Rubinstein, Bill Anderson, John Romita Sr., Hector Collazo, Don Hudson, Bill Sienkiewicz, Brett Breeding, Chris Ivy, Rodney Ramos, Greg Adams, Steve Montano, Sal Buscema, Art Thibert, and John Stanisci.
The Spider-Man: Ben Reilly Volume 1 Omnibus consists of 1,304 pages for a suggested retail price of $150.00.
The Omnibus is once again available with a cover by Tod Smith and one by Dan Jurgens (comic shop variant).
Check out both covers below and be sure to keep coming back to Conskipper for all of your vintage comic news.
