The Amazing Spider-Man #77

Peter Parker is in the hospital fighting for his life. The Beyond Corporation has bought the rights to Spider-Man. And Ben Reilly is back as Spider-Man. Things certainly have changed. Personally, I’d much prefer to see Reilly as the Scarlet Spider which was far more successful that his last stint stepping in for Peter. But it looks like that’s not in the cards. Ben Reilly is now Spider-Man (and with an entire conglomerate working on gadgets and doodads for him).

After seeing Ben in action for the past couple of issues, The Amazing Spider-Man #77 takes a step back and examines the life of a corporate super-hero trying to live up to both internal and external expectations. If Ben is likely to have struggles, they may be more from Beyond than what he faces on the streets. It’s more building block than standalone issue, although it does offer Spidey versus Morbius for a late fight cliffhanger.

[Marvel, $3.99]