Sensational Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #17 (Story 2)

Background

After Ben Reilly talked David Kallen into checking himself into Ravencroft Institute after he turned into D.K., Dr. Kafka has been worried about David's depression ever since. Calling Spider-Man (this time Peter) in to help her talk David into staying longer at the Institute, D.K. flips out and breaks out of his cell killing at least two security guards along the way.

Story 'Brother's Keeper Too'

Dodging out of the way of D.K.'s hands, Spider-Man tries to get him to calm down so he can talk to him and get him to go back to the Institute. D.K. only responds that its too late for him, that he can't be helped. Peter starts to think that maybe it is too late but then he looks down and notices that the body of one of the guards looks all disintegrated just like the way Ben Reilly's looked when he died.

D.K. starts saying how he's tired of all the tests and of being alone here but Spider-Man counters saying that its not really about him, it's about his brother Henry who died. This makes D.K. furious. Trying to attack Spider-Man, he says that he shouldn't be alive. How he should have died in that explosion with his brother. He then asks Spider-Man if he knows what's its like to lose a brother.

In a touching moment Spider-Man says yes, that he had a brother named Ben who died and who he misses but that he has to go on. They both have to go on. Finally finding exactly what he needed to say to get David to calm down, David realizes what he has done, killing those guards, and he falls to his knees defeated.

Later in his cell, hiding his face in his hands, Dr. Kafka looks in and expresses her deep concern for David. If he can't get over the death of his brother, what will happen to him. He still needs to go on trial now for the death he has caused but for now he as even more guilt to deal with.

General Comments

Trying to get D.K. to calm down so he can talk him into staying at the Institute with Dr. Kafka so she can help him, Spider-Man notices the bodies of one of the security guards D.K. killed. With its flesh dissolved it looks like the guard died in the same way that Ben Reilly did back in Peter Parker - Spider-Man Volume 1. This makes Peter think about Ben and how much he misses him.

Using his own grief Spider-Man tells D.K. that its ok to be sad about the death of a brother. That he himself lost his "brother" a little while back and that you just have to go on. Finally getting D.K. to calm down, he sees what he has done to the innocent guards and falls to his knees.

Later looking into his cell Dr. Kafka tells Spider-Man that David will now have to face trial for the deaths of the two guards but she's still more worried about David's state of mind and his depression.

Overall Rating

This second part was still just as short as the first but this one had some real heart in it. I think this is the first time that I've seen Peter really upset about Ben Reilly's death. At the time it was probably just easier to get rid of the clone but I was sad to see him go. It was nice to see Peter feel the same way and not just be glad that the clone's gone.