Clone Conspiracy #1

[Mister Mets]

Clone Conspiracy #1 just came out. Newsarama has a review.

In many ways, with The Clone Conspiracy, Slott is attempting to reopen Pandora’s Box while still keeping his fingers attached - because while the "Clone Saga" eventually became universally reviled once it wreaked havoc on Peter Parker’s status as the one, true Spider-Man, the overall paranoid arc of the long-running event was a solid, personal hook. With two Spider-Men running around, the existential crisis of “am I a real person?” brought the tension to a fever pitch - and wound up consuming the entire thrust of the series, eventually immolating the Spider-Man franchise by trying to write Peter Parker out of the mix entirely.

But that’s not who Dan Slott is. Peter Parker is written into his DNA - even when he wrote Otto Octavius filling in with Superior Spider-Man, it was clear there was an end game in sight, that this was a pretender usurping the webs only temporarily. And with The Clone Conspiracy, there isn’t any doubt over identity here - in that regard, Slott’s delivered a solid and sturdy introduction punctuated by the right bursts of action, such as a break-in at New U or a two-on-one battle royale between the Rhino and the new Electro. While Slott’s previous issue of Amazing Spider-Man poignantly summed up Peter Parker’s ongoing battle between personal obligation and superheroic responsibility, the personal hook for The Clone Conspiracy isn’t quite there yet, outside of Peter’s ire being raised when he sees Miles Warren’s face for the first time. Structurally, this hits all the right beats for a Spider-Man story, and so most fans will enjoy this for its extreme accessibility as well as the popcorn action factor, but like "Ends of the Earth" or "Spider-Verse," you might need to be patient until the main conflict heats up.

That all said, if getting in on the ground floor on the latest Spidey-event isn’t enough for you, Jim Cheung on the artwork might be another strong selling point. It speaks to the quality of Dan Slott’s storytelling that he’s gotten to work with such a murderer’s row of talent over the years, but having Cheung on this book feels like a bit of a career highlight. When Peter is in his Spidey suit, Cheung and inker John Dell deliver an almost Romita-esque solidness to the character, built from rectangular shapes that never seem to diminish the character’s innate agility (particularly as he climbs through a darkened air shaft). Perhaps unsurprisingly, given his status as a blockbuster event artist in recent years, Cheung’s action sequences are also showstoppers, with Spidey’s fight between the Rhino and Electro providing a wonderful showcase of the wall-crawler’s agility. Cheung’s panel layouts are also nothing to sniff at, as he is always careful to give his work room to breathe, which pairs nicely with Joe Caramagna’s lettering - Spidey stories like this can always trip readers up thanks to their roots in convoluted continuity, but the visuals work just as hard to provide an accessible story as Slott’s script.

[Beorg]

Can we talk spoilers?

[Mister Mets]

Can we talk spoilers?

Sure. Issue's available for most readers who want it.

We might end up having separate threads for anything that dominates the discussion (something I can see happening with the character in the back-up story.)

[Beorg]

Okay then, SPOILERS just in case: The back-up issue most likely spoils the Jackal's identity. It starts with a smile of the Green Goblin and it ends with Jackal's smile. The art is identical too.

[RedQueen]

Yeah they can call it "reanimation" but I'm still gonna call Gwen a clone with memories unless they're doing a zombie thing.

[jdmorris1124]

Can anybody post a spoiler summary? Thanks!

[Triniking1234]

Before anyone posts spoilers, isn't this only out starting this Wednesday?

[xpyred]

That back up story is going to piss off so many people and I can't wait to see all the complaining and whining. To be honest, I think Marvel from 1972 until roughly recently did not want to acknowledge that ending because it would soil how people look at Peter and Spider-Man. But the fact that Slott said it's in continuity just shows that Marvel has the audacity to grow and try new things. Too bad after all is said and done, they will put that genie back in the bottle and make Peter pathetic again.

[Mister Mets]

Before anyone posts spoilers, isn't this only out starting this Wednesday?

And today is Wednesday.

It might not feel like it due to Columbus Day.

[lalalei2001]

All I heard in regards to spoilers was this.

spoilers:

Turns out Gwen regained consciousness before she was thrown off the bridge. She overhears Peter and the Goblin's banter, and learns Peter is Spider-Man. She begins resenting him instantly and it's amongst her last thoughts as she dies. The rest of the story sees her revived by Jackal, put on the pills, and is reunited with George Stacy.

end of spoilers

People are speculating/hoping it was an implanted memory or something and not what 'really' happened.

[Prof. Warren]

That back up story is going to piss off so many people and I can't wait to see all the complaining and whining. To be honest, I think Marvel from 1972 until roughly recently did not want to acknowledge that ending because it would soil how people look at Peter and Spider-Man. But the fact that Slott said it's in continuity just shows that Marvel has the audacity to grow and try new things. Too bad after all is said and done, they will put that genie back in the bottle and make Peter pathetic again.

Not sure what you mean by "...did not want to acknowledge that ending because it would soil how people look at Peter and Spider-Man."

If you're talking about the ending to "The Night That Gwen Stacy Died", while the ending has always been a source of slight ambiguity in regards to whether Gwen died of the neck snap due to being jerked by Spidey's web or the shock of the fall itself killed her, I think it's always leaned heavily towards Spidey stopping her fall being the real cause of death - with the sound effect of a "snap" in the panel as Spidey stops her descent.

So while the back-up story here seems to confirm that theory, it's nothing that Marvel has ever actually evaded or run from. And I don't think anything about that makes Peter look bad. If anything, it only adds to the tragedy. He was trying to save her and inadvertently killed her.

As for "...Too bad after all is said and done, they will put that genie back in the bottle and make Peter pathetic again." Not sure what that has to do with the events of this issue. What genie? If you're talking Parker Industries...who knows what the future holds with that and whatever the outcome, even if he isn't the head of a global company, it doesn't mean he's "pathetic."

As to this issue - a very strong start. Solid main story. Even if we all knew Ock was coming back in his own body, it's still cool as hell to see him back in all his chubby, tentacled glory. And the back-up story was the real bombshell here. Aside from what we learn about Gwen's final moments, the reappearance of one of the most famous former cast members was a shocker. I have a feeling that Clone Conspiracy is going to be a jaw-dropper all the way through.

[lalalei2001]

Relevant: http://www.cbr.com/comic-book-questi...wen-stacy-die/

http://www.cbr.com/comic-book-urban-...s-revealed-42/

http://www.cbr.com/comic-book-legends-revealed-573/

[Hariel0079]

Not sure what you mean by "...did not want to acknowledge that ending because it would soil how people look at Peter and Spider-Man."

If you're talking about the ending to "The Night That Gwen Stacy Died", while the ending has always been a source of slight ambiguity in regards to whether Gwen died of the neck snap due to being jerked by Spidey's web or the shock of the fall itself killed her, I think it's always leaned heavily towards Spidey stopping her fall being the real cause of death - with the sound effect of a "snap" in the panel as Spidey stops her descent.

So while the back-up story here seems to confirm that theory, it's nothing that Marvel has ever actually evaded or run from. And I don't think anything about that makes Peter look bad. If anything, it only adds to the tragedy. He was trying to save her and inadvertently killed her.

As for "...Too bad after all is said and done, they will put that genie back in the bottle and make Peter pathetic again." Not sure what that has to do with the events of this issue. What genie? If you're talking Parker Industries...who knows what the future holds with that and whatever the outcome, even if he isn't the head of a global company, it doesn't mean he's "pathetic."

As to this issue - a very strong start. Solid main story. Even if we all knew Ock was coming back in his own body, it's still cool as hell to see him back in all his chubby, tentacled glory. And the back-up story was the real bombshell here. Aside from what we learn about Gwen's final moments, the reappearance of one of the most famous former cast members was a shocker. I have a feeling that Clone Conspiracy is going to be a jaw-dropper all the way through.

He's referring to Gwen's thoughts the night she died which presents the issue.

The Back up story has Gwen thinking Peter betrayed her trust by keeping his identinty as SM a secret. When she's brought back/cloned she sides with Jackal due to her final thoughts and plus her dad is brought back to life.

[Aruran.]

I do think the back-up story with Gwen could end up being one of the most controversial things Dan Slott has written.

[Kevinroc]

I do think the back-up story with Gwen could end up being one of the most controversial things Dan Slott has written.

It does cement that we'll never get that Tom Beland story about Gwen and MJ just before Gwen's death. But we were never getting that anyway.