The Clone Conspiracy #3 Press Conference

[Mister Mets]

Dan Slott, Spider-Man group editor Nick Lowe and associate editor Devin Lewis did a press conference with the comics press about the big reveal of Clone Conspiracy #3.

http://www.cbr.com/dan-slott-details...er-man-return/

The call started with Slott disclosing that he long had enthusiasm to use Ben Reilly in a story, but the character was long tied up at Marvel in a different planned story that never came to fruition; which was partly why Kaine returned as the new Scarlet Spider. So when Reilly became available, “Clone Conspiracy” started to come together. Slott pointed out that a lot of fans have wanted to see the character return, and for some readers, he was their Spider-Man growing up.

Marvel publicity’s Chris D’Lando revealed that “Amazing Spider-Man” #22 will be a Ben Reilly-focused issue, with lots of answers coming. “It’s one of the more intense issues of any comic you can read,” Lowe said of “Amazing Spider-Man” #22. “It’s messed up,” Slott added.

“There have been some intense, dark Spider-Man stories, even from the beginning, but you forget that,” Lowe said. “We’ve had really cool events, but they’re usually like pyrotechnic blockbusters. This is like a Darren Aronofsky blockbuster. We go to some dark, dark places.”

“[Amazing Spider-Man] #23 is all about Peter and Gwen,” Lowe said. “After you read #22, the events of #24 will seem all the more inevitable, without giving anything away.”

Asked if Ben Reilly is the “villain of the story,” Slott responded that “Ben does not see himself as the villain.” “That’s the core of this story,” Lowe added. “That’s what’s made this such an interesting Spider-Man story to me. Every step of the way, it’s been weird what he’s been doing. The whole Electro thing was weird. Everything with the Rhino. Everything with the Kingpin. This is not the behavior of any villain that I know of. Even in ‘Clone Conspiracy’ #2, when he reveals all those villains, and they don’t attack. If you’re Spider-Man, what do you do with this?”

I'm sure it'll come out eventually, but I'm curious about what story was supposed to use Ben Reilly.

[boots]

I'm sure it'll come out eventually, but I'm curious about what story was supposed to use Ben Reilly.

me too. interesting that other writers were keen to write ben as well.

i'm biased because i'm one of those nutbars that actually loved the 90s clone saga as a kid, but i'm pretty excited by some of this stuff and i'm hoping it all leads somewhere good.

not responding to whether or not a "scarlet spider" series will spin out of this is all sorts of read between the lines kids.

mystery great writer in marvel's history? JMD? he's been vocal about wanting to write ben again.

as for peter being convinced by ben...this makes so much sense to me. if it was anyone else going down this line, peter might react with "you've gone insane. we need to get you help" as usual but ben is someone peter trusts 100%. ben is peter. if your own reflection or part of yourself (that you know has always had yours and everyone's best interests at heart) is doing this weird jackal II thing...then maybe...just maybe...they have a point.

i think this is why clones actually do fit the spider-man mythos and have (like it or not) become a part of it permanently. spider-man has always been an introspective character (whether or not you buy that he's his own worst enemy) and clones dovetail with that concept. it's also just enough science fiction to not go beyond the scope of his universe, in the way many felt "spider-verse" did.

[Metamorphosis]

They really missed an opportunity here, to do an actual live press conference with a guy in a red suit who takes off the Anubis mask to reveal--Ben Reilly??!?!

[classicgmer]

Two quotes I wanted to point out from this interview

“There’s a whole generation of Spider-Man fans for whom Ben Reilly is their Spider-Man,” Lewis added. “I probably like Ben Reilly more than Peter Parker. I don’t know if there was ever any hesitation, but there was certainly an earnestness to do it right, and do Ben justice, since there are those fans who love him.”


I don't really keep up with ASM on a regular basis but I'm going to be paying attention to what they consider "doing Ben Justice."


The second quote I wanted to point out was


“I’ve worked on Spidey for a while, and one of the questions you always get, from this specific age group, is ‘When is Ben Reilly coming back?’ My goal was to bring him back in a way that made you scream and pull your hair out,” Slott said.


This is one of the things I really dislike about Slott and his work on the Spider books. He needs to come off this "trying to break the internet in half" stuff he seems to get his jollies from and just tell stories.

[MarioHerald]

mystery greatest writer in marvel's history? JMD? he's been vocal about wanting to write ben again.

That reminds me that J.M. DeMatteis and Christopher Yost once talked in Twitter about maybe doing a double feature book of "untold stories of Scarlet Spider". Half Ben, half Kaine.

https://twitter.com/yost/status/770397575010627584

I would love to see something like that - regardless of what this mystery new series ends up being .

http://community.comicbookresources....=1#post2454019

as for peter being convinced by ben...this makes so much sense to me. if it was anyone else going down this line, peter might react with "you've gone insane. we need to get you help" as usual but ben is someone peter trusts 100%. ben is peter. if your own reflection or part of yourself (that you know has always had yours and everyone's best interests at heart) is doing this weird jackal II thing...then maybe...just maybe...they have a point.

i think this is why clones actually do fit the spider-man mythos and have (like it or not) become a part of it permanently. spider-man has always been an introspective character (whether or not you buy that he's his own worst enemy) and clones dovetail with that concept. it's also just enough science fiction to not go beyond the scope of his universe, in the way many felt "spider-verse" did.

I agree with all your points and with Cheesedique (Haha!).

I wonder if one of the three new stories in Clone Conspiracy: Omega will be about the three Parker brothers - not necessarily being together (unless they all survive the event). But maybe Peter making memory of both his clones.

[boots]

I wonder if one of the three new stories in Clone Conspiracy: Omega will be about the three Parker brothers - not necessarily being together (unless they all survive the event). But maybe Peter making memory of both his clones.

could be fun, though i do wonder how marvel would juggle peter + 2 clones of himself. it would be cleaner to only have 1 in action, and if that ends up being the case, then some fans are going to end up disappointed.

and while we're linking JMD stuff, this post of his sums up all my feelings on ben and the 90s saga too:
http://www.jmdematteis.com/2010/04/cloning-around.html

[Phantom Roxas]

I'm sure it'll come out eventually, but I'm curious about what story was supposed to use Ben Reilly.

If it never came to fruition in the first place, I doubt it will come out eventually with the way things are now. Really, it sounds like Kaine was used to substitute whatever Ben's original role was. You know, like how Ends of the Earth was originally going to have Black Cat and Agent Venom.

[Mister Mets]

If it never came to fruition in the first place, I doubt it will come out eventually with the way things are now. Really, it sounds like Kaine was used to substitute whatever Ben's original role was. You know, like how Ends of the Earth was originally going to have Black Cat and Agent Venom.

I get that Kaine substituted Ben, but the reason Slott couldn't use Ben was that someone else had plans for the character.

It would have to be someone pretty big, to keep Ben Reilly from appearing in the flagship Spider-Man book. The only thing I can think of was Quesada's planned followup to One Moment in Time, although I don't think he cares about clones enough for that.

[DieHard200904]

I get the feeling that maybe Kaine might die and disintegrate as part of developing the cure. The dialogue with him and Anna Maria pretty much says that they are going to use samples from him to try and work that out and prevent the super carrion virus outbreak from happening. I don't think that there's room for so many clones over the long term. Then we go back to an Era of Ben Reilly. AGAIN. Just my speculation.

[Moriarty]

This is one of the things I really dislike about Slott and his work on the Spider books. He needs to come off this "trying to break the internet in half" stuff he seems to get his jollies from and just tell stories.

Agreed. I don't get the logic of, well fans love Ben so lets bring him back... as a villain! yeah, we get it. you want to be super shocking but it just comes off as lame and predictable.

[boots]

Agreed. I don't get the logic of, well fans love Ben so lets bring him back... as a villain! yeah, we get it. you want to be super shocking but it just comes off as lame and predictable.

firstly he isn't a villain in the traditional sense. antagonist is more accurate.

secondly, fans (mostly) appreciated red hood, winter soldier and "the return of barry allen" (all applicable to varying degrees), so why not think it would work this time too?

the majority of people on this board who participated in the poll believed the jackal would be miles, with almost as many believing "other" as those who predicated ben reilly. so apparently not so predictable.

[Phantom Roxas]

I get that Kaine substituted Ben, but the reason Slott couldn't use Ben was that someone else had plans for the character.

It would have to be someone pretty big, to keep Ben Reilly from appearing in the flagship Spider-Man book. The only thing I can think of was Quesada's planned followup to One Moment in Time, although I don't think he cares about clones enough for that.

OR: Maybe being "the flagship Spider-Man book" doesn't automatically mean you get dibs, so it doesn't "have to" be something pretty big. And the point remains that, since the story did not come to fruition, I don't see why we should be so sure that this story will somehow still come eventually.

[Mister Mets]

It is pretty brave of Marvel and Slott to do an Omega one-shot after Maximum Cloneage Omega.

OR: Maybe being "the flagship Spider-Man book" doesn't automatically mean you get dibs, so it doesn't "have to" be something pretty big. And the point remains that, since the story did not come to fruition, I don't see why we should be so sure that this story will somehow still come eventually.

Bigger titles/ projects generally get dibs. That's the way it usually goes. Though if it was something low profile, I'd still be curious to learn what it was supposed to be and what changed.

My comment on being interested about the story coming out was about the behind the scenes stuff. I'm curious about what writer wanted to use Ben Reilly and in what way. Presumably Clone Conspiracy will scuttle those plans.

[John Ossie]

It is pretty brave of Marvel and Slott to do an Omega one-shot after Maximum Cloneage Omega.

What's brave about it?

[Vworp Vworp]

Two quotes I wanted to point out from this interview

“There’s a whole generation of Spider-Man fans for whom Ben Reilly is their Spider-Man,” Lewis added. “I probably like Ben Reilly more than Peter Parker. I don’t know if there was ever any hesitation, but there was certainly an earnestness to do it right, and do Ben justice, since there are those fans who love him.”


I don't really keep up with ASM on a regular basis but I'm going to be paying attention to what they consider "doing Ben Justice."

It's probably worth noting that the current Spidey editorial team are frequently trying to tell us that Felicia's recent heel turn was good for the character. So their definition of 'doing Ben justice' is probably open to a whole lot of interpretation.