Originally Posted by
AngelJD
Vixx. I agree.
The moment the real title "Clone Conspiracy" came out everybody it feels saw the writing on the wall. Because it's been done before and the 616 spider history didn't look promising that something long term new and good might appear.
Plus it feels the Spider books can't do any clone type story justice. The only one close was found in the Ultimate Universe.
To see what could work let's look at the few clones that many people (well debatable as no character has a 100% likability factor) actually liked (for the most part):
Laura
Gabby (based on the reviews and forums posts people seem to like her)
Ultimate Jessica Drew (based on a recent forum topic hoping she lives)
and Ultimate Gwen Stacy (based on people's mention of which Gwen version they liked I found her popping up a good deal of times and she feels like the ONLY Gwen Stacy clone of the Multiverse to exist past a few issues and was used in the Spider-Man tales long term)
Earth-65 Falcon 16 has possibilities with Earth-65 Betty and having his own personality from what little seen of him thus far it feels,
and before this tale popped up Ben and Kaine.
Looking at possibly why they work out. In some form likable characters that can/did grow (always important), used efficiently in the tales for the most part, and them being clones isn't constantly stated (exception of Ben and Kaine a the spider books love to keep that info up there) and soon becomes an afterthought as the focus comes to them as a person then a clone. They are treated like a person by other characters. Like a life that matters. How they were born is not as important to what they do in life and the connections they make and bond with. They had a life to live.
That a huge problem I have with all the Clone stories found in the 616 Spider-Man series. I never got that feeling/vibe that the writer treats any new character who so happens to be born from science (aka 'a clone') as a person that is special or matters. That when they die nobody really grieves for them (outside of the Rhino based on the preview) and fast to forget. The significance of life itself and the matters of 'what makes a life' is never real put into the spotlight. They are discarded as story tools vs characters.
Howard the Duck series recently had clones who was treated with far more respect and importantly as characters! They were given a life, fathered, discovered by Howard, then Howard worked to saved them and was treated to matter. In the end they didn't die at the end of the tale. Howard the Duck series gave more respect and a more compelling tale then how I felt any clone story in the 616 Spider-man series gave thus far.
Who was that writer who wrote a actual clone story where the clone's live mattered and had a personality...Chip Zdarsky.
The writer who will be writing a Spider-man series already has a good/decent clone story over majority of others before writing a Spider-man series.
"Think my favorite is the "fuck it - just shoot her with a rifle and never speak of it again" story
Prime example. I came into comics in late 2014 but was able to read may past comics or at least the history from various pages. When I read about that it baffled me to the necessity of that in the end. Did it have a purpose of some kind? Was it another 'just because the writers could'.
Well for the huge supporting cast I agree that many others should be used more. In fact a small break from the main big three spider interests (MJ, Gwen, and Black Cat) might be necessary right now (till a fantastic idea and developments can be done with them and worked out). MJ appears in Iron Man and has a multiverse main character version in Renew your vows (which I love), Gwen has a multiverse main character version in Spider-Gwen (which I love), and Black Cat doesn't have a Multiverse version starring main character (yet) but has been popping up in multiple titles (which I...the best present series using her was from Silk so far as Cindy tried to know more about her and convince her to go back into the hero side but failed).
There are some characters I would love to see agian. One such as the character Norah Winters who upon reading about her caught my interest. Between reading some old issues and how she was introduced with a nice 'establishing character' action of her licking Peter in part jest and to make a claim on him as her own cameraman which made me smile. The character who Peter convinced her in New York only for her to eventually still got the short end and fall in Superior broken hearted and her career she worked hard for gone. Then we never saw/heard from her again since.
Other characters I certain I don't know about but in the 700+ issues has been presented and ready to make a reappearance (provided a story is set and perfect for them to reappear).
Some new cast I do like (Anna) and some old cast I hope to see, and seeing how possible some new and old can mingle and form interactions possibly.