Clone Conspiracy OMEGA Spoilers and Discussion

[Bossace]

So from what I gathered, in no order:

Slott has left the door open for a lot of bad guys cloned from being dead to be in the alive or dissolved so some can be used again

Kaine is clearly still sick and dying (hoping he gets cured), out to pursue Ben knowing he's too smart to be gone

The proto clone Otto and Ben worked on wasn't shown, Otto is presumed dead by the cast

Lizard turned his wife and son into half lizard half human terrifying specimens who seem to be roughly full lizard brain when it comes to speech

Ben Reilly is going to New York

He may or may not have orchestrated an attack in a New U employee to gain her trust by saving her so he gets money from her

Kingpin gives spidey the location and details of Osborn on a USB drive as his favor owed to spidey


So this just serves as a set up for the next spidey arc and the Ben title.

[Kurolegacy]

My God, I think this epilogue has completely killed this event for me. I mean really, what the Hell Slott? Everyone but Spider-Gwen who went into this event somehow came out worse.

[The Rhino]

Rhino's redemption. What a great story for him. I wonder where this goes. Thanks, Dan.

[Prof. Warren]

My God, I think this epilogue has completely killed this event for me. I mean really, what the Hell Slott? Everyone but Spider-Gwen who went into this event somehow came out worse.

In what way? "Feeling worse," maybe. No one got out of this mentally or emotionally unscathed but I'm not sure how that's a bad thing from a story perspective.

I think the epilogue gave sufficient weight to the emotional toll that this storyline inflicted. It was a solid end cap that left all the players in interesting places.

The Rhino is emotionally crushed but he's going to try and honor Oksana's memory by not giving in to rage. The empathy Peter showed to Aleksei was great and their moment together as Peter was able to calm him down - and perhaps give himself a reminder about how to cope with tragedy - was excellent.

Spider-Man's conversation with PI worker Jerry's wife was gut-wrenching and would be enough to burden anyone with a lifetime's worth of guilt. A great scene that - painfully - didn't let Peter off the hook for the part he played in these events, even if his actions were well-intentioned.

I also love that Kaine is going after Ben and that his time in Loomworld is done (at least for now). Slott really writes Kaine well, making his gruff cynicism stand in stark contrast to Peter's more naive outlook. Kaine's a total hard ass and I can't wait to see how PAD handles him in Ben's book.

And as for The Lizard...oh boy! It looks like we'll be seeing more of the Connors down the line and it ought to be a doozy of a story when we do. I thought Shed was about as dark as things could get for The Lizard but this new development might end up topping it. Although to be fair, The Lizard is probably happier than he's ever been!

As for the other stories, I enjoyed PAD and Bagley's brief bit with Ben. Nice set-up that emphasizes the fact that Ben does not regard himself as a villain in any way. In his mind, the goals he was working for were just and he bears no guilt - simple as that. I'm definitely interested to find out what kind of journey PAD has mapped out for him (and for Kaine).

And the final story with Kingpin repaying his debt to Spidey (but likely just using him as a pawn, despite his professions of generosity) by handing him the intel he needs to find Osborn was excellent. Immonen's art on these four pages has me drooling in anticipation for his run. It's going to be damn pretty, that's for sure.

[xpyred]

Ben Reilly is going to New York

Actually, Rita assumed NYC and he said there is more than one Broadway, meaning not NYC.

[Shriveling_memo]

Is Ana marie a clone? Not one original copy was turning into dust like she was unless the virus was still travelling but from what it looked like in those issue is that the sound only affected clones. Jamerson and other humans looked fine.

[Shriveling_memo]

Am I getting from this storyline that Ana Maria or Marie is a clone. Did anyone notice that only clones were turning to dust or whom I assumed had been clone. Gwen was fine, jamerson looked fine, all of the other humans looked fine. I'm just wondering

[Prof. Warren]

I have to give a shout out to the awesome artwork by Cory T. Smith on the main story, by the way.

My main gripe with CC was that I didn't think Cheung was an especially great fit for it. A fantastic artist, yes, but not ideally suited for a darker storyline like CC. Smith's work on this epilogue, however, struck me as being in better tune with the emotional content.

Is Ana marie a clone? Not one original copy was turning into dust like she was unless the virus was still travelling but from what it looked like in those issue is that the sound only affected clones. Jamerson and other humans looked fine.

I don't think there's any evidence that Anna is a clone. Not to say it's impossible but I don't think we're meant to believe she is.

[SplinteringHeart]

Anna Maria is not a clone but she was exposed to the carrion virus and is still coming down from that...Peter/Spidey was exposed to the virus too..he's looking better, more recovered than Anna Maria...we must assume this is because of his spider healing factor...

Jon

[Shriveling_memo]

I get there was a virus but if you look back at the issue, no one was infected except the clones. Jameson, spidergwen, Peter and silk and whole bunch of people were fine. It seemed only the clones were effected. I think on first glance it's assumed that everyone is being affected but it's not just the clones. Even the doctor who help Ben isn't affected, just seemed weird

[Ravin' Ray]

And as for The Lizard...oh boy! It looks like we'll be seeing more of the Connors down the line and it ought to be a doozy of a story when we do. I thought Shed was about as dark as things could get for The Lizard but this new development might end up topping it. Although to be fair, The Lizard is probably happier than he's ever been!

I found it visually repulsive, on a visceral level. Especially since Martha and Billy's faces are not fully reptilian but just scaly while still human. If my reaction was what Slott, Gage and Smith intended then they succeeded.

[SpideyClone]

Really wanted to like this story, the art was fine, the characterization was better than some of Slott's stories, but the ending and epilogue just left me cold. Kaine and Ben are pretty much back where they were during the Lost Years and the premise of Kaine chasing Reilly again while Ben figures out who he is doesn't seem like something that can last. Will still give Ben Reilly's book a shot, but I'm not encouraged. Seems like Kaine is being sacrificed for a Ben Reilly push that Clone Conspiracy didn't do justice to.

[SplinteringHeart]

I thought Omega was good, well worth the price of admission...ok it didn't give answers regarding Ben, nothing to quell all the upset or speculation that fired up the message boards after ASM#24 (you'll just have to get PAD's Scarlet Spider for answers....or not) , but beside that, as a thing on its own Omega was good...the art from Corey Smith was good...I enjoyed Kaine in this issue (was never a big fan, didn't follow his Scarlet Spider solo)...I liked his hard edged view of the situation, he was very Batman...and he was right, from a certain perspective, but then Peter Spidey is right too, from another...the thing when he talked down the Rhino was really nice...some might call it cheesey, but I call it touchingly poignant....good writing of these two (Pete/Kaine) sides of the Spidey coin by Dan and Christos.....oh and the bit with the Lizard family was creepy...!

One other thing, re the last story, with the Kingpin...the art work..Stuart Immonen...generally I'm looking forward to it, but, I've remembered a problem, a criticism I have of his work...what he does is he seems to be sloppy in the difference between work in the foreground and work in the background...I'm reminded of this from when he did All New X-Men first series...his foreground work is fine, what's up front is clear, but detail goes on characters in the background...and the thing is it's not always inconsequential characters, but prime characters that by turn of events appear in the background..an example in Omega is, early on Kingpin is big clear and bold when in your face, but at a moments reflection by Spidey in the foreground, behind him Kingpin looks like some strange squidgy mr potato head!

I remember similar happening on All New X-Men, you'd have Jean saying something foreground, and other X-men at slight distance and their faces would be blank! Couldn't just be a printing error, I checked...weird...

Jon

[SplinteringHeart]

I get there was a virus but if you look back at the issue, no one was infected except the clones. Jameson, spidergwen, Peter and silk and whole bunch of people were fine. It seemed only the clones were effected. I think on first glance it's assumed that everyone is being affected but it's not just the clones. Even the doctor who help Ben isn't affected, just seemed weird

Clone Conspiracy #4 Anna Maria touches Ock, gets infected by carrion virus....Clone Conspiracy #5..Spidey to Anna Maria.." the inverse frequency, it'll stabilise all our cells..." Anna Maria to Spidey "our cells?"..Spidey: " my suit's ripped and I was swinging around with Gwen.." Spidey infected by Gwen clone..

Jon

[SplinteringHeart]

It's only 'cause I've had to look back again that I can be sure of some things...Clone Conspiracy was full of such twisty devil in the detail "curve balls"...I understand how a lot of us have had "err, but what?" moments...Dan Slott loves that kind of thing...and I'm not just criticising him...

Jon