GREETINGS WEBHEADS!
One of the most anticipated days of this fans collecting life has come to pass. For on this day, we got one of the most anticipated mini-series’ in the past several years, The Clone Saga’s Directors Cut. Way back in 1993, Superman was dead (And then alive) Batman was replaced (And brought back) and Marvel was getting their butts handed to them. Howard Mackie [Writer- Spider-Man, former writer of WEB] was one of the writers of the books, and Terry Kavanagh [Who replaced Mackie on WEB] came up with the CRAZY idea of bringing back the Clone. Howard Mackie took a very detailed outline that 15 years later, would prove to be monumental. Why? It’s the Clone Saga, as it was intended. Tom DeFalco, who was editor in chief at the time and approved the story, is back as writer for this issue,and the next five along with Howard.
Spider-Man: Clone Saga
Wrier: Tom DeFalco
Art and INks: Todd Nauck and Victor Valazaba
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Story: So Aunt May is dying. Peter is swinging to see her. MJ excuses herself to vomit. Mystrey Man runs to New York. Ben and Peter Fight. Kaine! Mystery Man #2.
Thoughts: So much to talk about. So much. This issue is a WHOLE lot of fun. A WHOLE lot. I read this first and last. It’s been a long time that I’ve read an issue 5 times in one sitting. But I did. It was like a good meal on Thanksgiving, where you’re stuffed and you just relax because it’s so good. It’s level of goodness cannot be matched. This issue had it all. Good writing (that didn’t seem dated), great visuals (Nauck knocked it out of the park) and old elements (Aunt May, a Wedding Ring, Peter’s Class Ring) are added with new (Kaine’s Mercenary roots[which were hinted at when he was brought in and then dropped], Mystery Man #2.)
To go back for a second, the beginning flashes back to the moments after Aunt May’s Stroke, (Which is determined to be something else entirely. Hm) and to WHO is FACADE, which had the Mystery Man back ups before Web of 114. All of that is packed into this issue, and we get a visit from the smoke stack. All the Traveller stuff? Gone. This is the Saga at its core, and it’s extremely well done. Color be impressed. Kudos to Tom and Howard, and to Todd. This gets a perfect score from this former fan of the Saga, and because of the EXECUTION. The note from Tom at the beginning is simple, and gets to to the point in time where this was supposed to take place, and it takes off an keeps going til there is no more pages left. Macchio was on the books right when Bob Harras came in as EiC, so it’s nice to get an old editor to do this. Another cool thing is seeing Nauck doing Spider-Man, it’s really a lot of fun and his first Spider-Man book took place about a year AFTER the saga ended. Its full of faces that have not seen the pages of Spider-Man in a long long time, cept for Tom. 🙂
Rating: 5 Out of 5. This was an AMAZING issue, by far a great way to end an otherwise dull month in the Spider-Books.
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Hello,
I’m from up north:) and I think I found a new spot to hangout
So, what’s everyone’s thoughts about the Olympic Games?
Yeah, it was great to see Peter and MJ both acting in character for the first time in nearly two years. I hope we get a spin off when this is over.
Great review! This issue was indeed a lot of fun. It felt like meeting an old friend after years of no contact and immediately slipping back into the old shenanigans. I reread it immediately, just to savor the feeling.
@Crazy Chris – you’re, of course, joking, right?
Mackie! WHOO HA!
Thanks so much. I’ve told every (Via the Podcast)
Here’s hoping that Mj telling Peter that she is pregnant would be as emotional and impacting as Tom Defalco Spectualar Spider-man 221 amd J. M. DeMatteis following with Amazing 398. in Web of Death.
Glad to see you here Howard Mackie, I just collected Ghost Rider 1990 1-50 and Spirits of Vegence and my God, I love what you did to that series and the character Danny Ketch and the cast with Blaze, Stacy, Badillino, and the villians Blackout, Deathwatch, Zodiac, and how you put Scarecrow into the Ghost Rider Rogue. I don’t have your email but What you think of what’s being done to your character in Jason Araron Ghost Rider run with Blaze and Ketch now the 2 ghost riders taking on Zadkiel and heavely power villians, some from Blaze rogues, and some from Danny’s(Blackout, Scarecrow). I’m enjoying it quite well and Bendis seem to like using Blackout and Deathwatch as part of the supervillian kingpin, the Hood group with a bunch of other villians against the New Avengers. I know you aren’t fond of the whole noble kale thing but wondering what you think of Ghost Riders powers coming from Heaven and the history of Ghost riders reaching to Biblical times. Don’t like Daniel way retcon of taking Mephisto out of Blaze and Ketch origins but Jason Araon is doing a a great job with the series now.
Anyway, I read your first clone saga issue and let me tell yo. I like what you and Tom did and I’m looking forward to these issues. keep up the good work. Maybe when you done with the clone mini-series, when Jason Araon is done with his run, you can take on Ghost Rider again. sorry to be off topic. I love this series, it need a little work on the dialogue in which Ben keep saying clone this and clone that but thanks for you and tom’s hard work. take care. looking forward to next issue.
I fully understand your point Scotter, and I’m glad you prefer the original version, really. I’m sorry that your enjoyment of “The Spider” at the time came at a tragic part of your life, but I do agree with you that it was a great experiance for the characters, it showed how a married couple can deal with grief in their own ways. I don’t like that “The Shreiking” has been retconned out of this either, Shriek is one of the more inspirational villains ever created.
Let’s get on to Harry betraying Peter. Having lived with Harry and Liz for several years enduring this kind of stuff, Peter can (and to my beleif, DID) rationalize this was before they made peace with each other. Go back to the scene Peter is looking at both the masks of the spider and the goblin in “The Shreiking”, and that is where the Peter in this mini-series “turns left” instead of right. He chooses not to break down.
It’s another form of denile. No better than Peter reverting to The Spider. He’s taking a page out of his wife’s book and bottling it up. In this case…it works.
@ danish web – I think that with the events in the main book over the past couple of years, I can see why you would feel that way. When the CS was first published, I had just lost my Pop who had been in a coma for 2 months. Reading the story then, I was able to identify with what Peter was going through. It seemed very real to me, and always has upon re-readings. When it comes to the loss of a family member, I think that it becomes a very personal thing. Especially when, in the story the first time around, Peter had not only just lost his “parents” but also been betrayed by his best friend – from the grave. I think that being level headed and mature in a situation in which a close family member is passing is difficult, let alone being on top of the previous events. Plus, Peter Parker is all about angst. That being said, not only is this a condensed story, but it’s also coming on the heels of a story ( Civil War & OMD) that had very similar themes and where Peter acted as selfish and immature as a person could in that situation. This is a different take and could be viewed, by some, as a commentary on those recent events (although I’m sure that is not the intention). If looked at from that perspective it’s easy to see why the opinion that this is a more appropriate response could be formed. However, because the original story was so deep in the themes of loss, change, and growth and because of the maturity of the characters, after hitting some bumps in the road, in accepting it paralleled what was happening in my own life I found the reactions in this to be a bit distancing.
@ Howard Mackie – stop googling yourself! There are plenty of wonderful stories you’ve told in the past and still better ones to come. Any person in the creative field has to deal with criticism. Thank you for understanding mine. I’m looking forward to the rest of the story and I’m glad you’re working on this!
Scotter: For some reason, the two ways Peter handles May going comatose works somehow. In a way, it represents another kind of uglyness to coping with someone dying or in a serious condition….initially bottling yourself up. Remember how Paul McCartney reacted to John Lennon’s death? That’s how I took Peter and MJ being level-headed around this whole thing is to me…when faced with a crisis, there far more mature about it here and deal with it like grown-ups, not people on the perpetual brink (I’ve been convinced BOTH Peter and MJ have aspergers syndrome for years). As someone bored to tears with angst in Spider-Man, this turn of events actually makes the characters look stronger
A) Was I “sneaking”? I could have just lurked.
B) Scooter, it is all cool. If your greatest criticism is that you would have liked things to have gone slower… I can handle that. Google my name at some point, and see what else has been said about me. Relatively thick skin. Sure, there were times I was concerned we might be moving TOO fast, but one works with what one has been given. We were given 6 issues.
Okay… going back to lurking now. No! I mean… I will never check out this board again, so speak honestly.
Best
H
You have my wallet Mackie. If Ben’s return is immenent this could be the Wally West era of the Spider-Man mythos fans have wanted for ten years. I always found Peter and MJ more relatable and accessible as the “success story” that people like Ben would have to live up to. In addition, he’s only…what, five years old in a 23-year old body? You could really screw with his mind when he realizes he’s probably not aging anytime soon
Oh, I understand that, spidertour, thanks. However, there’s a difference between having a different opinion and accidently insulting one of the writers of a story who a) hasn’t worked on the character in awhile, & b) is working on something you’re glad to have, even if you didn’t think that the first issue was all that and a piece of cake, too.
@Scooter: NEVER be embarrassed to have a differing opinion! I can’t speak for everyone, but I never begrudge someone having a different opinion from mine. That’s kind of necessary on a FORUM for DISCUSSION. 🙂
I don’t know, but I’m a little embarrassed by my negative review- especially since I’m happy this book is out!
What is it with Spider-man writers sneaking onto this site?!?!?
Glad that MOST of you enjoyed it. Tom and I are having a blast writing it, so tell you family, your friends, your enemies, people you pass on the street, randomly call people and suggest they run out and buy it. Who knows…? If this sells well enough it might not be the end of Mr. Reilly.
Thanks again,
Howard Mackie
First of all, I want to say that I LOVE that they are doing this. I am a huge fan of the ’90’s version and have really looked forward to this. It was wonderful to see both a married Spider-man and also Ben Reilly. However, the story itself left me feeling a bit cold. Everyone tends to complain that the CS went on to long. While it was true that there were some bad points ( the VR stuff especially) one of the things that the length was able to provide was true character development which led to suspense – would Aunt May live- would Peter live – why was Peter framed for murder – who was the clone, and a fondness for the characters. A lot of people hated Judas Traveler, but he served a purpose – we were able to understand what both Peter and Ben were going through because of his initial actions. This issue had none of that. Peter, who had just been tricked by Harry Osborn into believing his parents had returned starts to trust Ben almost immediately. It was way too quick. Where was Pete’s mental anguish? His Aunt’s in the hospital dying, his parents are gone, and all of a sudden someone shows up claiming to be his clone and he is fine with all of it? Also, MJ finds out she’s pregnant already? I have felt that a lot of the drama of that moment was the fact that Peter had disappeared and when he returned he was dying. There’s been a lot of talk on the boards about the relationship between the two of them, and like it or not, the “I am The Spider” arc strengthened their relationship far more than anything JMS ever did. It pushed them to the limit and showed how strong their love really was. After all, if they could survive THAT, they could survive anything! Plus, anyone who is reading about Ben for the first time has no clue who this character is and has no reason – as the rest of us do – to love him. True, this is a condensed version ( there’s only so much that can be done in 6 issues, after all) and obviously written for those of us who followed the CS and adore Ben Reilly, but there’s nothing wrong with slowing things down a little. Still, we are lucky to have this. I’m reserving my final judgement of the series until the end, however this issue is certainly not the Holy Grail.
Wow, finally a review on this site that I agree with 100% ROFL! Loved the issue so much I read it twice.
…That’s what good comics do. Pop questions in the skull.
I love that it’s set in 2009 and every story counts except “I am The Spider”…Peter’s an ice-man when it comes to his Aunt dying. Refreshing.
Finally got a hold of it. Excellent work, but there are a few questions I have…
I haven’t read this issue…but I picked it up and looked at it a little. The art looks terrible. I have to admit its weird going back in time and reliving some of this stuff.
Anyone else notice the 90’s spider-man logo for the cover?
I had to snigger at the RTD joke there, well played
YES!!! Finally a GOOD comic with REAL continuity. I really loved this book. Great job on the review Spidey dude. I completely agree with you on all points. Looking forward to the next ish and review. =)
Call me crazy… but while I’m not disputing the quality of the book, me thinks that you might be showing just a WEE bit of favortism.
The fact that this got an out-of-continuity project got such a high score illustrates how biased this site is against Marvel’s direction for the REAL Spider-Man. No offense, Spideydude, but your 5 out of 5 is typical Crawl Space negativity.
i have alwasy had mixed feelings about the clone saga i never really sat well with the idea that ben was spider-man it always felt kind of wrong to me but then when he died in issue 75 i was damn near heartbroken i was like damn he wasnt the orginal but he didnt deserve to be killed off and for a full decade i sat with the remorse of not getting to know ben rielly better. thank God for this limited series its literally a second chance of getting to know ben and it ws a great issue im highly anticipating a spider-man book again. EVEN naucks art was stepped up and let me say after Obama i had completly written him off as a decent artist but it was amazing art. the only downside is this american idol reference im like PRETEND this is still the 90’s and dont make a crappy idol reference but even that can be forgiven i guess
It was okay, I felt the dialogue seemed a bit stacked on top of itself, like a Russell Davies Dr. Who script or something. (But I guess with a mere 6 issues to cram everything in something had to give.) Weirdly, I’m alittle disappointed that this isn’t going to be part of the “revised” BND continuity, if your going to change the past you might as well use the opportunity to “tweak” the original clone saga. Seems a bit of a waste to just be an elaborate “What if…” comic. Still fun though.
Well the difference is RZerox21xx is that I got this and reviewed it a half hour after I got it. Bailey tends to do reviews on weekends, usually sunday.
AH those were the days when spider-man was mature and yet fun to read.
Funny how the first day it came out, this got a review, while the bnd regular spideys, you have to wait a week later. I guess it shows how excited and anticapated this is compare to regular spidey.
Welcome back Peter, Mj, Aunt May, Ben. its good to see you and not those imposters that are defiling your place in with the corrupt foundation created through Mephisto. Hero with development and responisbility that you can look up and not that immature creepy loser and being shove on how “young” they are.
Sorry, I might have overdid it, I got a excited over this and I didn’t go to the store to pick up my comics yet. The last great spiderman that is most recent to me was 2007 Peter David Friendly with the confrontation with JJJ and the Peter/MJ center Sensational annual.
so is this a 6 issue mini? then they’ll extend it to 8 issues, then 12, then 42 issues… hehe just kidding. I’ll pick it up in tpb form, or buy it off ebay one of these days.
*Double Post*
It WILL be covered in the Clone Saga Chronicles Podcast. 🙂
If not in the Reviews, it WILL be my recommendation this month.
I trust this’ll be covered on the Podcast right?
Sweet! I just picked it up today along with the new Amazing! Will read it tonight. I’ve been waiting a long time for this! I was also a fan of the Clone Saga and can’t wait to see what was REALLY supposed to happen! Hope it sells well and Ben gets his own ongoing series!
Aspman
The day I dreamed of ever since SM75 is here!
Short, sweet, and SPOT ON review! I just put this down and WOW!! The art just jumps out at you, and toss in Tommy D doing Spidey in his prime and already this series is made of win. I wish this was the weekly book and not Amazing, but with the Who Was Ben Reilly arc starting up next month, I can’t wait to get my fill of clone overload! Bring on the hoodie!!
No hoodie this issue George. I loved the whole thing, but quite frankly I thought it was worth the price just to see Peter acting in character and married.
Nice. All I looked at is the rating, can’t wait to pick this up.
I’ll be picking it up this weekend. I know you’ve waited many moons for something like this so I am excited for ya. Even if I full-on hate that stupid hoodie.