What issue #'s compile the Clones return in the Spidey saga?

[Guardian Comics]

I wanted to read the story of the clone (Ben Reiley) coming back from the "dead" as I loved the whole ASM #143-151 run. Does it take place in Amazing, Spectactular, Web or all 3? Which issues should I be reading to get the whole gist of his reappearance? Thanks in advance.

 

Jim

[Anfield Fox]

Good question. I remember it started around the time of ASM 388. In that issue Peter's parents whom had returned in ASM 365 turned out to be clones. Peter became really pissed off for a while and started to call himself "the Spider". The book became very dark for awhile. The sage offically began with Web Of Spider-Man 117 and went for 2 years across all the book culminating in Peter Parker Spider-Man 75.

 

Web of Spider-Man #117-129, and its replacement, Sensational Spider-Man #1-11

Amazing Spider-Man #394-418

Spider-Man #51-75

Spectacular Spider-Man #217-240

Spider-Man Unlimited (quarterly) #7-14

Furthermore, all five titles were temporarily renamed with "Scarlet Spider" in place of "Spider-Man" for two months (Web for 4 months).

 

Special one-shots and mini-series:

 

Maximum Clonage Alpha

Maximum Clonage Omega

Spider-Man: The Lost Years

Spider-Man: The Final Adventure

Spider-Man: Clone Journals

Spider-Man: The Parker Years

Spider-Man: Redemption

Spider-Man: Jackal Files

 

I honestly wouldn't recommend it. I remember picking up Spectacular 226 in which Peter was revealed to be the clone and i almost quit reading comics for good.

[Guardian Comics]

Matt: Thanks for the very thorough post. Maybe I'll think again about starting to read it if you feel that strongly against it

 

Jim

[Anfield Fox]

Wise decision Jim.

 

If you still have them on hand as i suspect you do then have a flick through WOSM 117, SSM 226 and PPSM 75. They are the 3 keys. Whatever you do, DON'T READ THEM! Looking at the pictures will be enough for i fear that anything else would scar you for life.

[pkveronese]

Didn't Reilly first show come back in the last couple of pages of Spectacular Spider-man #216?

[blowout]

I wanted to read the story of the clone (Ben Reiley) coming back from the "dead" as I loved the whole ASM #143-151 run. Does it take place in Amazing, Spectactular, Web or all 3? Which issues should I be reading to get the whole gist of his reappearance? Thanks in advance.

 

Jim

 

Do yourself a huge favour and don't. It truly is a horrible arc, and pales in comparison to ASM 143-151.

[Guardian Comics]

Last night I read the Web issue that Matt suggested, and it was tolerable but once I got to the Spectacular issue I was put off forever. The art was some of the most horrid [embarrassing lack of self control] I have ever seen and then there was a 3rd Peter Parker....scru that. Thanks guys for saving me a whole bunch of time and pain

 

PS they are currently on fire as I write this

 

Jim

[DKB]

I figured you were looking for the issues so you could burn them.

[otherworldcomics]

Honestly, I didn't have a problem with the Clone Saga to start with. I just wish Marvel hadn't started backpedaling and changing the story half way through. If they had kept the course it would have been a much better story. Instead, they got hate mail and tried to please the fanboys out there and just created this big pile of crapola instead. The one cool idea they had was Kaine being a clone of Peter that used his powers to hurt/kill. The whole "Mark of Kaine" thing was okay... and I even liked the Ben Reilly Spidey costume. But everything else was just terrible.

[Lazyboy]

I liked most of the Clone Saga. However, it is an excellent example of why you should know exactly HOW and WHEN the story you are writing is going to end.

[Darrell F]

This story was the start of my Spidey collecting and the end. I just couldn't finish it.

[MK Ultra]

http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/archive/index.php/f-189.html

[otherworldcomics]

I liked most of the Clone Saga. However, it is an excellent example of why you should know exactly HOW and WHEN the story you are writing is going to end.

 

Yeah, this is very true. I thought the idea was great to start with. To find out the clone had been really alive all these years and had had all these other adventures that could be brought up. And even the fact it was possible that Peter was the clone and he was going to retire, that would have been great. Could have cleared the board to have all new characters coming in. Could have been something to really shake up the MU.

 

I'm sure they had at least an outline of where they were headed with the story, the problem was when they decided to change it cause of the backlash. That's where you start getting this disjointed story and eventually it just all collapsed. And wasn't there an alternate ending to Spider-Man #75? Like a trade with a "directors cut" of the story. I remember seeing something about it and even picked up the trade but never bought it/read it.