Amazing Spider-Man #609

I have a confession... I really liked the last issue, and I think that's because I'm going into this with a clean slate. I never read the Clone Saga, I don't know any story details, and I'm wondering if people are subconsciously blowing this off because it's connection to the Clone Saga.

Or maybe I was just in a good mood when I read 608. 

I really liked it too and i enjoyed the hell out of the clone saga. it made me buy all the spider-man titles and helped me appreciate continuity in a way that no other event had before

The thing about the Clone Saga is that when it started out it was pretty good, it got dragged out too long and ended up being a mess, but last isssue reminded me more of the good parts of the Clone Saga so I enjoed it very much.

I have no connection to Clone Saga either.. Last issue was just okay for me.  For about forty issues, this title has been "pretty good" and teetering on "really good" at times.  But never topping my stack or POW for me.  I'm finding the secondary plot lines to be more interesting than the main stories.. i.e. all the lady drama Peter's been having.

The clone saga was my introduction to comics beyond just looking at the pictures.  I remember it much more fondly than most.  As a ten year old (or eleven or twelve, whenever it started) I thought the idea of a clone of Spider-Man was COOL.  I even thought (at the time) that the hoodie Scarlet Spider costume was cool.  What I'm trying to say it that I'm excited about the re-introduction of the Clone Saga into current Spidey stories.

Liking that scarlet spider costume is my great shame, and I just shared it with all of you.

@DarthDuck Hey, i loved the Scarlet Spider. Remember when he joined the new warriors? oh man that was gold jerry, gold! Stingers and impact webbing were the jam.

I personally loved the art as well on the last issue. 

@darthduck: The clone saga was my intro into comics too. I liked it. I remember Kaine being my favorite character. There was a mini out at the time that followed Ben and Kaine in salt lake city, I loved that. So Kaine showing up on the last page was tim tams for me.

The Scarlet Spider costume was all kinds of sweet. The Clone Saga was when I was starting to grasp the concept that new comics came out every week, rather than just occasionally at the 7-11. I remember buying one issue of Spectacular Spider-Man where Doc Ock "dies" on the cover, then going back to get the next issue...only to find out the story didn't continue in that same title but in one of the 6 other Spider-Man titles. It was a bit overwhelming to a 9 year old me. Since I didn't have a steady income or the discipline to following a massive story over 18 different books, I ended up with about 1 issue of each story line. Fortunately for me, none of the stories went anywhere and the entire Saga meandered around and around without ever really making progress. I still like the Scarlet Spider idea and costume, and I believe I always will. In my memories. Not in 2009 and beyond.

I think this and Supergirl will do it for me this week. I am prolly gonna skip Streets Of Gotham if Dini isn't there this month.

can i just say i dont like Adi Granov covers which is a bad thing becasue marvel using him for alot of covers 

Didn't care for last issue much. What annoyed me most was Peter and Ben looked nothing alike. Can't Marvel get one artist to do this book. I can't remember the last time An artist did a whole arc. A small complaint I know, but one I feel strongley about.

This book has been very mediocre lately. Im out as of this issue.

Yeah this cover looks pretty aweful.

I liked 608, but I almost loved it.  As someone who was in high school in the 90's, I really enjoyed the flashback scenes, mostly because of the hair and clothing.  In the 90's, I had Ben's haircut -- long bangs, short sides, and part down the middle.  Wow.  My only complaint is with the art / lettering.  Dr. Ryder and Ben looked so much alike that it was often hard to tell them apart.  I know that even the letterer could not tell them apart at times because he screwed up the dialog at least twice by having Ben's words come out of Dr. Ryder's mouth, and vice versa.  It almost ruined my enjoyment of the book.  Other than that, I thought it was great.

YEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!!!

http://www.amazon.com/Spider-Man-Complete-Clone-Saga-Epic/dp/0785144625/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256048998&sr=8-1

This is my only pull this week.  I totally hated ACTION last week so I'm not even gonna bother with Supergirl.  I already said why I'm not even gonna bother with Streets Of Gotham for a couple months.  This is it for me.

@Osyris

What!?   Hot of the heels of Joe Kelly's awesome two parter?  Or the American Son, #600, and the return of MJ?  This is the best its been.....

Wow a lot of people are really young in here. My intro to Spider-Man was the black costume saga, by the time the clone saga came along I had stopped reading comics altogether.

@IroncladMerc Oh i was reading comics way before the clone saga but that was the event that got me to start buying more than one spider-man book. before that Amazing Spider-Man was enough for me

I thought this was another very solid issue, very interested to see what happens next issue.

I knew it wouldn't be too long before kanye invaded my comics aswell.

this issue was a lot better than the last. I don't mind them retreading the clone saga. i never read it so i have no real connection to it but why ignore it? it happened and as long as they don't constantly bring it, every now and again is ok. plus maybe they will make Kaine a badass villain. Remember there are no bad characters, just bad writers.

now if they bring back ben reilly this would be a completely different post. let that spider-clone stay dead, things are less convoluted that way

excellent issue

"Care to repeat that, Reilly? I was to busy making a terrible, constipated-looking face to hear you."

Don't we already have a Spidey villian with reptile-spliced DNA?

Why does a villian with a crazy raptor jaw and forearm-stabby things need a fucking uzi?

Kaine sports both the turtleneck/leather jacket look as well as those hipster sneakers that don't have laces + lack of socks?

I'm gonna take a poll of every female friend I have that will go as follows:
"While at home, keeping up on paperwork and listening to music, I wear
A) Whatever I was wearing during the day
B) Some comfy sweats and an old t-shirt
C) A lot of make up, a revealing tank top that demonstrates my navel piercing, incredibly short shorts, and my favorite g-string, taking great care to make said g-string be exposed... sexily"

I anticipate having fewer female friends after this inquiry. 

Sucked.

I haven't been impressed with this arc at all so far. It has it's moments, but it's definitely one of the low-points since the relaunch, IMO. Let's hope that changes soon. 2/5.

I'll give Guggenheim a lot of credit.  Its a dumb premise, a worse villain, and a conviluted backstory - but I thought he really made it work.

The flashback sequences were well placed, and kept adding a little more to the present story, there was some funny dialogue, and it built some tension.

With 3 issues of Spidey a month, you're not going to like every villain or every plot.  The important thing is that the writers continue to give us a well made and thought-out comic, and continue to keep Peter's out-of-costume life consistent and funny.

@cutty
I can see that he's trying, but it's a lost cause. And while I agree that you're not going to like everything they put out, why would they even try to work in what is widely considered the worst Spidey story in the history of the title? OMD is even mentioned in this issue at one point; is the next issue gonna have Gwen Stacy babies, Spider-armor, Venom, and Carnage?

@captbastrd - touche

Ok.
The Good
 - The last page.
 - The hostage reveal.
 - The adequate execution of flashback storytelling.

The Bad
 - Cheesecake factor (unneeded, and ISN'T SHE an attourney? Oo)
 - The Art Style (the throwback of the web armpits and Kaine fighting just reminds me why I dropped Spider-man in the first place)

The Ugly
 - The VMA reference.


If Parker doesn't reveal himself in some ironic twist... I'm off this book for sure.