The Scarlet Spider must save the multiverse.
To date, Amazing Spider-Man hasn't proven to be an essential companion to the Clone Conspiracy mini-series. This issue adds plenty of extra background information regarding how Scarlet Spider and Spider-Gwen fit into the conflict, but with one exception there are no crucial revelations here that couldn't already be gleaned from reading The Clone Conspiracy #2. This issue's strength rests more in the fact that it reads like a classic Dan Slott/Christos Gage issue of Amazing Spider-Man, whereas The Clone Conspiracy has struggled to find that appeal.
With this issue, Slott and Gage essentially fill in the gaps between Spider-Verse and The Clone Conspiracy as far as Kaine is concerned. The story covers his resurrection, his new working relationship with Karn and the personal struggle that drives him as he teams with Gwen and tries to halt the damage the Parker Industries/New U alliance is causing to the multiverse. Fans who pine for the days of the Scarlet Spider series will feel right at home here. Kaine makes for a a very compelling protagonist, arguably now more than ever. Always the man living in Peter Parker's shadow, now Kaine doesn't even have a world to call his own. It's enough to make you wish Kaine had a book of his own at the moment. Or, at the very least, that he could become the central protagonist of Amazing Spider-Man for the duration of Clone Conspiracy.
And as always, it's impressive to see the two writers dip into Clone Saga history in a way that doesn't bog the book down in messy continuity. This issue has to cover a lot of ground in a fairly short amount of time, but Slott and Gage keep the pace tight and ensure that each beat has enough room to breathe.
The fact that Giuseppe Camuncoli has stuck around for this tie-in storyline only helps the series maintain its usual appeal. Camuncoli is especially well-suited to this issue, which takes on a fairly dark, almost horror movie-worthy tone as it explores the worlds ravaged by New U. Camuncoli and colorist Jason Keith create a very foreboding tone with their visuals. But this issue also manages to call back to a more classic Spider-Man era at times. Whether intentional or not, Camuncoli's line-work seems to evoke legendary ASM artists like John Buscema and John Romita, Sr. whenever he renders Gwen Stacy. Camuncoli proves once again that he's a very versatile storyteller, among his various other strengths.
The Verdict
Budget-minded Clone Conspiracy readers can probably skip this issue without missing too much of importance. However, it does offer a more cohesive and satisfying read than the main event is providing at the moment. It also makes a strong case for the idea that Kaine deserves his own comic again.
Editors' Choice
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