Spider-Verse a multi Spider-Man event is currently well underway within the comics with numerous tie-in's. There's Tie-in books crossovers, Cartoons, and also a cell-phone app game in Spider-Man Unlimited to mark this huge event, However it's not really anything new is it? in fact twenty years ago back in 1994 we Spider-Man fans and readers alike were subjected to a massive multi Spider-Man event with a story line that encompassed two long years of telling, a series of crossovers and tie-in books and two episodes of then current Spider-Man cartoon, Spider-Man The Animated Series. Funny isn't it. Although this article isn't really about comparisons between Spider-Verse and the Clone Saga I just thought that the premise of both had a similar feel. No this article is about the Clone Saga. Something that is still a touchy subject for some Spider-Man fans.
That brings me to the basis of this article, the 90's Clone saga was an unmitigated disaster for Marvel and caused damage to the character itself. there were a number of Spider-Fans that indeed dropped the book during and after the story arc due to editorial decisions that drove a large portion of the fan base away in protest of the over complicated and convoluted story lines that arose during the two years. Coupled with the fact that no-one at Marvel seemingly had any idea of how to actually get themselves out of the hole they'd dug for themselves. which resulted in an incomprehensible resurrection of Norman Osborn and a total final death for Peter Parker's clone, Ben Reilly.
That is not to say that the whole two years was a wasted venture. there were some decent parts to the 90's clone saga, some thought provoking elements and also some decent character development. not too mention the very emotional Death of Aunt May which was later retconned in the absolute debacle the storyline was to become. Make no bones about it there was a lot wrong with the Clone saga but there was some good too.
In the late summer of 2009, the powers that be obviously thought so too, as they released a condensed version of the Clone Saga billed as "The Real Clone Saga" with the tagline how the story should have been told. the issue here was how to condense two years, and roughly 100 issues of Spider-Man books into a six issue arc. The answer? well by leaving out a lot of the nonsense elements from the saga itself.
Written by Tom DeFalco "The Real Clone Saga" attempts to pick the bones of one of the most disliked Spider-Man stories of the last twenty years and some how manages to create an adequate tale and provide the reader some insight and clarification as what it was Marvel were trying to say in the 90's tale. of course there are some flaws which is to be expected when trying to turn an turd into a diamond chances are you're going to get some shit on you.
The flaws are that by condensing a lot of the material, you lose a lot of the little nuances that went into the overall narrative, for instances in The Real Clone Saga, we jump months between the issues, we go from Peter encountering Ben on the hospital rooftop in issue 1, to the start of issue two where Ben is working as a short order cook and barista for The Daily Grind, thus losing a lot of character development. On the flipside though, The Real Clone Saga, almost completely omits the whole Maximum Clonage arc thank god for that although can anybody really truly forget Spidercide? that one's burned into my mind for all eternity so thanks for that Marvel.
Here though we have the story as Tom DeFalco wanted us to see his vision and for the most part it's ok, although it does bare a remarkable similarity to the events of Spider-Girl's backstory and plays out like the MC2 version of events with Kaine rescuing baby May from the Goblins clutches and returning her to Mary Jane.
In fact in thinking about it a lot of the Real Clone Saga actually feels as though it could be the MC2 clone sage, as whereas in the 90's version Ben Reilly is brutally murdered by the Green Goblin and then crumbles to dust, in DeFalco's revised edition Ben Reilly survives and rides off into the sunset, ready to fight another day, whilst the Parkers remain united in their family with Aunt May Mary Jane and Baby May all intact and Peter still fighting the good fight, providing a more satisfactory conclusion, than the messy convoluted aspects of the 90's version
that's not to say that the The Real Clone Saga is a masterpiece, far from it. In fact you could argue that all the condensed version from 2009 does is elevate the Clone Saga from an utter debacle and complete waste of two years to a below average story that's slightly more palatable to the reader
In conclusion the main reason that the 2009 version is better to the 90's version is, that it's significantly shorter and not as much a tedious read. the story itself has a slightly better outcome and there is no Maximum Clonage crap. a small redemption for Kaine and a happier ending for the Parkers. Would I now therefore recommend people read this story? Not really, not unless you have a burning curiosity to, I would say if you feel yourself curious enough to attempt the Clone Saga then you'd be better off picking up the DeFalco version as the 90's version will just leave you in a quivering heap whilst your brain slowly oozes out of your eyes.
Thanks for reading.
No comments:
Post a Comment