Summary:

Setup: Behold the Watcher

Two guys in space suits infiltrate the Watcher’s domain and attempt to extract his memories / visions, which brings us to…

Story 1: Nova Harbinger

Story 2: Age of Apocolypse: the Myth of Man

A man is telling his son about how he helped rid their world of humans making it safe for mutants. The boy asks about the last human called the red prophet but his dad tells him that he defeated him on his own using his seismic powers. Surprisingly the prophet comes back to finish the job. The father and the prophet do battle again and only this time, the father doesn’t come out alive. The prophet goes to a rendezous point where the rest of his team is waiting. They briefly discuss their mission: to bring back humans from near extinction, they call them selves the “X-Terminated”.

Back at the watcher’s lair, the two guys are discussing whether those events were current or from the future and are able to determine that, there is no way to know for sure. One guy continues looking into the stream and sees…

Story 3: Scarlet Spider: the Scarlet Thread

Charlotte, North Carolina. Just four days after “Spider-Island”. A man wearing a blue hoodie sets foot for his destination. He plans to board a train and travel to mexico to escape his reputation, and to start a new. That is until he hears a bank robbery in progress and decides, to leave it be.

While on the train, the man goes through some deep soul searching, describing his past and questioning his future, but before it’s too late he emerges from the train having a change of heart and meets with the bank robbers head on. He takes them out menacingly, remarking how natural it would be for him to kill them but he manages to spare their lives. He is..was a monster, but now he is what he chooses to be, a new man, in full control of his destiny. He’s not Peter Parker, He’s not even Ben Reilly. His name is Kaine, the Scarlet Spider.

Story 4: Coldmoon and Dragonfire: Yin and Yang

A sister and brother describe each others strange upbringing and how they were led to believe each other was dead until the fateful day they learned that they were being exploited as a biological weapon. They escape their oppressors and show up helping the Avengers fight off AIM

bots. Together they seek to save humanity from evil alien technology, using their powers of fire

and ice.

Story 5: Doctor Strange: The Shaman of Greenwhich Village

Another day in the life of Dr Strange, as he encounters a man who is suffering from mental delusions thus he proceeds to enter his mind. What he finds is a very bizarre experience that leaves him unconscious and bleeding from the nose.

Story 6: The Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Robotic looking aliens are floating above the city, whilst down below, two man scramble. One guy goes after a brief case while the other screams to the sky “we already paid. “

Nearby Spider-Man and Hawkeye bust out of the front door of a building and Hawkeye proceeds to shoot one of the robotic like entities. However, the beings shoot what may best be described as light energy of mass proportion, down at the city causing extreme devastation. Hawkeye and Spidey make a run for it as Hawk’s arrow/s explodes sending one of the robo aliens crashing down, presumably dead.

Back at the watcher’s lair, they discuss what they just saw and commence to make their exit having successfully gathered the info they came for. They mention someone or something referred to as the “unseen” and how it will kill the watcher, and thus revealing his secrets to them.

Thoughts: Whewwww, what an exhausting read. Between the outer space sci fi babble and characters and places I’ve never seen or heard of I couldn’t help but feel a little dizzy, switch from one strange tale to the next. So what should you take away from all this? New titles, new characters and new stories are coming up.

This is basically 1 big ad for the Defenders, Uncanny X-force Prelude to Age of Apocalypse, Avengers # 19, and of corse Scarlet Spider# 1.

Also on the horizon, a new team called Yin and Yang will appear somewhere, also a new Nova, and something is going to try and kill the Watcher. Did you get all that?

Do any of these featuers have anything in common? No not really. Some of the same characters appear but that’s to be expected. So if you were looking for any crossover events you won’t find them here. As for the stories themselves they are just the tip of the ice berg of whats to come so I can’t really judge them too harshly.

Having said that im am excited about the upcoming Age of Apocalypse. Spider fans though need only concern themselves with one thing. I am definitely looking forward to reading Kaine’s travel log in the new Scarlet Spider ongoing series, which I will be reviewing on this very website so stay tuned, but from the couple pages of Kaine’s story I could feel the the tension and drama building.

He’s a darker and more heart heavy version of Spider-Man and I’m interested to see Kaine’s new direction as he struggles to find hope and happiness while controlling his violent urges and overcoming a tragic past. The potential is there for strong stories, and who knows maybe even a special cameo from everyones favorite clone.

As if there isn't a soul who follows Spider-Man comics who still hasn't heard the news, The Scarlet Spider is coming back!

Well, not exactly. We are yet to find out who will be behind the mask, but what we do know is that he will be getting his own title. He will also be making a first appearance at the end of Spider-Island, and later an eight-page teaser in Novembers Point One book. Is this neat or what?

Check out this full article/ interview with Chris Yost on CBR.

As moderator of the CBR Spider-Man boards, I have noticed that Ben Reilly has a few fans. Recently Marvel has been hinting that he may return in some fashion, so this has resulted in a fair amount of discussion.

For a while, Marvel barely referenced the Clone Saga, although that's changed in recent years. In 2009, there was a four-part story pitting Spider-Man against an enemy of Ben Reilly. Kaine, the first clone of Spider-Man, also returned to the books. The Jackal, the villain who created Ben Reilly and Kaine, returned as one of the masterminds behind the current Spider Island event. Marvel also published a six issue mini-series based on their initial plans for the Clone Saga.

The editors at Marvel have consistently said that they have no interest in bringing back Ben Reilly. But they've also started hinting that the Scarlet Spider's coming back in some form. It started with a teaser image of the Scarlet Spider hoodie burning. It's an unusual visual if the story doesn't involve Reilly's return in some form, as the simplest explanations for the image would be that Ben Reilly is back as the Scarlet Spider and someone hates him, or Ben's back but he's no longer the Scarlet Spider. Ben Reilly's been dead for a while, so there currently isn't much of a reason for anyone to care enough to burn his costume, even metaphorically.

This got me thinking about hype in general, along with the morality of teasing the customers, and the circumstances under which it's effective. I completely understand that hype is sometimes necessary, as is misdirection. But in this case, it may not be very productive.

Misdirection is most effective if the truth is something customers would have found satisfying, had they known about it in advance. An example would be if a studio were to hint that Christopher Nolan will be directing a movie, when it's actually going to be Martin Scorcese. It can also work if you give the buyers something they didn't know they want, though there's always the risk that you'll have failed to accurately gauge their interests. It's least effective if you're trying to cheat the customers, tricking them into buying a product they weren't going to want.

If there's a new Scarlet Spider character, there are several possible people under the mask that would get more attention than Ben Reilly. It could be Eddie Brock, the former Venom. It could be a regular Marvel Universe version of Miles Morales. Or it could be Mary Jane Watson, who recently developed spider-powers in Spider Island. Even Kaine might get more attention, considering his role in some recent major Spider-Man stories. But in those situations, the identity of the new Scarlet Spider is more appealing than the idea of a new Scarlet Spider.

The people who see these teaser images and get excited would be fans of Ben Reilly, hoping that it means that one of their favorite characters is returning. Anyone indifferent about the character will likely be indifferent about the teaser. This is why hinting at Ben Reilly's return when it's someone else is a bit deceptive. You do have the editor going on message boards flat-out saying that it's not Reilly, although this sends a mixed message as the promotional material suggests otherwise, and more readers will be exposed to that than the editor's denials.

I can appreciate that misdirection is sometimes essential to preserve surprises, and that hype is part of that. If Ben Reilly returns, everyone will see it coming, which might suggest that someone else will be the Scarlet Spider.

Anyone advertising a work of fiction will have to find the right balance between revealing enough to get customers interested, and keeping enough secrets so that the final product will include some surprises, without disappointing the customers by hinting at a possibility that is more intriguing than the final product. One trick would be making those speculating about the story think that there are only two possibilities, when there's another option. That could be happening here.

Readers are thinking that either Ben Reilly is back or someone else is the new Scarlet Spider, when there is a possible compromise: Ben Reilly could be in the book, but he might not be the Scarlet Spider. I doubt that the readers interested in his return care about what his secret identity is, and it allows Marvel an opportunity to surprise readers without disappointing the fans of a cult character.

The Clone Saga. Prior to "Sins Past" and "One More Day," those three words were like crucifixes to vampires for us, my fellow Spider-Man fans--and in some cases, they still are. No doubt, for some, they brought back terrible memories of a time in which you felt betrayed by Marvel--because they claimed our beloved web-slinger we've been following for so long (well, anyone from 1975 to 1995 in this case) was literally a carbon copy of the “real” Spidey. However, I also imagine it recalled fond memories of one character, ironically the very one to replace the original Spidey as “the real deal,” and one some of you have wished Marvel would bring back from the land of the dead, and in some cases never believed he really died. I'm referring, of course, to The Scarlet Spider.

But because of the dread of even the slightest hint of anything involving the storyline which all but threatened to finish Spider-Man as a comic, it seemed like this character would remain forever, as one Marvel writer put it, "a pile of goo." That changed, however, at the 2011 San Diego Comic Con, when Marvel revealed their Spider-Island teaser showing the Scarlet Spider’s trademark blue hoodie on fire. Fans took this as a sign that their beloved Scarlet Spider would be making a triumphant return.

Or at least a Scarlet Spider. Because a few months later, another teaser was revealed, this time for Marvel’s upcoming 64-page Point One preview special, revealing a character who, apparently is called…The Scarlet Spider. Only as you can see in the image accompanying the title of this article, this guy doesn’t look anything like the original hoodie wearing clone of yesteryear. Thus, two questions arose: 1. Why was he called the Scarlet Spider when he hardly has any scarlet in his costume? And 2. Just who the heck is he?

An article on the website, Bleeding Cool, claimed to know the answer to the second question, and they provided a list of possible candidates to choose from. So, seeing this list, I'd figure I might as well go through each of them (with the exception of J. Michael Stracynski, of course) and see why each of them could be the Scarlet Spider, and why are could not.

Ben Reilly

This seems like a no-brainer. After all, Peter Parker’s clone was the original Scarlet Spider, and considering how over the years the character has generated a decent-sized fan base of his own, having him return would certainly make them happy and get fans to notice. However, I fear they are in for a disappointment, as Marvel has made it clear that Ben Reilly’s story was told and they had no plans for bringing him back during "Spider-Island" or afterwards. Unless, of course, there’s another character related to Aunt May named “Ben Reilly.”

Odds: 1,000,000 to 1


Eddie Brock

Given the number of hints that he may no longer be Anti-Venom after “Spider-Island,” it doesn’t quite become so much of a stretch for the original Venom to adopt yet another costumed identity. Not to mention, given the image of the teaser, Brock is definitely ferocious enough. However, all of Brock’s powers have been symbiote-based, and without it, he doesn’t have any powers. Besides, it’s pretty much confirmed he’ll be mentoring Flash Thompson over in the Venom series.

Odds: 2,000,000 to 1


Norman Osborn

As revealed in New Avengers #16.1, Osborn managed to arrange his escape from the Raft and is not only rebuilding HAMMER, but also about to form a new team of Dark Avengers. And considering he made himself look like a Captain America themed Iron Man during the first incarnation of the Dark Avengers, I guess he could always make himself into a different version of Spider-Man, especially if he wanted to frame him. But then, why degrade himself to look like his arch-enemy? Wouldn’t he gather go back to being the Green Goblin?

Odds: 5,000,000 to 1

Shang-Chi

Given how the Master of Kung Fu has his own “Spider-Island” tie-in mini-series and currently has spider-powers of his own, this could be Marvel’s way of attempting to re-launch a new series with him. Course this would also mean he somehow keeps his new powers after Spider-Island, as well. The problem is with him being the new Scarlet Spider, however, is that, on top of tying him too closely to Spider-Man instead of being a character in his own right, Shang-Chi doesn’t actually need super-powers to be any more bad ass than he already is. Interesting and plausible, but not likely.

Odds: 100 to 1

Miles Morales

It seems logical to have “Spider-Island” be the opportunity to introduce into the 616 that universe’s version of the relaunched Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, and it would be the first time a character originally created for the Ultimate line would also wind up having a counterpart in the original Marvel universe. Also, Miles has gotten a lot of media attention, so this could be an attempt to continue riding that publicity. However, such a move would undermine the buzz generated by Miles being the new Spider-Man for the Ultimate universe and diminish the idea that the line is a place where it’s not confined by the “rules” of the 616. I think Marvel would rather keep Miles confined to the Ultimate line for the time being.

Odds: 50 to 1

Mary Jane Watson

This doesn’t seem nearly as far-fetched as it may seem. As you fellow readers of my earlier columns already know, Spidey’s ex was hinted at gaining spider-powers in Amazing Spider-Man #654.1 way before “Spider-Island” was even announced. And the event itself made a big deal about her not having spider-powers when everyone else was infected only to then reveal that she did in Amazing Spider-Man #670. Couple this with Reed Richards saying in Amazing Spider-Man #669 about how those who already had powers were immune, and it’s possible MJ may end up keeping her powers after “Spider-Island” is over. We’ve already seen one supporting cast member in Flash Thompson become a spider-themed hero, so why not another? There’s also nothing that says the new Scarlet Spider has to be male, as the nature of the costume could easily disguise MJ’s more feminine aspects. Plus, a redhead calling herself the “Scarlet Spider” has a nice cheesy quality to it. All that said, given how she broke up with Peter because she didn’t want to put her family in danger, would MJ really decide to become a costumed crime fighter herself? Not to mention, MJ doesn’t seem the type to use such harsh tactics as the Scarlet Spider in the teaser appears to be using. Interesting idea nevertheless

Odds: 10 to 1

Kaine

We all know that Peter Parker’s other clone is an anti-hero who is seeking redemption, so what better way to do that than to adopt the moniker of his former enemy, Ben Reilly? Kaine, like Ben Reilly, already has an origin that can easily be explained to those not familiar with the character (all you have to know is he’s Spider-Man’s clone). The new Scarlet Spider costume evokes a more sinister aspect to the character, which is completely fitting for the more darker and aggressive Kaine. And in the teaser, this Scarlet Spider is performing a move that is eerily similar to “the mark of Kaine” in which he uses his wall-clinging abilities to tear off a person’s skin. Everything seems to fit the more one thinks about it. So far, however, the setback appears to be that Kaine, at the moment, is mutated into a “man-spider” creature called “Taranula” courtesy of the Jackal. Of course, that can easily be remedied seeing how the outcome of “Spider-Island” may involve Kaine being cured of his mutation. But then comes the question of whether or not Marvel would want to launch another comic that has a Spider-Man who, technically, is also Peter Parker, albeit more “grim and gritty.” It sounds rather derivative. Then again, stuff like this is not unheard of in comics.

Odds: 2 to 1

Peter Parker

Now you might already be saying it doesn't make sense that the new Scarlet Spider could ever be our friendly neighborhood Spidey, but there are a few things that could make this possible. For one thing, the outcome of “Spider-Island” may result in Spidey not being so beloved by the public and wanted by the authorities once again. Furthermore, the solicit for Amazing Spider-Man #676 talks about how that particular issue will lead to “the end of Spider-Man.” That may not mean Peter Parker will die or retire, however. It may be that, given the circumstances, he’s forced to adopt a new costumed identity. He’s done so before, from being the “Amazing Bag Man” to the four separate identities of Ricochet, Dusk, Hornet, and Prodigy in “Identity Crisis,” so there is precedence for him becoming a different costumed hero yet again. The downside, however, would be that this would come across like a real bait-and-switch, in that Marvel seems to tease a new “Spider-Man” only to reveal its really the same one in a different get-up. Even so, it’s still a very plausible scenario, especially considering how it is coming out of “Spider-Island” and the impact that may have on Peter as a whole.

Odds: 5 to 1

Aunt May

Come on! Do I really have to explain why there’s not a chance in hell Peter’s doting, ancient, and spider-hating Aunt could ever possibly be a spider-themed superhero? Besides, she already dabbled with the thrill of super-powers before as "the Golden Oldie" (not to mention a stint wearing Iron Man armor alongside Mary Jane!) Then again, at least she wouldn't have any more heart-attacks and really spice up her love life with Jay Jameson, so maybe...?

Odds: 0 to 1

So out of those nine (or should I say, eight), which one do think the new Scarlet Spider will be? Time to place your bets!

J.M. DeMatteis and John Romita's, "Spider-Man: The Lost Years," is a story about Ben Reilly and Kaine but at it's heart it is all about Peter Parker. Joe Quesada once said, and I'm paraphrasing here, that the reason that fans are so passionate about Peter Parker is that they see so much of themselves in him, that a perceived slight against his character is a slight against them. His clones give the writers opportunities to explore facets of his character that would not be possible otherwise.
"Spider-Man: The Lost Years," takes place in the rain drenched streets of Salt Lake City. Detective Jacob Raven is fighting a losing battle against the local mob led by Vincent Tannen. At this point, three years into his exile from New York, Ben Reilly rolls into town. His plan is to get a job at the university, make a few bucks and get out. That's his life at this point. Kaine is already there, spending his time in seedy bars, proving that at least one Parker can drink.
Throughout the mini-series DeMatteis draws parallels between Ben and Kaine, when we meet them they both appear resigned to their individual fates, Ben even convinces himself he has a better life than Peter. Their blissful ignorance is blown apart when they both fall in love with women who are also hiding their true identities. Ben meet Janine Godbe, a waitress with more than a passing resemblance for Mary Jane, Kaine falls for Louise Kennedy, Raven's partner. Of equal importance in this story is Jacob Raven whose story, like Ben and Kaine, is defined by the woman he loves and loses.
What's interesting about this mini series is the sense of dread you feel while reading it. This story is after all a prequel to the clone saga. Going in we knew whatever happiness Ben gained he would eventually lose. Worse still, we knew that not only would Louise die, she would die by Kaine's hand. He would kill the only person that gives him hope and ultimately he would kill her because he is Peter Parker. One of the more endearing traits of Peter's character is his unwavering, almost naive sense of hope. More than any other superhero, with the exception of Superman, his life has been about loss, his parents, Uncle Ben, Captain Stacey, Gwen, Harry, his child and eventually Ben and Kaine. But he doesn't end up brooding in a cave, afraid to live life. He endures because, despite his protests to the contrary, he is an eternal optimist. Kaine was as well, he meets Louise and Kaine thinks that life can be beautiful. Her betrayal as a member of Tanners gang breaks Kaine, he loses that optimism, he is no longer Peter Parker. It is not the cellular degeneration that turns Kaine into a monster, it is the death of hope.
This is where the parallels between Kaine and Ben end, as it is the reveal of Jannie's secret that pulls her and Ben closer together and gives the story a bitter sweet ending. They are together in the end but it clearly won't last. Ben also reveals his secret to Jannie, even about being a clone and Ben's old favorite about being less than a man. Remember what I just said about Peter being the eternal optimist? That's as much about him as it is the people around him. The supporting cast is that important. It wasn't dressing up and playing hero that made Ben give life another shot. It was Janine, all Janine.
I should take a moment to talk about the art in this book. Online and in a lot of reviews I see artists criticized because their art isn't the most attractive to look at, it's not beautiful enough. Comic book art is about story telling, the idea is that if you covered the word balloons you would still get the story. That is what happens here. John Romita is the master of story telling. But still attractive artwork is nice. Romita has that too. He is simply the best.
At the beginning I said that this was a story about Peter Parker, it's a story about what hope does for him. You take it away from him and he becomes a monster, just like he did during DeMatteis, "I am the Spider," run on Amazing. You give him back hope and you get a man like Ben Reilly, who on his first night back in New York would save Peter's life. He saved the life of the one man whose death with solve all his problems. He did that because he still had hope his life would work out.

This has to be the best of the Clone Saga series so far. To all Spider-Man fans out there, this issue is a must read, as it finally breaks away considerably from the original Clone Saga series in the 90's.

The clone saga, as we know is being retold as it was originally intended in six issues. Last week, part three of the clone saga was released. Read Clone saga 1 and Clone saga 2.


In the Clone Saga 2, Kaine, Ben Reilly and Peter were trapped by the Jackal who wanted to use their blood samples to help stabilize the genetic structure of his army of clones. We also found out that Mary Jane was suffering from the same disease that Aunt May was suffering from.



Clone Saga 3, is another extremely rushed, but well drawn comic. The story is obviously good as it is a shortened version of the original Clone Saga -which had a fantastic story line. In this third issue Jackal explains that Kaine is a failed clone whom he is using as an example not to follow. As such, he needs Ben and Peter's blood to cure his new army of clones from degeneration.

The Jackal magnifies Kaine as a failure he does not intend to repeat. As a character, Kaine is tormented physically and mentally. As such he goes feral and break free upon hearing that the Jackal intends to clone Gwen. He states that Gwen is the only unblemished memory he has left and will not allow the Jackal to accomplish his goals.

As Kaine breaks free he asks Peter and Ben to help stop the Jackal. ( As if they wouldn't) The three Peter Parkers set out to fight the army of clones, who apparently do not have the same fighting skills as Spider-man. The reason for this being that the Jackal did not have time to program Peter's memories in them.

As they continue to battle, the Jackal reveals that he has another clone that will surprise them. At the same moment, the clone army begins to disintegrate. Shocked, the Jackal concludes that Peter must be the clone, while Ben is actually the original.


The fight ends with Kaine ultimately killing the Jackal. Kaine then throws the antidote up in the air for Ben and Peter to catch while he runs away. With the antidote, Aunt May and Mary Jane are quickly cured. Peter later discusses with MJ about himself being a clone. They decide to put all differences aside and continue to lead their life together.

Peter later calls a meeting with Ben and is seen giving Ben the Spider-man costume saying that he is resigning from being Spider-man. The final panel shows Kaine planning with someone behind the scenes, again in the shadows, that looks very much like Norman Osborn.


Personal thoughts

Anyone reading this comic will have to agree that it is good. Art is once again consistent, story, as I mentioned can't be bad. The only problem here is that the story is rushed too much, just like Clone saga 2.

So with that out of the way, I have two questions.

1. Who is the guy in the shadows?
   
2. Who is the other clone besides Gwen stacey?

Spider-man: Clone Saga 2 - To start with, the cover of this issue has absolutely nothing to do with the comic's story. This second installment to the new, improved, and original Clone Saga has seemed to jumped a few steps ahead from where Clone Saga # 1 left off. The story moves extremely quickly, possibly too quickly.

In this second issue, Ben Reilly has already taken on a new identity - the Scarlet Spider. As the preview implies, Ben Reilly has moved on to another part of town, has a job, and is being followed by Kaine. It is interesting how Kaine, although bigger, stronger, and with heightened senses, still has a streak of Peter's habits. For example - trying to make jokes while fighting.

Before this issue, Peter has never met Kaine before. As such neither he, nor Ben know that Kaine is in fact another clone of Peter Parker. The preview ends with Mary Jane not feeling so good. The next scene, reveals that Mary Jane has already broken the news about her pregnancy to Peter.


While Peter thinks that MJ's health is a result of her pregnancy, the doctor thinks otherwise. Mary Jane is later diagnosed with the same genetic condition as Aunt May. How strange since MJ and Aunt May are not the least bit related.

The thing about Kaine is that he is Peter. He has feelings and emotions. Thus, when his heightened Spider sense give him visions of an ill Mary Jane, he decides to go all out against his boss. ( its related you see)



Ben visits Mary Jane and Peter. Peter and Ben later come to the conclusion that there is someone behind Mary Jane and Aunt May's condition. Kaine appears, offering help as he knows who is behind this (his boss obviously). After a very quick fight, the three team up and follow Kaine.

The story ends with the Jackal, who was most probably Kaine's boss all along, capturing the Peters by releasing a gas that affects Peter's DNA. It is only at this point that Peter learns Kaine is another clone of himself.

So, what is motivating this Jackal character against Peter? He wants to create an army of clones that will help him rule the world. In case you did not know, Jackal is the crook who began the cloning in the first place.

Personal thoughts
World domination has to be one of the oldest objectives of all villains. So much so, that it is not even common to comic characters, except for a few weird ones, like the Jackal. Check out the scan below.



It is neat that Kaine still exhibits feelings behind what makes him a bad guy. It reinstates that he is still 'Peter Parker.' Although the story of this issue is not quite impressive, due to the rush through events, the characters involves are admirable.



Most people read Spider-man, not only because of the story, but because of the character of the characters - namely Peter and Mary Jane. It is not in every comic that you find such character. This of course leads to another topic of why making the deal with Mephisto was a bad idea.

Mary Jane and Aunt may clones?

We have to keep in mind that this clone saga miniseries is not going to go in the same direction as the original. As such, there will have to be room for new stuff. Some of this new stuff could include Mary Jane diagnosed with the same problem as Aunt May. I am unsure of the what was originally intended on their first clone saga. Could it be possible that MJ and Aunt May are clones here? From this issue, it is obvious that the Jackal was behind causing Aunt May and MJ to fall ill. A cloned MJ and Aunt May could explain quite a bit here, no?

Anyhow, one good thing for sure is that the Clone Saga # 3 begins exactly where this issue ends. Click the link to check out the preview.

A comic that looks better than its cover is exactly what Amazing Spider-man # 609 is. As a reader, if I had not been following the story from the last issue, I would not pick this comic, judging from its cover. As can be seen below, the cover is not all that attractive. Spider-man swinging, (eyes at his nose) above some creep.



Fortunately, unlike the cover, this comic is once again near perfect. Guggenheim is doing an awesome job here. Art is again consistent with issue 608. Spidey, and even Peter has this cool Batman/serious look. Peter Parker, as we all know, does not take the safety of his loved ones lightly. Similarly, this comic is no different as Peter gets 'serious' when those close to him are in danger. As in # 608, the story shifts from present time to past, revealing more background information to the relationship between Ben Reilly and Damon Ryder in the past.

Summary

From the preview, we know that Kaine is looking for Raptor because he believes that Damen can help his deteriorating condition. Issue # 608 left off with Ben, not very pleased when he found out that Ryder had been experimenting on himself with Dinosaur DNA. As a result he ties Ryder up and quickly goes to get some help. He hopes to find someone who can sedate Ryder and flush out the Dino-DNA in him. We see Kaine's shadowy figure in the background, listening to the conversation between Ben and Ryder as they fight.




Returning to where the preview left off, Kaine is still fighting Spidey. The fight ends with Kaine stating how Peter would react in the exact same fashion as he is, if he were in Kaine's position.
And yes, Kaine knows Peter's identity. He then tosses a cab at Spider-man and makes a run for it. While catching the cab, Spider-man hears Screwball on the radio calling for Spider-man's attention. Apparently she wants to meet him since her hits on her website rocket sky high whenever they meet.

Honestly, I do not see any necessity in bringing Screwball into the picture here. However, there may be a purpose for it all later.

On a more important note, Peter returns to his apartment and gets a little frantic as he thinks Raptor may have hurt Michelle. Ironically, Raptor did not hurt Michelle at all. He simply used her to get some information on where the Reilly's were staying. He also left a little gift for Peter - a dirty stuffed toy.



We later see Damon's kid playing with that same toy in the Ben Reilly flashback. The comic takes us back Ben Reilly, who has found some help. Unfortunately, he returns to the lab with Damon no where to be found. It is interesting that there is some reference to Raptor, being similar to Stegron - an old dinosaur like villain ( below).



Obviously he is much more dinosaur that Raptor. Although Raptor is not too far from getting there. Read this

Ben Reilly, then puts on his 'no-nonsense mask' and storms toward Ryder's home. Apparently, Ryder has mutated into some 'big jawed' dino-man. Outside of Ryder's home is Kaine observing Reilly.

Coming back to Peter, he too, has his 'no nonsense mask' on. After all, tehy are the same person. As mentioned, Peter's protective character over his loved ones is really shown here. He arrives at his aunt's house to find everyone held hostage. In the final scene we see our hero, ready to reveal his alter-ego to save his best friend and cousins, as revealed in the panel below.



Personal comments:

This is exactly the type of 'Serious Batman no-nonsense' mask that Peter puts on when those close to him are in danger. Due to the situation change (the bad guy is after Peter, not Spidey) we no longer have our harmless Peter Parker. Instead we will be having some serious action coming from the man without his mask!

He obviously is not afraid to reveal his identity if it means safety for those around him from
the Raptor.

Peter also leaves Michelle more clueless as his final words to her are ' Stay in a hotel tonight.'

According to an interview with Bob Gale,
there will be an issue centered around Michelle soon. I'm looking forward to see what Marvel will do with this character.

In this issue, we see quite a fair bit of Kaine sneaking around Ryder's house, spying on Reilly. It seems more possible that Kaine may have been the one to kill Ryder's family.



Overall personal rating: A

This comic issue is split into three different stories.

1. Kaine in Echoes - follows through to ASM # 608
2. Spider-girl -I am not a big fan of Spider-girl, although I like the idea that Peter and MJ get married and have two kids.
3. Frog man -don't ask