Preview Review: Spider-Man: The Clone Conspiracy: Omega #1

Spider-Man engages in some tough grief counseling for The Rhino in the preview of the real ending to The Clone Conspiracy.

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You thought Spider-Man: The Clone Conspiracy was over? Oh, you silly, naïve little Spider-Man fan, you. What’s the point of having a multi-part, crossover event if you can’t squeeze yet another comic book out of it? Hence the publication of an epilogue issue, The Clone Conspiracy: Omega #1. And it seems Marvel are so confident about this issue, they released two previews, one without text, and another featuring four complete pages, as seen at CBR and Newsarama.

Which means, for this “Preview Review,” we’ll be combining both sneak peaks of The Clone Conspiracy: Omega #1 into a single analysis. This may sound daunting, but since a couple of pages are exactly the same from the textless preview and the four page preview, it will make our job easier. And, as we’ve done over the course of our “Preview Reviews,” we’ll first take a look at this issue’s alternate cover.

Credit: Adi Granov (Marvel Comics); variant cover for

Spider-Man: The Clone Conspiracy: Omega

Looks like this is another one of those “Spider-Man perches on the ledge of a building” scenes. As if this wasn’t enough, it’s also a “Spider-Man perches on the ledge of a building, at night, in the middle of rain” scene, to make it seem dark, moody, and atmospheric. As if Spider-Man and Batman are interchangeable. (Although, given how Peter Parker uses his own company to finance his Spider-Man operations, they technically are these days.) So Adi Granov’s cover, while certainly well illustrated, also makes for some bland, “been there, done that” imagery.

Credit: Cory Smith and Justin Ponsor (Marvel Comics); from

Spider-Man: The Clone Conspiracy: Omega

Guess Ben27 giving folks a Willy Wonka tour was something he inherited from Peter Parker. But in all seriousness, this page brings up a plot point which demanding clarification. Yes, “The Jackal” did clone dead people, but only those acquainted with Spider-Man or also his enemies. The rest, as we saw in Clone Conspiracy #5, were kept alive in cryogenic hibernation. Which makes this a completely different cold storage room. But I suppose that’s obvious given how the casket supposedly containing Uncle Ben’s remains, which we didn’t see last time, is also kept this room. Yet without having that context, this reads as though no one Ben27 cloned were also still alive.

At least this comic does follow-up on Uncle Ben’s grave being dug up, but what Peter says here also conflicts with what happened during Clone Conspiracy #4. Because Peter correctly deduced that Ben27 never planned on bringing back Uncle Ben as a clone, even if Peter did agree. Thus Peter telling Uncle Ben’s remains essentially that he made the right decision in refusing Ben27’s offer, but still wants him back lacks any dramatic weight the scene hopes to convey.

Credit: Cory Smith and Justin Ponsor (Marvel Comics); from Spider-Man: The Clone Conspiracy: Omega #1

We get a glimpse at what seems is this issue’s first major action set piece, and it does look promising. The Rhino looks appropriately massive, strong, and intimidating, and his rage is understandable. These are also energetic panels, too, with the added motion lines creating a genuine sense of movement and fluidity. Especially with the bottom panel showing Spider-Man swinging down, kicking Rhino in the face.

But I do have one “Nerdy Nitpick.” How can there be any remains of “Oksana” left? Since dissolved into dust, doesn’t this mean she’s now scattered and mixed-up among all the other dissolved clones?

Credit: Cory Smith and Justin Ponsor (Marvel Comics); from Spider-Man: The Clone Conspiracy: Omega #1

Again, these are some great, fluid-looking panels. And it’s always great when an artist illustrates multiple images of Spidey in the same scene as a means of showing just how fast the web-head moves. But again, there’s a conflict between what Spider-Man says and what actually happened during Clone Conspiracy. Spider-Man warns The Rhino that, because he held “Oksana” while she died, he could still be infected with the Carrion virus. Except, as we saw in both Clone Conspiracy #5 and Amazing Spider-Man (2015) #24, Spidey neutralized the virus. Hence why the clones who did survive are no longer falling apart, or why there isn’t any wide-spread outbreak. So how can the Rhino still be “infected?”

Credit: Cory Smith and Justin Ponsor (Marvel Comics); from Spider-Man: The Clone Conspiracy: Omega #1

Again, the Rhino’s rage and grief is perfectly understandable. And it makes sense for Spider-Man trying his best at emphasizing with him in order to calm him down. But when Spidey says he “lost people today, too,” it’s, logically, untrue. Because, as it’s pointed out more than once, the “reanimates” were never the resurrected dead. They were clones. And a clone, even though they have the same DNA and memories of the original, are not the original. This was a copy of Oksana Rhino is grieving over, not Oksana herself. If Spider-Man really wants to help the Rhino, he should tell him that “The Jackal” lied and manipulated him into doing his bidding, and that he never brought anyone back to life, least of all Oksana.

Credit: Stuart Immonen, Wade Von Grawbadger, and Richard Isanove (Marvel Comics); from Spider-Man: The Clone Conspiracy: Omega #1

Except for taking place in a Chinese restaurant, does anyone else think this “silent” page seems a little bit inspired by the “Agent Smith Burly Brawl” from The Matrix Reloaded? Moreover, while it might seem great that Clone Conspiracy: Omega #1 is following through on The Kingpin seeking revenge against “the Jackal,” what exactly did his presence during this event really contribute? In the end, both the “Dead No More” back-up feature from the Free Comic Book Day edition of Steve Rogers: Captain America, and the other back-up from Amazing Spider-Man (2015) #19 never amounted to anything substantial. In hindsight, most of the plot from Clone Conspiracy #3, including Kingpin giving Spider-Man the location of Ben27 and the no-name grave robbers’ latest meeting. Unless this involves some surprise twist, I’m still not seeing the point.

Also, while Wilson Fisk does favor all-white custom-made suits, the absence of any discernible details make him look unfinished. That panel where he’s eating with chopsticks? It looks more like a severed hand floating in the air. Not exactly a great artistic choice.

So judging on whether these are effective preview pages, it’s mostly Yes when it comes to the artwork, but mostly No as far the writing’s concerned. We’ll have a complete picture once the full issue hits stands, but considering how Christos Gage has story credit along with Dan Slott, I wouldn’t be surprised if some signals got crossed between Slott’s plotting and Gage’s dialogue. Then again, it seems the only reason this comic exists is to clear up some unresolved gaps from the miniseries, but mostly promote upcoming storylines. At least, this time, it really will be “The End.”

Spider-Man: The Clone Conspiracy: Omega #1 is available this Wednesday, March 1, 2017.

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