Clone Saga: Part 5
Clone Stacy is really the new Carnage, Aunt May is still lying on the floor, and Nick Fury is ready to kick some spider butt. We also find out what Creepy-Parker Clone is doing with Mary Jane. Get ready to rumble as the Clone Saga continues as only Bendis can bring it.
Ultimate Spider-Man
Clone Saga: Part 5
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artists: Mark Bagley (p), Drew Hennessy (i), Justin Ponsor (c)
Has it really been a month since the new Carnage burst from the old Parker home to put the smack down on Nick Fury and his agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? While the Spider Slayers should be prepared for a fight, Fury and company have only programmed the robots to adapt to Peter Parker’s actions. While headquarters attempts to reprogram the A.I., Fury orders open fire on anything and everything.
Aunt May is fading fast, so against his father’s wishes, Peter leaps into the fray attacking Fury directly to get him to stop the skirmish. The Slayer drones zap Parker with a neural disruptor, but before Fury can take Peter out for good, the Fantastic Four show up.
Ben and Reed attempt to deal with Carnage with some rather interesting results.
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While the boys play, Sue rushes to Aunt May’s aid, and using her force field, escort Dr. Parker and Aunt May to safety.
The skirmish and appearance of the Fantastic Four have given S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ time to recalibrate the Slayers. On Fury’s command the drones open fire at full force, which appears to do the trick.
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For Peter, this issue looks like it could be his last as Spider-Man, because of the problems the Spider Clones have caused, Fury is forced to take Peter into custody, presumably to take him out of service for good.
But are the clones really to blame?
Checking in with Mutant-Parker and Mary Jane, we learn that Oz – a drug Norman Osborne was working on to replicate the Super Soldier Serum – is behind all the mess. While Mary Jane was unconscious at the end of issue 100, Creepy Parker injected MJ with the Oz formula.
Like the Hulk, anger appears to begin the transformation. We saw it happen with Gwen, and now that MJ is freaked out, she too undergoes a change.
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Not having read much Spider-Man over the years, I have no idea if this is a new character, or the Ultimate appearance of someone from the regular Marvel Universe, but it looks pretty bitchin’ doesn’t it?
As short as this review has been, nothing is left out. Bendis once again is stretching 15 minutes into an issue’s worth of content. More hints are dropped at what has occurred, but just like Peter Parker, I feel many readers are going to feel cheated at only getting part of the story.
The Good
- Stretchy Reed v. Stretchy Carnage
- Fan boy delight
- Parker on a rampage
The Bad
- $3.00, 22 pages
- Not enough residential damage
- More questions left unanswered
Time expansion aside, Ultimate Spider-Man #101 packs a lot of punch into a smattering of pages. If Bendis can do something to turn this tale around soon, it will be one heck of a ride. There are only three issues left, and I hope the story will make sense, reaching a logical conclusion by then. I’ve been a big fan of the story up until now, but like many readers, my frustration continues to mount, causing me to give this issue 2.5 out of 5 Stars.
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