Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #410

 Posted: 2004
 Staff: Josh Roberts

Background

In part two of this four-part arc, Peter and Ben are confused when the skeleton dug up from the bottom of the smokestack (very old plot point from years back) turns out to be a clone. What?

Story 'And Now-- Spider-Carnage'

Ben and Peter discuss what the results of the skeleton might mean as they return from the Avengers' headquarters. Both begin to question what the new discovery means about who/what they are.

Meanwhile, Carnage's symbiote has indeed escaped, though without his host (Cletus Kassidy). After several pages of fighting with Spider-man and anyone else who gets in his way, the symbiote leaves its current host body and bonds with Ben, forming a sort of "Spider-Carnage."

However, the Carnage situation seems to take a back seat in this issue (despite taking up most of the story) when Peter goes to see Seward Trainer in the hospital. Seward refuses to see him--because of a phone call he receives just as Peter is entering the hospital. The man on the other end of the phone call? A mysterious, shadowed figure in a car just outside the hospital. In just one short page, the clone saga has suddenly taken a whole new direction.

General Comments

The art is better than in last month's Amazing Spider-man, and the story flows better, too, but this is still the weakest link in the four "core" titles. Amazing seems to have been designated the "pointless fight scenes" issue of every story arc.

Overall Rating

Two and a half webs. The overall story is fine, but this issue isn't really anything fantastic.

 Posted: 2004
 Staff: Josh Roberts