SPOILER WARNING: This article contains spoilers for "Clone Conspiracy" #3, on sale now.
This week's "Clone Conspiracy" #3 by Dan Slott and Jim Cheung contained one of the more surprising comic book character returns in recent memory: Ben Reilly, the original Peter Parker clone who took over the Spider-Man mantle for a time in the '90s, is back from the dead; after being MIA since 1996's "Spider-Man" #75. More than that, he's been operating in secret as the Jackal for years, and thus stands unmasked as the main antagonist of the "Clone Conspiracy" story -- plus, he wants to use the "New U" process that brought him back to life on Peter Parker's Uncle Ben, whose death famously inspired Spidey to take on superheroics way back in "Amazing Fantasy" #15.
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It's a lot to take in, and to further tease fans who want to know the rest of the story, Marvel has released several pieces of art from upcoming Spider-Man comics taking place after the Reilly revelation. First, here are interior pages from Dec. 21's "Amazing Spider-Man" #22 co-written by Slott and Christos Gage, with art by Giuseppe Camuncoli.
"It's one of the more intense issues of any comic you can read," Spider-Man group editor Nick Lowe, speaking to reporters including CBR in a press call earlier today, said of "Amazing Spider-Man" #22. "It's messed up," Slott added.
Next up is black-and-white pages from "Clone Conspiracy" #4, from Slott and Cheung, scheduled for release on Jan. 18.
Last up is James Harren's cover for "The Clone Conspiracy Omega," a one-shot detailing the aftermath of the event due out in March.
"No one leaves this story untouched," Slott told the press. "There's so much going on, so much powerful material, that we needed the Omega to tell everybody's story and bring this all home, and show where Spider-Man's world is going."
Keep reading CBR for the latest on "The Clone Conspiracy."