Web of Spider-Man: Raising Kaine
Legendary Spidey scribe J.M. DeMatteis brings back the controversial Kaine in WEB OF SPIDER-MAN
Posted: 2009-09-16 Updated: 2009-09-17 09:47:39
By Jim Beard
Peter Parker's not alone in the world. Somewhere, hidden away from the eyes of the public, lurks
Kaine, his clone. And like Peter, the ongoing AMAZING SPIDER-MAN series now also claims a "brother" in WEB OF SPIDER-MAN.
Kicking off this October 14, the brand-new WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #1 tunnels deep into the brain of a figure who writer, J.M. DeMatteis calls, "a deep and tragic character."
The prolific DeMatteis originally spun the web of Kaine in two 1990s limited series, SPIDER-MAN: THE LOST YEARS and SPIDER-MAN: REDEMPTION, the latter of which climaxed with Parker's clone surrendering to the authorities and preparation for hopeful absolution.
"This new story [in WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #1] finds Kaine in prison not long after [REDEMPTION] and it's safe to say he's wondering if surrender was really such a good idea," explains DeMatteis. 'It's one thing to
say you're going to seek some kind of salvation, another to find yourself locked away like an animal.
"Another important element of the story is the fact that Kaine's cellular degeneration-the cloning process that created him was seriously flawed-is accelerating. He's dying. Reassessing his life. Facing the ghosts of his past head on."
The inaugural issue of Spidey's new title reassesses the character of Kaine while at the same time weaving threads that will tie into the upcoming AMAZING SPIDER-MAN events "Who is
Ben Reilly?" and "The Gauntlet." In the middle of that tapestry resides the only living clone of Peter Parker, a man DeMatteis hopes to further flesh out and explain.
"The Clone Saga is an, understandably, controversial story in
Spider-Man's history, but there were some great concepts and characters that came out of that era and Kaine, along with Ben Reilly, is right at the top of the list," he insists. "What fascinates me most about him is the duality: one aspect
of Kaine is a stone-cold lunatic, capable of doing truly terrible things; another aspect is still very much connected to the good and decent man whose DNA created him: Peter Parker. That struggle, between the monster and the man, is what draws me to the character. This isn't a Jekyll and Hyde template where he's either one thing or the other. Both aspects of Kaine exist side by side, constantly pulling on him."
Peter's other clone, the late Ben Reilly, represents yet another side of Peter, a "brother" for whom Kaine possesses a wide degree of awareness and thought.
"In THE LOST YEARS Kaine loathed Reilly," DeMatteis notes. "Wanted to destroy him-at least that's how he felt on a conscious level; I think that, beneath that, his feelings were always more conflicted, but as their war went on, as their connection deepened, Kaine came to respect Reilly. To truly see him as a brother. In the end it was Reilly who convinced Kaine to give himself up. I don't think anyone else could have pulled off that trick.
"And, yes, you'll see Ben in this story."
WEB OF SPIDER-MAN also offers the return of sorts of one of Spider-Man's most insidious foes, the creator of Ben and Kaine: Miles Warren, the
Jackal.
"The Jackal, at least as we re-imagined him during the original Clone Saga, was a dangerous, unpredictable force," reminds DeMatteis. "Brilliant, chaotic and cruel. He used Kaine from the start, manipulated him. I think he could still manipulate him because, for all that they've been through together, a part of Kaine still sees the Jackal as his father. It's a classic dysfunctional relationship: he hates Daddy, would love to kill him, and yet a part of him would sacrifice anything for his father's approval and love."
Also vying for your love and approval will be WEB OF SPIDER-MAN's amazing artist, Val Semeiks, a past collaborator of DeMatteis' and an important ingredient in the new series' recipe for success.
"This is the third, maybe fourth, story we've done for Spider-Man editor Steve Wacker and this is Val's best so far," DeMatteis points out. "He's really brought out all the shades of emotion-the rage and torment, the hope, despair and confusion-in the character [of Kaine]. His drawing is strong, his storytelling is terrific and he's a total pro. I'm looking forward to more collaborations with Val. We've also roped the great Dan Green in to ink this story, so I know it's going to look amazing."
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