I am blown away by the story's content; it's characters, it's pacing, the parallel of Ben and Kaine, numerous plots colliding. It is truly amazing. Couple this with John Romita Jr's exquisite pencilling talent and "Spider-Man: The Lost Years" is a real winner!

I would give this book a much higher score than five stars if I had the capability.


it's not peter parker but it's spider-man anyway   October 27, 1999
 2 out of 3 found this review helpful

i for one did not hate the spider-man clone saga. after all it's a story now i just wish there was more ben storys like this.so you know it is not spider-man its sorta the scarlet-spider wich is who he will be five years from now in the story it's a deep story ben thanking he is no one finds he is a hero that is the part he may be a clone but he's a hero that is who he is. i say five stars but it sould be 10 stars.


Spider-Man the Lost Years   November 22, 2000
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This was a great story with wonderful drawings, it was intense and direct. Peter Parker thinking he is a clone with no ties to the real world. It brings back the feeling that Spider-Man comics should bring! Really enjoyed it! ...


If you hated the clone saga, don't read this   May 29, 1999
The Spider-clone saga was a waste of everyone's time. There for you should not read this story as it details the life of Ben Reiley in the years before he returned to New York and was eventually killed by the Green Goblin while saving the real Spider-Man (Peter Parker's life). DeMatteis also write a sequal to this story called "The Final Redemption", which ties up some loose ends in the Lost Years but is not much better. DeMatteis has never written a decent comic book script since.


The Best Clone Story Of That Saga!   May 16, 2008
I, personally, hated the clone saga BUT I have to admit this back story is one of the best things to come out of it.

It tells the tale of Ben Reiley (aka Scarlet Spider and later Spider-Man) during the years after his "death" in New York. He's a drifter running from place to place until he comes to St. Louis (I think). There he finds another job teaching science at a local university and even love with Janine (a near Mary Jane lookalike).

Eventually though, circumstances forces him to use his spider-powers to fight a local crime mob but discovers that people he thought were allies turn out to be enemies and vice versa!

As I said, I hated the clone saga BUT if I had to recommend a story from that line, this is the one!