Scarlet Spider

Scarlet Spider #21

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Scarlet Spider #21Kaine returns from New York a broken man after his encounter with Doc Ock Spidey and the Jackal and the return of his degeneration scars that mean the clone’s days are once again numbered. However, things really pick up when the frustrated Scarlet Spider is confronted by his namesake – the original Scarlet Spider who proceeds to kick our hero’s ass.

Without giving too much away, despite Kaine’s untrustworthy perception the clues to the identity of the other Scarlet Spider not being Ben Reilly are impossible to ignore well-before the character is unmasked. I’d have certainly preferred the return of Reilly in some form of another to the switch we get here, but the joy of getting two Scarlet Spiders in one issue helps mollify that disappointment (and the return of the Jackal’s clones certainly doesn’t rule out Reilly’s return sometime in the future).

Most of the comic centers around the fight between the two heroes one clad in black and red and the other in crimson and his trademark blue hoodie, but we also see several of Kaine’s friends being attacked as well as if someone is systematically hunting the former assassin and all who he loves down.

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Scarlet Spider #20

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Scarlet Spider #20Picking up after he end of Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #2, the second-half of “Sibling Rivalry” begins with both Kaine and Doc Ock Spidey captured by the Jackal who has taken a lab full of genetic samples for his latest clonetastic enterprise.

Thanks to Kaine (the only one of our heroes to show any heroics), the pair manage to escape and destroy the lab. Sadly, that means a fiery end for the clone of Gwen Stacy but not for the Jackal or all of his precious knowledge which manages to survive. The fallout leaves Kaine and the new Spider-Man far from on friendly terms, but that’s hardly Kaine’s biggest concern after he discovers the cellular degeneration which has plagued him his entire existence has once again returned.

My only real complaint (other than the fact in involves the “superior” Spider-Man) is the art of In-Hyuk Lee. It’s not bad by any means, but it’s a drastic change from both the first-half of the story as well as the regular art of the comic which has stayed relatively consistent despite showcasing the work of several different artists.

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Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #2

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Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #2Send in the clones. When the Scarlet Spider returns to New York to have a talk with Spider-Man nothing goes according to plan. First, Kaine is unprepared for the new Spidey (as no one has figured out that Doctor Octopus‘ mind is in control of Peter Parker’s body). Seeking revenge for his paralysis Kaine caused, Spider-Man attacks an increasingly confused and angered Kaine, but that’s only the beginning of what becomes a very long night.

Trouble multiples exponentially with the arrival of Spider-Clones, the Jackal, and even a gun-toting clone of Gwen Stacy. It would appear the new Clone Wars have officially begun.

I’ve stayed away from Superior Spider-Man as I’ve been less than enthused at the prospect of a Doc Ock Spidey. However, the back-and-forth between the two former super-villains trying to live-up to Spider-Man’s legacy works well here. I have enjoyed writer Christopher Yost’s work on Scarlet Spider and I’m intrigued to see just what the return of the Jackal has in store for everyone Spidey-related. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Scarlet Spider #19

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Scarlet Spider #19Sometimes you just have to kill a god. The Scarlet Spider and Wolverine‘s team-up comes to and as the two murderers turned heroes take on not only Bella Donna and the Assassins Guild but the immortal Candra who wishes to feed of the bones of both men.

The uneasy alliance between the two lasts through the fighting, but Wolverine is less than pleased with the methods Kaine uses to end the war with the Assassins Guild as he serves the group to the Kingpin on a silver platter. Wolverine’s chastising aside, Kaine is willing to pay whatever price necessary for solving his problem with the Guild and keeping Aracely (who the X-Men seem to be in a great hurry to get rid of) safe at least for the foreseeable future.

Although I don’t see Kaine getting invited back to the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning for high tea any time soon, the forced team-up with two of Marvel’s deadliest heroes works well (and allows for plenty of Kaine’s sardonic narration which writer Christopher Yost does so well). Kaine’s deal with the Kingpin also foreshadows new trouble for the hero sometime down the line. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $2.99]

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Scarlet Spider #18

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Scarlet Spider #18Murderous Marvel Team-Up! Last issue the Scarlet Spider was sent to kill Wolverine. In this issue our hero teams up with the X-Man to take on the Assassins Guild. After explaining that Wolverine and (some) of the X-Men were in on the Scarlet Spider’s attack via Aracely‘s telepathy, the two heroes finish faking his death and then set out together to take down and the Guild together (as Aracely stays behind to creep out and/or annoy the rest of the X-Men).

Writer Christopher Yost is in fine form here providing several fun moments between the two heroes including Kaine’s apt description of Logan, Logan’s reaction to Kaine being a clone of Spider-Man, and Wolverine’s reaction to the brilliance of the Scarlet Spider’s plan.

Next month’s issue concludes this arc, but I have really enjoyed Wolverine and Scarlet Spider together and hope we see the pair get another team-up somewhere down the line. (And it’s always interesting to see Wolverine team with someone who is arguably more murderous than he is.) Worth a look.

[Marvel, $2.99]

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