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Review: Scarlet Spider #22
How can you tell that a comic is scheduled for cancellation? The art quality starts to drop. Scarlet Spider is coming to an end in December, and so the art has started to dive-bomb. Three artists are credited on this issue, and it definitely shows. The art is all over the place – fortunately, the story is very solid. It’s the build up to Kaine vs. Kraven and it’s pretty darn cool.
Scarlet Spider #22
I thought Scarlet Spider had staying power. I was wrong. But hopefully Chris Yost (and apparently co-writer Erik Burnham) can give us a grand finale.
Comic Rating: 7/10 – Good.
After this, there are only three issues left of Scarlet Spider. One of them will be the final battle against Kraven, but then what? The solicitations seem to point towards a sad ending to Scarlet Spider. That would be disappointing, but it would also be earned. Kaine hasn’t exactly been the best kind of hero. So I’m definitely excited to see how it all ends.
Fortunately, Kaine is the perfect kind of hero to take on Kraven in this issue. It’s been a blast reading his stories all this time, and I’m excited to see Kaine face off with a real villain with real history. Yost no longer has anything to lose. The series is over. So maybe Kaine will cut loose and give in to all the spider madness that Yost has been building so far. I want to see Kaine go wild in a real beat down, drag out knuckleduster.
And this issue is a great start.
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!
Scarlet Spider is Canceled!
Say it ain’t so, true-believers! The Scarlet Spider series is being cancelled in December! Scarlet Spider #25 is the final issue, and it looks to be a doozy!
I hope he lives
This is bumming me out. I really enjoy Scarlet Spider, enough so to give each issue a major review. I will be very disappointed to see the series leave. I’m not sure why it’s being canceled. I don’t think Marvel has said anything yet. Maybe sales were low? We always knew the series wasn’t exactly star material. It was just a fun comic.
Scarlet Spider is about Kaine, the clone of Spider-Man, who tried and usually failed to be a good person and a good superhero in Houston, TX. Scarlet Spider was heaped in characters and imagery from the Clone Saga, one of the most hated comic book stories of all time. But it’s one of my favorites, so I was completely behind Kaine getting his own series.
But good things don’t last forever. Here’s the solicitation from December:
SCARLET SPIDER #25
CHRIS YOST
DAVID BALDEON (A)
Cover by Ryan Stegman
LAST DEVASTATING ISSUE!
• It’s over. Kaine did his best to be a hero. He failed.
• What about Houston?! Who lives? Who dies? Is there a place for the Scarlet Spider in this world? The answers will surprise you.
• Two years and 25 issues have led to THIS! Guest starring: MEXICO!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99
Kaine failed to be a hero? So I guess in the long run, the series really is going to be about Kaine’s failed attempt to be a superhero. His life has been getting progressively worse since the series started. That’s kind of depressing.
Review: Scarlet Spider #21
That cover is no fakeout, my friends. The classic Scarlet Spider appears in this issue! Who else is super excited? Granted, it’s not Ben Reilly come back from the dead. That would be too much to hope for. But somebody does wear the classic Scarlet Spider costume, and that’s cool enough for me. As I mentioned in last week’s List of Six, I’m a big fan of the Clone Saga, and an even bigger fan of Ben Reilly and the Scarlet Spider. Why do you think I’m reviewing this Scarlet Spider series in this larger review format? Because a fanboy’s gonna love what a fanboy’s gonna love.
Scarlet Spider #21
Scarlet Spider #21 is a set-up issue for the next big danger that Kaine must fight his way through. The fact that it features a call back to the original Scarlet Spider is the sweetest of icings on this cake.
Comic Rating: 7/10 – Good.
Say what you will about the sleeveless hoodie, the visible webshooters and the pouches around the ankles, but I love the Scarlet Spider costume. It’s possibly my favorite alternate Spider-Man costume ever. You better believe I unlock it as soon as possible whenever I’m playing a Spider-Man video game. I like the sleekness of the design, plus I loved the character. And I like the visible webshooters. They’re a neat alteration. I even like the ankle pouches. So sue me. The 90s were a time when pouches were in, and I started reading comics in the 90s. We all like what we all like.
So anyway, Scarlet Spider is still going strong, and Kaine is still on a downward spiral of self-loathing. The guy feels like crap, and that carries over into this issue. He’s dealing with a lot of baggage. Of course, that’s the perfect time to start a new storyline, and this issue delivers in spades. Heck, if I didn’t know any better, this could almost serve as a grand finale, but I’m pretty sure Kaine isn’t being cancelled. A villain with ties to Kaine’s past returns and starts picking apart Kaine’s life, taking down the friends he’s made in Houston. This seems to be leading up to a brawl to end them all, and I’m very much of looking forward to that. After everything Kaine has been through lately, I want to see him just use all of that anger and pain to really kick some ass!
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 8/17/13
This was a big week for comics. Positively huge! And I’m not just talking about my pull list, which was equally as massive. I mean we’ve got the first issue of Infinity, Marvel’s next Big Event comic. We all know that Age of Ultron stank like rotting socks. So might Jonathan Hickman save the day with a big space and Thanos-themed event? Maybe! But what about the Superior Spider-Man side of things? There’s a two-part Superior Team-Up/Scarlet Spider crossover that’s a real treat. That’s big news.
Not only that, but we’ve got the end of the first big storyline in Thor: God of Thunder, as well as the start of a new storyline in Fearless Defenders. Yep, I decided to pick up Fearless Defenders again! And all of these are just the comics I decided to review this week. There were a ton of good issues I had to leave off due to time and space.
There were a lot of good comics this week, though mostly average to good, I’m afraid. I still think I’m suffering from some kind of comic book burnout. Nothing has really captured my attention in a long while. Everything just seems generally good. Oh well. Maybe it’s just something I ate.
Comic Book of the Week goes to Infinity #1. It wasn’t the best comic I read this week, but it pulls off a successful first issue for a Big Event. Of course, that’s what I said about the first part of Trinity War, and we all know how that’s turning out…
I love the cat Skrull
Comic Reviews: Astro City #3, Fearless Defenders #8, Infinity #1, Justice League of American #7, Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #2, Scarlet Spider #20, Thor: God of Thunder #11 and Wolverine and the X-Men #34.
Review: Scarlet Spider #18
Who knew Kaine could be so funny? I know he’s a clone of Peter Parker and everything, but he’s usually a sourpuss straight man. I guess with Aracely mostly sitting this issue out, somebody’s got to keep up the chuckles. Because what would a book like Scarlet Spider be without some humor? And Wolverine isn’t about to deliver. That guy is as sourpuss as they come. But I’m not going to complain when Scarlet Spider gets some attention from the rest of the Marvel Universe.
Scarlet Spider #18
The continuing Scarlet Spider/Wolverine team-up is as entertaining as it was last issue, albeit for different reasons. Writer Chris Yost is doing a team-up right.
Comic Rating: 4/5 – Good.
Somehow, seemingly against all reason, Scarlet Spider is still chugging along 18 issues later. I’ve never seen it mentioned as a comic due for cancellation. Does it have an audience? Is it actually selling? Because that would be fantastic. Maybe this Wolverine cameo will help punch up sales for a little bit. It was a classic maneuver back in the day for new comics to guest star Wolverine or Spider-Man as quickly as possible. What better way to sell a new hero to audiences than by giving him or her some team-up time with the big shots? That’s kind of what happens here. Maybe this is even an homage. Scarlet Spider and Wolverine team up to take on some colorful bad guys. It’s as classic as comic books get.
The art by Carlo Barberi and Ale Garza is, likewise, top notch. It’s clear, detailed and full of action. I was unhappy for the longest time with Scarlet Spider‘s artist, but now the series has got that taken care of. So at this point, Scarlet Spider needs to take the comic to the next level. It’s got solid storytelling, solid characters and solid art. It’s entertaining and fun to read. But it could stand to be…something more. One can’t exactly say what it could use, or what exactly could be done. Deeper stories. More meaningful character development. Maybe a hot romantic relationship? Who knows! But when you’ve got a good, quality comic, you can’t just rest on your laurels. Kick things up a notch, Chris Yost! Take Scarlet Spider to the next level!
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!
Henchman-4-Hire 