Part of me misses the simpler times of Brand New Day, when there were three issues of Amazing Spider-Man each month to take the place of three separate ongoing series. Now, with the debut of Scarlet Spider Vol. 2, there are four Spider-Man ongoings. The good news is that Scarlet Spider continues the franchise's hot streak. It's one more worthy addition to the Spider-Man family that '90s junkies and Clone Saga haters alike can enjoy.
Issue #1 picks up shortly after the events of the Scarlet Spider feature in November's Point One special. Kaine is physically healthy in the wake of Spider-Island, if still a little mentally unsound. He's hit the road and now finds himself in the sunny streets of Houston, TX.
The actual location of the series doesn't seem overly important, as if the folks behind the scenes simply threw a dart at a map to decide where Kaine would relocate. More important is the character arc writer Chris Yost is building for his hero. "Hero" is a term that should be used loosely, in this case. As the book's tagline says, Kaine is a person with all the powers of Spider-Man an none of the ingrained sense of responsibility. Kaine is a very lost and aimless character at present. This is a far cry from fellow Spidey protagonists Peter Parker and Flash Thompson. Despite their personal hang-ups, they know exactly who they are and what their purpose in life is. Thematically, the series finds its niche and fills it immediately.
Yost also displays a satisfying handle on his main character. Kaine has some degree of inherent goodness, but he's also selfish and prone to unnecessary violence. He's a sympathetic figure with plenty of faults. Yost strikes a nice balance in terms of tone. The series is a bit darker than Amazing or Avenging Spider-Man, but not quite as much as Venom. There's just the right amount of humor and wit to balance things out. Yost doesn't shy away from Kaine's convoluted history, but he isn't afraid to poke a little fun at it as well. There's nothing terribly deep or original about either the conflict or the new villain so far, but the characterization and action are enough to make up for it.
Ryan Stegman is a natural fit for a Spider-man series. His clean, expressive lines and bold character designs are well-suited to nature of the story. The colors are a little bright to convey the proper mood during some of the more violent nighttime scenes, but otherwise Stegman fits the bill every bit as ably as Yost.
The world doesn't exactly need another Spider-Man book at this point. But if Scarlet Spider must exist, at least it manages to offer something a bit more unique and enjoyable than your run-of-the-mill Spidey spinoff.
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