Advanced Review: Scarlet Spider #1

Let me begin by saying, I have not read a Spider-Man book since Erick Larson left Amazing Spider-Man with issue #350. It just seemed like too much effort to follow a single character throughout WAY too many books. Too little bang for the buck, as they say.

But when Marvel released information at this years NYCC, regarding a new Scarlett Spider series, I was more than intrigued. They promised a character that had almost the same skills, but not the high brow penchant for human life, that Peter Parker had. All the strength of Venom, but not all the insanity. And when they said it would be penned by Chris Yost, I was sold! 

Though I do not pretend to know the vast history the character Kaine has within the Spider-Man mythos, I do know a good story when I read one. Yost creates a tale of a man who has been given a second chance on life. A man that needs to determine where he fits in the world, a world that is both wondrous and threatening. But does a man that has been deemed a monster for most of his life, have the fortitude to become a hero? Or is it just too much effort for a reborn man to care?

That is the heart that Chris Yost brings to this book. You get all the cool Spidey action, with a levity of a character that is trying to find not only his place in the world, but find himself as well. Hero, villain or simply a man that does not care either way, Kaine is an enigma; one that I cannot wait to try and figure out!

This book is the perfect point for fans that were always too intimidated to dive into the Spidey world. A single book, with a single character, who has virtually nothing to lose. Though Kaine is a character that is not new to the convolution to Spidey history, he now has a fresh start — and so do you! Yost brings his A game yet again, and don’t worry — he left the hoodie in the nineties!

Copy of “Scarlet Spider” #1 provided by friend of Cosmic Book News.