Scarlet Spider #1:
What Happened: While passing through Houston, Kaine gets wind of an illegal transaction occurring at a major port. Kaine attacks the criminals at the port and beats them into unconsciousness, since he wanted the unmarked money they were trading. However, Kaine decides to take a peek into one of the crates the criminals were bringing into Houston and discovers a mess of corpses(illegal immigrants who were being sold into labor or prostitution), and one girl who was still alive, but barely. Kaine takes the girl to the hospital and then rents out a hotel penthouse with his stolen money. From there he finds himself doing heroic-type things, but doesn't want to be like Spider-Man, and wants to move to Mexico with his cash, figuring he could live happily ever after. The cops discover the corpses in the crates and while they are investigating the scene are murdered by some villain with flame-based powers. Kaine learns of the slaughter on the news, but still refuses to follow in Spider-Man's footsteps and become a hero. From there, the villain heads to the hospital to kill the girl Kaine had dropped off the prior night. As for Kaine, this issue ends with him walking away from Houston.
Thoughts: This was a good, but not great comic. The story was easy to get into, and Kaine is a character who is easy to like. He's a character who's always been the bad guy, but now has a second chance and just wants to go away somewhere, never to be seen or heard from again... Which is easier said than done since he IS a clone of Peter Parker and all. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that, as is his MO, Christopher Yost DID kill something like 20+ immigrants in this issue... It's not a Chris Yost written story unless people are dying by the bus load... That's a VERY lazy way to write... Anyway, this will be the first and last issue of this series I pick up, because, while good, it just wasn't great. Oh well, when Yost leaves the book I'll give it another shot, but for now, adiós, Scarlet Spider.
Score: 7 1/2 out of 10.
I'll admit, Kaine cursing out the old woman did bring a smile to my face...
I just like that scene because you expect Kaine to swoop down and scoop up that women but he instead chooses to land on the car. I will admit there was quite a bit of pointless death in this issue. That driver had some meaning but the rest is just pointless.
ReplyDeleteMost of Yost's comics are like that, Jermox. Full of pointless deaths. It's a joke. Seriously, when it comes to comic books that man has probably killed more characters than Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Roy Thomas, Bob Kane, Joe Simon, Chris Claremont and Peter David combined! And I'm being serious! He's from that school of thought where you can only tell a good story with TONS of deaths. Just look at Battle Scars and this issue for evidence of that fact. But then it's always easier to use death to try to develop characters than to actually take the time to develop characters the old fashioned way... But then my feelings on Yost are pretty clear.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this comic which shocked me since I'm not a big fan of Yost as you know. I agree with the pointless deaths but like Jermox I enjoyed that he took the brute route instead of the hero route and I thought his back story was fleshed out pretty well as someone who didn't know a lot about Kaine prior to the Kraven storyline in ASM from last year/two years ago (damn that flew by) and this story grew on me. As long as Yost stays away from 8,000,000 flashbacks I should enjoy this, which I want to because as you know, I'm a big fan of the anti-heroes.
ReplyDeleteI'm still sad that this series isn't about a resurrected Ben Reilly, but I guess I'm all right with Kaine in the driver's seat. At least Marvel is actually acknowledging that period of Spider-Man's history now.
ReplyDeleteI wish Ben Reilly would return. He was a great character, Marvel shouldn't have done that.
ReplyDeleteach, anyway, if this ever gets published here I'll take a look.
I didn't even think you were gonna pick this one up, JT... What changed your mind?
ReplyDeleteYeah, it would have been nice if Marvel had brought Ben back, but I guess they figured he'd be too similar to Peter hero-wise. With Kaine you have, as JT said, more of an anti-hero feel, Ben, while a great character(and one who never should have been killed to begin with), would have probably felt like Spidey-lite.
I had them add it to the pull before I remembered Yost was writing it. Lol, and I liked Kaine so I figured I'd try it out and I enjoyed it. Probably would've gave it an 8 if I reviewed it.
ReplyDeleteRee-veiw?? What's that word you speak?? :P
ReplyDeleteThis was def a good starting issue, but for me, it was going to take perfection for me to buy into a Yost book, and while good, this wasn't perfection.
I picked up this issue as well and i enjoyed it quite a bit. I THINK that I will be giving the second issue a shot. While i wasn't floored, i THINK i enjoyed it enough to come back. I may just give it the ol' skim treatment and not pick up the second issue though so we'll see.
ReplyDelete-On another note i picked up the first and second issues of stormwatch and enjoyed them a lot. I will be continuing with that series. Not looking forward to the superman crossover, but i have been able to read a single series with parts 1 or 2 being in another (venom during spider-island for example). I thoroughly enjoy manhunter talking about how he hold true to both teams, but when he wants to be a warrior he fights with stormwatch. Loved it! DC has done a good job establishing that they have always existed in this universe and have been protecting the earth from evil for centuries. Super good.
Well.. After recently finding out that the writer is leaving this series and being replaced by paul Jenkins... I do not know if i will get the rest now. I could get up to issue 6, but i think it would be money not well spent. I have never been fond of Jenkins writing, and if batman: the dark knight is of any indication.. I think I will be picking up a different series after all...
ReplyDeleteIf the writer was anybody BUT Yost, I'd have added this series after how strong the first issue was, Cap. But I have zero confidence in him as a writer, so it's just not worth taking a risk on for me.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was REALLY disappointed when I read that Cornell was taking off... I don't know what the deal is with DC, but it's like they're playing musical writers or something... There is SO much shake-up over there. Jenkins is an interesting case... I know he CAN do good work, I loved Wolverine Origin, but hated Wolverine The End... TDK was another example of him just not doing good work, although I think he was just scripting Fitch's plot(although I could be wrong). I'm definitely willing to give him a full storyline with Stormwatch before I decide what I'll be doing with that series.