[KRX]

I just finished Scarlet Spider.



It was a great series, and I shall forever cherish it. Here's why.

The Characters.

Every member of the main cast plays a role.

Donald is the moral support. He was the first person Kaine discussed his murderous past with, and despite the horrible things he heard about Kaine, he believed that Kaine was a hero, and he continued to do so throughout the series. Whenever Kaine tried to pack shop and leave Houston, it was Donald who always convinced him that he was needed there. Donald always encouraged Kaine to be a better man than he was, even when his life was in jeopardy.

Wally is the greatest police contact Kaine could have gotten. While Donald (who is also Wally's husband) supported Kaine morally, Wally was the one who went into the field with him. Also, he was just a funny guy, acting as the straight man to the eccentricities of the situations he was placed in. One of my favorite stories from the series is "Pillar of Fire," in which Wally and Kaine team up to stop a nuclear bomb from going off somewhere in Houston. This story is the best representation of the relationship between Kaine and Wally. It also featured this wonderful scene:


(Scarlet Spider Volume II, Issue 5, Page 8, Panel 6.)

Annabelle is basically the Mary Jane Watson to Kaine's Peter Parker. There's a very believable chemistry between the two of them. I'll admit, she doesn't do as much as some of the others, but she's still likable.

Aracely is insane. She's the entire reason Kaine got stuck in Houston in the first place. Donald and Wally may have constantly convinced Kaine to stay in Houston, but Aracely was the reason he kept coming back. You don't know much about her past, and her story has yet to be resolved, but she's absolutely delightful.


(Scarlet Spider Volume II, Issue 12, Page 3.)

And, last but not least, there's Kaine. He's not like Peter Parker. He lets his past tragedies get to him a bit more often. He's more aggressive, he's potty-mouthed, and he's scared. He's scared that people will get hurt because of him, and he never considers himself to be a hero. His greatest enemy is the monster within himself, something that takes a turn for the literal in the future. And yet, despite all of his failings, he still tries to become a better person, still tries to live a fulfilling life. He makes friends, something he never thought he was capable of, and these friends become his family. He gives up his old ways and gains a sense of responsibility. He's also very entertaining.

The Story:

This is a story of redemption. The story of a man with a second chance at life who tries to disappear, and gets sucked into the role of the town hero. Kaine lived a life hounded by death, and death caught up the one day he decided to be a hero. Now, without his cellular degeneration marring him, but still having a price on his head, he tries to leave for Mexico and stay off the radar. That is, until he comes across a human trafficking operation. He finds a box filled with human bodies, but notices one survivor: Aracely. Rescuing her, he leaves her at a hospital, then disappears. Something, however, brings him back, and next thing he knows, he's the town hero.

As the story goes on, Kaine becomes more accepting of his role and the fact that he deserves to be happy. Even when confronted with the monster within, he still tries to make a better life for himself.

That's why the ending is all the more tragic. When his family is in danger, it's not the hero that saves the day. It's the monster. Donald is critically wounded by Ana Kravinoff during a ritual set up by Kraven the Hunter in order for him to achieve peace to motivate Kaine to kill Kraven. It's here that Wally loses his faith in Kaine, finally looks him up, and tries to arrest him. Those are not the only mistakes to catch up with him. Zoe, the daughter of the CEO of Roxxon (who Kaine put in a coma), decides to kill Kaine as revenge.

Unfortunately, Shathra, a spider-goddess, decides to finally reveal herself to Kaine and feed on him instead of Spider-Man. With everyone he loves in danger, Kaine embraces the monster within him to defeat Shathra. With a crowd of people having seen this, Kaine is forced to leave Houston. Aracely follows, and the two go to Mexico.

Christopher Yost gave 25 magnificent issues of a series that deserves to be read. Some might complain about Ben Reilly not being the main lead, (here's looking at you, Sentai ,) but Kaine is a worthy successor to the mantle of the Scarlet Spider. The series is well written, with interesting characters, a compelling story, and an awesome sense of humor. I love it, and I recommend it quite highly.