The Good
Despite being a clone of Peter Parker, Kaine is clearly not Spider-Man. Last issue after saving a falling women from an exploding building that was the Houston headquarters of Roxxon, Kaine hooked up with her. After finding out she was involved with the explosion, Kaine had Roxxon to deal with and the Rangers. These sort of interactions is why Kaine left New York City in the first place.
It's great seeing this different take on a webslinger. This is the perfect example of how and why we could have a title that doesn't feel like just another Spider-Man spin-off. Kaine may be rooted in Spider-Man's world but as the cover proclaims, he has all the power but none of the responsibility.
This is actually another issue being dealt with here. Kaine isn't a hero. He never was. But he's finding himself slowly becoming one. He never saw himself jumping into insane situations and putting his life at risk but more and more, he's discovering that being a hero may actually be part of his DNA. It's these touches on the nature vs. nurture arguement that Chris Yost tosses in that makes this book stand out.
I won't lie and deny I had some concerns over Khoi Pham taking over from Ryan Stegman. It's always difficult for readers to become attached to a creative team and have to deal with a change. Pham has proven with this issue and the last that he definitely has what it takes to chronicle Kaine's adventures as Scarlet Spider.
The Bad
Kaine got himself into a sticky situation that adds an interesting twist to the story but I can't say facing Roxxon is the menace I want to see him deal with. Sure we also have the Rangers that are frowning upon Kaine's activities but you know it's going to play out as a misunderstanding among heroes. It's important for Kaine to have his own set of villains but I'm not sure if David Walsh, the C.E.O. of Roxxon has what it takes to be a great nemesis.
The Verdict
There is no need to compare Scarlet Spider to Spider-Man. Kaine may be a clone of Spider-Man but they are completely different characters. Chris Yost is showing us the evolution of Kaine as a former evil and uncaring person. He's finding himself drawn more and more into actually being a hero. In trying to get away from the superhero community by going to Texas, we're seeing, in comics, you can't escape that sort of life (unless they're condemned to comic book limbo). Khoi Pham has proven he has what it takes to take over the artistic reigns from Ryan Stegman. Kaine's little world in Houston is starting to get bigger and bigger. He may have wanted to avoid the life but we all know superheroes tend to attract supervillain type activities. Scarlet Spider's journey to becoming an official hero is a bumpy journey and Yost and Pham are clearly having fun telling the story.
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