Not the same clone but still awesome
Just to get it out of the way. I'm a fan of the scarlet spider ever since i was a kid and I was sad to find out years later that he died. But after reading spider-island and hearing about this tittle I knew i had to pick it up and you know what? I hope it ends up having the same success as venom because this started pretty damn good. it may not start that action packed, but it's a great character driven story with a spider twist in it......It's so good I'm not so sorry about what I just said....
The issue starts with a group of criminals in the ports of Huston in your old fashioned money exchanges which is quickly interrupted by Kaine, spider-man's ex-evil clone as he beats up everyone using his brand new enhanced spider powers based on "the other" story-line. He didn't go there because he heard something bad was going on, instead he just went there to take the money so he could go to mexico and hide from the authorities and the avengers who know about him. But since he is the clone of parker he is also bound to suffer his luck as he learns that the exchange was not drugs or weapons...but people, and they are all dead but one young lady who he immediately saves out of instinct. He then resumes his journey till he decides to take a break and rent a room in a nice hotel as well as all the food possible. Finally realizing that he is not the old him anymore, he isn't dying and now he can have a new start and a new haircut. While the police who were called by Kaine about the dead bodies are working in the crime scene, a new villain emerges who seems to have powers over flames as he attacks the officers. But even then our hero who learns of this on the news doesn't feel like helping because he is not spider-man as we can see a glimpse of his new costume. The issue ends with the new baddie going after the girl that Kaine saved who was still in the hospital she was left on at the beginning of the issue, revealing that he is involved with the human trafficking.
The Good:
This issue does again what all number 1's need. Being a jumping on point to start reading as new readers learn everything about Kaine and how different he is to spider-man because well.....he isn't spider-man. I thought this would have a similar feel to Venom which i feared because i didn't want it to be the story of just a "darker spider-man" (which of course that isn't the case either for venom's ongoing and meant by having a spider powered hero who deals with darker themes than the original) but instead we get the story of someone who has done wrong all of his life and he just wants to start anew. But deep inside like the original scarlet spider, there is a hero waiting to rise up (even if he struggles to avoid it because he doesn't want to waste his new life being a superhero which is very human and realistic of him). I couldn't avoid feeling a little nostalgic seeing the page were Kain recalls a moment when he fought both Spidey and Ben during his old days as a villain, makes me want to see the three brothers alive and well...but that's for another time. I also liked that he isn't wearing the costume yet (be prepared for me to sound like a complete hypocrite right after you see what I found bad in this issue). And the art does it's work and fits the style of the book which is always a key factor to any new series. The interesting thing is also the power set Kain posseses which easily differentiates him and peter so nobody can say he is just an exact clone.
The Bad:
Our hero is not in costume yet and even if i find it good because he really has no reason to wear the costume while he fought the baddies in this issue, he doesn't want to be spider-man and this is all good for me.....I put this because of my impatience of already seeing the scarlet spider in action which will probably come out next month and I can't wait for more.......besides that nothing at all.
Overall: 5/5
Marvel has finally done it, give kaine a book for himself and make it work which is great. The character is interesting as its believable and we can care for him right at the first issue. It's a great place to start reading about the scarlet spider which even if fans want ben reilly back so bad me included. It's great for any Spidey or Scarlet Spider fan even if it's not the original (but hey, if this guy can come back after so many years, maybe Ben too eventually). Also this is for those who want to see yet again another spider-man with a twist (read venom, its so awesome he is getting his own "event" in his own book) which goes to a more anti-hero take on the character who in context it might be a bad idea but Yosh did great in creating a hero who knows he has done wrong and want's to have a new life yet in his core he is meant to do much more which will lead to a road of redemption.
