Scarlet Spiders #1 Review

 

See the world in a new light.

The ‘Clone Team’ set off to find the source of the Inheritors being able to resurrect themselves – and it’s a fun trip that has some high, some lows and overall interesting comparisons between the three members of the team.

Mike Costa uses Ultimate Jessica as his voice-in-the-head, as she watches her fellow clones and the new universe into which she has been dropped.

It borders on exposition overload sometimes, and the plot feels too rigid – but overall, it’s a nice look at the consequences Peter’s doppelgangers have suffered in their respective universes.

The artwork though has no complaints from me. Paco Diaz draws agile and well formed Spiders, with details and consistency proving highlights.

SPOILERS FOLLOW……………. 

Current status quo: Kaine, the disfigured clone of Peter Parker, is currently the host of the ‘Other’, one of the prime Spider Totemic figures. Jessica Drew, now called Black Widow, is a Avenger of her universe and a clone of the Ultimate Peter Parker. Ben Reilly is of an alternate universe where the real Peter Parker lost his powers and his clone Ben continued in his stead.

When one of the Inheritors, the figures killing Spiders of all Universes, dies and is replaced by a ‘clone’, these three heroes decide to investigate and if possible, stop the mechanism that is helping their enemies come back from the dead

Each of the Spiders take a different role – Ben Reilly is the bantering Peter, Kaine is the silent and savage one and Jessica is the reflective and experienced one as they search for the cloning instrument which is resurrecting the Inheritors from a particular universe, as seen in Amazing Spider-Man #10.

Thankfully, Diaz manages to keep Jessica light on continuity issues – and if you have a rudimentary understanding of the bigger Marvel universe, you can get her state. But this is more enjoyable if you know each of their backstories (with maybe Ben following a path similar to the one in the main universe, only continuing on as seen in Spider-Verse Team Up #1).

They try to blend in with a cloning program under Jennix, an inheritor who seems to be ruling the planet but are discovered and attacked by that world’s Iron Man, apparently brainwashed and a slave of Jennix.

Using the amour, Ben escorts Kaine and Jessica to headquarters for infiltration, but are confronted by one of main universe Peter’s closest friends – Johny Storm, a soldier for Jennix.

Jennix himself is an odd Inheritor – more interested in books and knowledge than devouring Spiders. And it seems he has a secret pawn of his own – and it does look like a Spider-Man……hmmm.

I loved how Jessica studies everything as she moves, with her training under respective Avengers playing a part in every sphere of her actions. When she and Ben change into revealing hospital garments, it’s Ben who’s self-conscious, not Jessica.

The Johny Storm reveal was a little telegraphed given the HQ was the Baxter Building, home to the Fantastic Four, but still – seeing good friends and mentors turned ‘evil’ is an intriguing turn.

SPOILERS END……………… 

With some great introspection of the different Spiders and great artwork, this first issue ticks the right boxes.

There are some rigid plot lines drawn, as we go from Point A to B and C in a too-methodical manner, but overall, this is an enjoyable read.

So, I give it 8.5 out of 10.

+Nice balancing of the different Spiders
+Jessica proves to be a great protagonist
+Great artwork

-Exposition veers close to overload sometimes

-Plot a little too rigid