Scarlet Spiders #2 Review

What a wonderful life!

Kaine is put under the microscope here by Mike Costa as the infiltration continues and a very relevant guest character is introduced.

The artwork is good as in the first issue.

SPOILERS FOLLOW................

Johny Storm’s suspicions lead Kaine and Ben Reilly to knock him out. Trying to locate the cloning lab, they take hostage one of Jennix’s technician – Miles Warren.

While Jessica tries to find the power supply, Kaine stops the counter guard and Ben Reilly examines the bodies. Warren meanwhile reports to Jennix of the intrusion.

When Kaine and Ben reach the special projects lab, which houses Jennix’s failures including his dead-end cloning research into the Spiders, the Inheritor comes in person and kills Warren before proceeding to capture the two Spiders.

Introducing Miles Warren aka the Jackal is a nice touch here, given in the main 616 universe, it was he who managed to make Kaine (the one here) and Ben Reilly from Peter’s DNA. Jennix mentions that Warren’s intellect is being subdued, maybe because Jennix really believes he may be superior because Miles has done what he couldn’t – clone Spiders.

Though I do wonder what to make of Jennix here. The fact that he didn’t know what Warren has done is absurd – so why not manipulate him into revealing his secrets? Is Jennix intimidated by one who’s proven adept at something he’s not? Given he is the scholar of this family, Jennix is used to feeling mentally superior but people like Stark and Warren are people he would not want to match wits with.

Kaine is the star of this issue – as his parallels to Peter are highlighted. His troubled life and self-destructive tendencies (not to mention really dark days) have shaped him differently from the one he was cloned from. Given Johny Storm is one of Peter’s best friends in the main universe, one can see the connections Mike Costa is making – mentor in Tony, friend in Johny and maker in Warren.

Ben Reilly and Jessica have smaller but important roles. They help to maintain the levity alongside a dark Kaine – though that isn’t easy given the circumstances.

SPOILERS END................

Mike Costa writes a good Kaine and is able to give us a peek inside his head, through it overshadows the other two team members to the point of obscurity.

A guest character here is a nice touch though especially given the history of the clones and Kaine in particular.

Paco Diaz continues his good work in the art department.

So, I give it 8.0 out of 10.

+A good character story for Kaine

+The Guest character is very relevant to the story

+Diaz’s artwork

-The other team members are a little sidelined