Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Cosmic Comic Review #26! Scarlet Spider #2 and How YOU can be a Hero!

Hey there comic readers,

    I like to think that one of the reason people enjoy reading comics is because the are fond of the idea of “heroes”. Heroes who are willing to do what it takes to do the right thing, whether it involves personal sacrifice, hard work, or protecting those they care about. I recently received news from a friend of mine that he will be taking part in the “Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer” in June. This ride is over 200km, with all money raised going towards funding cancer research. I believe that comic readers can truly appreciate how heroic the actions of my friend are, and as such I hereby challenge those reading this blog to do something equally heroic. Take the time to visit the link below, and donate to this great cause. Yes you may not know my friend, but my challenge is for YOU to do something heroic by donating to this great cause. I myself have already donated as an act of good faith and to help him out, I would love to see him reach his goal and hope that those who read this can help contribute to that goal. Here is the link:

http://www.conquercancer.ca/site/TR/Events/Toronto2012?px=2833260&pg=personal&fr_id=1401

Moving on to the blog, this week I was given a pretty decent sized pull once again, with a heavy Marvel pull for this week. Let’s take a look at the my comic pull list:

Comic Pull List Feb/8/12

DC

Batman & Robin #6
Deathstroke #6
Green Lantern #6

Dynamite

The Bionic Man #6

Marvel

Carnage U.S.A 3of5
Journey into Mystery #634
The Incredible Hulk #5
Scarlet Spider #2
Venom 13.1
Wolverine and the X-Men #5

    As I said, lots of Marvel that I was able to enjoy this week. Very happy with how Carnage U.S.A is going, and excited to see how it will all end. Circle of Four has been better than I anticipated, and I think I will be staying with it to the end despite my earlier scepticism after this weeks issue. Out of DC, I loved Deathstroke and recommend that anyone who hasn’t read that title reconsider ASAP. It is definitely one title in the New 52 that has consistently entertained me with very little to complain about, always interesting and entertaining, definitely an underrated book in the 52 right now. With all that said, let’s take a look at this week’s review comic, Scarlet Spider #2!

Scarlet Spider #2

Written by Chris Yost
Art by Ryan Stegman

    After the events of Spider Island, it was pretty apparent to me that the new Scarlet Spider would be Kaine. What I could not have expected however, was how enjoyable this title would be for me as a read. After Issue #1, I did not hesitate to add Scarlet Spider to my regular pulls. I think the most intriguing aspect of Kaine as the Scarlet Spider that Yost has done, is how much he resents the love/hates the label of “hero” and “Spider-Man”. Those who know Kaine’s history know that he has never had an easy life from the moment of his creation (something that is explored for those that don’t know in Issue 1 and 2). So After Spider-Island however, Kaine showed the Marvel Universe that he was more than willing to step up and risk his life to fight the good fight and save the day. In Scarlet Spider, we get to see the Kaine that wants to get out, get away, and get the life he has always wanted and deserves. On the flip side, we also get glimpses of the Kaine that is willing to be the hero, but not in the way we expect. The tag line for the new Scarlet Spider is “All of the power. None of the Responsibility.” and I think it truly is the best explanation for what Yost is doing with Kaine. This is a Spider-Man, but it is definitely not Peter Parker. So what does this mean for you? It means pick up Issue 1 and give this book a try, because for me Chris Yost is bringing us a very entertaining title. As for the art, the pencils by Ryan Stegman have brought some great action scenes in both issues. The fight in this issue was fantastic and really showed me that Stegman deserves to be on this title. Spider-Man fan’s will definitely like the art in this one, I am certain of it. It’s clear after two issues, that Ben Reilly will not be returning to take up the mantle of Scarlet Spider. But with Chris Yost and Ryan Stegman on the reins, I for one am happy to see Kaine take up the mantle and am excited to see where they will take him. Do yourself a favour and give this title a shot!

Cosmic Rating 5/5

Good

- Believable Character in Kaine, this is a guy who is learning how to be a hero. NOT A PETER PARKER!
- Ryan Stegman shows us that he deserves to be on this title, great action scenes.
- Chris Yost has given us a great start to Kaine’s story and I am excited to see where this is going.

Bad

- That some people I know refuse to give this title a shot because it isn’t Ben Reilly. Don’t Knock it ‘till you read it!

    That’s it for this week’s Cosmic Comic Review. As I stated above, if you are interested in donating to my friends “Ride for Cancer” just follow the link provided and the instructions on the site. Any donations are very much appreciated by my buddy and go towards a great cause, a big Thank you in advance to all who donate! Until next week, take care and happy reading!

Luca “Joriko” Baldassarra

Follow me on Twitter @Lucacosmic AND Check out my fan-page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Lucacosmic!

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