The Amazing Spider-Man by Alex Ross

Amazing Spider-Man #15

(July, 2016)

"Power Play" Part IV: "Suit Yourself"

“Power Play” comes to its rousing conclusion! Regent’s master plan is working until Mary Jane Watson gets into the fray!

Amazing Spider-Man #16

(August, 2016)

"Before Dead No More" Part I: "Whatever The Cost"

Before "Dead No More." There’s an accident at Parker Industries! What will Peter Parker do to save his employees, both as CEO and Spider-Man?!

Amazing Spider-Man #17

(August, 2016)

"Before Dead No More" Part II: "Spark Of Life"

Before "Dead No More." The Prowler (and our readers) meet the new Electro! Who is this woman and what does she have to do with the Man in Red?!

Amazing Spider-Man #18

(September, 2016)

"Before Dead No More" Part III: "Full Otto"

Before "Dead No More." marches you closer to the Spider-Event of 2016. The moment you have been waiting for has come! Doc Ock has been trapped in the body of The Living Brain since the first issue, but now it’s time for him to act!

Amazing Spider-Man #19

(October, 2016)

"Before Dead No More" Part IV: "Change Of Heart"

"King's Ransom"

Before "Dead No More" …Someone in the Amazing Spider-Man’s orbit dies. Peter, once again, has to choose between being Spider-Man and his personal life and it doesn’t go well for him. Also, get the other side of the Spider-Man/Kingpin story from the 'Free Comic Book Day' story.

Amazing Spider-Man #20

(October, 2016)

"Spider-Man's Superior"

"Clone Conspiracy" Tie-In. Death is no more, and Doctor Octopus has returned!!! How is he back? And what does he have to do with The Jackal?

Amazing Spider-Man #21

(November, 2016)

"Live Another Day"

"Clone Conspiracy" Tie-In! The return of Carrion puts the Scarlet Spider in big trouble! Where has Kaine been since 'Spider-Verse' and what does he have to do with the Jackal’s plan?!

Click HERE for issues 1-7          Click HERE for issues 8-14

Kaine is the Spider Scarlet

Cover Artists: Ryan Stegman & Marte Gracia

Scarlet Spider #24 (2013)

"Hands covered in blood" Part I

Scarlet Spider #14

Writer: Chris Yost

Artist: Khoi Pham

Guess what? Kaine died last issue, and we didn't even know it! And that's just page one of this month's Scarlet Spider. Chris Yost pays a visit to the horror genre to tell the second chapter of In the Midst of Wolves, which has not only Scarlet Spider going through a horrific afterlife encounter, but also has young Aracely running from the vicious Lobo siblings. Last issue's gruesome conclusion was only the beginning of a spine-chilling journey for Kaine through a nightmarish landscape where he comes across a creature from Spider-Man's past. Yost makes the whole experience feel like The Exorcist meets Aliens, a very well done sequence made even better by Khoi Pham's pencils; he is coming into his own after his stint in this title. More background info should have been given on the entity haunting Kaine and its connection to Spider-Man, but thanks to that jaw-dropping cliffhanger, this can be overlooked for now.

Kaine Parker by Khoi Pham and Antonio Fabela

Scarlet Spider #13

Writer: Chris Yost

Artist: Khoi Pham

With a great combination of real-life and make-believe, Chris Yost kicks off In the Midst of Wolves, Scarlet Spider's newest adventure. The opening pages of the book take a glance at a cruel and very real social issue that gets the reader engaged, then smoothly transitions to the fictional aspect of the story by revealing more about Aracely, the girl Kaine's been protecting since the series first started. The inclusion of obscure Spider-Man villain Carlos Lobo and his sister Esmeralda plays off well with the Aztec mythology theme being introduced; while Kaine's continuous struggle between his desire to become a better man and his instincts provides a great deal of character development. Khoi Pham's pencils improve with each installment; however, the use of three inkers and three colorists is somewhat disrupting. The cliffhanger of this first chapter is spine-chilling. Superb issue!

Scarlet Spider by Khoi Pham

Scarlet Spider #10

Writer: Chris Yost

Artists: Khoi Pham and Reilly Brown

Minimum Carnage continues with the first official fight-slash-team-up between Venom and Scarlet Spider. The main takeaway from this particular issue is the immense breakthrough Kaine has while fighting an out-of-control Venom. His recent adventures, the allies he's made, and the warm welcome he's received from the citizens of Houston, are slowly turning him from a creature that had nothing to lose, to a man who is now finding more and more reasons to live. The dynamic between both characters plays off nicely, not only in the writing, but also in the artwork. It turns out that with Khoi Pham's arrival, the title gains even more energy, adding to the momentum Ryan Stegman helped build. Thanks to this story, I have been introduced to the newest incarnation of Venom, and it's one I now care about and plan to follow; a sign that not all crossovers are evil, and as long as they don't get out of hand, they open new doors to readers.

Minimum Carnage Alpha

Writers: Cullen Bunn and Chris Yost

Artist: Lan Medina

Almost twenty years after Maximum Carnage was first published, a new and smaller -in more ways than one- story featuring the sanguinary red symbiote begins. Cletus Kasady, Carnage's human host is on the loose once again, this time with a specific purpose and lot of help; it is up to the combined power of Venom and Scarlet Spider to stop him; of course, that is if they don't kill each other first. New readers don't have to be concerned with having to know a lot of back story; the introductory page and the main characters' inner monologues take care of providing the necessary context. Flash Thompson and Kaine are likeable, nice guys that are trying almost too hard to seem detached or uncaring; then again, with the legacies they carry, they may have no other option. Lan Medina's artwork is very nice, as good with the splashy panels as with the smaller ones. A good start to this six-parter.

Venom a.k.a. Flash Thompson by Lan Medina and Chris Sotomayor

Scarlet Spider #8

Writer: Chris Yost

Artist: Khoi Pham

While helping a crazy girl -which seems to be a theme with him- Kaine comes across the southern superhero team The Rangers and things heat up. Despite being the second chapter of a multi-part story, this issue reads extremely well, and the use of Scarlet Spider's point of view to introduce The Rangers to new readers is smart and fun. After the mandatory misunderstanding, things quickly get back on track and the adventure moves to the next level. It might be too early to wish for this, but having Kaine form a permanent association with a group like The Rangers would be of mutual benefit; it's easy to see him getting along with Twister, being a mentor to Lighting, getting chastised by Firebird, or being competitive with Shooting Star. Khoi Pham has done a great job succeeding Ryan Stegman with clean and simplified lines that allow the series maintain the high quality artwork it's had from the start.

Scarlet Spider #6

Writer: Christopher Yost

Artist: Ryan Stegman

Chris Yost has done such an excellent job with Kaine, that the character is able to support a whole issue without even becoming his costumed alter ego. For a change, this new beginning for Kaine does not make of him the typical misunderstood, hated-by-everyone, persecuted vigilante; his guilt and his enemies do enough of that for him. Instead, he quickly earns the love and admiration of the locals, focusing the conflict in the place where it belongs: the bad guys. This issue is also Ryan Stegman's last in the series; his parting gift is a radical change in style when compared to his art in previous installments; with rougher finishes but more intricate details, this could be an early taste of what readers will see in his Fantastic Four assignment. He will be greatly missed, and remembered as the guy who put Scarlet Spider on the radar. Appearances by the Kravinoffs and Julia Carpenter round up a great jump-in issue.

Scarlet Spider #5

Writer: Chris Yost

Artist: Neil Edwards

The Scarlet Spider teams up with police officer Wally Layton to find a nuclear device that has been planted somewhere in the city of Houston. A nice self contained story that shows how well Yost is building Kaine's world; thus far, his supporting characters have been fun, compelling, and most important, helpful in the Scarlet Spider's self-discovery journey. Kaine, in the meantime, is proving to have the complex type of personality that makes him just adorable -is it okay to use that word in this setting? One thing that mortified me was the art. Don't get me wrong, Neil Edwards did an amazing job, and every one of his pages was vibrant and dynamic; but Ryan Stegman's absence is a slap in the face and a disservice to the title. Why can't Marvel reciprocate readers' loyalty? Stegman's popularity rose to the sky with this series, and now he's been pulled just after a few issues to help with a struggling title? Not fair and very upsetting.

Scarlet Spider #3

Super heroes are a magnet for trouble; and even if Kaine does not want to believe he is a hero, the trouble he has just attracted begs to differ. This series has quickly built a world for the Scarlet Spider with locations, supporting characters that have actual personalities, and now enemies. I don't know whether this Assassins Guild is the same as the X-Man Gambit's, but it's clear they will give Kaine a run for his money. There is no question about it, Ryan Stegman is the staple of this title, and the reason why the series is gaining fans by the minute; his style is super dynamic and clean, and as good with splash art as with tiny panels. This issue also adds a new element to the book: subtle humor, and it was just the perfect dose to make it even more enjoyable.  Great writing and great art make this one a winner!

*NOTE: For clarification purposes, the X-Man Gambit belongs to the Thieves Guild; his ex-wife Belladonna belongs to the Assassins Guild.

Scarlet Spider #2

From the get-go, this book is fun.  The credits and summary page has a nice format with newspapers, pictures and a tablet on a desk; that by itself is enough to get the reader engaged and excited about the content, which doesn't disappoint either.  Written by Chris Yost, "After Life" gives Kaine a new purpose, a new home, maybe new allies, and even new fans -inside and outside the comics world.  While the goal of the first issue was to introduce Kaine, the point this one makes is that he and Peter Parker are not the same; point that is clearly driven during the fight scene when the character shows his enemy he is not Spider Man.  Ryan Stegman once again shines with his artwork and the help of Babinski and Garcia with inks and colors.  In just two installments, Kaine has become a very likeable and sympathetic character, and the Scarlet Spider, a cool modern day hero.

Scarlet Spider #1

No, we are not back in the 90's, but admit it, you are glad it looks like it.  Spinning off from "Spider Island" comes the new Scarlet Spider series written by Christopher Yost.  I had very little knowledge of Kaine, having only read one of the old "Maximum Clonage" comics; but this is by no means an obstacle to enjoy the book, as it has a short and sweet explanation of who he is and how he ended up where he is now.  I was not familiar with Ryan Stegman either, but his pencils are fantastic; his style is so neat and refreshing that it fits perfectly with the story being told here.  Using as premise a man's new beginning and his search for atonement, "Life After Death" is an extremely fun read.  As long as the book keeps it simple and maintains a consistent creative team, it can easily become a hit.  For now, what a great start.