Following an attempt at being a hired assassin, can our hero rally his wits and face down the guild that hired him?  Should you care?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Marvel:

“WRATH” PART TWO of THREE

• Kaine and Logan… best friends? Or deadliest enemies? Find out as a thousand assassins descend upon them.

• What are the world’s greatest killers afraid of? Who is the Red Death?

• Chris Yost and Carlo Barberi continue the Scarlet Sentinel’s journey!

The world of Kaine Parker has certainly yielded some interesting narrative strands within the confines of its own little southern corner, but now he’s interacting with the larger Marvel universe.  The direct result of that fact is that the title’s never been better as the creative team skillfully realizes our protagonist’s potential even in the most dire circumstances.

Chris Yost continues to spin his yarn of a man who once dreamed of being more than a monster, and with the latest issue complete and on stands I can easily say the writing is very strong.  The script is simply top notch as the seasoned talent does what he can to slowly but surely build up the stakes surrounding this arc as the players involved begin to act.  By the time fans reach the cliffhanger they’ll have to understand that it wasn’t a perfectly paced adventure but it was certainly an entertaining one from beginning to cliffhanger finish.

The art by Carlo Barberi and Ale Garza is strong enough to shoulder the responsibilities of this implied superhero.  Whether the duo is illustrating the Scarlet Spider taking on a school of angered mutants, or fighting down ferocious assassins the dynamic action and surefire use of direct pencil strokes creates a concrete atmosphere that’s simply engaging.  There were missteps, as a lack of steady details left panels a bit too barren but it did little to sully the experience.

Scarlet Spider #18 is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but the comic is yet another strong outing that’s an escape from the present evil found in Superior Spider-Man.  Recommended.

4/5