The Scarlet Spider is clashing with the Kravinoffs in Ryan Stegman‘s final outing as series artist!  Does he deliver a worthy sendoff for fans?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Marvel:

The book everyone is talking about!

Kaine goes from hunter to hunted as the daughter of KRAVEN THE HUNTER takes on the Scarlet Spider!

From the pages of SPIDER-ISLAND, Madame Web crashes into Kaine’s life – with dark visions of his road ahead!

This is a story about a man who was once a murderer, but despite his troubled history he’s been given a second chance at life.  So where does Kaine go from here?  Because of that question, the new Scarlet Spider series has become a rather refreshing take on the journey from man to superhero as it focuses on a criminal who’s now trying to move beyond his dark past.

The character work here is nothing short of stellar, as Chris Yost uses this issue to close a few story threads while setting up some new ones.  It took some time but the comic has finally reached a place where Kaine is starting to become a hero.  But because he’s not Peter Parker and he’s not Ben Reiley, he has to try and figure out what kind of hero he’s turning into.  It’s an interesting notion that is a little hampered by some moments of poor narrative control but overall the story works.

Ryan Stegman does a masterful job in his final issue, as he gives readers panels that are dynamic and full of free flowing action.  Whether it’s a calm scene with a friend or a fiery brawl with a Kravinoff, the art matches the tempo of the story.  What more could you ask for from a series artist in his final outing?

If you like Spider-Man and you’re not picking up Scarlet Spider, you should be.  This comic and this series as a whole are both recommended.

4/5