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Scarlet Spider (2012) (Collected Editions)
Scarlet Spider, Vol. 4: Into the Grave
After the last volume's shocking ending, everything has changed for Kaine. His second chance at life is over. At his lowest point, he comes face to face with the one man that's fueled his obsession, hate and guilt his enti re life...Ben Reilly, the original Scarlet Spider. Alone, adrift , beaten and lost, Kaine's hard-fought and hard-won life has been ripped apart piece by piece. His body is broken. And his soul is next. Enter the Hunter.
Collecting: Scarlet Spider 21-25
Collecting: Scarlet Spider 21-25
112 pages, Paperback
First published February 12, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
September 10, 2016
SCARLET SPIDER NO MORE!!!
Well, it was good as long as it lasted, but quality of the series really went downfall for good after volume 2 so no surprise it was cancelled.
Such a waste of good potential.
Bye bye, Kaine.
September 16, 2025
Decent story about Kraven coming back for revenge against Scarlet Spider for bringing him back to life. The last 2 issues are a bit of a hurried mess so the series can come to some kind of closure before it's cancelled.
June 3, 2014
I have now finished reading the fourth and final compilation volume of Chris Yost's "Scarlet Spider". This is probably not my favorite volume of the series, but I still really enjoyed it. I have been anticipating reading it for some time and have been excited to see how things turn out for Kaine Parker. At the end of volume 3, Kaine finds out that he is once again dying, and fast. In "Into the Grave", we see how this discovery affects him and the constant hero/monster struggle that fuels his angst. As usual, this volume introduces new characters into the story, including the Hunter, his daughter Ana, and more shady characters from Kaine's past.
"Into the Grave" took some darker turns than I even expected. I was on the edge of my seat. The ending was not exactly what I had hoped for, because I am the kind of person who is always wishing for a neat little happy ending. However, if Yost had gone in that direction, that would not be very true to Scarlet Spider, would it? There had to remain a sense of ambiguity, of ongoing struggle. In the end, I was, though a little heartbroken for Kaine, satisfied with the not-so-conclusive conclusion. Nothing turns out ideally, but the series finishes on a note of optimism, and that is what is most important. The reader is given the opportunity to imagine a future for Kaine/Scarlet Spider. Moreover, I have my fingers crossed that it was meant also to leave room for more adventures to be written for him someday. I do wish I had more to read of this character I have come to like so much, this superhuman teetering on the edge between hero and villain, this flawed and thus relatable person who makes choices between right and wrong every day. I am really glad I decided to pick up volume 1 last summer, because this has turned out to be one of the coolest and most fun comic series I have read.
"Into the Grave" took some darker turns than I even expected. I was on the edge of my seat. The ending was not exactly what I had hoped for, because I am the kind of person who is always wishing for a neat little happy ending. However, if Yost had gone in that direction, that would not be very true to Scarlet Spider, would it? There had to remain a sense of ambiguity, of ongoing struggle. In the end, I was, though a little heartbroken for Kaine, satisfied with the not-so-conclusive conclusion. Nothing turns out ideally, but the series finishes on a note of optimism, and that is what is most important. The reader is given the opportunity to imagine a future for Kaine/Scarlet Spider. Moreover, I have my fingers crossed that it was meant also to leave room for more adventures to be written for him someday. I do wish I had more to read of this character I have come to like so much, this superhuman teetering on the edge between hero and villain, this flawed and thus relatable person who makes choices between right and wrong every day. I am really glad I decided to pick up volume 1 last summer, because this has turned out to be one of the coolest and most fun comic series I have read.
March 23, 2020
Its certainly unfortunate that Kaine does get more time to grow into a hero and main character. Yost does a really good job with him and I especially liked the supporting cast he has built. The Kraven story was very good and exactly in line with how Kraven thinks. The ending was obviously rushed but wasn't bad. The art was well-suited for the book. Overall, a decent ending for a series with so much promise.
May 24, 2023
The first half with Kraven was pretty good, but the second half was pretty bad.
September 16, 2025
Just not great. And that’s a really difficult thing to say because I love this series. Like volume 1 is absolutely fantastic and I love how this series has slowly whittled away at parts of Kaine's loathing whilst still showing how he keeps playing into the cycle. And there is still good stuff here don’t get me wrong. I like that he is still heroic in ways he can’t give himself credit for. The Kraven payoff is amazing. Kaine genuinely doing selfless thing without being able to see himself as heroic is fantastic. I love that it takes elements of the first story and twists their original purpose to make them feel bitterly hollow.
But it also feels extremely rushed. Like everything just goes by way too fast characters make really brash decisions that feel very forced. The art is good and dynamic still but the facial expressions and designs of khaine feel really odd and completely disconnected from the scene they are supposed to be in. The entire ending climax comes out of nowhere and feels quite hamfisted even though I like the ending it leads too. Even though I love the cycle of self recrimination with kaine it does feel a little repetitive at times. But again I think you gave the book just a bit more time to wrap up then these flaws would be gone it really is just that feeling of being rushed that hurts this book the most.
Well, that and this horrible thing. Trigger Warning for rape in this comic. It is awful, it is handled terribly, it is completely unnesiciary and pointless I don’t know why the normally great Yost put it in there. It is never addressed or brought up again. I hope it gets retconned to have never happened cause it is just outright terrible.
However, at the end of the day it is still overall a great series. Like Yost resurrected a character no one remembered or liked and turned him into this incredibly emotionally resonant superhero and had it entirely work through narrative progression. Like that is amazing. And his love for this character has clearly payed off this character remains in the public consciousness to the point where he got his own mtg card, like thats awesome right? It still a decent enough end to a wonderful series but it does not compare to the spectacular first volumes. 6/10
But it also feels extremely rushed. Like everything just goes by way too fast characters make really brash decisions that feel very forced. The art is good and dynamic still but the facial expressions and designs of khaine feel really odd and completely disconnected from the scene they are supposed to be in. The entire ending climax comes out of nowhere and feels quite hamfisted even though I like the ending it leads too. Even though I love the cycle of self recrimination with kaine it does feel a little repetitive at times. But again I think you gave the book just a bit more time to wrap up then these flaws would be gone it really is just that feeling of being rushed that hurts this book the most.
Well, that and this horrible thing. Trigger Warning for rape in this comic. It is awful, it is handled terribly, it is completely unnesiciary and pointless I don’t know why the normally great Yost put it in there. It is never addressed or brought up again. I hope it gets retconned to have never happened cause it is just outright terrible.
However, at the end of the day it is still overall a great series. Like Yost resurrected a character no one remembered or liked and turned him into this incredibly emotionally resonant superhero and had it entirely work through narrative progression. Like that is amazing. And his love for this character has clearly payed off this character remains in the public consciousness to the point where he got his own mtg card, like thats awesome right? It still a decent enough end to a wonderful series but it does not compare to the spectacular first volumes. 6/10
August 16, 2020
Seria Scarlet Spider dobiega końca i trzeba się pożegnać z Kaine'm oraz spółką w tym wydaniu. Nie była to seria wybitna, ale miała swoje moment i dała mi naprawdę sporo dobrej akcji. Najgorsze momenty pojawiały się wraz z innymi Pajęczakami w tej serii, więc z wrodzonej przekory skuście się na pierwszy tom. Jest świetny. Ostatni, czwarty to nieco gorsza lektura, aczkolwiek akcji tu nie brak.
Jak i całej masy walk między bohaterami, bo Yost miesza tu jak może. Ale to nie tylko efektów starcia, to też walka Kaine'a z samym sobą, bowiem jest tu od groma sytuacji, gdzie mógł on pójść na łatwiznę, ale walczył z wewnętrznym potworem, jakiego ma mentalnie, jak i cieleśnie...
Początek jest dobry. Pojawia się prawdziwy Ben Railly i rości sobie pretensje do skradzionej tożsamości, jednocześnie ktoś działa na uboczu i atakuje przyjaciół Kaine'a. Przeciwnik jest dobrze znany i był aż za dobrze zarysowany w tle, przy okazji poprzednich zeszytów, więc nikogo nie powinna dziwić obecność Kravena Łowcy i jego córki. Mają oni na Scarlet Spidera swój własny plan...
Końcowe dwa zeszyty stanowią konkluzję całego cyklu. Ta odsłona kończy się na 25-tym zeszycie, ale nie mogę powiedzieć, że skończyło się to satysfakcjonująco. Finał jest chaotyczny, pełen uproszczeń i trochę szkoda mi było potencjału jaki drzemał w postaci. Mam nadzieję, że to nie przepadnie.
Całość narysował Pan Baldeon przy asyście kilku innych rysowników i choć dał radę, to poprzedni artysta moim zdaniem minimalnie bardziej się popisał. Jeżeli miałbym psioczyć to na słabo zarysowane tło. Ostatni tom dostaje ode mnie 3/5. Dla każdego kto lubi dobrą akcję czy fajne relacje pomiędzy bucem, a ludźmi, którym na nim zależy.
Jak i całej masy walk między bohaterami, bo Yost miesza tu jak może. Ale to nie tylko efektów starcia, to też walka Kaine'a z samym sobą, bowiem jest tu od groma sytuacji, gdzie mógł on pójść na łatwiznę, ale walczył z wewnętrznym potworem, jakiego ma mentalnie, jak i cieleśnie...
Początek jest dobry. Pojawia się prawdziwy Ben Railly i rości sobie pretensje do skradzionej tożsamości, jednocześnie ktoś działa na uboczu i atakuje przyjaciół Kaine'a. Przeciwnik jest dobrze znany i był aż za dobrze zarysowany w tle, przy okazji poprzednich zeszytów, więc nikogo nie powinna dziwić obecność Kravena Łowcy i jego córki. Mają oni na Scarlet Spidera swój własny plan...
Końcowe dwa zeszyty stanowią konkluzję całego cyklu. Ta odsłona kończy się na 25-tym zeszycie, ale nie mogę powiedzieć, że skończyło się to satysfakcjonująco. Finał jest chaotyczny, pełen uproszczeń i trochę szkoda mi było potencjału jaki drzemał w postaci. Mam nadzieję, że to nie przepadnie.
Całość narysował Pan Baldeon przy asyście kilku innych rysowników i choć dał radę, to poprzedni artysta moim zdaniem minimalnie bardziej się popisał. Jeżeli miałbym psioczyć to na słabo zarysowane tło. Ostatni tom dostaje ode mnie 3/5. Dla każdego kto lubi dobrą akcję czy fajne relacje pomiędzy bucem, a ludźmi, którym na nim zależy.
October 10, 2017
As the final volume of Scarlet Spider this does a good job of wrapping up the Kraven story from earlier in the series but doesn't touch on the back story of Aracely.
The Kraven story is wrapped up nicely. I always viewed Kraven as a third rate villain and didnt get why he was treated as such a big deal. This arc and the Grimm Hunt in ASM show why. He had the right mix of strategy, savagery and just plain craziness to make him interesting. He truly puts Kaine and his friends through the ringer.
The last two issues saw the return of Shathra. While she made an interesting addition at the end it was clear from how quick that fight was that it was an excuse to rush the ending and give Kaine an excuse to leave most of his supporting cast behind. You cant blame Yost for that, when your series is cancelled you dont have much choice, I just wish the last two issues were spent wrapping up the Aracely story.
All in all Scarlet Spider made me care about a character I had little to no experience with and makes me want to see more of him. I have the most recent New Warriors ready to go on MU. I hope Yost is able to complete the Aracely arc in that book since she and Kaine become members of the team.
The Kraven story is wrapped up nicely. I always viewed Kraven as a third rate villain and didnt get why he was treated as such a big deal. This arc and the Grimm Hunt in ASM show why. He had the right mix of strategy, savagery and just plain craziness to make him interesting. He truly puts Kaine and his friends through the ringer.
The last two issues saw the return of Shathra. While she made an interesting addition at the end it was clear from how quick that fight was that it was an excuse to rush the ending and give Kaine an excuse to leave most of his supporting cast behind. You cant blame Yost for that, when your series is cancelled you dont have much choice, I just wish the last two issues were spent wrapping up the Aracely story.
All in all Scarlet Spider made me care about a character I had little to no experience with and makes me want to see more of him. I have the most recent New Warriors ready to go on MU. I hope Yost is able to complete the Aracely arc in that book since she and Kaine become members of the team.
August 27, 2019
Kaine's past comes back to haunt him. Again. Pursued by a super-villain returned from the dead. Again. Kaine must decide if he's going to give in to his lethal insticts or if he's going to rise above. Again.
On a side-note: I wasn't reading Spider-Man during the Clone Saga. I didn't realize how many major Spidey villains Kaine killed. Marvel must have really been banking on this character.
So, Kraven the Hunter has been tracking Kaine through previous volumes and now makes his move. It's the old go-after-the-hero's-friends, hero-thinks-it's-his-fault-for-putting-them-in-danger routine. Then we close out the series with the craziest tying off of loose ends I've ever seen.
This was okay. I find that I prefer superheroes being proactive, and this was reactive, with everybody coming after the hero.
On a side-note: I wasn't reading Spider-Man during the Clone Saga. I didn't realize how many major Spidey villains Kaine killed. Marvel must have really been banking on this character.
So, Kraven the Hunter has been tracking Kaine through previous volumes and now makes his move. It's the old go-after-the-hero's-friends, hero-thinks-it's-his-fault-for-putting-them-in-danger routine. Then we close out the series with the craziest tying off of loose ends I've ever seen.
This was okay. I find that I prefer superheroes being proactive, and this was reactive, with everybody coming after the hero.
February 20, 2022
I'm so happy that this continues the tradition of characters I love from the Clone Saga tricking me into reading New Warriors.
November 3, 2020
no thoughts, head empty, just that panel at the very end of aracely holding kaine's hand for moral support 🤧
August 9, 2016
Collects Scarlet Spider issues #22-25
I was so, so close to buying some of the issues that make up this volume when they were originally released because the original Ben Reilly version of Scarlet Spider appears within. The mystery inside makes you ask, is this really Ben Reilly, or is someone else dressing up like this great, fallen hero?
Here’s the behind the scenes deal…this comic was canceled. Issue #25, the last of this volume, was the last issue, and it feels like the final, 2-part story was put together to give this series some sort of resolution. It doesn’t end with a satisfying conclusion, but I’m guessing that the writers are hoping to come back and continue the story down the road. For now, I have heard that both Kaine and Hummingbird are joining the New Warriors, a team found in a new comic which just released its first issue last week. I am disappointed that this series had ended, and I really feel like there was a lot of unmet potential. I hate to go back to this, but the first 3 issues of this volume had a great story that involved the original Scarlet Spider, Kraven, and Kaine’s cast of characters. As I read, I could tell that I was really starting to care about his cast members. Then, the second 2 issues in this 5-issue volume had a quick wrap up to this story. I felt bad about how things were forced to be rushed.
I was so, so close to buying some of the issues that make up this volume when they were originally released because the original Ben Reilly version of Scarlet Spider appears within. The mystery inside makes you ask, is this really Ben Reilly, or is someone else dressing up like this great, fallen hero?
Here’s the behind the scenes deal…this comic was canceled. Issue #25, the last of this volume, was the last issue, and it feels like the final, 2-part story was put together to give this series some sort of resolution. It doesn’t end with a satisfying conclusion, but I’m guessing that the writers are hoping to come back and continue the story down the road. For now, I have heard that both Kaine and Hummingbird are joining the New Warriors, a team found in a new comic which just released its first issue last week. I am disappointed that this series had ended, and I really feel like there was a lot of unmet potential. I hate to go back to this, but the first 3 issues of this volume had a great story that involved the original Scarlet Spider, Kraven, and Kaine’s cast of characters. As I read, I could tell that I was really starting to care about his cast members. Then, the second 2 issues in this 5-issue volume had a quick wrap up to this story. I felt bad about how things were forced to be rushed.
February 18, 2015
"Ne každý příběh má štastný konec, a ne každý hřích se dá nejak odčinit"
Příběh šarlatového pavouka nám vstupuje do finále. Finální konfrontace a finální rozuzlení. Opět navazujeme na nitky z prvního booku. Kainea tentokrát honí poměrně solidně prohnilá minulost. A není to pěkná podíváná.
Během drobné konfrontace s bráškou Peterem Parkerem (aktuálně ovšem Ottem Octaviem) se v týmovce Superior Spider-Man Team Up, znovu objeví Jackal. Padouch který celého Kainea umíchal ve zkumavce. A míchání klonů ho baví, asi stejně jako jiné lidi baví masturbace nebo sbírání známek. Je to nádherně kreslené, a i poměrně zábavné. Ale myslím že to zasloužilo delší rámec.
A protože jdeme do finále, opět se vrací Kraven a jeho rodinka ruských psychopatů. Není to pěkné setkání. Nenalévá se vodka a šampaňské, ale teče krev.
A nakonec Kaine stojí v hotelovém pokoji. Proti němu tři slečny, se kterými spal. A ta nejlabilnější z nich má v ruce raketomet.
Au.
Zakončení Yostova runu, má všechno co má správný comics mít. Ale nezoufejte, pokud se vám po Kaineovi bude stýskat, tak pokračuje v sérii New Warriors a následně i v eventu Spider-Verse. Jenže to je zase jiný příběh.
Příběh šarlatového pavouka nám vstupuje do finále. Finální konfrontace a finální rozuzlení. Opět navazujeme na nitky z prvního booku. Kainea tentokrát honí poměrně solidně prohnilá minulost. A není to pěkná podíváná.
Během drobné konfrontace s bráškou Peterem Parkerem (aktuálně ovšem Ottem Octaviem) se v týmovce Superior Spider-Man Team Up, znovu objeví Jackal. Padouch který celého Kainea umíchal ve zkumavce. A míchání klonů ho baví, asi stejně jako jiné lidi baví masturbace nebo sbírání známek. Je to nádherně kreslené, a i poměrně zábavné. Ale myslím že to zasloužilo delší rámec.
A protože jdeme do finále, opět se vrací Kraven a jeho rodinka ruských psychopatů. Není to pěkné setkání. Nenalévá se vodka a šampaňské, ale teče krev.
A nakonec Kaine stojí v hotelovém pokoji. Proti němu tři slečny, se kterými spal. A ta nejlabilnější z nich má v ruce raketomet.
Au.
Zakončení Yostova runu, má všechno co má správný comics mít. Ale nezoufejte, pokud se vám po Kaineovi bude stýskat, tak pokračuje v sérii New Warriors a následně i v eventu Spider-Verse. Jenže to je zase jiný příběh.
March 31, 2014
Chris Yost concludes the run on Scarlet Spider with this fourth and final volume. Besieged by a Scarlet Spider long thought dead, Kaine finds himself the target of Kraven the Hunter. With drugs and hallucinogens pumping through his system, the latest Scarlet Spider is drawn into a final confrontation with the Kravinoffs family. Forced to battle the Hunter to the death, Kaine must choose between being a hero and being a killer in order to save his friends. Yost then ties up his final threads in a showdown with the mystical Shathra, setting Kaine and Aracely on a collision course with the latest version of the New Warriors. All good things come to an end, and Kaine's time as Houston's protector is the victim of this cancellation. Yost did a masterful job at taking a degenerate throwaway character and remolding him into a unique protagonist. Though the title has been folded into the grave, the Scarlet Spider is as alive as ever. Kudos.
August 13, 2016
I have mixed feelings on this one.
Hated the very last issue. Well not hated, just felt rushed and not well handled.
Loved the kraven moments, it really brought some consequences to Kaine being Kaine.
This is a series I still very much recommend even though I felt it went out on a whimper. The comedy is pure gold, some very funny moments, enough to make me actually laugh out loud. Kaine is a great character, funny, and his fights are mostly a lot of fun. The art is solid, and although the change hurts it some, it stays well done.
So we get Kraven wanting revenge on Kaine. It's both nail biting cause he has all of Kaine's friends trapped and ready to die. This isn't a mainstream series and truly anyone of these characters could die at any moment. So that portion of the story was a ton of fun because it had a lot of heart.
I hoped for more in the end, for the very ending, but still a very fun series. Go check it out!
Hated the very last issue. Well not hated, just felt rushed and not well handled.
Loved the kraven moments, it really brought some consequences to Kaine being Kaine.
This is a series I still very much recommend even though I felt it went out on a whimper. The comedy is pure gold, some very funny moments, enough to make me actually laugh out loud. Kaine is a great character, funny, and his fights are mostly a lot of fun. The art is solid, and although the change hurts it some, it stays well done.
So we get Kraven wanting revenge on Kaine. It's both nail biting cause he has all of Kaine's friends trapped and ready to die. This isn't a mainstream series and truly anyone of these characters could die at any moment. So that portion of the story was a ton of fun because it had a lot of heart.
I hoped for more in the end, for the very ending, but still a very fun series. Go check it out!
September 23, 2015
The Scarlet Spider's story has come full circle. It began after he had been sacrificed to return Kraven the Hunter to life. It ends now, as he has returned. What he has planned, Kaine does not know. But it cannot be pleasant. Kraven is crazy. When he lost everything, he indulged himself in the hunt. He bested every creature that he met, until he encountered one he could not - Spider-Man. When he finally did, realizing that there was nothing left for him, he took his life. But Kraven and Kaine's story goes much further behind. To what ends will Kraven go, to achieve his goals?
This, in my opinion is the best story arc. To be precise, this volume contains two story arcs. Both are dark, and stays constant with Kaine. The dark atmosphere, sense of loss and the lack of Parker-ish humour makes the story even more unique to Kaine.
This, in my opinion is the best story arc. To be precise, this volume contains two story arcs. Both are dark, and stays constant with Kaine. The dark atmosphere, sense of loss and the lack of Parker-ish humour makes the story even more unique to Kaine.
March 6, 2014
Yost's Scarlet Spider comes to a conclusion with this volume, and while things do feel a mite rushed to the wrap-up, the fast pace is still fun, and full-enough with detail to provide a satisfying conclusion. The art is serviceable, and the story ties up any loose ends that won't be making their way into Yost's New Warriors book. It's a really great conclusion to an under-sold series, and an equally fine teaser for what's still to come.
March 10, 2015
This is a pretty abrupt ending. It doesn't seem like much effort was made to "wrap things up." But this is an ending, right?
It seems like skipped to the "final confrontation with the building conflict" without any building. And then everyone was pretty conscious that we skipped to the resolution without resolving the main story arcs.
The page-by-page stuff was fine. The arc stuff was pretty broken.
(And if it's not an ending, it's even more confusing.)
It seems like skipped to the "final confrontation with the building conflict" without any building. And then everyone was pretty conscious that we skipped to the resolution without resolving the main story arcs.
The page-by-page stuff was fine. The arc stuff was pretty broken.
(And if it's not an ending, it's even more confusing.)
June 26, 2017
Lot's of confused mayhem and over the top violence. And a plot and a set of supporting characters that almost works and falls apart of its own weight. The whole book was kind of a failure, but some of the bits had interesting potential. So not really my kind of thing, but an okay book otherwise. Too bad we couldn't have just had another small character driven book that just happens to be set in Houston. 3.5 of 5.
June 16, 2014
This book left me satisfied with Kaine. Although I had hoped he would get a happy ending, he did not get it in Houston. The return of Ben was a surprise until it turned out to be a false alarm, with it actually being Kraven. This book was entertaining, and made me want more, since the last page opened a lot of questions for me. I would definitely recommend this book.
August 12, 2019
Overall the series was bumpy in execution but truly shined when exploring Kaine and Aracely’s relationship. There were call backs to previous series but it never felt like you couldn’t understand the motivations (well in comic book logic).
November 8, 2015
Wow! Such a good read. Keeps getting better.....
August 8, 2019
At this point in this comic series Scarlet Spider lost the run of itself. Such a pity as it started out as a great idea.
October 21, 2015
He finally made it.
December 11, 2017
Kraven and Ana fights agains Kaine and his friends and an explosive end marks the last of the series
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March 23, 2019Not the recent series about Peter Parker's flawed clone trying to make it as a hero away from New York, despite not really having the temperament for it, but the earlier series about Peter Parker's other flawed clone trying to make it as a hero somewhere else away from New York, despite not really having the temperament for it. This one was shorter on laughs, and by the point of this somewhat rushed wrap-up, shorter on coherence too - yes, it's a while since I read the rest of it, but some of this was just baffling. Also, a lot of it hinges on Kraven, whom I've never liked as a Spider-villain (though he excels as a Squirrel-sidekick) and who here is just outright horrible in a way that doesn't seem to fit the character.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews