After the events of ‘Scarlet Spider’ #2, Kaine (Scarlet Spider) has decided to stick around Houston to help clean up crime. But he’s about to find out that Houston might have more to deal with than just a few petty criminals and one flame-powered mutant. And that it may have more to do with him than he realizes.

As this issue opens, Kaine’s doctor buddy Donald Meland is attacked by a distraught husband after Meland fails to save the man’s wife and daughter in the aftermath of a car accident. The man tells Meland that he is a dead man. Keep that in mind… it’ll come back later this issue.

Meanwhile, Kaine is doing his patrols as Scarlet Spider and saving the citizens of Houston from crime. His first encounter with a mugger (and potential rapist) highlights the similarities and differences between Kaine and Spider-Man. It also gives us a humorous look at the difference between Houston and NYC.

In between his superhero gig, Kaine is also tending to Aracely, the young girl that he saved from Salamander last issue. To help him, Kaine recruits a new friend to serve as translator since Kaine doesn’t speak Spanish. It’s nice to see Kaine developing his own family of supporting characters and, so far, I like them all.

This issue takes a shocking turn when Dr. Meland is targeted by a sniper. But it takes an even bigger twist when Kaine discovers the who is behind the assassin.

Chris Yost is continuing his world-building for Kaine and his universe and he’s doing a wonderful job at it. Yost’s characterization of Kaine as he struggles to find his place in the world is touching and exciting at once. And I can already tell that those aforementioned friends of Kaine are going to be one of my favorite supporting casts of any superhero comic. It’s great to see that Kaine doesn’t hide his “secret” identity from his friends the way that Peter Parker does. It gives yet another facet to the character. Plus, and I won’t give any spoilers, the identity of the assassin adds yet another aspect of Kaine’s past that hasn’t be fully explored.

Verdict: Buy

SCARLET SPIDER #3
Written by CHRIS YOST
Art by RYAN STEGMAN, MICHAEL BABINSKI, and WADE VON GRAWBADGER
Cover by RYAN STEGMAN, MICHAEL BABINSKI, and MARTE GRACIA