Wolverine

• Title: Scarlet Spider #18
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Christopher Yost
• Artist: Reilly Brown

Murderous Marvel Team-Up! Last issue the Scarlet Spider was sent to kill Wolverine. In this issue our hero teams up with the X-Man to take on the Assassins Guild. After explaining that Wolverine and (some) of the X-Men were in on the Scarlet Spider’s attack via Aracely‘s telepathy, the two heroes finish faking his death and then set out together to take down and the Guild together (as Aracely stays behind to creep out and/or annoy the rest of the X-Men).

Writer Christopher Yost is in fine form here providing several fun moments between the two heroes including Kaine’s apt description of Logan, Logan’s reaction to Kaine being a clone of Spider-Man, and Wolverine’s reaction to the brilliance of the Scarlet Spider’s plan.

Next month’s issue concludes this arc, but I have really enjoyed Wolverine and Scarlet Spider together and hope we see the pair get another team-up somewhere down the line. (And it’s always interesting to see Wolverine team with someone who is arguably more murderous than he is.) Worth a look.

[Marvel, $2.99]

• Title: Scarlet Spider #17
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Christopher Yost
• Artist: Reilly Brown

Given a reprieve months ago by the Assassins Guild who agreed to leave Kaine alone in exchange for the former killer doing one job for them in the future, the new Scarlet Spider’s time runs out when he’s contacted with his target – Wolverine. Unwilling to let her friend march into the Jean Grey School School for Higher Learning alone, Aracely dons a her brand new super-hero costume and Kaine trades in a Spidey-stealth suit for his Scarlet Spider costume and heads straight into the lion’s den.

The story works well, as the Guild honestly doesn’t care who wins he fight between Kaine and Logan as long as one of them turns up dead. Aracely’s help gets Kaine through the students (by largely underestimating her own powers) for Kaine’s one-on-one brutal fight with the headmaster that leaves one of them dead on the floor.

Scarlet Spider #17 continues to make use of the fun relationship between Kaine and Aracely as well as the self-deprecating narration of our hero. This issue is full of action as “Red Ninja Spider-Man” takes on Beast, Ice Man, Kitty Pryde, before his fight with Logan. Best of the week.

[Marvel, $2.99]