Review by Ian Keogh

Chasm is Ben Reilly, once known as the Scarlet Spider and before that actually Spider-Man for a while. Latterly, he’s taken a chemical bath that’s affected his mind, perceptions and moral compass, for which see Amazing Spider-Man: Dark Web, and as Curse of Kaine begins he and partner Hallows Eve are seen battling monsters in New York’s sewers.

However, Ben’s not the only Spider-Man clone now operating under a new alias. There’s also Kaine, whose past is equally chequered, and is now using the discarded Scarlet Spider identity. So, while Chasm is the title character, this is as much about Kaine and Hallows Eve as it is about Ben.

Steve Foxe makes a bold move through removing an element of mystery from the plotting. It’s not revealed how, but the person behind Ben’s frequent blackouts is shown to be Druig, the Eternal. If that seems someone whose concerns ought to be well beyond messing with a Spider-Man clone, Fox does have Druig explain himself rather well. It’s a smart way of justifying what back in the day would have just been random without explanation as hero fights hero. However, there being an explanation doesn’t greatly improve the lack of originality, especially as repetition is the order of the day.

Artist Andrea Broccardo brings the necessary dynamism and revels in the action, meaning Curse of Kaine looks much better than it reads. The title, by the way, is a means of including Kaine as headlining co-star, but has no meaning within. Kaine’s monologues even go as far as making the point that he’s been luckier than Ben, so not cursed.

The feeling is that any reader is going to have to come here really invested in the characters as this is unlikely to win any new converts.