(Marvel Comics, 2013)Â Â -Â Â Reviewed by J.G. Butler
By now, if you havenât heard of the recent goings on within the Spider-Man titles youâre probably not reading this, since there is a pretty crappy internet connection under a rock, or you donât care. Iâm going to assume either one of those things are true, or that youâve read it and know what the deal is. But, either way, this is more about “Superior Spider-Man” issue #5 than it is the whole debacle that was “Amazing Spider-Man” #700 (which I was personally a huge fan of). So, letâs look in on this new Otto Octavius Spidey and see how heâs been doing.
An old villain, previously saved from death by the earlier Spider-Man, returns and has one thing on his mind. His name is Massacre, so Iâll let you guess at that one. As per his name, he killed a large group of civilians in the previous #4, causing Superior Spidey to decide that he wonât fail as Peter previously had, and will end Massacreâs murder spree “at any cost”. It makes one wonder how far this Spidey might go. That question is answered in this most recent issue, #5.
This issue finds Otto continuing with his ‘one step forward, two steps backâ approach to becoming a hero, and - of course - a ‘superiorâ one, at that. Although Otto has been making progress on the ‘realâ Peterâs social life, and even begins to fix his and Mary Janeâs relationship, he still has major flaws that are apparent in his attitude and treatment of what crimes ‘deserveâ his attentions, and which do not. Where the original Spidey would stop at nothing to take care of any type of problem he came across, Otto passes on some superhero duties with the justification of having already done more than Parker had during his career behind the mask. This of course drives the still-attached corporeal form of the real Peter Parker nuts, giving him more to nag Otto about. This ‘naggingâ, which began with issue #2 of this title, was at first very annoying and whiny, but has since leveled out well, giving Peter moments to complain as well as giving Otto some inspiration and even compliments at times. Some things Otto really does do better than Peter had, and he acknowledges this. Peter actually talks a lot in his ghostly form, which Otto is beginning to notice more and more, it seems.
One of his main problems with filling the shoes of the usually charismatic and friendly Parker is that Otto is constantly talking down to fellow employees and superiors at Horizon Labs, which is creating more suspicion and anger at each turn. He literally bosses the boss around, treats the whole Lab like a group of morons, and feels no need to change a thing. Heâs Otto, even under the suit and with his changing outlook, so the ‘Iâm such a geniusâ mindset that has always been a part of Doc Ocâs personality is still there, and most times its his main flaw. When belittling his superiors at Horizon, he is told that Parker never received his Doctorate, thus making Doc Oc not so much of a ‘Docâ in Peterâs body. He feels completely robbed of his Doctor title, which is ironic since the whole reason this has happened is because he basically stole Peterâs body. So, Otto heads back to school, and is not too happy about having to do so. This further cements his opinion that Peter was a screw-up and a complete fool. Itâs a little silly of a plot twist, but in this situation itâs the only viable option for him. His first day in school Otto finds himself bugged numerous times by an unseen woman offering tutoring. Finally, he gives in and goes to her home, planning to ask her to stop bothering him. He is surprised to find that she has been ‘waiting for himâ (she tells Otto/Spidey/Parker that he will need her if heâs going to pass a class taught by a Dr. Lamaze), and is what she herself describes as a ‘little personâ. Add in the fact that she is a highly intelligent and quite witty woman and a ‘Science Chefâ (using chemicals and physics to create perfect dishes), and we have the makings of a great character.  One might be so bold as to sense the possibility of love in the air for the Superior Spider-Man, but that has yet to be seen in any way. I do firmly believe she will be an integral part to the title, in one way or another, Iâm just not sure how.
After a bit of a study and food with new study-buddy Anna, Otto turns his sights back on Massacre. As hinted at in #4, Ottoâs plan is to get a hold of Uatu Jackson (a partner from Horizon Labs) and his new version of a facial recognition program, allowing the untold number of spider-bots at Ottoâs control to search out Massacre by face alone. Eventually, the bots do in fact find him, and Spidey rushes off to his location. The finale of this story is quite a shocker, but maybe not as you might think. The ending alone makes this an important issue, maybe the most important since ASM #700.
While this issue was an enjoyable and exciting read, there were a few things that irked me. First of all, this title has already been adding Batman-type gadgets to Spideyâs arsenal, which to a degree would make sense, as Otto is much more savvy in the use of the tech available to him. It was a minor annoyance at first, but this facial recognition plan sure sounds a lot like Batmanâs cellphone sonar trick used in the film “The Dark Knight”. Peter/Ottoâs co-worker Uatu even states that it is ‘too much power for one man to haveâ, nearly the exact line said by Lucius Fox/Morgan Freeman in âDark Knightâ.
This is the second issue with Giuseppe Camuncoli on art, and I have to say Iâm not enjoying his very straight forward style quite as much as Ryan Stegmanâs intense line work. He is missed. I am much happier with Camuncoliâs version, however, of ‘ghost Peterâ appearing in more of a spiritual ‘smokeâ/mist form, rather then the ice or glass he looks to have been made of previously. I just donât like Camuncoliâs rendering of Spider-Man, as he looks like a bulky wrestler, or like heâs been spending a ton of time lifting weights. And could we please stop changing the size of his goggle lenses from one panel to the next? I want to believe that they have a purpose in doing so, but have been unable to see it in any consistent use throughout these issues.
Dan Slottâs writing continues to be solid and intriguing, making this title a fun ride so far. The characters are still believable as they are adapting to this new Spidey and Peter Parker. Slottâs dialogue and pacing is spot on, and gives the book a real depth, something not found in a lot of comics today. Even though Otto is a bad guy trying to be good, we feel for him in his plight, and maybe even feel a little sympathy. Heâs killed hundreds of people (maybe more) over the decades, but something about seeing him so confused and vulnerable is refreshing and relatable. Not an easy task, especially with the way Otto became Peter Parker. Or his body. Or whatever. While the end scene was very effective, it did feel brought down by the whole ‘anti-publicityâ fast food logo scheme. This seemed more like a round table discussion where a silly idea gets bigger, until it eventually enters into the work. It just didnât feel right. Also, that earpiece/cell phone idea - does the thing really need to be so large? Doesnât Otto have the technological capacity to have some earbuds created for him? Heâs a genius, surrounded by geniuses who also happen to make tools and gadgets for Spideyâs use, so this horrible idea makes no sense. Itâs not only illogical, it also looks horrible and is far too large to even be the type of device itâs attempting to emulate. Bad choice there, and one I hope they fix or get rid of altogether very soon.
So, how will Spider-Man ever recover from all this damage? Thatâs the billion dollar question that has yet to even be addressed, but - please! - no time travel. Having no scene in this with Green Goblin (since his reveal at the end of #4) also left me wanting. He may know Peter Parkerâs Spider-Man better then anyone, but can he take down Ottoâs ‘Superiorâ version? With the way things are progressing, itâs going to be a crazy battle no matter what.
This title has been consistently good, and Iâm loving what Slott has been doing with this idea. It was far more creative than I had expected to begin with, and he has taken that idea and flown high with it. Another very entertaining issue of one of my favorite monthly reads.
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