“Boom, boom, boom, boom, aaannd boom.”
In today’s chapter of the Superior Spider-Man, more stuff gets blown up and someone who is not one of SpOck’s henchmen dies (and besides, they’re all dead anyway). And Miquel O’ Hara, aka Michael O’Mara, aka Spider-Man 2099, actually gets to do stuff in this story…sort of.
“Goblin Nation, Part 3”
PLOT: Dan Slott
SCRIPT: Christos Gage
PENCILS: Giuseppe Camuncoli
INKS: John Dell
COLOR: Antonio Fabela
LETTERER: Chris Eliopoulos
VARIANT COVER: Jorge Molina
ASSISTANT EDITOR: Devin Lewis
EDITOR: Ellie Pyle
SENIOR EDITORS:Stephen Wacker and Nick Lowe
THE STORY: As the Green Goblin watches his army wreak havoc across New York, Menace brings him Anna Maria Marconi. Only the Green Goblin is less interested in her and more interested in the news about apparent death of Peter Parker and Carlie Cooper, aka Monster, caused by part of Parker Industries collapsing on them. Meanwhile, Mayor J. Jonah Jameson refuses to mobilize his “Goblin Slayers” to help protect the city because he wants to sic them on “Spider-Man,” a decision which makes Glory Grant quit in protest. Mary Jane, having driven Aunt May, Jay Jameson, and her boyfriend, Ollie, to Mystic, Connecticut, gets a call from SpOck, who reveals he blew up his own building to fake his and Carlie’s death to throw the Green Goblin off the scent. MJ tries to tell SpOck Aunt May is “freaking out” but SpOck tells MJ to deal with it herself, which gets MJ angry over how SpOck’s been treating her, only for him to hang up on her.
As SpOck and Sajani Jaffrey look to reverse the effects of the Goblin formula within Carlie, the Green Goblin is somehow able to contact SpOck on his phone. Angry over how Otto has killed Spider-Man before he did, the Green Goblin shows SpOck images of Otto’s childhood home, the atomic research center where he became Doctor Octopus, the “Boneyard” housing Doc Ock’s impounded inventions, the Mocca Cola bottling plant whose workers he’s saved from Massacre, and Dr. Elias Wertham’s H.E.A.R.T. clinic…before blowing them all up. He then tells SpOck that he has a “dear friend” of his held hostage at Empire State University, and that if SpOck doesn’t save this person, he’ll blow the University up, too. SpOck, convinced that Anna Maria is the one in danger, heads to ESU, and calls Chief Prattchet to deal with the other Goblin related crimes he sees along the way. But Prattchet refuses, convinced, along with Jonah, that he and the Green Goblin are in cahoots.
When SpOck arrives at ESU, he finds that the Green Goblin’s hostage is not Anna Maria, but Dr. Don “The Schonz” Lamaze. Of course, SpOck could care less, and so a disappointed Green Goblin makes a hasty retreat…but not before hacking SpOck’s mechanical spider-tentacles and turning them against him. As one of them is about to stab SpOck, Dr.Lamaze sacrifices himself to save SpOck by letting the tentacle stab him. Content that he’s amended for leaving Anna Maria to die during the events of Superior Spider-Man #22, Dr. Lamaze succumbs to his wounds, and SpOckswears vengeance. At that moment, a patrol of Spider-Slayers, controlled by Jonah, arrive and capture SpOck…only to be shut down by the Spider-Man of 2099. But when Miquel O’Hara starts demanding answers, the Spider-Slayers unexpectedly reactivate and instead of having Jonah’s face, they have the face of…Norman Osborn!
THOUGHTS: Over the course of Superior Spider-Man, we all knew in the back of our minds that Otto Octavious was eventually going to get his comeuppance for letting Peter Parker die and taking his place. While we’ve seen the Green Goblin systematically destroy all which SpOck has built to make him a more “superior” Spider-Man, from hacking his spider-bot surveillance system to carpet bombing Spider-Island II, he only targeted Otto Octavious’ stolen persona of “Spider-Man,” not the man who Otto Octavious really is.
That is, until this issue.
And why wouldn’t he? As the Green Goblin (who, in spite of what this issue reveals, I’m still not convinced is really still Norman Osborn…or rather that’s not what he really looks like under the mask) explains to SpOck, if anyone was supposed to kill Spider-Man, it should have been him, not his “number two” enemy. So when the Green Goblin—in an absolutely gorgeous and fantastic double-page spread by Guiseppe Camuncoli—taunts, laughs, and blows up every landmark of personal value to Doc Ock, Dan Slott and co-writer Christos Gage are tapping into our collective schadenfreude over SpOck finally getting his just-desserts.
Less successful, however, is when Slott and Gage also try to make the reader feel sorry for Otto in spite of getting his just-desserts, specifically during Camuncoli’s other two-page spread showing yet another (and becoming rather repetitive) scene of Peter merging with and getting lost in Otto’s memories. Coming right off the heals of the previous scene where SpOck asks himself “what would Parker do” in when faced with the possibility that the Green Goblin could kill Ana Maria, what pity we’re meant to have for Otto is completely undone as we’re reminded that, once again, SpOck is someone who, because of their ego and arrogance, refuses to admit that he’s ever been in the wrong—which includes stealing Peter’s identity and letting him die. It’s been one of Superior Spider-Man‘s biggest drawbacks since the beginning: even though the series has made it clear that what is happening to SpOck is his own fault, it also asks readers to identify with and have empathy for someone who constantly blames others for his own shortcomings and failures simply because he’s been trying to be “better” than the hero he’s killed.
Furthermore, the level of empathy we’re supposed to have for SpOck isn’t extended towards Jonah. Rather, this issue makes it made abundantly clear that Jonah is completely in the wrong because, as Glory tells him, he’s not honoring the dying wish of his wife to stop hating Spider-Man, and thus he deserves what is coming to him. His saying that he no longer cares whether SpOck will expose him for his complicity to murder Alistair Smythe, that it will be worth killing him even at the cost of “[his] self-respect, [his] office” and “freedom” are the actions of someone we, as readers, are not meant to be pitiable towards. Thus Jonah, a man consumed by the grief of his wife, is meant to be seen as being more villainous that the person who was, at one time, an actual super-villain.
Spider-Man’s mantra of “with great comes great responsibility” isn’t just about using one’s personal gifts or abilities to make the world a better place; it’s also owning up to your past wrongs and making amends for them. Unlike Otto or Jonah, this is something Peter has learned and practiced for years, and it’s a lesson that, in this issue, Dr. Lamaze has come to understand.
I’m sure most of us believed, like SpOck, that Anna Maria would be the one in immediate danger (and she still very well could be), but not SpOck’s former classmate and college professor who tried to get him expelled on plagiarism charges. Yet it’s all too appropriate that the one to save Otto’s life at the cost of their own is not only someone who once tried to academically and professionally ruin Otto, but someone Otto regarded as his intellectual inferior and treated with nothing but contempt and ridicule. That is what makes the death of this otherwise minor and comical character so surprisingly poignant and moving.
The scene itself probably would’ve been even more powerful were in not a rare misstep by Camuncoli in not making it clear Lamaze had intentionally placed himself between SpOck and his rogue spider-leg tentacle. Prior to reading the dialogue where Lamaze dies, one could easily assume Lazame was trying to run away only to stubble over his own feet and getting himself stabbed by accident. Nevertheless, the effect of Dr. Lamaze’s death remains intact, showing us that he, in his self-sacrifice, has ironically learned far more about “with great power comes great responsibility” than Otto ever has during all his time as “Spider-Man.”
Yet if this story, as Lamaze’s death scene suggests, is about Otto learning to accept blame for the things he has done, with the way events are shaping up now, it will still be Peter, not Otto, who will have to clean up Otto’s mess. We’ve already seen, thanks to SpOck, that Peter, upon his return, will have to deal with no longer being an Avenger and being treated as a “menace” by the public yet again. Now, after this issue, it looks as though he’ll be wanted by the authorities and be even further estranged from Mary Jane. And guess who will also have to pony up the extra cash to pay for the damages SpOck did to Parker Industries, which will probably cause problems in paying off the business loan SpOck obtained to fund this start-up? Just like Otto’s memories are doing with Peter in their shared consciousness, Otto’s actions as Spider-Man are dragging Peter down into a mire of Otto’s own making. All for the sake of returning Peter back to his more traditional status as a “hard luck” hero with money and girl problems.
Some you may have noticed I didn’t talk much about Miquel O’Hara in my previous reviews for “Goblin Nation,” and that’s because he didn’t do much other than stand in the background and speak one line of dialogue. This time, he gets to do and say a lot more (and even dons his costume), but unfortunately, it all amounts to him doing nothing more than literally pressing the Spider-Slayers’ off-button and demanding “what the shock is going on?” Beyond that, he doesn’t seem to serve much purpose in “Goblin Nation” other than to throw a bone to fans of Spider-Man 2099.
Again, just as in the previous two-parts, Camuncoli’s art is this issue’s greatest strength, and I believe his work during “Goblin Nation” will be regarded as some of his finest work. But in the case of this issue, it’s the script, while effectively moving the narrative forward, appears to want it both ways when in comes to the inevitable fall of Otto as the “Superior” Spider-Man. After all, it’s hard to really see what is happening to Otto as a tragedy when we’re also rooting for the Green Goblin to defeat him.
C
NERDY NITPICKS
- If you purchased this issue with the regular cover instead of the variant one, congratulations! You just saw the cliffhanger ending of this comic without opening it up to read the story. Seriously, the last panel of the very last page is virtually identical to what is on the cover, only with SpOck and Spidey 2099’s positions reserved, both being held by one “Goblin Slayer” each, and both actually struggling to get free as opposed to looking all limp.
- So the Avengers (and Cardiac) finally decide to get involved only after more of the city is being looted, pillaged and burned, and their resources stretched too thin. Sure, it’s better late than never and there wouldn’t have been no story if they intervened sooner, but it doesn’t speak well for “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” that they can barely manage to protect their own home town.
- Hey, Mary Jane? Remember how “Peter” explained the reason he was acting like such a jerk all these months was because he was infected by a piece of the Venom symbiote? And notice how he’s still acting like a jerk to you over the phone a month later even though he’s supposed to be “cured?” So maybe this should clue you in that, perhaps, he’s acting like a jerk who gets can’t “deal with a women raising their voice” for a very different reason, right?
- And about that phone call, if the Green Goblin can hack into SpOck’s phone to call him directly, then shouldn’t this have clued him in just whose “pretty little head [Otto’s] mind is in” based on the fact that “Peter Parker” and “Spider-Man” appear to have the exact same cellphone number?
- Also, Pedro “Ollie” Olivera is overhearing all this talk about his current girlfriend’s ex having the same first name as him, right? How does he not realize he’s MJ’s rebound guy by this point?
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@35 – so Dan Slott making things up to fit his storyline again?
@33 – Isn’t the next issue of Superior Team-Up supposed to be an untold tale of a meeting between Otto and Norman in their Doc Ock and Green Goblin personas? Maybe they introduce something in that story that has Norman and Otto become enemies with Norman determined to get revenge on Otto, and that is the reason why the Goblin now hates Otto.
@#32 Sirspidermonkey — Oh, I do agree that’s Doc Ock’s character, but that’s what makes it, at times, difficult to get behind him as a “hero,” especially since one the things he doesn’t apologize or expect forgiveness for is killing Peter and taking his place. That said, once Otto acknowledges this was wrong, that’s also the moment his time as Spider-Man, and his story, is over.
@#33 Jason — Well, it probably isn’t anything more than Otto beat Spider-Man; and let’s remember that the Green Goblin, as he reminds SpOck in this issue, was willing to let bygones be bygones and offer him a partnership in his new criminal empire. Also, Normie has been shown to be a pretty bright kid in spite of his age, and we’ve seen the Goblin Formula can physically transform a person, so Normie could be taking a version of the formula that turns him into an “adult.” Granted, it’s possible that the Green Goblin is still Norman Osborn, except the issues are trying so hard to convince readers it’s still him yet refusing to show his face under the mask that there’s obviously some sort twist involved.
Still not convinced Normie is under the mask. Other than being pissed Otto beat Spider-Man, what grudge would Normie have against Otto? Also, how would Normie have any knowledge of Otto’s past? He’s what, three/four years old? Norman seems more logical, but I think it will end up being someone we hadn’t considered.
I disagree, I don’t think it is asking readers to have empathy for Spock.
Superior is best read as a character that doesnt apologize and expects no forgiveness.
@30 – Today I don’t even remember writing the #27 comment, but I can remember when Marcy Kane got her wig pulled off to reveal she wasn’t a blonde in PPtSSM.
@ #27 Last Tuesday you were forgetting what you did the day before.
Not to mention…..BOOM! ;-D
Damn !!!George you are the most interesting man in the world. I’m not going to slam Slott’s work because I know its a hard job but I feel Slott didnt take the risks that would’ve put this run over the top to live up to the hype but still a solid series.
@24 – I hope that card is in your wallet and you show it when you’re asked for ID. You should show it to the usher when you go see Avengers 2: Avenging Boogaloo.
Is that Henry Peter Gyrich’s signature at the Director? Sigh. It’s sad that I can remember his name but I can’t remember what I did last Tuesday.
@25 – Oh great, so they’re taking the best and most unique part of Captain Universe (i.e. someone is only CU for long enough to complete a task and then the enigma force leaves) and changing it so they can have CU stick around for an extended period of time.
The new Captain Universe host is a woman that has been slowly dying as the uni-force has been dying from what is causing the Incursions in New Avengers. So Captsin Universe is shown to be in flux with her powers.
@22 – Wait a minute, back it up … Captain Universe is in the Avengers???
Dude – freaking everyone is an Avenger now. Hell, even I’m an Avenger now.
@22 – Wait a minute, back it up … Captain Universe is in the Avengers???
How does this work? Is it a single person or different every issue? The main selling point about CU is that he is not one character, his powers go to a different person each time, someone in need. Have his powers changed to make him a permanent member of the team?
And if the CU powers could help Spidey knock the Hulk into orbit (and he did not have the full CU powers at that time) and defeat the Tri-Sentinel, then how can most Avengers foes be a credible threat? He’s not Captain Planet (or even Captain Power), he’s Captain freaking Universe!
I can’t add anything new to this outside the Avengers being “spread too thin” seriously? As I mentioned in my review, the Avengers have the likes of Hyperion, Thor, Captain Universe, Manifold and more. They are mostly fighting guys with goblin weapons and tech. They should have been wiping the floor with them not acting like AIM or the Skrull Empire is invading the planet.
@#19 E. Wilson — That is a very legitimate point you raise, E. Wilson. Because you are correct in saying that the Green Goblin did indeed kill innocent people in those bombings, and I do think it’s clear that Otto does see those deaths as utterly senseless. However, as this issue also shows us with the Mindscape scene, Otto never puts any of the blame on himself or takes responsibility whenever something goes wrong for him. Especially for how he became Spider-Man in the first place, which was, of course, to kill Peter and take his place. That is what makes it difficult to feel for Otto regardless of the good he’s done as Spider-Man and the Green Goblin taking the lives of the people Otto saved. The only time Otto has expressed any degree of guilt for his own actions was in Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #8 in which he was about to turn himself into the Avengers and confess that he killed Peter Parker…until Namor, ironically, brought his confidence back. And to be fair, and considering how we’re almost at the end of Superior Spider-Man, I’m hoping to see Otto acknowledge the fact that his killing Peter and taking his place was wrong and thus tainted all of his efforts to be a hero because he never truly sought redemption for those actions.
I find it very easy not to feel for Otto at this point, because he is only in this situation because HE KILLED PETER PARKER AND TOOK HIS PLACE! Anything bad that happens to him after ASM #700, he deserves. Yeah, I’m one of those people that can never let this go, sorry.
(I normally hate it when people use caps lock in posts but there was no way I could write that sentence without it)
I think it’s vastly oversimplifying the scene to say that the “Boom-Boom-Boom” spread is just Otto “getting what’s coming to him.” Spider Island and Parker Industries getting destroyed/attacked is Otto getting some comeuppance; those things exist as a result of his meglomania and hubris. But his childhood home? The cola plant? The HEART Center? These are places that are either A) only guilty of any wrongdoing by association, or B) Places he preformed some legitimately heroic acts. And all of them were shown to be occupied at the time of the attack, so innocent people were murdered as well, just to get Otto off his game.
It’s not a coincidence that the last location bombed was the HEART Center; saving that girl was a hugely important step in Otto’s narrative, and probably the last time he was legitimately on the path to redemption. And odds are, that girl is now dead, along with the other patients and the doctors treating them, specifically because Otto tried to do the right thing and make amends for his past.
Really, it’s not hard to see readers feeling for Otto at that point.
@ #1 bulletproofsponge — Touche, my good sir! 😀
@ #3 Nick MB — Which is a valid comparison, but I think it’s also a matter of context. Dexter Morgan, even though he’s unquestionably a psychotic serial killer, is also a vigilante in the classic mold, who struggles between his need to feed his “Dark Passenger” and to emotionally connect with others. Walter White’s journey in Breaking Bad is not unlike MacBeth, in that it’s the tragedy of a once decent man being corrupted by power. In the case of SpOck, however, his story is not a story about redemption; his is a story about him trying to prove how he can do a better job than the guy he allowed to die and who he impersonates on regular basis. That, unlike Dexter Morgan or Walter White, makes it far more difficult to feel empathy for Otto Octavious for that reason.
@ #4 & #7 Luke — Oh, I agree that one has to understand exactly where Otto is coming from, which, even though II think the Mindscape scenes are repetitive, they have reminded us why Otto is the way he is. That being said, Otto is still portrayed as someone who never takes responsibility for his own mistakes, who lays the blame for them on others. That’s what makes it hard to get behind him as a protagonist and why we actually end up rooting for the Green Goblin to ruin him. Also, Peter having to deal with the mess SpOck has made is what also makes it difficult to emphazie with SpOck. Because unless it gets publicly revealed in the next two issues that Doc Ock has been impersonating Spider-Man all along, Peter will be the one getting all the blame for things he never did. At least with his “Parker Luck,” his problems were the direct result of his own actions which he tried to correct himself.
@ #8 Roy Lichenstein — Thanks, Roy. As for the identity of the Green Goblin, I think there are three possibilities: A. It’s Harry and Liz’s son, ‘Lil Normie Osborn, which I believe has the best odds now. B. It’s still Norman Osborn, only he’s had plastic surgery to look like Mason Banks; it’s a good theory and, the very least, this issue proves that Alchemax has a connection to the Green Goblin, but unfortunately, I think Superior Spider-Man #27 and #28 gave him an alibi as it was implied he was with Jonah, Stone, and Miquel while the Green Goblin was putting his plan in motion. Or C. The Green Goblin now looks like “Peter Parker” under the mask. However, considering how I believe Ghost Peter has actually been the real Peter all along (meaning Peter never actually died in ASM #700 and that the Otto Octavious we’ve been reading about is just a “neural clone” of Doc Ock), this would just be really confusing.
@ #10 AndrewRoebuck — Thanks Andrew, and great review yourself. As for MJ’s line, I did read Christos Gage’s explanation of what his intentions were for putting that in. He says he wasn’t trying to make it sound as if Peter was intimidated by strong, independent women who aren’t afraid to speak their mind; rather, he was trying to get across that Peter was someone who gets easily “freaked out” whenever a strong, independent woman who isn’t afraid to speak her mind gets mad at him. Which makes sense as Peter is the type of guy who wants to make his loved ones happy and isn’t intentionally trying to pick a fight with them.
@ #12 Jack Brooks — I think Peter will remain the head of Parker Industries after Superior Spider-Man is over. But it definitely is a different take on having to struggle financially. After all, any one who ever tried to start their own business can tell you it’s extremely difficult.
@ #13 frame-oh — Thanks, frame-oh. And just to be clear, I’ve been enjoying “Goblin Nation” over all and, as I said in this issue, there is stuff I did like (Cumancolli’s art, Lamaze’s death scene, etc.) but I felt that, primarily because of the script, especially with how were asked to empathize with Otto while seeing him get he rightfully deserves, it wasn’t quite up to same level as the other parts. We still have two more parts to go, however. Glad you love the nerdy nitpicks section, BTW.
@ #14 Gary — Very well said. The only parts I would disagree with somewhat is that MJ’s “You never could handle it when a woman raised her voice” is not meant to mean Peter acted like submissive puppy, or least that’s not what Christos Gage was trying to get across. And secondly, even though you are right about him literally getting away with murder over the course of the series, I don’t think it’s been necessarily that easy for Otto as we are finally seeing everything he’s built as “Spider-Man” crash around him, but I do think you’re right in that he’s not the one who getting the blame for everything that’s happen or even dealing with the aftermath of Goblin Nation–it’s all going to fall on Peter.
@ #15 Adam — That’s a good point you just raised. I suppose one could say that the Green Goblin was still believed Otto would respond to the same way Peter would in similar situation, or that Peter’s friends and family aren’t technically out of danger just yet, but yes, considering how the Green Goblin now believes Peter is dead, then Peter’s friends and family wouldn’t be effective leverage against Otto anymore. Then again, maybe that was the point the Green Goblin was getting at when he told SpOck how he’d have to come up with another way get to him after his “dry run” with Lamaze.
@16 – At least it’s relevant to the story at all. For Marvel, that’s a bonus.
I was bothered by the fact that the regular cover is only relevant to the last couple pages of the book too.
I think a C is a fair grade. This issue was fairly uneventful. Barring the death of a very minor supporting character, the story hasn’t progressed. The whole arc has been very slow. I’ve been a fan of this series, but this is it’s weakest arc to date. This should be Peter’s hero moment, and he’s done nothing.
Last issue I wondered why the Goblin was going after Peter’s family, then I realised he wanted Spider-Man’s friend’s family. Now he thinks Peter is dead (from the explosion at Parker industries) why does he want Peter’s friends.
I hate the whole “You never could handle it when a woman raised her voice” crap. Slott’s just further degrading Peter because he’s upset that no one is ever fully going to accept SpOck. I have several issues of Spider-man that have pretty heated arguments between Peter and Mary Jane, and Peter never whimpered like a submissive puppy when Mary Jane was laying into him. Slott constantly changes the way characters act to make his story or his characters or his arcs make more sense. And it’s pathetic.
And you’re right, Lamaze has been more like Spider-man than Otto has. By making up for leaving Anna Maria in danger to save himself by sacrificing himself to save “Spider-man,” he showed that he holds more Peter Parker-like qualities than Otto ever will.
Slott wants us to see Ock as a sympathetic hero trying to right the wrongs of his past. But seriously, how does Slott think anyone will believe it when the first act of “heroism” Ock had was leaving Peter Parker to die in his dying body and then stealing Peter’s life?
The reason Peter Parker was so popular for so long and why so many people keep saying, “This is okay, but I’ll be happier when Peter’s back” is because people can relate to Peter. He’s not perfect, he makes mistakes. He has faults. And he owns up to his mistakes, he tries to make things right and he always tries his best. He has problems all of us face or have faced at one point or another in our lives.
Fans of Sp0ck love Otto because he’s “something different.” Different? He’s like Superman. Everything is way too easy for him. Otto has virtually had ZERO problems as Spider-man. He’s able to perfectly juggle a personal life, an academic life, a professional life, and his Spider-man duties without one interfering with another (until the month he disappeared when the Goblins started attacking the city after issue 26). When it looked like things were falling apart (Lamaze accusing him of stealing the works of Otto Octavius), he immediately fixed the problem the very next issue with no real effort. Everyone falls for his BS, they never question him, and even the Avengers have been dumbed down to make the whole story work. Heck, even this major Goblin Nation story has things being really easy for Otto. He walks right into Green Goblin’s lair, just for SURPRISE! he wasn’t really there and is in no danger. When Spider-Island was under attack, he got away within a few pages with no real injuries or even having to fight. It’s ridiculous how easy things are for Otto. People hate Superman because he has no problems, but love Otto as Spider-man even though he is even worse about having no problems.
I’ve just put this book down (probably should have been working…) and realy enjoyed it on many levels. I’m not saying that your critical analysis is wrong ‘cos you’ve obviously thought hard and long about it. But a C is a bit harsh. Surely this is an above average comic book? Love the nerdy nitpicks btw.
Every once in a while Marvel will do something new with one of their characters. I collected in the 70s mostly, and I liked the years that Daredevil was out in San Francisco. I also don’t mind them adjusting characterizations, because sometimes a change works and it sticks. I dislike Slott’s version of Peter Parker — I think Slott writes Peter as if Peter was ADD, and incapable of practical reasoning in his civilian life — but I don’t begrudge a writer wanting to try things out with an old character.
But ASM isn’t about the Bugle. It’s about Peter and his civilian relationships vs his super-heroing. Michael Westen reminds me of this pattern — Michael Westen was a super-spy, but he also had a needy, nagging mom, a trigger-happy girlfriend, and so on.
You could set Peter into almost an infinite number of scenarios and as long as he is written well, he will work. He is a character with an enormous amount of adaptability. So their constant forcing him back into the 60-year-old scenario I find boring. For example, I would rather he -stay- the head of Parker Industries.
Considering most of what’s being “reset” is stuff Slott himself introduced during Big Time, I’m viewing it more as just the next stage of whatever his ongoing story is.
Great review! I half expected me to be on the low end of the review score this time but I actually went a bit higher.
What are your opinions of the “he never could handle when a woman raised her voice line?”
@7 – “one gigantic cleanup of Spider-Man countnunity and titles to bring them back to what they forgotten”
But they’ve done this before, with the Clone Saga. And Chapter One. And the Mackie/Byrne reboot. And OMD (and probably others I can’t remember). Each time has ranged from unsuccessful to a spectacular failure in terms of resetting the status quo. Why will Superior be any different?
“Hey, Mary Jane? Remember how “Peter” explained the reason he was acting like such a jerk all these months was because he was infected by a piece of the Venom symbiote? And notice how he’s still acting like a jerk to you over the phone a month later even though he’s supposed to be “cured?” So maybe this should clue you in that, perhaps, he’s acting like a jerk who gets can’t “deal with a women raising their voice” for a very different reason, right?”
Haha yes how can this series go any longer getting away with this?!!!
I actually liked it more than a C but good review nonetheless.
I do agree that I too have no empathy or sympathy with Ock getting his comeuppance here, it’s never made me feel like I’m on his side or even nearly on his side. Also with the Goblin, who could it be under there? surely not Norman, the body shape, face just doesn’t fit. We shall see
Superior Spider-Man to me is one gigantic cleanup of Spider-Man countnunity and titles to bring them back to what they forgotten – the premise of a misunderstood, underdog, unappreciated, feared hero. And that’s more important than just “status quo”. Peter WILL have to deal with the consequences, that’s the real purpose of Superior. If it was just “to get back at status quo”, it’d end in a crappy Mephisto-esque retcon.
It still might, and if it will, I will be wrong. But so far I am hopeful.
@5 I’m not sure I buy the “execution doesn’t matter at all if the status quo is restored at the end” argument. You can say that of almost any superhero run – was the Brubaker Cap run all terrible because Steve returned as Cap in the end? Has basically every Fantastic Four run been awful because the standard team set-up always re-asserts itself? If the comics are good, that’s a victory in itself.
However interesting the individual steps of this total SpOck story have been, when you step back like this and see where it’s all going to end, it turns out to be nothing more than one big jogging circle right back to status-quo-ville. Slott characters don’t progress, they just move around.
SpOck or no SpOck this is still a man whose life is getting systematically destroyed in front of his very eyes by a vicious tormenter. To portray absolutely NO sympathy for this would demean the story into one of the crappy one-dimensional “fix fics” that spawned everywhere.
@2 Script by Gage is correct.
And in terms of asking us to sympathise with Otto but still disapprove of many of his actions, I don’t think it’s that ridiculous an idea, particularly in the current cultural landscape where Dexter and Breaking Bad are recent hits.
Andrew’s review says Plot by Dan Slott, Script by Dan Slott, but yours says Script by Christos Gage. Who is correct?
I found it strange that Andrew’s review identified who wrote the Plot and who wrote the Script when they were both the same guy.
Haha! Would anybody really complain about being MJ’s rebound guy? 😛