THE END OF THE SUPERIOR ERA. WAS IT WORTH IT?
PLOT: Dan Slott
SCRIPT: Christos Gage
PENCILS: Giuseppe Camuncoli
INKS: John Dell and Terry Pallot
COLOR: Antonio Fabela
LETTERER: Chris Eliopoulos
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Ellie Pyle
EDITOR: Nick Lowe
“ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES”
WRITER: Christos Gage
ARTIST: Will Sliney
COLORIST: Edgar Delgado
LETTERER: Chris Eliopoulos
MAIN PLOT: We open on the Goblin showing Ana Maria the remnants of New York while he sits atop a building loaded with explosives. From here we go to Parker Industries where a newly rejuvenated Peter Parker discovers that Carlie was turned into a goblin and that Otto had managed to synthesize a cure. He explains to Carlie that Otto is gone and then rushes off to tie up loose ends…I mean save the day. First stop Spider-Man 2099 who has just defeated all the spider slayers from a few issues back, he is understandably upset until Spider-Man says “MIND SWAAAAP” which will be his go to catch phrases for a year no doubt. Meanwhile J. Jonah Jameson has realized that he is in ruins with no hope, and Tiberius Stone is selling off the spider slayers to the highest bidders throughout the world. Next stop for the Spider-Men is the Avengers. Spidey 2014 kicks Phil Urich in the jaw which promptly sends him fleeing. Peter learns he quit the Avengers and they ponders a loud if it’s even possible to do so. Captain America and Black Widow comment on him sounding more akin to classic Spidey, and the Spider-Men rush off to Alchemax.
On the way there Peter gets the backstory on how the company was formed and then they are interrupted by the Goblin Queen who sends Spider-Man 2099 flying through a window. Spider-Man 2014 then bonks her on the back of the head and gives her the Goblin cure. Then they go off and finally reach Alchemax. When they arrive they see a crazed Normie Osborn proclaiming that it was all for him because he’s so special. Liz Allan and Tiberius Stone barge in shouting that they all need to get out of the building. Stone activates his Spider signal jammer but Spider-Man 2099 knocks him out before it can do any real harm. Liz Allan picks it up and scolds 
Tiberius. Spider-Man 2014 tells Spider-Man 2099 to help them out of the building and that he will deal with the Goblin King. Who just happens to be on the roof of Alchemax. The Goblin King menacingly mocks Spider-Man still assuming it’s Otto. Peter soon makes a quip about his man-purse leading The Goblin to realize that the true Spider has returned. The Goblin turns tail and flies away attempting to escape activating the bombs. Spider-Man chases after him, and they have a very short fight in which Spidey unmasks him. Only to discover his true identity is MASON BANKS, well actually NORMAN OSBORN disguised and Mason Banks. Regardless Spider-Man pumps him full of the Goblin cure saves Ana Maria, and then takes the Goblin in. Right before he is handed off to the authorities however Liz Allan “ACCIDENTALLY” activates the spider sense bomb allowing Norman “Mason Banks” Osborn to escape. Cut to Osborn in the sewers claiming he has now regained his sanity and will be back with a new face in order to destroy Spider-Man for good. The final page of Superior Spider-Man has Peter in a conversation with Ana Maria who explains her true love for Peter Parker…the Superior Peter Parker. Leading Spider-Man to realize that he had to let one person die in order for him to live, and that man was Otto Gunther Octavius.
B PLOT: The last little story involves Peter apologizing to those closest to him. Mary Jane tells him she can’t deal with his constantly changing lifestyle any longer, she believes that it was Otto who did those terrible things to her, but she doesn’t think it makes a difference. In the middle of the conversation Peter has to step out in order to deal with his Jameson sins. He swings away as a newly healed Carlie Cooper talks to Mary Jane. They both agree that leaving Peter is the best thing to do for their safety. As they walk away Peter ponders as to the content of the conversation as he swings into Jameson’s office. Whilst there he gives Jameson all the blackmail Otto had been holding him with and apologizes for his actions. Jameson however doesn’t care as he already resigned being the mayor a half hour ago. He stomps out of his office declaring that it will be he who kicks around others from now on instead of it being the other way around.
STORY: Well this is it, the end of the Superior era of Spider-Man an era which I feel will as a whole be looked back upon fondly. It introduced use to a deeper view of Otto Octavius and everything he had in his life. Yet for all the praise I have for this run of Spider-Man it has a fairly lackluster ending. The bulk of the issue is just Peter Parker attempting to solve Otto’s mess which sounds exciting but it really just ends up being very rushed. Almost all of the big Goblin fights in this issue are finished within the span of a page or two with most of them being defeated fairly easily. They should have given Superior one last issue in order to truly delve into a historic Goblin fight. Peter doesn’t seem to have the rage that fuels him in most bouts with the Goblin. The city Spider-Man has sworn to protect is in ruins, and he was helpless to stop it until now. Sure the quips are enjoyable, and the light hearted nature of Peter is a joy to see but it would have been interesting to see him use the Goblin as a punching bag to let out some of his frustration. If you are a long time Spidey fan this Goblin fight leaves you with a sour taste, and wouldn’t even rank in the top twenty as far as villain hero fights go. The reveal that Mason Banks was behind Goblin Nation and the fact that he was really Norma in disguise is something fans have been speculating for a long time now, and I was let down with the reveal. I really thought that Liz Allan was the true Goblin King and was disappointed to see she was just another lackey. Although given what happens in this issue I am certain she is equally responsible for Goblin Nation and she was doing it of her own free will. Now don’t get me wrong this isn’t an awful issue, it’s a fine issue but I was expecting something on the quality of last issue which I didn’t get.
The best thing to come of this story arc is the decision not to kill Ana Maria. This is going to be a truly heartbreaking conclusion to their relationship that will no doubt be a dramatic goldmine when the Amazing Spider-Man comes back out in the next few weeks. I also enjoyed the “Actions Have Consequences” mini-story at the end. Sure it was just a way to write off Carlie and Mary Jane for a while but it was done in a well thought out and emotionally touching way. Had Quesada ended the Spider-Marriage in a scene like this I think readers would have been much more understanding. It lays the groundwork for future Amazing Spider-Man stories and 
I am truly interested in where Jonah goes from here. My only worry is that he will go back to the Bugle which will be truly disappointing. At long last Jonah has a very relatable and viable reason for his renewed hatred for Spider-Man. Although it seems like he gets a new reason to either “respect” or “despise” Spider-Man every hundred issues so I am unsure how long this hatred will last.
ART: No complaints whatsoever as Camuncoli continues to hit it out of the park. I really enjoyed Will Sliney’s artwork on the backup story as well. It will be sad to get Amazing Spider-Man #1 without Camuncoli’s great pencils.
ODDITIES: Virtually nothing was done with Hobgoblins villain army. Spider-Man 2099 essentially just watches Norman run away after Liz activates the spider sense jammer. Norman claims that he will be much more of a threat when he has his wits about him, which I think is ridiculous. The thing that makes Norman a credible threat, what makes him go that extra mile that no one else will is his partial insanity. If we wanted a devious cunning, non-insane Goblin we will go back and read Hobgoblin stories. The insanity of Norman is what makes him interesting. The super tiny Spider-bots that cure Norman…and we even seen those things before or did Peter literally just invent them on the fly? Spider-Man leaving Ana Maria to essentially save herself because he heard she can take care of herself. Sooo Peter who told you that? Could it have been the megalomaniac who just stole your life for the last year….yeah I’m sure he is reaaaaaalllly reliable.
BEST BACKGROUND CHARACTER: Normie Osborn, while Normie may not have been the Goblin King like I expected him to be he still was an entertaining background character. I love his speech when he is sitting on the chair at Alchemax, although we never did see what he forgot in his mother’s office. Also you can see him talking to Lily Hollister when Peter is bringing the Goblin to Spider-Man 2099; I wonder what they were talking about. (yup same as last issue I can’t get enough of Normie it seems).
ON THE NEXT SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN: Nothing…there is not more…its over it’s finally over. Cue sad Hulk music as I walk away from my keyboard dramatically.
Spider-Man will return in Amazing Spider-Man #1: (oh I will be returning to review it as well)
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My own concern of the series is that… SPIDER-MAN KILLED SOMEONE!!
and since peter parker is back, i don’t know if he remembers but he has blood on his hands. -_-
IMO, the book is clear about Mason Banks being Norman Osborn. He even calls himself so in his own thoughts.
Whether he’s vulnerable to a retcon such as “crazy guy Norman brainwashed to be his stand-in” is a whole different story.
I’m sorry man but…no. the break up story from this issue was practically the same goddam thing as OMIT in it’s intent. It was basically “Mary Jane can’t handle life with Spider-Man or being a target thus she decided to leave him”. Not only did OMIT basically do exactly the same thing but like OMIT it wasn’t thought provoking it was a goddam lie. We’ve seen repeatedly that Mary Jane is either going to be a target regardless and that for all the hardships she CAN take life with Spider-Man. this was out of character and complete bullshit
I figure it’s some guy named… Mason Banks.
@38 – Well, it looks like Slott wants to have his cake but also set it up for future writers to have their cake too. He has Mason Banks say that he’s Norman Osborn, and it very well could be. But it could just as easily be anyone else just saying this. Goblin Nation is over and we still have no idea who the Goblin is. All we know is that it’s Mason Banks, but do we know who he is? Not really. He says he’s Norman but the story seems to be going out of its way to make us believe that’s a lie. So all this time to find out … nothing.
I wouldn’t be surprised if in a few months Marvel slipped up and had Norman appear in another comic looking like his normal self.
@30 – I dunno. I look at Mason Banks’ eyes and see Norman Osborn.
This is my first issue of Superior and maybe my first issue since Amazing 600, but I believed that the Goblin was Norman. The issue did seem to wrap up pretty quick, but I assume more repercussions will be in the new Amazing. As far as Spidey/Goblin battles go, this was no PP,SM 75 SSM200, or any of the other great Amazing issues.
Venom break into Peter and MJ’s home, terrorizes MJ: MJ and Peter’s relationship survives it.
Peter is buried alive by Kraven who masquerades as Spider-Man for 2 weeks: MJ and Peter’s relationship survives it.
Peter dies during The Other and comes back to life: MJ and Peter’s relationship survives it.
Peter is killed and replaced by Doc Ock for over a year: MJ can’t recognize multiple obvious signs that “Peter” is not Peter, can’t handle it after Peter returns, leaves.
I agree with you brooks:
Mj saying goodbye to peter , god this keeps getting more stupid and stupider. she isn’t that weak person everyone knows that i am re-reading oldest issues start with petes and mj s marrige, and mj has been throught more horrible things then that. peter needs mj, and mj needs peter both of them togeter are strong enough to over come any difficulties old issues proofs it. this is just wrong they should be married again,marrige with mj and peters thoughts during fights,that he must come back alive for mj sake gives him more power then any other hero,thoughts about mj who is waiting for him at home. plus mj isn’t that weak most of us know it from old spidey comcis. writter back then made a great job. old suff thouches heart more.
anyone agrees with my opinion
still better read old stuff,but iam looking foward to see new realeses , of asm with murlon in it
Ock and Ghost Peter should have “teamed up” in the finale against the Goblin, and somehow saving Anna Marie actually required Ock give up Peter’s body back to him, and exit stage left. And I mean a real choice for Ock, not just him feeling overwhelmed, and giving up like a crumbly cookie. That would have been Spider-Man’s most unusual team-up. Ock would have done one good thing out of love (not ego and rage).
Even though Slott writes most female characters poorly (with the exception of Anna Marie, for some reason), his mangling of MJ really reached the depths of mangle-dom throughout SSM. It’s obvious from his interviews that he regards MJ as a narrative albatross around his neck, and he’s irked at fandom for rejecting his Carlie Cooper. That made his management of MJ even worse than usual.
The easy availability of Spider-Man Omnibuses and Essentials make it really hard for Slott to convince readers that MJ stinks. All new fans need to do is read the old stuff, to see what she can be in the hands of a good writer.
(second part, edited)
It would be like if in the penultimate chapter of Maximum Carnage, Peter gave up being Spidey and let Ben Reilly take over the role (if Ben had been around then but not a part of MC at all), and Ben went and fought in the final MC issue.
Just my opinion.
(broken up into 2 parts to get posted)
If you’re gonna have a series whose whole premise is based on the villain “killing” the hero and taking his place, that series really should end with the hero coming back and defeating the villain, taking back his life – THAT’S your last issue. Instead this feels like Ock gave up to Spidey for reasons* and Peter gets thrown into the middle of a plot he has no stake in. I mean, Peter will always stand up to bad guys to save people, but GN was SpOck’s battle, not his.
* reasons such as Marvel telling Slott “ASM2 is coming out in May! Wrap your Superior series up before then and bring Peter back! I don’t care if you’re in the middle of a Green Goblin plot, make it happen!”
I was disappointed with this issue. When a writer undertakes a story of this magnitude–killing a flagship hero, having an archenemy take over and ruining his life, and then having an even deadlier archenemy exploit the hero’s absence in a most diabolical fashion–the writer knows such a story will generate fan interest (negative and positive) and probably increase sales. In exchange, the reader expects something back of similar magnitude–payoff. You don’t just get to kill Peter Parker like that and not deliver something special and historic down the road. When Superior first started, many readers were willing to tolerate the arc because it would demand epic payoff in the end, and the thought of that was very appealing. This ending demanded pathos, cleverness, grit, and introspection. Peter’s return demanded unequivocal and earned triumph. It demanded glory. This rushed, oddly superficial story didn’t come close. Without the epic payoff, this run bungled its last chance at greatness.
Personal feelings about Slott aside, it feels like he has been building this whole mystery of who is the Green Goblin for quite awhile, before Goblin Nation even started. And for it to end (and the book to end too) without revealing who is really under the mask just seems like a cheat. And saying “but it’s Mason Banks!” doesn’t count because Banks is a cypher, a character created for the sole purpose of being a stand-in for whoever Slott (or future writers) want it to be. Slott even comes right out and proves this by having Banks saying “I’m really Norman Osborn, I had plastic surgery done to change my looks, but trust me, I’m Norman”. Do we have any reason to believe Banks when he says this?
This is starting to feel like the original Hobgoblin mystery. It was great until Marvel decided to drag out the mystery long after it should have been resolved, until people eventually stopped caring.
@28 I agree that the story was pretty joyless and underwhelming. Hell even the fight with the Goblin was lame because it was Peter vs. someone who might not even be Norman.
Slott writes Spider-Man 2099 almost as badly as he writes MJ. Why did Miguel just stand there while Liz jammed Peter’s Spider-Sense? and the way he just shrugs of Peter’s explanation about Doc Ock was just stupid.
I’m so glad Peter is back and SpOck is done. I really wanted something positive and fun for his return, and got it, to a degree. Seeing him beat Norman was part of what I wanted, but the rest? Not so much. This story depressed me, because Peter’s back, and there’s no joy in him.
@#25
It still wasn’t enough to make Marvel get rid of her.
@#26
That’s… not a very good reason. She doesn’t even come with free Whoppers.
@21 – “At this point I really wish Amazing spider-man #1 had a new writter.” Me too. Despite my feelings on Slott’s writing (I thought his Amazing run had some good issues but found it average at best, plus he killed the character, so that’s a demerit), ending the Superior title just seems like the logical point at which to bring on a new writer. This feels like the end of a chapter, and the next chapter should have a new writer with a different take, like JMS’ run ending and BND starting. It wouldn’t of made sense for JMS to continue on with BND stories, despite the internal changes with Spider-Man going on during that transition. Having Slott continue writing with ASM #1 just makes me feel that we’ll have more of the same of what we got in the end of Amazing, which, although I am ecstatic at the thought of having Peter back, dampens that excitement just a bit.
@24 – “Why do you people like her again?” Because she’s the Burger King detective!
@24: I was under the impression that the majority of Spider-Man fans couldn’t stand Carlie.
Wait… she, like an idiot, put up with all of Otto’s s***… including him KILLING a guy, and she’s fine with sticking around. Peter FINALLY regains control, and NOW she can’t deal with him and his life, she she has to leave!
It’s official. Slott kept her in the book to keep people reading by dangling false hope in your face while he wrote his Spider-Ock fanfic.
And as for Carlie leaving… WHO THE F*** CARES?!?!? LET’S THROW HER A GOING AWAY PARTY, THE USELESS *****! She knows the truth, keeps it from everybody, including the one person she should have told immediately, and in the end, SHE’S the one that convinces MJ that the best thing for both of them is to get the hell away from Peter.
Why do you people like her again?
@22 That does sound like a likely theory and one I’m hopeful for. Like anything I guess we will have to wait and see.
Thanks for the awesome work with your reviews and opinions! They always make for an interesting read. I love this site!
@21 I honestly expected Superior to be Slott’s swansong and an end to his Spidey run. I imagine though if his Silver Surfer book catches off he will slowly start to decline his Spidey issues and transition there full time. Spiderverse may be his last big story.
At this point I really wish Amazing spider-man #1 had a new writter.
I love spider-man dearly and really want to look forward to his reboot, but with slott doing the writing, I think it will just be more of the same.
Great job as always, Andrew! And I agree, the fight between Peter and Norman didn’t feel as personal this time around. Strange as it may seem, if Otto was still around and be the one to rescue Anna Maria, it would’ve been more personal and the stakes would’ve felt higher, IMO.
@#18 RDMacQ — Excellent point about Mary Jane there, Mac. Because yeah, it was SpOck acting like he didn’t care about Mary Jane is why she wanted to have nothing to do with Peter in the first place. And now that she knows it wasn’t actually Peter the whole time, I would think she’d be the one apologizing to Peter for misjudging and doubting him based upon what Doc Ock did while in his body, if anything.
@15 No offense taken Hornacek sorry the synopsis left a few things unclear. I had a hard enough time attempting to distinguish between normal Spider-Man doing things and Spider-Man 2099 doing things haha. Just wait till I do the synopsis for Spiderverse coming up in a few months now that will be a slog haha
As for Mary Jane being written off, I think its probably preferable for her to be written off at this point. Slott has received a lot of flak for his portrayal of her so it would make sense for her to be shelved for a while to get picked up by a new writer somewhere down the line. Mary Jane has been written out of the books before and Spider-Man has done fine. My only worry is that they will introduce yet another love interest which will make things even more complex haha.
Thanks for your kind comments everyone.
I like how they give the rationale that MJ can’t “Deal with Spider-Man’s changing lifestyle”… when the entire reason that Peter HAD a changing lifestyle the past year was due to Doc Ock interfering in his life.
Seriously, EVERY problem MJ had with Peter in the past year is explained in that ONE reason. Having her say she “Doesn’t care” just reinforces how forced their separation is. She SHOULD care. This addresses EVERY problem MJ had with Peter over the ENTIRE run of Superior. It’s forced, tired and strains credibiliy.
Um, also, uh.. called it: http://robertmacquarrie1.deviantart.com/art/Superior-Spider-Man-Predictions-Part-1-348407732
I want my old Mary Jane back. One of her strongest character traits is loyalty. Now she just acts like every pop-psychology influenced character that has littered our tv shows, movies and comics for the last couple of decades.
@15 – Don’t take this as fact cause it’s unclear, but I’m pretty sure Peter is closing Parker Industries down, or at least he’s stopping making gadgets for Spider-Man. I feel like Anna Maria is probably gonna leave the book pretty soon too.
Yes it’s hard to tell if it’s really meant to be Norman or if Banks is just insane/lying. I’m certainly more inclined to believe the latter. In addition to that Normies eyes glow green in all of his appearances in this issue, so I’m starting to wonder if the Goblin King was more than one person.
@12 – Ah, that makes more sense. Wasn’t sure from the recap. That’s not a slam against your recap, but more a comment that it’s hard to get the full story from a recap instead of the full story.
So we don’t know that it was Norman, just that it was Mason Banks, who could be … anybody. So the Goblin’s identity is as clear as it was before Goblin Nation.
Anna Maria and Parker Industries seem to be the biggest things from the Superior run that might confuse readers (like me) who stopped reading after ASM #700 and are starting with ASM #1. I wonder how long she will stick around. As someone said on the podcast a few months ago, Peter is a responsible enough guy, he would probably continue the relationship.
@13 – She’s not in Slott’s story. Gage writes her in the most generic way possible, not as bad as Slott, but still a very predictable portrayal.
So does Slott still write MJ as dumber than a box of rocks in this issue?
@7: Spidey takes off the Goblin’s mask and says, “Huh? Who are you?” Then Norman is like, “I’m Mason Banks, but not really, I’m actually Norman Osborn! My old face was too recognizable, so I got some work done.” The fight happens over a few pages. The goblin cure apparently removes his powers.
When he’s talking to Anna Maria he’s talking to her in costume as Spider-Man. I believe she does think that she and Peter are still in a relationship.
Yeah, this issue wrapped up everything way too neatly for me. There don’t appear to be enough serious repercussions of Otto taking Peter’s life and Peter defeating all of the threats was much too simple. I was also hoping to see Peter be able to do something that Otto couldn’t in order to save the day but it all just came across as standard fare, nothing that Otto couldn’t have done himself.
The “curing” of Norman is strange. His hatred of Peter is directly linked to his insanity. Osborn being sane was what we saw in Avengers/Dark Avengers, where he could really gave two shits about Spiderman and was just making a grab for power.
When you think about it, should this issue still be called Superior Spider-Man? Shouldn’t this have been Amazing Spider-Man #0, since it’s the return of Peter Parker?
I know, I know, the Goblin Nation arc was started in SSM so there was no way it wasn’t going to conclude in this title, but SpOck is gone, in theory there’s no reason for this issue (starring Peter) to be called Superior.
It’s over thank the gods it’s finally over!!!!
Rushed,rushed,rushed. This issue has killed my excitement for ASM #1 and made me remember why I really want Slott of the title. What a shame after the stellar climax of last issue.
The Goblin King reveal gave me flashbacks to the anticlimax that was the clone Goblin from the Mackie-Byrne reboot. After all this buildup he’s a nobody claiming to be Norman (I don’t buy it). There is no tension in the action scenes because Pete takes nearly every opponent down in 1 hit and is never in any danger of harm at all.
There was no drama to Miguel and MJ believing Peter about SpOck, infact, O’hara’s reaction of “Yeah that sounds just stupid enough to be right.” Is one of the dumbest reactions I’ve ever seen and is so out of character for him it’s offensive. MJ’s speech about Peter being back to his “normal” self after the Venom storyline is conveniently forgotten. Instead Marvel gives all the fans of the marriage the finger again, with the same break up speech we’d heard a thousand times before.
The only parts of the issue I really enjoyed was JJJ finally stepping out of office, I’ve hated the concept ever since it was introduced and I’m glad to see the end of it. I’m also glad that Anna Maria was spared, but I would have liked a back up story that dealt with her and Pete (instead of Slott trying to sell his Silver Surfer run to me). Carlie is finally gone for good too it seems, so I guess “relatable-bachelor” Peter is back (again…)
So when the Goblin is unmasked, it’s Mason Banks? And then Spidey pulls off the Mason Banks mask to reveal Norman? Is Norman wearing a Mason Banks mask, and over that, a Goblin mask?
What happens when Spidey pumps Norman full of the Goblin cure? It makes him sane? I thought the cure was to fix Carlie of her monsterism caused by the new Goblin formula, not to cure any Goblin formula induced insanity.
Not having read the issue, it does sound like Slott thought he would have a few more issues/years with SpOck and that he had to wrap things up at the last minute (you would think he would realize he would have to have this finished before the movie came out). This whole arc has been building to an epic SpOck/Goblin Spidey/Goblin battle, and it sounds like the actual fight is over in a single page.
So when Peter is talking to Ana Maria at the end, is he talking to her as Spider-Man or Peter? If it’s as Peter then having her explain “her true love for Peter Parker… the Superior Peter Parker” makes it sound like she has figured out that Peter is not the Peter she has known (unless she was told this?). Does she still think Peter and she are in a relationship?
I’ve made no secret that I stopped reading at ASM #700, had no interest in the Superior title, and even considered it an insult to fans of Spider-Man (“Hey readers, I’m Spider-Man’s number one fan! And to prove it, I’m gonna kill him and replace him with Doc Ock!”) so my opinion is definitely biased. Despite some good reviews, I really think that this part of Spider-Man’s history will not be looked back upon fondly in years to come. It won’t be looked upon badly, more like a footnote of something that happened but isn’t worth mentioning. “Hey, remember that year when Spidey died and Doc Ock took over his body? Yeah, what were they thinking?” It’ll probably be looked back upon fondly regarding the work done on Doc Ock’s character, but as far as looking back years from now at Spider-Man’s history, I just don’t see it. But hey, what do I know? I didn’t even read any of these issues.
Looking forward to commenting again with having read the actual issue!
Yeah there was a lot of rush and everything with Liz helping Norman and Perer realizing that even Normie is acting crazy town banana pants gives a out a big WTF? Also, of course Stone sold off the new Spider Slayers to other countries. That won’t come back to bite Alchemax in the long run. For a corp that is suppose to rule 2099 they are doing very stupid things. Even worse than Roxxon, at least they were good at covering things up.
#4 Well, it sent Carlie packing into limbo, so it established that much. From the solicits for relaunched ASM, it seems MJ will be playing a significant part in the stories despite her “resolution” here, so it is back to ASM #697 status quo for Peter/MJ shippers, only now they have a rebound boyfriend to tend with.
Also, I heard some guys on other forums talking about how Carlie is leaving the city. I never saw that little line of dialogue, may have been I was reading too fast, but I doubt she’ll be leaving New York, and just staying where she is, like the rest of the status quo. I, unlike many out there, sort of enjoyed her as a character. And before you guys start screaming at me ‘How can you like Carlie Cooper?!’… hear me out.
It wasn’t that she wasn’t an unlikable character to begin with, but that Quesada, Slott and their band of merry men decided to force her in as if she had been around as long as MJ. That’s what made her a fan not-favorite. I wasn’t keen on the idea of her and Peter dating, but I can see somebody else in Pete’s girlfriend shoes. He just doesn’t fit with her. As friends, yes, as a couple, not so much. If they had broadened out on her character instead of hammering the same stuff in, maybe it would have worked. But, instead, we got the same crap about how she’s the best ever. I won’t say she’s in MJ’s league, but she can be liked if you picked up the comics when Big Time started. That’s when I really got into Amazing, since I quit reading after One More Day. And I somewhat liked the character because she was the same as when she was introduced in ASM 545.
So, since I went through Amazing with Carlie as an essential character in Peter’s life, I guess you could say she was part of my life, and I don’t think Slott would be too keen on taking away this character that he hammered into our skulls.
Rant on my not hating Carlie over 🙂
This was way too rushed as a resolution. Everybody just FORGIVES him for his erratic behavior as if it’s just a minute boil over. I wouldn’t be so mad about it if it WASN’T THE CORE OF THE STORY! They just do it way too easily for me to believe that this wave of apologies will be met with ‘Oh, he’s back to normal now’. It felt like Slott just said, ‘Oh yeah, guys, everybody has to forgive Peter for his actions while Doc Ock was in his body, and everybody has to believe out of nowhere that he really was possessed by Doctor Octopus!’ Seriously?! This whole STORY, not to mention the TITLE, was poorly paced and not handled properly. Slott, I try to love you, but your Spider-Man run has me cringing in fear.
Besides that hideous part of the story, I felt… empty when I finished. Everything was back the way it was before ASM 698, minus Peter/MJ fans cheering at the top of their lungs. Instead, they’re rioting in front of Marvel. Nothing was accomplished this entire run except for Doc Ock snuffing it inside Peter’s brain. Real climatic, Marvel.
I did really like the short story, but it doesn’t make up for the lousy pacing and lack of focus this run had. I’d give this issue a B minus since Camuncoli’s art saves it, and Peter’s return makes it a little bit enjoyable, but the oblivious and irrational characters, not to mention the bad pacing, makes me want to forget this run ever happened. I’m giving the series a D plus/ C minus.
Either way, good review Andrew. Hope to see you do more great critiquing in Amazing, and it’ll truly be Superior to this run. (see what I did there?)
Not exactly my cup of tea after the dramatic story that “Web of Death” proved to be (as well as one of the best dynamics between Otto and Peter) but, oh well, at least Spiderman is back even though there will be hell to pay.
As for Norman going sane, I would not scratch the possibility he is so insane he thinks he is sane.
Disappointing on a lot of levels.
The Goblin’s new status quo at the end there seems utterly pointless, since he’s usually fairly sane about 80% of the time anyway.