Oh there will be a hot time in the old town tonight! The world of Superior Spider-Man is coming crashing down both from outside and within. After twenty-eight issues, the essential ideology of Dan Slott’s Superior Spider-Man story is bubbling to the surface. What is it to be a hero? How, with all of his technology and advanced intellect, can Otto be failing so badly as Spider-Man? What is it about Peter Parker that has kept him in our hearts for so long?
The answers to these questions have been swirling around for the entirety of Superior Spider-Man. Slott, who has solidified himself as one of the greatest comic book writers of our generation, has weaved this web perfectly. We never hated Otto as Spider-Man – in fact, we often laughed with him and cheered him on. Each one of us that truly loves Spider-Man had a small point where we thought “Wow, why didn’t Peter ever think of that?” Slott was too smart to simply vilify Otto’s Superior Spider-Man – instead, he made us invest in him and then, slowly but surely, revealed why the true hero has always been Peter Parker, not Spider-Man.
Issue #28 is a massive turning point for this arc. The ego of Otto has made him blind to anyone being able to outfox him. Cue the Green Goblin, who has not only defeated Otto’s tech, but also discovered the secret of who is really bouncing around in Spidey’s head. Goblin has destroyed Spider Island, and sent his minions to attack all of Spider-Man’s friends. With all of this going on, the crux of the story is that Superior Spider-Man – the advanced, better, smarter Spider-Man – has no idea what to do. Why? Because he is driven by self-preservation and self-aggrandizing. Without that natural heroic mentality that Peter has, without the ability to care and empathize, Spider-Man is nothing.
Best part of issue #28? Mary Jane Watson. When she takes out two Goblins with spider webs shot from her own personal spider cartridges, it’s a cheer-out-loud moment. Mary Jane has become the wild card, that one element that Goblin hasn’t accounted for. Then there’s Carlie, turned into a mutated Monster, and only her love for Peter allows her to regain control long enough to try and stop Goblin. Carlie, Mary Jane, all of these people are rising to the occasion because they love Peter Parker, and thus far they are the only thing Green Goblin hasn’t planned for. In short, Otto’s Spider-Man is useless.
Meanwhile, within Otto’s mind, the true Peter Parker is attempting to ride through Otto’s memories and regain control of who he is. Left with only a handful of his own memories, Peter inhabits the world of his arch nemesis, trying the entire time to stay focused on who he is. Again, Slott has us focusing on who Peter Parker is and how his heart and soul are just as powerful as his superpowers. The final pages of issue #28, I think, are leading up to Otto Octavius’s “Gwen Stacy Moment.” I think, when the shift back to Peter Parker comes, Slott will make it emotionally devastating.
The art from Giuseppe Camuncoli is tremendous, but I would be lying if I said it wasn’t disappointing. As far as the pencils go, Camuncoli has a wonderful way with detail, action, movement and characters. His panel of Mary Jane striking a “Spider-Man” pose with the web shooters is awesome. The problem is just that it’s not Ryan Stegman and it is not Humberto Ramos. Those two artists had as much to do with defining Slott’s run on Spider-Man as Slott has. To wind down Superior without one of them involved leaves a hole in the story, one that Camuncoli can’t fill no matter how excellent his work is. I give Camuncoli full points for his work, it is excellent, but it isn’t what Superior Spider-Man needs right now.
Slott’s run on Spider-Man has not only been iconic, it has redefined how we look at the character. This is on the same level of greatness as Watchmen or The Dark Knight Returns. It’s just that damn important.
(5 Story, 4.5 Art)
