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Superior Spider-Man is back and he’s exactly like we remember him nearly a decade after his iconic run in Marvel Comics – humble, eager, kind and always mild-mannered!
No wait, my mistake, that’s actually Spider-Boy.
Now, will the real Superior Spider-Man please stand up – cocky, brash, ruthless and ready to do what’s necessary as long as it fits his agenda.
And trust me when I tell you, this is a new run you absolutely need to check out if you’re a Spider-Man or comics fan in the slightest.
A Little Refresher
Let’s quickly take a look back at the 2013-2014 run of Superior Spider-Man and why it was so popular (or unpopular) with fans.
As you may or may not recall, Peter Parker faced off against his old foe Doc Ock, but with Ock’s body failing, he was able to switch bodies with Parker and become the Superior Spider-Man back in issue #700 of the original Amazing Spider-Man series.
From that moment on, Otto showed the world how ruthless Spider-Man could be. No more pulling punches, Otto (as Spidey) created his own army, own tech and even enjoyed a rare love affair with Anna Maria Marconi.
It was that love for Marconi that compelled Otto to give up the mantle of Spider-Man and let Peter Parker reclaim his body. The ultimate sacrifice.
In the process, Otto let Peter know that he in fact was the Superior Spider-Man, an extremely rare compliment from the iconic villain.
The New Superior
In the first three issues of the new run, Parker has returned but does not remember much of what happened while Otto was playing Spidey.
We found out that Parker and Otto both mentored Spider-Boy, and now the young hero is teaming up with Parker to continue learning the crime-fighting ropes.
Otto is back (clones, robots, and more) and in issue #3, he’s actually teaming up with Parker to once again do what he must to save Marconi.
He even lends Peter his Superior suit.
The dialogue between Otto and Peter is what makes this relationship one that’s lasted 60 years in comics.
The quips from Parker and the brash personality of Otto make for one of the best buddy cop adventures, but in the pages of Marvel Comics.
I know we have Deadpool 3 currently filming, but sign me up for a Superior Spider-Man film, focused on Peter and Otto. But I digress.
The Fantastic Four have Doctor Doom, Batman has the Joker and Spidey has Doc Ock.
The chess match between the two icons is something that just works and has worked for decades.
It’s no surprise that this dialogue is especially well written by one of the great modern Marvel writers, Dan Slott. Dan is able to really show you through words how much these two respect, yet loathe one another.
The little details while the duo are together are amazing as well. Early in issue #3, you’ll see Peter’s Spider Bots write “You Suck Otto” in the background. Little details like that are everywhere in this series if you care to look close enough.
Superior Art
When you look at the Mount Rushmore of Spider-Man artists we’ve seen over the years, Mark Bagley absolutely deserves prime placement.
Bagley has such an inviting, yet powerful style in drawing Spider-Man, with Edgar Delgado and John Dell complementing Bags on inking and cover work.
The duo of Bagley and Delgado just feels like home when reading any Spider-Man book.
The familiar aspects, the way they move through the action and how they show emotion and conflict through the faces of their supporting characters.
It just doesn’t get much better than the creative team behind this book.
Final Thoughts – 9/10
I know there are too many Spidey books to count these days, including numerous Spider-Men (and Boys) and numerous timelines and alternate universes.
But Superior Spider-Man is such a unique take on Parker and his journey.
Add in one of his most iconic, complex villains in Doc Ock, and you have an absolute hit on your hands.
This book easily gets a 9/10 and is one I cannot wait to continue to read and see how things develop.
Especially with the final panel of issue #3 – cliffhanger much!?!
