Otto Octavius appears to enjoy being Superior Spider-Man. He also appears to enjoy bragging about it. He constantly compares himself to Peter Parker, talking down about Peter in every way possible. This may be due to Otto realizing Peter never made plans. He just went out and did his thing without thinking twice about it.

Not only does Otto brags about capturing more criminals than Peter, he also says he does a better job at tying up loose ends. A specific point in reference is when Otto captured the underage minions of the Vulture and turned them over to Child Protective Services.

SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN. I can go on about it, but my husband told me to stop putting spoilers in my reviews! So I decided I’ll just get to the point and tell why I’m still loving this series.

Otto Octavius vowed to be a better, stronger and smarter Spider-Man. He said he was going to be Superior Spider-Man. After only four issues, you can see the differences between Peter Parker and Otto Octavius. Otto stated Peter never made schemes or plans. That he was a man of limited vision. Well that is not Otto Octavius. Otto is an evil genius. With a plan. With a scheme. How is he able to capture more criminals than Peter? With the spider bots that he placed all over the city. He takes a lot of the calls from the bots, others he directs the bots to contact the appropriate authorities, such as the police or fire department. Now that’s a plan.

Although Otto likes being Superior Spider-Man I can’t help but notice his anger and frustration with Peter for not living up to his full potential. After showing a groundbreaking walking device for Aunt May to the head of Horizon Labs and demanding to be recognized as Doctor Peter Parker, Otto becomes enraged when learning Peter never received his Doctorates. So what does Otto do? He re-enrolls in college to earn that last credit and work on a thesis! That’s right. Peter Parker was just a credit and thesis away from a Doctoral degree. Peter was so busy web slinging that he never took take the time to fullfil his other obligations.

The story gets even better as Marcus Lyman escapes from an asylum, committing several murders on his way out. Marcus, aka Massacre is a mass murderer. He lost all empathy for humanity after he was brain damaged in a car bombing that killed his wife. Spider-Man gave his word to the mayor that he will end Massacre.

The story ended with the two escaped minions of the Vulture running into a long-time enemy of Spider-Man, who said he would keep them safe from Spider-Man. He’s also one of my favorite villains. Who is it? Another reason for you to start reading Superior Spider-Man!

The series is progressing rapidly. I still don’t know how Dan Slott can pack so much information within a few pages. The dialogue is strong. It’s both funny and serious. Compelling characters. I like the fact that Peter Parker’s ghost is still around, and that he can’t be heard by anyone. It’s good for the story.

What I’m liking the most from this story is Otto Octavius. I don’t know ALL about Spider-Man and his enemies, but I know enough to know Otto is showing a side the world hasn’t seen before. I’ve always liked villains but I’m drawn more to Otto right now. He is still that evil genius with the plans and schemes. And although he’s showing a dark side of Spider-Man through his recent handling of the bad guys, there is a soft spot in his heart. By the way, Doctor Octopus has always been my favorite Spidey villain.

Ryan Stegman is not the artist on this issue (I’ve come to know and love his work on SSM) but the artwork is still great. Giuseppe Camuncoli did a great job and I like Edgar Delgado on the colors.

VERDICT (drum roll please)

You know what to do. So hurry up and start reading if you haven’t already.