Tag Archives: Otto Octavius

My Reaction to Superior Spider-Man #31

Marvel Comics, My Rants and Tantrums, , , , , ,

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This will be short and sweet with no spoilers.

It is no secret that I am not fond of Peter Parker.  But in case you didn’t already know this, I discussed it in great detail in a previous blog post.  I stated the reasons why I felt Doctor Octopus (Otto Gunther Octavius) aka Doc Ock, was the better Spider-Man.

I was not at all shocked when I learned the Superior Spider-Man series, published by Marvel Comics, would be coming to an end.  For some reason, good things always come to an end.  Obviously Peter Parker is not any good because he’s back, huh?  (You know I had to throw sarcasm in there, right?)

My reaction to Superior Spider-Man #31:  Series Finale, a wonderfully crafted series, written by Dan Slott, and drawn and colored by various talented artists, is the same as when I read issue #30.  A ginormous WHAT THE HELL?

I read the series finale a couple of hours ago, before I even left the comic shop, and wanted to tear the book into a million pieces, or let the store owners cat poop on it.  I figured my husband might want to read it, and Peter Parker wasn’t worth me spending another $5.99.  I know about the digital codes, but my household prefer print media.

So, as soon as my husband read Superior Spider-Man #31:  Series Finale, I am going to rip and rip until I get tired.

That’s right.  I’m taking Peter Parker out to the trash.

Superior Spider-Man #4 Review

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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.

SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #3 REVIEW

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Let me start off by saying that I am still loving on Superior Spider-Man.  Every page is a page turner, which is how a good story is supposed to be.  There’s a couple of funny moments, such as when Mayor J. Jonah Jameson thought he was going to be in control of Spider-Man.  And the interaction between the Vulture and his henchmen.  Those bird-like creatures talked and acted as if they were kids, and were treated as such.  They were given pizza and game tokens!

A lot is going on in this issue.

  • Spider-Man’s revenge against Adrian Toomes, the Vulture
  • Peter Parker in Doc Ock’s memories, being zapped in and out of his flashbacks
  • Carlie increasing suspicion of the true identity of Spider-Man

To spare a lengthy post, I’ll touch on Spider-Man’s revenge against Adrian Toomes, the Vulture.

Spider-Man went to Toomes and offered him a way out of his life of crime.  Thinking he was joking, the Vulture ordered an attack.  After knocking one of them to the ground, Spidey learned the bird-like creatures were children.

I told you they talked and acted as if they were children!  I was shocked to learn the truth also.

ssm3chase2Spider-Man had a flashback of his dad striking him when he was a young boy.  Outraged he went after Toomes to put a stop to him for good.

They fought.  And they fought.  And they fought.  Until the end.  Toome’s end.

There is so much going on in this story that I can’t fit it all into this post.  Well I can but no one will read it all.  Not even me.  Too long.

So I’ll wrap it up here.  This series is still going strong.  One of the best Marvel NOW! titles.  Very strong dialogue and pacing.  Dan Slott is still the man.  He packed a lot in this issue without skipping a beat.

Ryan Stegman still has it going on with the art.  Several intricate scenes.  Edgar Delgado is great with the colors.  A few of the panels made me cry, especially Otto’s flashback of his dad hitting him as a child.

VERDICT (drum roll please)

Do I really need to tell you my recommendation?  If yes, then go back and read the first sentence in this post.  Better yet I’ll copy it here for you:

Let me start off by saying that I am still loving on Superior Spider-Man.

If you haven’t already started reading Superior Spider-Man, now is the time to start.  While you’re at the comic shop you may as well grab issues 1 and 2 also.

SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #2 REVIEW

Marvel Comics, , , , , ,

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This issue begins with Spider-Man getting a public thank you from the college dean and Mayor J. Jonah Jameson.  He and Mary Jane goes out a few times but he got nothing more than a peck on the cheek at the end of each date.  As for patrolling the city, Peter Parker (you know he’s really Otto Octavius right) constructed spider-bots and placed them along his usual routes.  He keeps track of them with the patrol app he created.

MJ’s nightclub was raided (the first spider-bot alert) by vultures but she was saved by Spider-Man.  There was a tense moment between the two of them, but Spidey realized it was time to to let her go.

The story ended with Mary Jane telling Carlie about what happened between she and Spider-Man, then Carlie had a flashback of Doc Ock telling her that he was Spider-Man (ASM #700).

Superior Spider-Man #2 is well written, thanks to Dan Slott.  This issue couldn’t have been better.  Every page is a page turner, and I don’t say that often.  The pacing is perfect.  I like how Peter Parker is still around, although in spirit.  He follows Doc Ock and tries to dictate his every move.  Too bad Doc Ock can’t hear him.  I laughed so lough and hard while reading this issue.

Ryan Stegman did a superb job on the artwork.  I especially like the cover page and the splash page of Spidey and MJ, with Peter Parker in the background!

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THE VERDICT (drum roll please)

If you haven’t already started reading Superior Spider-Man then I highly recommend that you start.  I feel it’s the best Marvel Now! title I’ve read so far.