The Superior Spider-Man #1 Review

Marvel Comics
The Superior Spider-Man #1 Review
By Dan Horn
January 11, 2013 - 17:17

Marvel Comics
Writer(s): Dan Slott
Penciller(s): Ryan Stegman
Inker(s): Ryan Stegman
Colourist(s): Edgar Delgado
Letterer(s): Chris Eliopoulos
Cover Artist(s): Stegman and Delgado
$3.99 US

SPOILERS AHEAD

Well, it's getting quite difficult to not be completely cynical about things like this. If you haven't heard, The Superior Spider-Man series takes the place of the iconic Amazing Spider-Man title after the terminally ill Spidey rogue Doctor Octopus, aka Otto Octavius, did the old Freaky Friday with Peter Parker (not nearly as lewd as it sounds), and, with the Peter Parker Doc Ock now dead, the Doc Ock Peter Parker is able to relive his life to the fullest.

Trust me. It only SEEMS confusing. It's actually quite derivative, although it's a bold step for the franchise, if only in terms of the amount of death threats writer Dan Slott and Marvel's editorial staff received after ASM #700, the final issue of that series.

While we're on that subject--Honestly, how can you get upset about something like this? I don't really get it. This is obviously temporary (VERY temporary, judging from the groan-worthy final page of Superior Spider-Man #1). If I had to wager a guess, I'd say we'll be seeing the real Peter Parker back in action by 2014, if not earlier. However, I suppose talking about this book from a marketing or fan-boy perspective is best left for another day and probably for another writer.

Let's get critical.

Dan Slott's Spidey comics have always been hit or miss for me. It's not that they're "bad" comics (maybe mediocre), but that they aren't necessarily written for an age demographic over--well, let's say 20 to be safe. I'll go on record as saying that I actually think that's commendable. There are a lot--A LOT--of maturer comic books on the shelves these days, so a slightly lighter, more accessible comic can be a wonderful thing. Slott's ASM has often filled that most-ages void, harkening back to the action-packed and rogue-centric stories of the titular hero's yesteryear. No more of the ridiculousness from the Straczynski era. Just good ol' fashioned, unpretentious fun.

Superior Spider-Man follows a similar vein of storytelling, but with notable differences. This incarnation of the wall-crawler is a jerk, he's pragmatic, he's vicious, and he's amoral. It's a fun twist on the character, even if it makes him less accessible and even if it's also already wearing out its welcome. I'm hopeful that Slott will put the Otto Octavius Spider-Man through his paces fairly soon, because Otto doesn't exactly have a magnetic personality. Marvel may have grossly overestimated Otto's appeal. There isn't much to this gimmick that would compel me to read much more of this particular arc. Decompression might be this concept's fatal flaw.

The other notable difference here lies in comedic relief. Where Peter Parker was always quick with a one-liner or a clever observation, in this debut issue, Spider-Man is a poe-faced, calculating vigilante with a spinning moral compass, and it is the new Sinister Six that provides the yuk-yuk moments. It's another interesting juxtaposition, but I can't begin to imagine how off-putting it might be to see this new Spider-Man go up against an equally dour villain. Spidey-Ock really just isn't that entertaining on his own, and he can be downright aggravating at times. Once again, a small dose of this character would have sufficed. Decompression bad.

That being said, I am very interested in seeing how the new Spider-Man interacts with the rest of the Marvel U. He'll be popping up in Mark Waid's Daredevil next week, and I can't wait to see how Waid translates the impetuous Otto Octavius in his new spider-digs.

Ryan Stegman and Edgar Delgado do a bang-up job on artistic duties in Superior Spider-Man #1, Stegman's artistic voice existing somewhere between Mark Bagley and the frenetic, ultra-stylized work of Humberto Ramos. Perhaps it's Ramos' work that makes me so fond of Stegman's. Compared to Ramos' panels, Stegman's are far more discernible, friendlier on the palate.

I don't know that I'll be returning to this series, but this opening salvo certainly was a mindlessly enjoyable read. Sometimes that's what you need, and if you need it often, then The Superior Spider-Man might be your new fix. The series has some charm, however hackneyed.

Rating: 6/10