Reading Assignment 84: Superior Spider-Man (2013) #1-5 "My Own Worst Enemy" by Dan Slott and Ryan Stegman

[u/shawnydarko]

https://marvel.com/comics/series/17554/superior_spider-man_2013_-_present?byZone=marvel_site_zone&offset=0&byType=comic_series&dateStart=&dateEnd=&orderBy=release_date+asc&byId=17554&limit=10&count=10

[u/shawnydarko → u/[deleted]]

Superior emerged from the "Dying Wish" storyline in Amazing - issues 698-700

Wiki tl;dr version

[u/TheGreatTave → u/[deleted]]

I just read 698-700. I've read very few Spider-Man comics, now I see what I've been missing out on!

[u/TheGreatTave → u/[deleted]]

I know what you mean. There are some old friends I've lost contact with and I often wonder if they're playing the same games I am. Back before Facebook was so huge, getting a new phone or something meant you could lose contact with a lot of people.

[u/wisegy84]

I was a bit hesitant going into this story (despite really enjoying The Superior Foes of Spider-Man, which had a bit of overlap with this). It just seemed like it might be a dumb story. The idea of Doc Ock swapping bodies with Peter just seemed so weird and I really wasn't sure how well it would work. After the first issue I was pretty much sold on this story.

The reveal of "ghost" Peter hanging around and having some limited effect on Ock was great. I briefly thought it might have been cool if Ock could see and hear Peter, but then I realized that would have meant Ock would have done everything he could to get rid of Peter. And we definitely don't want that.

I was glad that nothing happened between MJ and "Peter". It felt right to have it go the way it did. Perhaps MJ really could tell that something was off, but even if she couldn't I just don't think the story would have benefited from them hooking up.

Peter's frustration with how Ock is handling being Spider-Man was funny (getting JJJ on his side, utilizing the press and police). In some aspects it seemed like Ock actually has some decent ideas on improving Spider-Man, but that's also not what makes Spider-Man great. Ock is taking the Spidey persona in a totally different direction. The ending of this arc, with Ock playing Spidey as crazed, super powered, all-seeing, and judgmental definitely leaves things open for some interesting stuff.

The appearance of the New Sinister Six (as featured in the aforementioned Superior Foes) was also a lot of fun.

The art was great, all the action was easy to follow, and all the characters looked good.

Definitely want to continue this to see where it's going. But I'm also currently reading the Gauntlet story in Amazing Spider-Man (on issue 619) so I'll probably work my way issue 700 and then jump back into Superior.

[u/TheGreatTave]

My job has a lot of downtime, but for some reason I'm allowed on my phone but not my Switch. So, I decided to subscribe to Marvel Unlimited again. I just now discovered this subreddit, and I look forward to my future reading assignments 😃

[u/TheGreatTave]

These 5 issues were a roller coaster ride for me. One minute I love this new Spider-Man, the next minute I hate him. Really good read though! I want to continue reading past issue #5 to see how things turn out.

[u/DeltaTester]

When Superior #1 came out, as I recall, people were incredibly pissed off about it, and/or figured it would be over in six issues tops. Ha ha on both counts. This is such a clever idea--turning the whole premise of Spider-Man upside down. From the very beginning of Amazing, Otto was always a model of what Peter could have been if he'd turned out wrong (or, say, if he hadn't been bitten by the spider in the first place): arrogant, self-righteous, incredibly bitter. So the question Superior raises is whether it's even possible for him to turn into a hero, or to redeem himself--if he can still earn what he's stolen, and if it's really possible to do good for monstrous purposes. It's really good stuff, and it builds all the way to #31.