InĀ Superior Spider-Man, Doctor Octopus (Otto Octavius) switched minds with Peter Parker on his death bed. Now he’s determined to be better than Peter Parker ever was; he goes back to school, starts his own company, and configures a way to keep eyes on the entire city for crime. But those close to Peter quickly notice that something’s different–will Peter be able to fight his way back?
This is one of my favorite Spider-man stories so far. I’ve been reading a lot of Spider-man comics lately, as my ultimate goal is to eventually catch up from the original comics to the current run. Doc Ock is probably one of my favorite villains thus far, and being able to get into his head within this run was fantastic.
Superior Spider-man also complicates the notion of heroism and villainy. Otto takes a different strategy as Spider-man than Peter Parker, as he’s more ruthless than Peter ever was. He does things for Peter that Peter never would have done himself, like earning his doctorate and beginning his own company. But Otto also alienates people that Peter deeply cares about, like MJ and Aunt May. While things look up for him for awhile, Otto’s ruthless nature as Spider-man paired with his narcissism and loss of Peter’s memories causes his empire to start to crumble as Norman Osborn gains control.
For me, volumes 3 and 4 were probably my least favorite, as they felt like they dragged a bit to me. I loved how Peter Parker was still incorporated ghost-like within the text, and we know that he’ll eventually regain control of his body and make things right once again. The ability to see another side of Doc Ock makes him a well-rounded villain, and by the end, we can almost call him a hero. The introduction of different story lines throughout also makes me want to find out even more about the universe.
Definitely a must read for any Spider-man fans.
Volume 1: 5/5 stars
Volume 2: 5/5 stars
Volume 3: 4/5 stars
Volume 4: 3/5 stars
Volume 5: 4/5 stars
Volume 6: 5/5 stars