Superior Spider-Man 13 No Escape Part 3: The Slayer & The Slain
COVER ART: 3.5/5
CAMUNGOLI/DELGADO team does an fine job on this cover. What I like the most is the little claw details on Superior Spider-Man's hands. His outfit, much like his current disposition, is much darker. The Lizard is drawn superbly as well. The symbolism of Spider-Man & the Lizard going back-to-back is expertly done. This isn't the best cover of this week (7/7/13) but there is a lot of symbolism here and that gives this book some extra points.
STORY ARC: 5/5
DAN SLOTT & CHRISTOS GAGE team up to wrap up NO ESCAPE from Spider Island. We continue the journey of SMYTHE, the SPIDER SLAYER moments before his Slayer-Bots free him from execution while at the same time healing and upgrading VULTURE, BOOMERANG, & SCORPION (whom we remember had his JAW PUNCHED OFF by Spider-Man a few issues back). Smythe uses his newly healed and upgraded team to aid in his escape attempt from Spider-Island.
The Superior Spider-Man has thought of everything though. Every avenue Smythe tries, SSM has already thought of and has a contingency plan to block it, because as Otto Octavius, dying in a cell in the same prison, he already had thought of the same escape routes.
An eery conversation between J.Jonah Jameson and SSM occurs in this issue. JJJ charges SSM to "finish the execution" of Smythe. Smythe is responsible for JJJ's wife's murder and he intends to see him die today, no matter what. SSM promises to "finish the job" and thus gains immense trust with JJJ. This trust is misguided; however, because SSM eventually uses that conversation to blackmail JJJ into giving him Spider Island for his own personal use at the end of the book.
What I enjoy about this book is how we see SSM evolve. There was no part of Peter Parker in this story so are we to believe he is totally gone. We know SSM has killed before, but Peter was always there to create a pause in Otto's actions. SPOILER This issue, when Smythe believes he has Spider-Man in a catch 22, believing Spider-Man is not a killer, we Smythe believed wrong. To save the civilians being attacked by Vulture and to ensure Smythe would not escape, SSM rips one of Smythes razor sharp appendages off and stabs him in the heart with it, killing his mortal body! This is symbolic because there was no pause, no delay. This was all Otto, no Peter. This is so evident in the symbolism of the art shown here. Notice how the "amazing" symbol on Spider-Man's back is torn through. This is to show that there is no more Amazing Spider-Man left, only Superior.
Once SSM has defeated Smythe, in his Physical Form and his conscienceness, we are left with a fully transformed Spider-Man, the fully realized Superior Spider-Man. We see on a boat ride back to the city SSM recorded JJJ giving SSM the order to kill Smythe. In order for that footage to not be released, SSM blackmails JJJ into giving him the keys to Spider Island. We see SSM is now totally isolated from his connections to the world, to Peter Parkers connections, and left to his own accord in an island laboratory. Evil Genius criteria all met, oh wait, don't forget the minions! SSM makes a call to Minions-R-Us and orders a fleet of foot soldiers all in uniforms that will match his NEW SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN COSTUME! (see minions and new costume below)
STORY ART: 4.5/5
GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI does a Superior job penciling this issue. There is a great amount of detail and symbolism drawn in this issue. There are very little complaints I have as it relates to the art. It fits Spider-Man very well. The only awkward character is the Lizard. There is a great drawing of him in such detail, but the face/mouth does not fit well. He seems more like a rat, or a doberman than a lizard, and there is a dead on image that makes him look like his brain is on the outside of his skull. This could be nitpicking but I still gave the art 4.5/5 The first splash page, which I have included, between SSM and Spider Slayer is fantastic.
OVERALL: 4/5 This is a must get for any Spider-Man fans, even if you don't have the back issues of this story, I believe this book will get you hooked. The new outfit is coming, the minions are coming. I can't wait to see what happens next.
SSM about to drop an atomic elbow on the Spider Slayer!
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