Superior Spider-Man #3

This issue really wraps things up from the 'superior' start, crafting a lot of loose ends from the previous issues into a semblance of an arc. And on this issue alone, it definitely succeeds. We saw seeds of The Vulture's return at the beginning of the series, and of course there's the bit we left off from in ASM, and it all works together well to gives us a big character moment for Ock-Parker.

There's actually all sorts of great development for our new 'hero', or hero-in-progress perhaps. Protagonist. Ghost-Peter begins to develop his abilities as a ghost tied to his own body, as he relives some of Ock's memories, and we get to see the side of Ock that could've been. A villain who was once more sophisticated and perhaps even more forgiving than the rest. His interactions with The Vulture in the old days of the first Sinister Six paint an interesting picture of the two characters, and it makes sense, but has a heavy contrast with who they've become today.

This leads into the actual battle, and though there's a darkness to Spidey's tone when he says he's going to take care of Toomes "for good," his method is strangely noble. Despite his excessive violence in other situations, Ock's previous experience as a villain actually gave him the insight to place compassion in just the right place. He's actually willing to offer The Vulture an out, a way to take him off the table permanently but with honey instead of fists. It's a new side to his 'superior' approach, and maybe a few years ago it would've worked, but heated emotions on both parties conspire to end this in battle, and the public only sees the same new harder approach to crime that he's shown thus far.

But of course in Jameson's mind, that works for him. Despite being more fluid as an 'arc', this issue has plenty of space for toying with the new character relationships, especially that of J. Jonah Jameson and Spider-Man. But there's also some juicy bits with the one person possibly onto him, Carlie Cooper. I'm not sure what conclusion she's come to at the end, but it's clear she's still a major player in Spidey's life.

In Conclusion: 5/5

The action was excellent, the emotions were intense, the character work was brilliant, the comedy was witty; everything worked. We got to see a new and unexpected side of Superior Spider-Man in this issue, and it shapes an interesting future for the title.