This Spidey is back in black for the first time.
Agent Venom aka Flash Thompson is on the trail of a new Crimemaster, and he attempts to put an end to his operation. The Superior Spider-Man learns of the battle and he assembles his task force against it. This leads to a quick confrontation with Venom. Flash decides to visit Peter, and from here a plot against Flash takes place with disastrous results. -summary
It was definitely a smart move by Dan Slott to bring Venom into the pages of The Superior Spider-Man. Before this story came into fruition, I wondered what would be Spider-Otto's reaction to this guy, when knowing how much trouble he had caused Peter at one point; by this time, Otto had viciously taken down the Black Cat, destroyed Phil Urich's life, plus sent the Kingpin running for his life and going into hiding. Therefore, there was just a high level of interest coming into this one. This is among the best encounters here although it doesn't see Spider-Man facing off against Eddie Brock. This volume is every bit as intense as the previous four, as it collects Superior Spider-Man issues 22-26 and Annual #1.
The plot follows Spider-Man as he goes through an unexpected change that has him leaving a path of chaos in dealing with crime, terrorizing his loved ones, and later battling the Avengers. Slott continues working magic with this new world he has created for Spider-Man, by also keeping his personal life about as interesting as his crime fighting. There's plenty of progress moving forward, and Aunt May simply works very well here in meeting Peter's new love.
There is so much going on in this volume as the sub plots develop and world building continues. The Goblin King continues to make his move, and it's clear he's preparing to take this Spider-Man down for good. I will admit that character development doesn't see too much progress at this point in which really isn't a bad thing, when considering that Otto only further cements on how confident he is about taking on the challenges in his life. I have to be completely honest and say that he is far more interesting than Peter ever was. Peter hardly ever saw progress; this guy is limited only by his imagination and I will always love this take on Spider-man the absolute most.
The artwork is only as good as one can tolerate or straight enjoy Humberto Ramos' character designs, action, etc. I personally hate his artwork but I find it tolerable once again. I don't like his un-proportioned manga style at all especially in regards to the fast paced action. His action panels feel cluttered and sometimes really hard to follow. On the other hand, there are some really good stylish and hard hitting moments. Also, when the action isn't taking place he does handle the facial designs rather well. I can't say his work is horrible here, but it's not as great as Ryan Stegman though. The Spider-Man Annual looks a lot better, and it delivers one of the most brutal fights in the Marvel-DC reboot era, as Spider-Man and Blackout take it to each other; this fight is gory and at times sick. The pencils and inks deliver very well here.
In closing, this is another very solid volume in The Superior Spider-Man run. It may seem unnecessary to say this, but seriously, this is definitely not a jumping on point for this storyline. I highly suggest starting from the beginning or better yet, picking up at Spider-Man: Dying Wish to better appreciate this story. Those out there whom had an issue with the mind-swap, don't even bother because this book won't change your mind.
Pros: Very fluid and well paced narrative, some great action at times
Cons: Ramos' artwork really isn't for everyone