The Good

Doc Ock is in Spider-Man's body. That's old news by now. His arrogance makes him think he can be a better hero -- a better Spider-Man. With this thinking, Octavius has taken some extreme measures against his opponents, something that has aroused suspicion with the Avengers.

Chris Yost has been writing AVENGING SPIDER-MAN with this version of Spidey but once you start reading, you'll be wondering what the heck is going on (in a good way). Spider-Man is on probation with the Avengers but he is seen attacking several heroes around New York City.

So why does this have "team-up" in the title if he's attacking heroes? You'll have to read to find out. There is some teaming up involved.

David Lopez's art has a nice feel to it. Along with Rachelle Rosenberg's colors, the images almost pop off the page. There's a lot of different characters that appear and have cameos here so it's nice to see each with their true unique look, as they should have.

The Bad

I did feel a tiny bit confused for minor reasons. I guess I somehow totally missed Cloak and Dagger switching even though I dig those characters. Carol Danvers was flying around with no problem despite her brain lesion causing problems. I also didn't read this week's SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN yet and wasn't sure why he had a new costume.

It's not fully clear what separates this series from AVENGING SPIDER-MAN. I'm not sure why there was the need for a title change. With the way he's presenting himself, it's a little hard to see how this title can continue at this pace. And with such a drastic change in his personality, the Avengers' attitude or suspicions seem to have been downplayed before and here. For as intelligent as SpOck claims to be, you'd think he'd do a better job trying to act more like Spider-Man around others since he does have Peter's memories.

Not really crazy about the villain. Seeing him amped up at this level just feels wrong compared to how he used to be long ago.

The Verdict

Superior Spider-Man thinks he has all the answers. Doc Ock is doing all he can to solve things his way. This has made Spider-Man's allies suspicious but he's determined to continue to operate on his terms. Despite alienating everyone, the focus of this title will be on Spider-Man teaming up with others. It'll be interesting to see how long this can continue. David Lopez's art and Rachelle Rosenberg's colors gives the series a nice look. With Superior Spider-Man being such a loose canon, this series will keep readers on the edge of their seats as SpOck's secret is something he'll have to guard closely. That's what will make this series a fun ride.

Superior Spiderman team up? What happened to Avenging Spiderman?

Edited nevermind read the whole thing

this crap must stop

For me the change of the title is mainly just a money thing but also because Avenging refers to him teaming up with Avengers characters and Doc even says at the end of this issue that he wants to distance himself from that team (or something like that).

Also Doc lost access to Peter's memory when he flushed the rest of Peter out of his mind.

@larcheese: his downfall is coming also carol knows something about peter that doc ock doesn't know

@g_man Anyone, can you tell me why Spider-Man has recently changed his costume? I haven't been reading. Does it have anything to do with Peter returning or Spider-Man 2099?

He changed it on a whim. seriously.

I like the new costume quite a bit. But as for Ock's arrogance, that will be what takes him down in the end and peter gets re-uploaded or we find out that pete did a octobot induced personality split. Doc Ock was sort of what peter could have been if he didn't have his moral checks and balances. I like to think this is still Pete, but with the morals somehow zapped out so he thinks he is Otto.

Art is gorgeous.Yost writes good.

Dont agree with the content.

Im digging the new costume, everyone else got a big costume change, all otto did was change the eyes, the back spider logo and added talons to his gloves and boots wooo how innovative lol

Superior Spiderman did lose Peter's memories when he fought and probably destroyed the last of Peter's remnants in his mind.I feel this comic might be good but I am really starting to wonder how no one is realising the fact that the real Spiderman would never have such a heightened sense of arrogance orsuch an utter disregard for collateral damage!Surely Tony Stark,the Avenger's resident genius, must do something now.

Liked this a lot. I think the title was changed because I'm willing to bet casual readers didn't know about Avenging Spiderman. So to get people to notice it, they renamed it and released it alongside the new Superior Spiderman for this week so that when they go to their LCS, they see the two side by side.

Not sure about the new threads but his feet look like he's wearing ballet shoes.

Glad I've quit reading Marvel comics.

They make good movies though.

A great start to this series. I love how Yost really goes for broke when making Superior sounds like a total jerk. There's something oddly satisfying about Spider-Man schooling his fellow Avengers and even being willing to take them all on at once. It was a lot of fun to see him take down so many different heroes, even if they were influenced by some sort of parasite. I too was really confused for a lot of the first half. I'm just glad I read Superior Spider-Man 14 before this because they totally call out the incident at Shadowland. I'm so interested to see who he chooses for his full team roster. I just hope the ride is as wild as the main series. As usual thanks for the accurate reviews.

The Cloak and Dagger power-switching occured during Spider-Island (probably the mini, not the main event?) and had something to do with Mr.Negative kidnapping Dagger and changing her powers and I think Cloak had to do it as well to save her or something?

Imagine if Marvel created a Superior Spider-Man story arc that takes place 20 years into the future where Spock rules the Earth. The 20 year timeskip would reveal where baby Mayday is located by Madam Webb(Julia Carpenter) who would inform Natasha and Jessica about her. From that point, the Venom symbiote would have left Flash Thompson for Mayday Parker around that time. Mary Jane would be dead in this new future timeline, along with Aunt May. Jessica and Natasha would serve as mentors who would train Mayday(Venom) from a child to grown up who would be ready to battle Spock. Psylocke could help Mayday learn to control the Venom symbiote to its full potential with her mind. This version of Mayday Parker(Venom) would be different from the version that was presented in the Earth-X storyline series. And this is a timeline that takes place many years in the future. So anything in between the timeskip could happen. Either way, Mayday Parker will serve as the future for Spider-Man, regardless of what the alternate future timeline may reveal.

If you ignore what Joe Quesada said about Mayday Parker never being born, then the story would make sense. And the future that I have described is an alternate future where Spock rules. Moving forward, this would create a loophole in which Mary Jane did give birth to Mayday Parker, and the baby was switched with a stillborn. In the past, all possible future timelines that Marvel had created has never been a direct line to Earth-616 to begin with. Look at this as a what if situation where Allison Mongain faked her death and had gone into hiding with the child in that timeline until Julia Carpenter alerts the whereabouts of the child to the Black Widow and Spider-Woman during the 20 year time skip to a future where Spock rules the Earth.

@that60sguy: It kind of looks that way on the cover, but once you see it in the comic it looks more like the Andrew Garfield Amazing Spiderman shoes.

It's crazy flawed and that's evident the reviewer realizes it, yet it still gets a 4/5? Huh.

@wolverine1610: Actually he also changed it to red and black, which was actually Spider-Man's original color scheme before it changed to red and blue so really all Ock did was make it more old school. Also his new costume is based on Alex Ross' Spider-Man movie costume design

Also the only thing I can think of is that there better be someway for all the other heroes to find out what Ock did or else Peter is gonna be in one helluva crap-storm when he comes back.

Seems kinda obvious that whether you like it not SUPERIOR is selling and they rebranded Avenging to make a few extra bucks.

this thing is making less, and less sense. i hope it ends...

hmmm, i can dig that, a new yet old feed. still better than the slight alternations ock did to the suit at the beginning of superior spider-man. but yeah i agree i hope they give him a chance to explain himself with some telepaths along to make sure he's telling the truth for the sake of closure. i know jameson wont believe him but the avengers at least will

@smart_dork_dude said:

@wolverine1610: Actually he also changed it to red and black, which was actually Spider-Man's original color scheme before it changed to red and blue so really all Ock did was make it more old school. Also his new costume is based on Alex Ross' Spider-Man movie costume design

Also the only thing I can think of is that there better be someway for all the other heroes to find out what Ock did or else Peter is gonna be in one helluva crap-storm when he comes back.

i'm down with SpOck being around, just as long as he's gone by the time Spider-Men 2 comes thru...

You missed Cloak and Dagger switching? You should read the latest Cloak and Dagger limited series. I guess I can't say I'm surprised though, I love those characters and I thought the series was written very well but no one seemed to get it. Essentially the comic focused on how everyone loved Dagger and not Cloak. Cloak felt it was cause he was darkness she was light (as opposed to Dagger is an extrovert where Cloak is an introvert.) Anyway, the series ended with Dagger having Cloaks powers. I feared they were just going to ignore that so, glad to see they didn't.

What really threw me off was who is that Sun Girl character and when did vulture get added to Ock's collection

I hope that before it ends, we get to see a future story arc where he rules the Earth in the same manner as Ultron:

Imagine if Marvel created a Superior Spider-Man story arc that takes place 20 years into the future where Spock rules the Earth. The 20 year timeskip would reveal where baby Mayday is located by Madam Webb(Julia Carpenter) who would inform Natasha and Jessica about her. From that point, the Venom symbiote would have left Flash Thompson for Mayday Parker around that time. Mary Jane would be dead in this new future timeline, along with Aunt May. Jessica and Natasha would serve as mentors who would train Mayday(Venom) from a child to grown up who would be ready to battle Spock. Psylocke could help Mayday learn to control the Venom symbiote to its full potential with her mind. This version of Mayday Parker(Venom) would be different from the version that was presented in the Earth-X storyline series. And this is a timeline that takes place many years in the future. So anything in between the timeskip could happen. Either way, Mayday Parker will serve as the future for Spider-Man, regardless of what the alternate future timeline may reveal.

If you ignore what Joe Quesada said about Mayday Parker never being born, then the story would make sense. And the future that I have described is an alternate future where Spock rules. Moving forward, this would create a loophole in which Mary Jane did give birth to Mayday Parker, and the baby was switched with a stillborn. In the past, all possible future timelines that Marvel had created has never been a direct line to Earth-616 to begin with. Look at this as a what if situation where Allison Mongain faked her death and had gone into hiding with the child in that timeline until Julia Carpenter alerts the whereabouts of the child to the Black Widow and Spider-Woman during the 20 year time skip to a future where Spock rules the Earth

@g_man He doesn't have Peters memories any more. He lost them when he removed Peters consciousness.

cloak and dagger switched in their shadowland mini a few years back. pick it up, great series. the art alone was just....was hoping for an ongoing with that same team but alast no. the only part that saved this book from being awful was the ending with the villains so goooood. they have been building jackal up for awhile and it seems he's about to make his move finally

@bump1010: was this stated by doc ock in any particular issue? i thought when he erased peter's consciousness he would lose peter's memories but that doesnt seem to be the case unless he just remembers them (like remembering a story someone told you versus an event you were actually in)

Nah last issue of Superior Spiderman, after having the control of the raft, Otto wanted to take a different route as Spiderman and hence the change of costume.

Just to symbolize his change from a lone super hero, to a super hero with an actual army.

I hate to be a downer on the parade of those wishing that this "Ock as Spider-Man" thing would end but...this is from an NBC "Today Show" report.

"Prominent superheroes have met their demise before, only to return. Superman died in 1992, Captain America was killed off in 2007, and Bruce Wayne stopped serving as Batman’s alter ego for a time. Slott maintains that Parker is not coming back.

“He’s dead,’’ he said."

So...YEAH. He really seems to be doing this. Despite the fact that the sales in the series have gone from 188,158 to 82,350 for the "Superior" series. Fans are leaving the book in DROVES. DROVES.

@grumpybear74: Like Black Widow was right when she suggested that Spidey was just dealing with the loss of his arch enemy. I hadn't thought of it this way but that is pretty cool. Perhaps Doc Oct didnt succeed and only part of his personality and memories were forced into Peter's mind, and Peter chose to identify with Oct subconsciously.

@darthfury78: Terrible idea.

Why?

I really dislike it when comics ignore cannon. Moon Knight doesn't live in New York he's in LA. Luke Cage is retired and living in Austin not New York. Doctor Strange hasn't dressed that way in close to 10 years.

Can anyone explain to me how Hulk was speaking? Like, in full sentences? Did anyone else notice this?

is this true? all I ever hear is that Superior is now Marvel's top selling title and a runaway success

@mickeymayhew: Look at the sales of the book. And at the sales that the book had before the Dying Wish storyline began. Readerships been dropping even faster than normal. By comparison, DC comic books like Batman have actually sold fantastically well by being good stories and being true to the character. And they don't rely on GIMMICKS to sell their tales. A gimmick is a bad and cheap way to boost sales. It's not viable.