SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN # 15 Thoughts

Some thoughts on this week's SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN # 15. Warning might contain spoilers.

I think I like this issue. There were somethings that IMHO was unnecessary or contrived but it's otherwise astounding. Long have I seen Superior as a book detailing the downfall of Spider-Man and the subsequent rise of Parker and with the recent issues I'm reading, can't help but chuckle knowing that I was partly right.

The issue revolves not so much on Slotto but more on Phil Urich who also happens to be Hobgoblin. We find out that (a) He's broke (b) he gets money from selling videos of himself and Spider-Man fighting (c) He's on Slotto's hit list for the mere fact that he survived the fall of Shadowland.

This is kind of a miss for me because Slott had a chance to tell us a really great story of Hobgoblin after the many changes in his life and instead everything's crammed tightly. Can't blame him though, this book is on a really tight schedule lately. Plus the fact that nobody really cares about Urich, the one-time "Good" Green Goblin.

To some extent this cover lied. Slotto never revealed those eight legged things on his back. We do find out who's been working on Hobbie's gear in this issue and that's something that falls under the category of 'meh'. Who cares whats happened to him. Although I need to track back to learn if this guy was also partly responsible for the Horizon Lab accident that created Alpha (blergh).

The issue's ending was pretty nifty. It's a mix between showing how low Otto Octavius has sunk ever since he inhabited the body of Peter Parker and it's also partly showing us the change in status quo for Urich who I can see will become a more permanent part of Spider-Man if he ever pulls through. The Spider-Man's murderous intent is also coming into a more public light which definitely will have bigger ramifications in the future.

RATING: B+

Get your copies of SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN # 15 from Comicx Hub and Castle Geek!

SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN # 14 Review

"The further of Otto Octavius in Peter Parker's body" # 14 goes BIG as the SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN debuts his new costume plus other neat tricks to root out The Kingpin and the Hobgoblin in Shadowland.

Honestly I picked out the issue for this week's review mainly because I was curious on the origin of the new costume. Usually when Peter was still doing the driving, there was a sense of drama behind the change in costume. Slott recognizes that which was why we got 'nice' new costumes which made sense (i.e. the new Spider Armor for Menace, the Stealth/ Tron costume to fight Hobgoblin and so on and so forth). 

The issue did not deliver on that account. There. I might have saved you some dough. 

However, it did bring about a long forgotten plot point (if you can call it as such) in Octavius' return to Shadowland. Once the home of a demon-possessed Daredevil and current residence of Wilson Fisk and his artificial ninjas. Left ever since Andy Diggle's departure from Daredevil, this has been overlooked. 

Now Spider-Man brings change to that status quo with the debut of the new Spider jaegers bots as well as Ock's Spider-men/ army/troops with the sole purpose of toppling down Shadowland for good and making himself and J. Jonah Jameson look good to the public. 

The script isn't weak but I don't find it strong enough either. Overkill is a word I would describe in this issue. He already had mechs, why bring along an army? Was he out to prove that he was the stronger man? Was he out to show that he had bigger balls? We honestly don't know because it was never tackled. Could be an oversight on the writer's part or it could be a mistake we'll just have to find out in the next few issues. 

I do like what is slowly happening here. Doc Ock is slowly spreading himself thin, he's doing a lot of things in Peter's body and that might come back as a problem or as a plotpoint. The whole thing about the costume change for a more nefarious hero is slowly shaping up to become the Marvel version of the Batman story arc "Knighquest: The Crusade". Though he might be able to cover his tracks neatly, he's going to eventually show his true colors and setup the return for Peter Parker. 

Going back, SS # 14 sets up some pretty interesting things for the next few issues or so. The ending although not of the cliffhanging kind teases a rematch that's been brewing for some time now (ever since the end of Amazing Spider-Man's comic run to be exact). Whether we get a better issue from the arc we just have to sit tight and wait.

Verdict: 8/10

SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN # 14 is available now at Castle Geek branches and Comicx Hub (order it HERE). 

Daredevil # 26 Review [Spoiler Heavy]

Somebody important in Matt Murdock's past has come back with the sole purpose of tormenting him and now in Daredevil # 26 we finally find out who that person is.

 Okay so, I lost track of Daredevil for around six issues now. For some unknown reason I just lost interest. So imagine my surprise when I read this issue.

Standard to all of Mark Waid's stuff, the dialogue for # 26 is impeccable. One moment Matt Murdock's frantically scrambling to get his act together and then the next he's rambling incoherently at the bedside of his bestfriend Foggy Nelson.

The New Retro Look for Superior Spider-Man in Issue # 14

Here's the cover for Superior Spider-Man # 14 featuring a slightly modified costume and what seems to be brand new allies. 

While things look bad with his recent fight with the Avengers, things are indeed looking up for Otto Octavius. Here's what the solicits read:

This July, the chart topping creative team behind Amazing Spider-Man #700, Dan Slott & Humberto Ramos, go straight to the steps of Shadowland in Superior Spider-Man #14! This all-new story arc, launching during Superior Spider-Month, gives fans a whole new look into the world of Superior Spider-Man, great for lapsed and new readers alike!

Continuing his personal quest to show the world why he is truly the superior Spider-Man, Otto Octavius looks to add cleaning up the City of New York to his list of accomplishments! But what’s his plan of attack? Eliminate Shadowland. All of it. With the Kingpin and Hobgoblin running crime throughout the city for far too long and nobody daring enough to take them down, the Superior Spider-Man takes matters into his own hands!