Review: The Superior Spider-Man #10

STORY

So if you don’t know, a while back a dying Doc Ock stole Spider-Man’s body and became the Superior Spider-Man for a long while until Peter got resurrected in his own skin once more and Doc Eventually got his own cloned version of Spider-Man’s body to live in. The heroing life and the influence of Parker’s memories apparently changed Doc for the better and now he attempts to make amends for his years of villain as another Spider-Man.

As a villain Otto was always very arrogant so calling himself the Superior Spider-Man was quite in character but he has since learned that he is far from infalliable and as he understands the price of being a hero he is becoming more and more like the genuinely good man that he used to be as a scientist before his accident altered his mind. This is eloquently displayed as Doc deals with the reality of his past versus the life he is trying to live now as his identity is revealed in the news. There have been times within his cannon that Ock has been shown to be more than just your standard intellectual snob of a super-villain. Otto has some real depth to him as a character and this writer shows that with this story, the arrogance is still there but so is the heart. He has some real emotionally impactful moments as he deals with the fallout of this public revelation of who he is coming to light. Otto shows great character here, realizing both his mistake and the willingness to sacrifice his own desires for the sake of the greater good.

On top of that Otto must deal with further fallout from the Spidergeddon event, where he crossed paths with a Norman Osbourne version of Spider-Man. Its a delicious bit of irony that one of Spider-Man’s greatest foes has become Otto’s as well now that he is a Spider-Man. Doc even gets a taste of what its like to have a gloating villain not kill you outright but threatened you with the loss of everything you love first. Unfortunately for him this Osbourne seems every bit as intelligent and maniacal as his 616 counterpart and you have to wonder if Otto’s approach to being Spider-Man can stand up to Norman’s.

ART

The artwork is not of star caliber, no Jim Lee or Todd McFarlane here but Hawthorne knows his stuff. He delivers solid page layouts with nice variation of camera work and strong storytelling. The story is easy to follow but he is not the most dynamic artist when its time to deliver the action. One nice touch is that when Ock is letting his guard down and drops the pretense of superiority you see Peter Parker on the panel but when he is invested in his typical arrogance he’s rendered with harsher lines on his face and a stern expression. Its a nice way of showing that this is Doc Ock in a cloned Parker body.

FINAL THOUGHTS

A solid issue that moves Otto’s story forward on every level and from top to bottom is handled quite competently by the entire team on the book. 4.5 out of 5!

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

The Superior Spider-Man #10
Writer:Â Christos Gage
Art:Â Mike Hawthorne
Inker: Wade Von Grawbadger
Colors:Â Jordie Bellaire