Superior Spider-Man #30 – Commentary



3718060-30This is not a review of this issue. Moreover, this is but a brief commentary of the book.

At this very moment, I just got done reading this issue and if I have but one word to say about it, it would be “wow”. This, folks, is the reason I read comic books and it is the reason that I love Spider-Man so much.

Let it be said here and now, Spider-Man is my favorite super hero of all time. I have been exposed to comics my whole life, and from the 80’s until now, I have been more than intrigued by the medium. From the X-Men to the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and Batman, I love super hero comic books. But if one thing has held a constant in my comic book reading life, it is the simple fact that Spider-Man has always been number one in my eyes.

Dan Slott’s Superior arc has been nothing short of fantastic in my eyes. It was just what the Spider-Man series needed after decades of what was seemingly the same tried and true formula of Peter Parker Spider-Man. We had one full year of Doctor Octopus commandeering not only Spider-Man’s body, but his space within the Marvel Universe. This proved to be a fascinating journey of what one of Spider-Man’s greatest villains would do given the chance to reverse roles.

And what we finally see in the Goblin Nation arc is the fact that Peter Parker, and ONLY Peter Parker could fill the shoes of ole web-head himself as Octo-Spidey’s reign on New York crumbles before his eyes. After so much time growing weary of Peter Parker’s flawed journey throughout the decades, only now can we finally comprehend how important that man is behind the mask of Spider-Man.

This issue is the reason why I read comic books. I said it again. Throughout the entire issue I was given glimpses of Peter Parker beginning to take a more firm grasp in the mind of Otto. Meanwhile, Otto is becoming more and more aware of the fact that he is, in fact, not a superior hero then that of Peter, but in fact, an inferior persona masquerading as Spider-Man.

Superior-Spider-Man_Portal_Image-616x369If anything, the story of Dr. Otto Octavius is not only front and center, but the most important of them all. Otto is a truly flawed and tragic character. Born out of the mind of Steve Ditko and Stan Lee, this is a villain that was made to hate. He has lived up to this reputation. And while in the body of Spider-Man, we began to realize that, hey, this man may have a redeeming quality in him. Sure, as Spider-Man, Otto was himself…a jerk. But he was a genius jerk! He was able to control New York’s crime all too effectively. As a matter of fact, this went so much to his “genius” head that he let the Green Goblin slip right on by and end his world.

And all of this brings us back to this week’s issue of Superior Spider-Man. There is only one issue left and I am already more than excited for the next. Peter Parker has finally returned and, despite loving the Ock-Spidey status quo, I am super excited for the final chapter of the Superior Series.

And hats off to Christos Gage, who penned this issue under Slott’s plot. This stands as one of the best issues the Superior run has had.

When the Amazing Spider-Man returns with Peter Parker at the helm, things are going to feel bitter-sweet for me. I am going to miss Ock-Spidey…a lot. And at the same time, I am going to welcome Peter back, but not quite with open arms…

Only time can tell at this point. Dan Slott has my trust. Here we go!

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