Superior Spider-Man, Vol. 2: A Troubled Mind Author: Dan Slott | Language: English | ISBN:
0785167056 | Format: PDF
Superior Spider-Man, Vol. 2: A Troubled Mind Description
About the Author
Dan Slott has built a loyal fan base by combining old-school fun with stories and characterizations friendly to new readers. Following a run on She-Hulk - which combined his sly humor and encyclopedic Marvel knowledge with an imaginative take on a comic-book law firm - Slott moved into the upper echelon of Marvel writers, launching Avengers: The Initiative and taking the reins on Mighty Avengers from Brian Michael Bendis. When Marvel gave Spider-Man a fresh start in 2008, Slott was one of several rotating writers on a thrice-monthly Amazing Spider-Man. Through three years and a hundred issues, Slott became the writer most closely identified with the web-slinger's "Brand New Day" era. Amazing hit the "Big Time" when Slott took over as full-time writer, chronicling a new chapter in the life of Peter Parker with artists such as Humberto Ramos, Stefano Caselli and Marcos Martin.
Mexican artist Humberto Ramos made his American comics debut in 1994 with DC's Impulse, featuring the Flash's brash grandson. In 1998, Ramos launched the creator-owned Crimson under Wildstorm's Cliffhanger imprint, illustrating the title for more than two years. He then moved to Marvel, becoming one of the most recognizable and innovative talents in comics. Seamlessly blending both Eastern and Western styles, the artist's artist has worked on many of Marvel's most iconic characters - including Spider-Man, Wolverine and the X-Men - in addition to a run on the fan-favorite Runaways.
- Paperback: 140 pages
- Publisher: Marvel; First Edition edition (September 10, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0785167056
- ISBN-13: 978-0785167051
- Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.5 x 0.4 inches
- Shipping Weight: 10.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
SO GOOD! Superior Spider-man is SO GOOD - that's how it should only be described, only in superlative capitals. I picked this up yesterday thinking I'd read an issue or two before I start my day and I couldn't put it down until I'd read it straight through. Then I went online and bought issues #11-17 on eBay - this book made me switch from trades to monthlies because it's too long to wait for the collected editions!
If you're reading a review of Vol 2, you probably already know the setup, but if you don't, the short version is Doc Ock's mind is in Peter Parker's body. Doc Ock's body is dead, Peter Parker's mind is dead (but his soul is still haunting a part of his mind) and nobody knows Peter Parker is now Otto Octavius. Moreover Ock is determined to carry on being Spider-man, but he will use his higher intellect to become an even better Spider-man - a Superior Spider-man!
In this book, people start to question what's going on with "Peter" especially after the conclusion of the first volume where Spider-man executed a villain! He starts off this book by severely beating a pair of pranksters in a live streamed video that the Avengers see and decide to bring him in for testing. Meanwhile Cardiac is running an underground clinic for people in dire need of medical help but can't afford it and he needs a piece of equipment to save a little girl's life - only problem is, it's Octavius tech that the new Spider-man is strangely deeply possessive of! And finally, Doc Ock and Peter Parker have a showdown - inside Peter's head.
SO GOOD. I can't stop saying it, I loved this book. I love that Dan Slott is giving Doc Ock numerous challenging situations, both physically and morally. Spidey fighting the Avengers? Great!
Dan Slott's continuing saga of the Superior Octopus, er, Spider-Man continues here in Volume 2. The storyline suggests that both Slott and Marvel are heavily invested in Octavius as the protagonist. I cannot disagree that there is a lot of room for expansion, however, perhaps the Peter Parker fragment in my mind has not been eradicated. It's who he'll always be. Peter Parker == Spider-Man. But the Superior Spider-Man is laudable in certain respects. The character's ambition is meritorious, even though the dude couldn't give a care in the world about NYC's hottest red-head this side of Emma Stone. Octavius' shortsightedness with respect to his allies is addressed outside of this book, in Superior Spider-Man #6AU, and it provides Slott yet another avenue to expand the character with. Slott teases you with the hopes of returning Peter, but then, just when you believe there to be hope, the dude slams the door in your face much like a jilted ex-girlfriend. Cardiac as a thread was fun; a 90's character resurrected with a purpose that leads Otto to permanently eradicating the Ghost Of Parker Past. With a "reset" like this, it provides Slott with an embarrassment of riches to work with; he can basically take 700 issues worth of issues (I see what you did there, and more if you add in all of the ancillary titles) and give them new perspective.
The artwork continues to be top-notch. Spider-Man is the company's flagship character, and it makes sense to devote some of the best resources to him. Ramos and Stegman continue to sharpen their tools with the character, much in the way Bagley, Larsen, and Immonen did when first handed the reins. I believe Stegman, with enough time under his belt, absolutely possesses the ability to reach the pantheon of great Spider-Man artists.
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