Fans the world over went into a collective fit of rage when Dan Slott had the gall — nay, the audacity to kill off Spider-Ock and replace him with puny Peter Parker. While the internet may never recover from the damage, the lead up to “Spider-Verse” attempts to right this travesty by deliver a secret chapter in the life of the one true Superior Spider-Man.
Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage
Illustrated by Giuseppe Camuncoli and Adam Kubert• Extra-sized monumental issue, including a story drawn by living legend ADAM KUBERT (ORIGIN 2, AVX)!
• How is the Superior Spider-Man still around? Where is he? What is he doing? The road to SPIDER-VERSE STARTS HERE!
Disclaimer: that first paragraph was mostly sarcasm. I say mostly, however, because the Superior Spider-Man grew into a fascinating and frustratingly enjoyable character over the course of his 30+ issue run, and the ending he received wasn’t quite as strong as his beginning. While this issue doesn’t go a long way in rectifying his abrupt end, it does deliver more of what made the series great, while also deftly setting the stage for “Spider-Verse.”
The one-off return of “Superior Spider-Man” is centered on a rather fun premise; detailing the circumstances of Spider-Man’s brief but mysterious disappearance in “Superior Spider-Man” #19. As such, it feels very much like a lost issue. Slott and Gage transition smoothly back into the series’ distinct personality, driven by the humorously abrasive Otto Octavius; this is still Otto at his most pompous and “superior.” Likewise, the stellar Camuncoli art naturally sucks readers right back into the story.
So much of the fun of “Superior Spider-Man” is seeing Peter Parker be obliviously dick-ish to everyone he meets. Literally no-one is immune to the absurdly justified ego of Doctor Octopus. When Otto offhandedly dismisses the technology of 2099, his own work already centuries ahead of its time, you can’t help but laugh and roll with it. Still, Slott and Gage take the time to incorporate small pieces of humanity into Otto, preventing him from becoming a comical mad-scientist caricature. His work on the holographic assistant, for instance, quietly demonstrates a side of Otto that he would never admit to or even realize having, but that endears him to the reader.
Likewise, Camuncoli has been doing some terrific work on “Spider-Man” books lately, but his work here is truly some of his best yet. The opening scene, in which Spider-Man falls through time with images from through the Marvel multiverse, is balls trippy and absolutely gorgeous. Contrast that with the equally striking splash page that follows of Spider-Man crouched, observing his surroundings. Spider-Man is a character that is distinctly identified by his unique movement and body language, and this is something Camuncoli captures particularly well. From the way Spidey is crouched in the aforementioned panel to the way he flips and soars through the air, he always feels impeccably natural, yet supernatural. His anatomy remains believable throughout the numerous feats and contortions.
Truthfully, as well as this issue captures the “Superior Spider-Man” spirit, it’s first a foremost a prelude to “Spider-Verse.” Over half of the issue involves Spider-Ock traversing alternate realities, only to find a trail of dead Spider-Men leading to the mysterious Karn. The issue moves at a breakneck pace, with Ock discover the technology to travel between worlds, stealing it, and using it countless times in the span of a few pages. In this way, the issue is quite commendable. Slott and Gage do quite a lot in a single issue, getting to a point where, in all honesty, I would have expected issue #33 to leave off; a shameless cliffhanger teasing you to pick up “Spider-Verse” #1. Instead, the issue sets up an even bigger confrontation in the next issue.
It sincerely feels as if “Spider-Verse” has begun in earnest, and it’s incredibly exciting.
The small elephant in the room is the issue’s asking price. “Superior Spider-Man” #32 bears a $4.99 price tag, something that’s becoming increasingly common in Marvel comics. As with recent oversized Spidey-outings, the extra pages come in the form of a back-up story. This particular back-up, penned by Gage and illustrated by Adam Kubert, focuses on one of the alternate Spider-Men seen in the main feature. While the idea of a Peter Parker turned Punisher is an interesting idea, the character ultimately feels slightly generic. The story also feels very similar in style and pacing to a similar sequence in the main story. This creates a sense of anti-climax. It’s as if the story ended, rewound, and played out slightly differently. Of course, that is the nature of parallel worlds.
Continued below“Superior Spider-Man” #32 is, for the most part, an absolute delight. It’s a fun reprisal of the original run’s tongue-and-cheek portrayal of Spider-Man, as well as a bombastic launchpad for the NEXT BIG THING™ in Spider-Man. It accomplishes both jobs respectably, but the overall package is marred by the questionable price/value ratio. Of course, value will vary from reader to reader. The issue pays homage to all sorts of incarnations of the web-slinger, from 2099 to Noir to the Civil War Iron Spider and beyond. It’s something that any degree of Spider-Man fan can enjoy, particularly those who got their start on “Superior.” After his abrupt end, it’s great to see Spider-Ock gracing the comic pages once more, playing a significant role in events to come as well.
Regardless of how far his actual role in “Spider-Verse” will go, thank goodness there’s still one issue of this series to come.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – This is painfully simple, but if you like Spider-Man, you’ll probably really like this issue.
