“Superior Spider-Man #28” by Marc Alan Fishman – Snarky Synopsis | @MDWorld

March 9, 2014 Marc Fishman 0 Comments

Written by Dan Slott. Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli, John Dell, and Antonio Fabela.

When Dan Slott ‘killed’ Peter Parker and replaced him (in mind, not so much body, I suppose) with Otto Octavious? Nerds clucked and balked, and generally felt dismayed. I should note these nay-sayers did this really without giving Slott the one thing he asked for – time. In the modern era of comics, everyone writes for the trade. 5, 6, 12 issues tops. Dan Slott wanted to do that, and more. Throughout his multi-year run on the Amazing-turned-Superior Spider-Man… he’s built up a micro-universe unto itself. He did this not (I assume) because of hubris. I believe he did it so that it would culminate here, at ‘The Goblin Wars’.

I’ll spare you much of the rehashing, retreading, and whatnot. In short: The Green Goblin figured out the whole Otto-Peter connection, hacked the network Supey Spider set up, raised an army, and is not waging war on Spider-Man, and New York City. In the game of chess, Norman Osbourne got 10 free moves before Otto could even sit down to play. In issue #28, part two of the Goblin War, Spider-Man attempts to catch up to the festivities. He collects his necessary tech off of Spider-Island, and makes his way towards land, only to end up in a battle with a lieutenant Goblin… a former friend of Peter Parker. Meanwhile, Mary Jane Watson – not happy to play the damsel in peril – figures out what all is going down, and decides to play ‘the wild card’. By issues’ end, some pieces make their way off the board, while others are in danger far greater than they’d know.

Aside from all of that? Well, the last remnant of Peter remains hidden within his own brain, inside Otto’s memories. Sort of a … “Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind” meets “Inception”. As the memory-Parker tries valiantly to reclaim his body, he fights against succumbing to a form of mind-melding. Given how closely Otto’s life (in parts) mimics Parkers, it makes complete sense. The battle rages within, while a fully in-control Otto-Spidey attempts to deal with the Goblin gang throughout the issue. But I digress, this is a review, not a recanting.

Slott’s script is tight, action-packed, and earning all the gravitas it’s banking on in spades. Because he’s put in the time to create the world he’s destroying… nothing feels phoned-in. As those close to Peter/Otto rally, it makes sense. Alan Moore’s name has come up several times these past weeks, as chatter over Snyder’s Watchman movie. He’s often re-quoted on how he wrote his epic not to be filmable. He strove to build a book so dense and layered, that it could only best be enjoyed in the media it was originally conceived for. Not that Superior Spider-Man holds a candle in comparison to Watchmen in terms of tone and structure… it builds on that conceit that this book – this issue – is the sum of many moving parts. Because Slott has spent months upon months building each character… no action, no motivation, no sequence fails to feel wrong or a deus ex machina.

Art duties are delivered by a stalwart team as always. The loose, kinetic, and expressive pencils of Giuseppe Camuncoli, marry to the sharp inks of John Dell. The well-shaded color work by Antonio Fabela riffs on the natural lines Camuncoli and Dell set up, with a few blurred out exceptions I wasn’t a big fan of. Knockouts, glows, and other 2014 bells and whistles are used only when needed, and with a deft hand. If I’ll be notoriously nitpicky… I’d say that Mary Jane’s action pose is a bit hilarious – and is not completely believable. Several backgrounds get away with being little more than tones and smoke. That being said: there’s plenty of detail to relish in. When we get our only 2-page splash montages? The art team layers scenes, brilliant design, and a simplified palate to deliver beautiful sequences that achieve taking us out of the main story, without feeling completely disjointed.

Ultimately Superior-Spider continues to deliver one of the best purely-fun comic experiences being racked today. Dan Slott earned my attention by committing to replacing Peter Parker for more than just a short-stunt (I guess he’s held it up about as long as Marvel would let him?). In doing so, he’s created a layered Otto Octavious that is every bit as compelling as any other villain I could think of – and perhaps exists now as the best example of a fully realized ‘chaotic good’ character in comic books today. Specific to ‘Superior Spider-Man’ #28: The issue moves the story forward well enough. The art is fantastic to look at. The script is tight, and feels earned throughout.

If you’ve abstained from Otto’s time as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man because your principles? Well, you’re missing out on one of the most-fun-to-read books being published today. I actually hope the Goblin gets you before Otto can stop him. Nyah nyah.