The Superior Foes of Spider-Man Omnibus by Nick Spencer

The Superior Foes of Spider-Man #1-3

by Nick Spencer

Spider-Man's deadliest foes, in their own book at last! No, not him. Or him. Or her. Or them. We're talking Boomerang! Shocker! Speed Demon! Overdrive! The new Beetle! Wait, has she even met Spidey? What are these guys trying to pull? Well, isn't that the big question as this questionable quintet set about attempting to prove they're Superior to any Sinister Sextet! Can they stand each other's company long enough to get their hands on the legendary item that will put them in charge of the New York mob? THE SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN 1-17

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Spider Man, Graphic Novels Comics, Superheroes, Humor

Hardcover

First published February 16, 2016

About the author

Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Nick Spencer is a comic book writer known for his creator-owned titles at Image Comics (Existence 2.0/3.0, Forgetless, Shuddertown, Morning Glories), his work at DC Comics (Action Comics, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents), and for his current work at Marvel Comics (Iron Man 2.0, Ultimate Comics: X-Men).

Reviews

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very fun and delightful, with lots of small in-jokes and smart writing. Spencer's plotting and dialogue can sometimes be a bit much, but the light hearted tone of the book makes up for it. It's also quite Hawkeye-y without being too much like it.

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miniserie strepitosa ed esilarante!
La avevo già letta in inglese ma quando é uscita la raccolta italiana in volume sono corso a comprarla.
Riletta la notte di capodanno ridendo fino alle lacrime.
Immaginate "Slevin: patto criminale" e "Fight Club" interpretati da supercriminali Marvel di serie z e vi sarete fatti un'idea.
Per iniziare il 2017 in allegria.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was tough to rate. Part of me was interested in the plot and liked the characters they used that wasn’t Boomerang. I kept reading with some kind of interest wanting to know what was going to happen. So there’s that. But at the same time, I felt it got bland at times and the way Boomerang was written began to annoy me, making it tough for me to keep going at times. I get what Spencer was going for with Boomerang it’s just it felt overcooked at times. So yeah there you have it. Spit down the middle. Can’t believe I bought this omnibus almost a year ago and just finally read it. Smh.

[Alberto Martín de Hijas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Humor con las miserias y traiciones de la vida de los supervillanos con una trama muy divertida (aunque complicada) en torno a un robo. Los personajes son absolutamente odiosos (Especialmente Bumerang) pero funcionan y hacen que te enganches a la historia.

[Relstuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like this one lived up to it's hype as a fun heist type story as we watch several foes of Spider-Man try to swindle other villains and avoid the law in the process.

[Saugata Mukherjee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started real good but lost momentum and direction by the time it wrapped up. It has got some laugh out loud moments. I mean really laugh out loud, not a chuckle or a tiny smile but a laugh. I will check up Nick Spencer's other works in the future.

[Bruno Carriço · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best marvel books i've read in a long time. So good! Makes Boomerang a A-list badass. Loved it!

[Ed Erwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nick Spencer's writing has a way of making me enjoy reading about really sociopathic characters. I normally avoid super-hero comics, but after getting hooked on the dark humor of "The Fix", I had to look for more work from the same author.

Spiderman does appear in this comic, but barely. He is on a little over 5 pages of the 17 volumes. This is all about the bad guys. Minor villains at that. Not knowing much about superhero comics, I assumed that the main characters here were invented just for this book, but not so! A little research on Wikipedia shows that even the craziest of them has appeared somewhere, sometime in the Spiderman universe.

The main focus here is on Boomerang, whose super power is, um, the ability to throw a boomerang? He considers himself the head of the Sinister Six though the other four don't agree. (Yes, there are only five members of the sinister six!) This guy is constantly scheming. He can't say two words without lying. He can't carry out the simplest sinister plot without backstabbing his co-conspiritors. And yet, it is fun to watch him work. He is constantly losing and yet picks himself up, learns absolutely nothing, and goes into the next caper with a big smile on his face.

Some of the other funny bits of the series include a subplot involving a support group for super villains who want to go strait, a running gag with one superhero always getting his wings caught on doors and windows, and the disembodied cyborg head of a mob boss.

If you only want to take Spiderman seriously, you won't like this. But if you can laugh at the ridiculousness of it and don't mind spending time with some hilariously selfish characters, it's a real hoot. You don't need to know anything about these characters in advance. I didn't. But you might get more out of it if you do.

I appreciate that this lasted 17 issues and had a definite ending that tied-up most of the plot points. No need to drag it out forever.

Uber driver: You here for business, or vacation?

Punisher: My intel tells me the heads of every major crime organization in the city are going to be converging on one spot tonight. I am going to go there and execute every last one of them. I am going to purify this cesspool.

Uber driver: I hear ya -- You know what else you should do? Get one of them Cronuts. People line up all day for those things.

Punisher: I might also get a Cronut.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

As it always is with a three star rating, this was a mixed bag

This book had enough in the tank to keep me invested, which is something. But never enough to impress me or get a real laugh out of me.
My main problem is Boomerang and Nick Spencer himself. I saw in a better written review, some said Boomerang is just over cooked, and I cannot have put it better. He just felt like a bland modern anti-hero. Not good enough to be good, not bad enough to be a villain. But the thing is, he isn’t likeable at all. We’re not talking like Star Lord or Red Hood, those guys are flawed heroes who are trying to do better. And I feel Spencer was going for that. The lovable asshole. But something about it fell so flat. And he gets far too much time in the limelight. Even though this book insists it is a team book, it’s just Nick Spencer doing too many things at once.
This brings me to my next point.
What I mean is, I just kinda wanna shake Nick Spencer and say “You’re not Matt Fraction, You’re not James Gunn, stop trying to be those guys” now I realize that may be unfair. But Spencer is trying to do the Fraction-Hawkeye witty comic about a lovable loser who’s at the end of his rope. He’s also trying to do the Gunn-Suicide-Squad-Guardians thing where he takes absolute D-list comic characters and puts them at the forefront, trying to turn them into A-listers. Add onto that, an unreliable narrator, a forced surprise ending, non-linear storytelling and not enough action, you’ve got this book.
The bow that ties it all together is that none of it succeeds. None of it fails miserably either so there’s that. I know I’ve been negative throughout this review but it’s not terrible. It just had so much potential and ended up as, as mediocre and middle of the road as you can get. Just bland and frustrating. Also the art is fine I guess. If you want a comedy action comic just read Fraction’s Hawkeye or Batman Universe or anything by Tom Taylor

[Joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed everything about this! A great read, and I’d love more series like this—well-written, self-contained, and lots of fun. Highly recommend!

[Jinji · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Superior Foes of Spider-man! These guys, right? Boomerang, Shocker, Speed Demon, Overdrive, and Beetle. They are the new sinister six! (Yup, all 5 of them.) (Don't ask.) If you thought the Guardians of the Galaxy movies was funny, then this should be adapted to film! (They did make those guys famous, right? Why can't they make these bozos famous too?) Boomerang is now taking the reigns, since he's tired from getting beat up by superheroes like Spider-man or Daredevil, and plans an ultimate heist, of the century. A heist so great, it took 17 issues to do it! But being in the Sinister Six, problems would come up, mostly from the other villains you work with. So what to do? Wing it, and just hope it sticks! Oh, and always look out for number 1!

Just a fun-filled series, with lots of jokes, slapstick humor, backstabbing, and overly convoluted heist plans! When could we have something like this again?

[Don Witzel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the concept of the book. Felt like a reading a sitcom. I personally wish I was put in the position to care more about all the characters and personal needs. That said, funny moments are great with this corky group of B-C level villains. With witty dialogue and some very funny ideas story wise.

[Nicolas Bateman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nick Spencer is at his very best with the Superior Foes, this low-crime epic made of mafia goons gone wrong and heist that no super villain in his right mind could come up with is enjoyable beyond belief. How ironic that a spiderman comics that only features the wall crawler on three out of 500 pages is probably the best thing that happened to the series in a very long time !

[Michael Giuliano · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most fun I've had reading a comic in a long time. Probably the funniest in-continuity storyline from the "Big Two" publishers in my memory. Wish I'd gotten on the bandwagon when this was still ongoing, because I felt like I missed out on so much. A great read, and it also gives me complete faith in Nick Spencer for his future projects. For god's sake, give him more comedic stuff to do!

[Simone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Se volete leggere la mia recensione, cliccate qui! http://ascwblog.blogspot.it/2016/02/s...

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I unfortunately care about one Marvel character now, and for some reason it's Overdrive.

[Kaleb Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

The loser half of Spider-Man's rogues gallery decides to be losers together. Everything goes wrong.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This comic, right ? I first read this almost four years ago, and it never left my mind since. Nick Spencer has been a talent that I've closely followed and admired, and I was constantly waiting to give one of his works a 5-star rating, and after the massive disappointment that was Hunted, I came back to where it began. Today, I finally recognize it for the masterpiece it is.
This comic shouldn't exist. Around 2014, superhero titles began exploring some other facets of their characters, a wave launched by Matt Fraction and David Aja's Hawkeye run, portraying heroes when they aren't saving the world (that's the series' tagline). Since then, there have been some excellent stories, like Tom King's and Gabriel Walta's Vision, as the genre both matured and self-parodied their heroes and concepts. But, even after those, Superior Foes still stands out as unique, by targeting the C and even D-list villains, and more generally the criminal landscape of the Marvel Universe (MU). With inspirations ranging from The Sopranos to Breaking Bad with the Coen Brothers and Arrested Development in between, this series finally shows how the random supervillain lives: how and why they started their careers, how they find their missions and their personal goals. The writing explores far beyond other books what their everyday life is, both as villains and people: they use their powers in the shops, help small businesses destroy each other, don't hide their identities in public, are targeted in their houses and in the street, and even go to a support group for others like them. It details and humanizes both the minimal roles of the small-time criminals, easily replaceable and disposable, and the mobs at the top, constantly fighting and robbing each other. In that aspect, Nick Spencer maps out the power dynamics and shifting in New York, putting each corner at the mercy of another mastermind. They keep piling up (Chameleon, The Owl, Tombstone, Mr. Negative, Hammerhead), and I actually met these villains for the first time while reading this comic. They even get distinctive personality traits, differentiating themselves from other random mobsters, and those details make fantastic recurring gags. It manages to be new-reader friendly, while rewarding avid Marvel readers for knowing each precise character (like Mirage). Nick Spencer captured what it's like being a criminal in the MU, and those days, it sucks, except if you actually know what you do, like Boomerang does, but I'll explore him more about later on.
Re-reading the series helped me understand the plot better. It starts with Boomerang already having debts, and establishes quickly the characters. Its approach is to keep stacking complications to the story, with more betrayals and back stabbings, so that abrupt start doesn't help to start well. But, from that point, it's a constant compilation of manipulations and steps to Boomerang's plan, having to adapt to the other parties and his own carelessness. In that part, it's quite well constructed by Nick Spencer, and keeps escalating, with more players involved and treason sabotaging them (that's ironically something the Hawkeye TV series couldn't do, to keep to date and place the personages of the story, so it's comprehensive). The characters are never safe and have to plan their next step, and with that in mind, the series still balances the action and ordinary moments well. Especially, Boomerang has a lot of personal time, so the rhythm isn't as tense and compressed. Moreover, it's thanks to that description of the crime structures that we can follow the particular power hierarchy. Each major participant in the story, most often going against the Sinister Six, is properly introduced at a certain point, where the situation gets messier, due to more people arriving to ruin the situation. However, I've always had some pacing issues with it, and this second reading didn't quite solve it. This train-wreck succession of events is put to pause for dramatic effect before that excellent conclusion, but this part drags too much. The series itself feels more like quite a long graphic novel than a series of chapters. Thankfully, I read it in an Omnibus, so I didn't have to pause the story at moments not meant for so, but it's clearly not meant for the Marvel publishing format. Though I appreciate how it exactly lasts 17 issues, so unusual for ongoings (not 12 or 18), it never overstays its welcome or becomes repetitive in the interactions (that's the point, of repetition for comedic purposes), but this peculiar sequences after the middle act drags the momentum too much. The story is incredibly well planned, but its structure isn't adapted to the events. The second heist happens earlier than I remember, but the next issues are too focused on laying the cards and showing that everything is planned for the ending, instead of advancing the characters. That would be the main, and only, solid criticism I have.
But, no matter what happens in the plot, a quality is consistent: the tone and humor. Like I said, the concept driving the series is peculiar enough to Superior Foes, but its writing also is. Comedy has been mainstreamed in superhero adventures, but Nick Spencer makes it the central tool, actually helping the plot. But first, the comic is hilarious. That never changes, no matter how many times I read it, and some quotes are implanted in my brain ("I want to become the Hilary Clinton but, you know, of drugs", "This will be a piece of cake", "This guy, right ?"). Having read more from the author, I clearly notice the Arrested Development influence of graduation and escalation through repetition. The running gags are excellent, as expected, and some flew over my head the first time, like Overdrive mentioning his debt to Mr. Negative or Fred having an obsession with Dormammu, and fits with how the characters don't evolve. But, the Arrested Development influence is present in two aspects. The most obvious one is how some characters repeat lines the reader knows from others, but that they haven't heard themselves, so each time it's stated, it gains a new meaning for how we piece each time it's used. That's funny enough, but it's in the ensemble writing that it earns its titles as spiritual successor to one of my favorite sitcoms ever. We follow a group of unstable, immature and selfish people, ready to do anything to come out on top, and their shenanigans build in their separate parts to collide in a bang. Their hubris and obsessions lead them to fail, in a collision course to others like them, and that is what truly anchors the comic in the crime satire.
Between the meta narration and unstoppable flow of quips, it doesn't stop adding more jokes, and they never tire. They aren't necessary quips, it's the general atmosphere of the criminal world. Nobody is serious, and that greatly improves the rest. Some plot points are absurd, come from nowhere and totally change the dynamics, but they work, because of the tone. When the comic already establishes that the characters aren't rational, then the plot doesn't have to be. From the moment the protagonist narrates the story with an ironic second look, it establishes itself as a satire. It embraces the comic-book zaniness (the protagonist wears a boomerang on his forehead), which provokes a contrast. The comic doesn't treat itself seriously and establishes each time more out-of-nowhere MacGuffins (Doctor Doom's painting is a wonder), but at the same time, the character writing is anything if not dedicated. Especially with the enemies, they can be scary and menacing to the Sinister Six, and the audience. The impactful moments, where decisions are taken, are integral and matter (unlike Thor: Ragnarok, which had to tell a joke every 30 seconds). The tone is perfectly balanced, between the unserious plot points and game-changing ones. What pains me is that the characters present here are so well integrated to that peculiar universe, that I consider some of them have been too marked by it, but we'll also come back to it.
This goofy tone is greatly enhanced by Steve Lieber's art, who doesn't get the credit he deserves. I often say that the style fits with the story, but that's a prime example of how and why. Spider-Man comics never feature particularly "realistic" or detailed art, they tend more towards amplification through simplification, like how his giant, white eyes manage to be expressive. Steve Lieber is placed in the same vein of past, cult Spider-Man artists, and Superior Foes embraces its Silver Age roots (Shocker's eyes work exactly like Spider-Man's, and that's on purpose). The villains are colorful, have tight costumes and don't take themselves seriously. This contrasts with the dark nature of their acts of violence, and more generally the atmosphere of the criminal underworld. This allows the comic to be both impactful at moments (like The Owl eating a rat alive) and hilarious for the rest. And does it greatly improve the humorist tone. We should talk more about how Steve Lieber tackles visual humor in drawing form. There's the usual stuff of expressive and silly facial expressions or poses, that is common. But, he undertakes an exploration of the art form in multiple ways.
One is allowed by the excellent script. The book is told from Boomerang's perspective and narration, and the illustrations have to follow everything he states. But, due to the wandering nature of that narration, sometimes Boomerang gets off-topic, or goes too far in his justifications, which gives a lot of material to Steve Lieber to play with the panel composition, going from one scene to another, with utterly differing contexts without transition. This goes with the volatility of Boomerang's tales and imagination, saying and thinking about anything, always looking for a way out or solution. The other specific aspect, the one that differentiates this comic from others, is the spoken iconography. No matter the context, if other characters are speaking at the same time or not, people in the background or foreground speak in drawings. If you've read the comic, it's totally banal at one point and it's just an amusing detail, but it's definitely not appreciated enough. The creative team understood the power of images, expressing sentences, ideas and moods at the same time. Simplified iconography is a vessel for language, never out-of-place, and each time justified and welcome. Even the background replenishes visual jokes and details, fully embracing the visual medium, making the reading experience richer. Steve Lieber's artistic ideas convey more emotion and humor better than any line of dialogue or piece of acting. The atmosphere is even more unique, and helps us appreciate what the story tells even better.
This leads me to Boomerang, undoubtedly the greatest Marvel character ever. What Nick Spencer tried and succeeded is similar to James Gunn's work on Polka-Dot Man or Tom King's on Kite Man, taking a D-list villain, known for how unknown they are, and creating a fleshed-out, complex, immediately iconic person. Boomerang wasn't even that mocked (he isn't Big Wheel), but Nick Spencer gave him the revamp that comes only twice a decade. While Matt Fraction and David Aja developed a well-known, albeit unexplored Avenger, this is a full on character-study of freaking Boomerang. From the first ever page, the goal is clear: to show what's behind the little guy, the random enemy-of-the-week, the one that Spider-Man easily defeats every so and then. This is his story, his mission, his destiny. He first appears as the archetype of the failing criminal or loser on personal levels, one constantly present in Nick Spencer's work. Boomerang's never pulled any successful jobs, he doesn't have any credit as a serious bad guy, and keeps being thrown away by major crime mobs. He's a nobody, and that will be a starting point to build his empire his own way, because he knows what it's like to be a nobody in the MU. But for the moment, let's ask ourselves: how the hell does he manage to survive this world ? He isn't particularly smart, nor powerful, nor has resources or allies to back him up, or any form of leverage, nor is he a master manipulator. No, what he has is a dream, and a plan. While using his image of the immature henchman (which he is), he gets under the radar and grows in confidence. The irony is that it's that confidence that puts him in trouble afterwards, because he becomes reckless and uncareful. Other villains are constantly mad at him, he owes them, and his list of enemies is constantly piling up. But, somehow, he always finds the most random and incoherent excuse, promising to give something back, which comes back to a point: he finds the resources he needs. Whether it's finding the mythical head of a dead mobster or attacking another mobster's fortress, he's extremely versatile, and will in the face of each danger find a way out. It's because he knows he has nothing to lose, so he looks for another trick up his sleeve to pull. Another strength is that he totally gets how the MU works. Like his narration displays, doing his job so much time has procured him an insight of how others act. He sees behind the typical pattern of heroes and villains, repeating a cycle of violence and power envy, and he exploited it. His knowledge of everyone's secret and functioning way. That's the way of the underdog, to analyze and adapt to the threats he knows. And, even when he has a momentary success, he still wastes it, either because he isn't accustomed to keeping his victories, or because he still owes to other villains. So, he's himself stuck in a cycle of manipulations and treason, directly affecting his teammates.
I guess it's finally time to discuss the titular Superior Foes. They're probably another low point of the series. Don't get me wrong, their group dynamics is what carries the comic (thanks, in part, to Boomerang), but individually, they aren't that compelling. In comparison to Boomerang, any character is stale and pale, but even without him, some don't have anything to push them forward. Re-reading it made me appreciate Shocker even more, whose position is comical, tragic and meta. He's supposed to be a central foe for Spider-Man, but in hindsight, he isn't part of any major team or storyline. It reminded me of when Animal Man, during his 1986 run, was in comic-book limbo and found Mr. Freeze himself present there. The latter was shocked (no pun intended) to be present there, because he should be more important and present in comics. But, neither him nor Shocker marked spirits enough to stay in mind and comics enough. Nick Spencer also reinvented him, transforming another mindless Spider-Man villain into a complex man, suffering due to his lack of power and respect. The comic defined him so well that I hate when he's reduced to a random villain in other comics published since. He reached a point of no return (like Kraven did in his Last Hunt, and see where it led). Still, it's a bit of a shame how he spends half of the series moping in his apartment. The other member of the team I love is Beetle. She isn't so developed or nuanced, but her dynamic with the rest of the team is funny enough. She also wants to be respected and, growing with Tombstone as her father, isn't afraid of mobsters or talking back, so she also takes initiative. But, what differentiates her from Boomerang is her scope. While she wants the Sinister Six to do better, Boomerang is beyond that, and only looks for his benefit, while sacrificing the team. Still, Beetle brings some of the best comical exchanges, and the twist of her being Tombstone's daughter is purely brilliant. As for the last two members, they sadly don't have enough time to develop, and their additions are forgettable at most. That's particularly the case for Speed Demon, while Overdrive had an interesting backstory, also bringing an in-depth exploration of criminality in the Marvel Universe. But, while they're individually forgettable, they shine as a team, never competent or agreeing on their plan of action. Nick Spencer definitely knows how to write lesser known characters and further developing them on the long-term. That's why I'm glad that he continually finds a way to write them in other comics, and their running jokes still pile up (he even managed to do so in the underrated Secret Empire).
I want to come back to Fred and his end goal. For the entire series, he seems not to know what he actually wants. Each victory is marked afterwards by a slip in concentration, laying down for a moment, before forcibly going back to his ways and schemes. Boomerang is the ultimate narcissist, able to sacrifice anyone, truly everyone, for his personal success. It's a driving force that makes him untrustworthy and unpredictable, and the genius of the book is persistently putting him on a team or to ally with others. And whether he chose his teammates or not, he will betray them, or hide his true motive, and build towards his plan. That all leads to the finale, where the reader (his public) finally grasps the scope of his genius. What seemed like unfortunate setbacks for him were part of his plan, to come out as dumbfounded to be the one using others. He doesn't learn or want to learn, because he knows what he wants. No matter how hard he's pushed, he always finds a way to get back up, but not for the right reasons. He's just a man with a dream, and the ending is a celebration of that, and of his team. They aren't worth anything, and they know that.
More than anything, this book is a miracle. While it isn't such a typical masterpiece, it's the pure expression of a creative team, something far too rare in mainstream comics. How it was pitched, made, published, not cancelled after a couple of issues and critically successful is the most inspiring part of that, and the team behind it knows that. I think there's a personal part coming from Nick Spencer in what Boomerang says at the end. He was also just a man in the back, but he had a dream: to write this book. Like his protagonist, he pushed forward, planned his actions, tied every thread, won and ruled comics. That was until Marvel didn't understand his talents, forced him too much in more important titles, and he lost his momentum. That's a huge shame, because we need more comics like this one. While it's unique and shouldn't be plagiarized in any way, it offered something different, creative and hilarious. Comics that push what we know and think of heroes and villains, satirizing how those worlds and people work, and still telling a heartfelt tale: how anybody, even the stupid villain that Spider-Man once fought in two pages, can be the most fascinating person, and achieve their dreams.

[Emma Gear · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am legitimately upset that I liked this as much as I did. For months now I've had this mental image of Nick Spencer as a writer whose works aren't worth reading. He has terrible politics, clearly on display from both his atrocious Sam Wilson: Captain America series as well as his quite-frankly terrible idea for an event in Secret Empire.

But Nick Spencer, it seems, can handle comedy. And he can do a damn good job of it as I loved this ride from beginning to end. It is a bit of a misnomer to call this The Superior Foes of Spider-Man as the titular character has only two appearances across all seventeen issues, and one of those is as filler in an issue that didn't involve the main characters in any way. But even that I would chalk up more to editorial decision assuming that putting "Spider-Man" in the title would lead to increased sales and brand recognition.

Anyway, this is just a very silly comedy series about the Superior Spider-Man's version of the Sinister Six. Except that there's only five of them, a joke that gets brought up quite a bit. The leader of the group, Boomerang, wants to keep it open in case someone cool like Dormammu decides he wants to join but throughout the entire storyline it not only never reaches six members, but frequently drops to even fewer as the individuals can not stop backstabbing and tricking one another out of things. It can get a little tiring at times as there's no way Boomerang, who has been shown to be an idiot including in this very run, could have possibly had contingency plans for every little thing that happens.

But that's part of the appeal. Boomerang is a guy who completely sucks, and he's not someone you want to see succeed. At the same time, all of the people he has on his list to screw over and backstab are generally even worse, so while you don't like to see Boomerang winning it's nice knowing that it's going to be short-lived, and he's still not going to make it through to the end. But that's just Boomerang! There's four other members and two of them are quite well developed. Sadly Speed Demon and Overdrive seem to get the short end of the stick in that department, but a full issue is dedicated to Beetle's backstory (and it's fantastic) and the lovable loser Shocker is just constantly put down for the entirety of the run.

The jokes are very well layered and makes it a joy to read through from the beginning to end. Superhero comedy is a genre desperately in need of more representation, and though I may hate the man's guts politically, I'd be lying if I said I didn't think this short series was absolutely worthy of reading.

[Reanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review crossposted from Reanne Reads.

I don't read a ton of comics, largely because I like self-contained stories with a beginning, middle, and end, and comics are basically soap operas. That's why when I do read them, it's usually graphic novels of specific story arcs or full runs of series/mini-series that don't heavily rely on also reading other related comics. (This problem was why I eventually gave up on reading Spider-Man comics as a kid. Four Spider-Man titles, each with their own stories but also interconnecting ... I just couldn't keep track of it, and I still don't like having to try.)

So, comics like this are very much the sort of thing I enjoy. This omnibus is a complete collection of a 17-issue series starring characters who you don't have to know anything at all about going into it. I think the most I knew any of these characters when I started reading was vaguely recognizing Shocker. You don't have to know anything about Spider-Man or comics at all in order to read this omnibus, so it's very approachable.

I also don't usually tend to like stories where the villains are the protagonists, because I like to have someone to root for, but since this story is a comedy, that's an entirely different thing. The team of villains is basically like Oceans' Eleven, except more bad (I hesitate to go so far as to call them really evil--again, it's a comedy) and less competent. And instead of one big heist, the plot involves a series of heists and double-crosses and people having their own plans.

The plot definitely kept moving, with plenty of twists and surprises. The characters were well-developed and entertaining--and, while bad, they were still sympathetic enough that their victories and losses meant something to me as a reader.

The art was good (definitely serviceable and it never bothered me, but it didn't exactly wow me, either). The story and characters were funny and exciting, with a large number of places that made me laugh out loud. There were even smaller plot threads or moments which added some nuance and depth to the story.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend this comic for someone looking for an exciting, funny superpowers story. As long as you're not only interested in a story with big names, because the most any headliners get are brief cameos. This one's about the C-list, and that's part of what makes it great.

[Ángel Javier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una muy divertida cafrada que podemos considerar como una especie de historia alternativa dado que en ningún momento (que yo sepa) se ha vuelto a hacer referencia al statu quo en el que quedan los supervillanos protagonistas del tomo al finalizar este (el propio búmeran —se escribe así en castellano, no «búmerang», como repetidamente se le llama en el cómic— comenta en las páginas finales que es como él lo recuerda, no necesariamente como fue). Todos estos desgraciados son unos auténticos perdedores, pero si alguno tiene el honor de ser el mayor loser de todos es el pobre Conmocionador, al que apalizan, traicionan e intentan asesinar en varias ocasiones hasta los suyos. Lo más divertido es ver cómo se despliegan traiciones y contratraiciones, planes ridículos tras planes ridículos, hasta desembocar en una especie de «happy ending» que sabemos que solo durará hasta la próxima vez en que se crucen con Spiderman (o con cualquier héroe de medio pelo, mafioso o con el Castigador, mismamente, que ya se ha cargado a alguno de estos descerebrados incluso en más de una ocasión... en fin...).

Por un lado, me parece estupendo que se hagan estas cosas pasadas de rosca que, sin ignorar del todo la continuidad, seleccionan lo que se quiere del pasado de los protagonistas (ese «shockermóvil», por Dios...) en aras de la parodia, pero por otra es bastante triste ver que luego todo esto, incluso lo que se podría incluir sin mayores problemas en la ya larga carrera de estos personajes, es olvidado porque sí por los que retoman en posteriores aventuras a estos tristísimos villanos de tercera. En fin, que me habría gustado ver al Conmocionador de jefe de la Maggia en alguna historia, qué diablos. Y saber lo que pasó con la cabeza de Cabello de Plata y su cochecito teledirigido.

[Peyton F · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finishing the “Spider-Man” stories by Chip Zdarsky, I ventured a bit backwards in Spidey History to read “Superior Foes of Spider-Man,” an omnibus that I bought purely on impulse.

Mostly when I buy omnibuses like that, I tend to regret it. I look at it on my shelf and think, “damn. Why did I buy this?” Because on the one hand, I’m probably gonna read it, but there is also this much larger hand that’s saying “you will never look at that book besides its spine.”

Luckily I was buying it second hand, scuffing and glue damage and all (the last page was stuck to the book itself! Pissed), so if it was just gonna sit then fine, okay.
BUT
this is one of the shortest omnibuses I have in my collection! Coming in at just under 400 pages, it’s a bit easier to digest before I start my daredevil journey. It’s also really, really funny, so there’s that for it.

Lieber’s art is really the stand out in this book for me. While the writing makes these D-list villains into in depth characters, there are so many sight gags that really make this book something else and, maybe, a must own for a person’s collection. It’s so funny.

I didn’t enjoy — but I understand, why 10 and 11 were in the very back of the book. Also, because of the nature of this book being all about double crossings and stuff, I did get mildly confused. BUT this book is great.

Speaking of Spider-Man Villains (especially Shocker, one of the members of this sinister six that is actually five people), You all ought to check out my podcast, “Has To Do With Spider-Man, I Think?” Where me and a few buddies pitch Spider-Man villain movies (like Venom). Available on all podcatchers

[Camilo Guerra · Rating 5 out of 5]

- ¿ Que pensarías si te digo que soy un supervillano?

Boomerang se reúne con Shocker, Beetle, Speed demon y Turbo se unen para ser los nuevos seis siniestros!!!, aunque no son 06, no tienen nada de siniestro, y entre los cinco no podrían hacerle cosquillas al Dr Octopus, además se meten con gente más mala aun.

LO BUENO: Es una historia mas compleja de lo que parece, con muchos personajes los 05 siniestros, 02 Villanos, más unos 12-15 secundarios por ahí dando vueltas, y en ningún momento se te hace pesada, todo fluye muy bien y te divierte...HACE MUCHO NO ME REIA TANTO CON UN COMIC, y es que hay momentos épicos a manos llenas, con diálogos rápidos y efectivos, y una historia que crece, da giros, te saca risas, con personajes que pueden parecer patéticos, pero son tan humanos que quieres que todos triunfen, así sea en labores villanescas, ah, y el arte...que maldito arte hermoso de Steve Lieber, con su línea clara, pero expresiva y dinámica que te lleva de la mano y te cuenta mil cosas.

LO MALO: Poco, pero tiene esas portadas genéricas en que no te cuentan nada de lo que esta dentro del comic, y con más de 20 portadas que tiene el tomo, solo 03 me gustaròn, la épica de Marcos Martin, una genial de Mike del Mundo , y una de Skottie Young que te da risa y ternura en partes iguales, pero se pierden muchas oportunidades.

[RubiGiráldez RubiGiráldez · Rating 5 out of 5]

De cualquier propuesta que me esperase que surgiese de la particular etapa del héroe arácnido querido por tod@s, cuando este tenía su cuerpo usurpado por la mente del mismísimo Otto "Doc Ock" Octavius. Era esta serie. Bueno, quizás una cabecera de Los 6 Siniestros no suena descabellado... Pero desde luego que no son Los 6 Siniestros ni falta que les hacen. Los Enemigos Superiores de Spiderman reúnen a un quinteto (sí, cinco) de villanos secundarios o hasta terciarios en un desesperado intento por alcanzar el éxito criminal.

Nick Spencer se saca de la manga esta descacharrante propuesta que, al menos para mí, ofrece un contenido que he degustado con ganas. Y eso es ver a estos "tipos malos" en más circunstancias que ser machacados por el héroe de turno. Por supuesto el tono es humorístico puro y duro, pero Spencer logra hacer funcionar esto al punto de hacer que sus grandes arcos argumentales sean robos o grandes golpes a lo Ocean´s Eleven en este estilo (solo hay que ver los objetivos). Incluso el capítulo que conecta más con Superior Spiderman (la encarnación más violenta del personaje sin entidades simbióticas implicadas), no sacrifica esto. Los Enemigos Superiores de Spiderman es una lectura totalmente recomendable en su pura misión de divertida evasión.

[Paweł Kwiatkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Usiadłem sobie dzisiaj na balkonie i momentalnie połknąłem w całości całkiem spore tomisko "Lepszych Wrogów Spider-Mana" i zapewniam, że takich wypieków przy czytaniu jakiegokolwiek komiksu, nie miałem już naprawdę od dawna. Nick Spencer udowodnił, by stworzyć ciekawą historię w ramach świata Marvela wcale nie trzeba sięgać po rozpoznawalne twarze Thorów, Kapitanów Ameryk czy Spider-Manów. Niezwykle utalentowany scenarzysta przygotował dla nas wciągającą historię z zupełnie nieznanymi marvelowskimi villainami czwartego planu. Zakochałem się w tym dziele od pierwszych stron. Nie tylko dzięki prześlicznej kresce i bardzo pomysłowemu przenoszeniu świetnego scenariusza na kadry komiksu, ale głównie dzięki tym postaciom, których charaktery prawdziwie uwodzą. Zaś sama historia to czysty heist z niejednym cudownym zwrotem akcji, która nie zwalnia tempa nawet na chwilę.

Chapeau bas za taką robotę 👏

"Lepsi Wrogowie Spider-Mana" jest najczystszym przykładem tego, że finalnie prawdziwej zabawy tematem superbohaterów możemy doświadczyć jedynie na kartkach komiksów, bo Marvel Studios po prostu nigdy nie zdecyduje się na zrealizowanie czegoś podobnie zwariowanego i olśniewającego swą świeżością oraz kreatywnością.

[Onur Kaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvel NOW dönemi çizgi romanlar arasında, en kenarda köşede kalmış, en mütevazı ama iyi yazılmış serilerden bir tanesi herhalde bu. Tavsiye eden olmasa ben de görmezdim en başta, baskısı bitiyor olmasa almayacaktım bile bu ara. İyi ki alıp okumuşum, çünkü ÇOK KOMİK ABİ.

Spiderman'i alt etmek için kurulmuş süper kötüler grubu Sinister Six'in en son inkarnasyonu anlatılıyor kitapta ama beş kişiler, tam bir kaybedenler kulübünden ibaretler ve bunun bile dalgası var. Popüler kültürden, Marvel'a ve Spiderman'e dair mevzulardan ince ince beslenip ne kadar C-list karakter varsa olaya dahil eden, bunları yaparken insanı sesli güldürmeyi ziyadesiyle başaran, "eğlencelik işte" diyip geçemeyeceğiniz kadar eğlenceli bir çizgi roman. Simplistik ve detaya kasmayan çizimler sayesinde hiçbir şeyi kaçırmıyor, anlatıma kafa yormuyorsunuz, akıyor da gidiyor.

ÇOK KOMİK @^+&?)%'!

[Rumi Bossche · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meet The new Sinister Six.
All five of them...

The Superior Foes of Spider-Man is about the smallest omnibus  i own, and what i already guessed, a simple yet fun read. I consider Spider-Man's rogues gallery among the best in comics,  only rivaled by Batman, and to read a comic about some B-list villains or almost C-list, is fun. This is my first ever Nick Spencer book, and i did enjoy it. Its very simple fun, but i kinda like the humor, although its almost corny at times. Spider-Man is almost nowhere to be seen, but that gives space to some more badguys ! Hammerhead, The Punisher, The Chameleon, Owl,  Doctor Doom, and even some Avengers come by to beat this sorry ass villain group to a pulp. Dont expect to much of a thoughprovoking experience in this book and your good.

🌟🌟🌟 stars.

[JCRD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es tal cual como si los protagonistas de 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' decidieran convertirse en supervillanos. Puñaladas traperas, protagonistas a cada cual más irresistiblemente idiota, planes absurdos, un timing cómico sublime con casi todas las páginas conteniendo algún gag y unos giritos argumentales impecables hacen de esta serie un imprescindible, más allá de ser fan o no de Spider-Man (que prácticamente ni sale siquiera).

Esto me ha hecho reevaluar bastante a Nick Spencer al frente de Spidey, ya que ahí Boomerang me cansaba muchísimo y aquí me encanta, así que seguramente acabe dándole otra oportunidad a su etapa.

[Harry Jahnke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I haven't read a proper superhero comic in a long time and this reminded me why. It was solidly alright the whole way through. Couple of good jokes, everyone gets a happy ending and everything goes back to the status quo in the end. Fun but hardly earth-shattering. Certainly the best comic I've read by a guy who defended a neo-Nazi on Twitter and then immediately turned around to turn Captain America into a Nazi. If I could put a blurb on the book it would be "Like a room temperature glass of water!"

[Bryan Fischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about a bunch of B and C lost villains in the Marvel universe plotting and scheming and succeeding and failing, all comedically. This is my first Nick Spencer book and he really packed a lot of humour into this. While not all of it hit, there was enough that I was still laughing every issue.
Artwork by Lieber worked for this story but it wasn’t anything outstanding. Lots of visual gags throughout helped further the comedy.
I didn’t love the 3 sort of spinoff issues in this and I thought it ruined the pacing and just weren’t essential to the plot at all.