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The Superior Spider-Man (2013)
The Superior Spider-Man, Vol. 6: Goblin Nation
The so-called Superior Spider-Man has failed. Under his watch, the Green Goblin took control of New York's underworld. This is all Otto Octavius' fault...and now it's his responsibility to take the Goblin down. Win or lose, this will be Otto's greatest battle. But when Spiderlings, goblins, super villains and giant robots clash in a violent assault on Spidey's home base, Spider-Island, will Otto be able to regain his footing and prevail?
The End starts here, as Spider-Man takes on...the Goblin Nation!
Plus, the long-awaited return of Peter Parker!
Collecting Superior Spider-Man #26-31, Annual #2.
The End starts here, as Spider-Man takes on...the Goblin Nation!
Plus, the long-awaited return of Peter Parker!
Collecting Superior Spider-Man #26-31, Annual #2.
168 pages, Paperback
First published June 18, 2014
29 people are currently reading
652 people want to read
About the author
Dan Slott
1,996 books451 followersDan Slott is an American comic book writer, the current writer on Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man, and is best known for his work on books such as Arkham Asylum: Living Hell, She-Hulk, Silver Surfer, The Superior Spider-Man, and Ren & Stimpy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
December 2, 2015
Superior ending to this amazing run!
This TPB edition collects issues #27-31 + Annual #2 from the title of “Superior Spider-Man”. And with this volume ends this comic book title.
Creative Team:
Writers: Dan Slott & Christos Gage
Illustrators: Giuseppe Camunculi, Javier Rodríguez & Phillipe Briones
ALL KNEEL BEFORE THE GOBLIN KING
I was Doctor Octopus. Now I am something far greater!
The sh...mmh...crap hit the fan and New York City suffered it.
Finally, the Green Goblin currently self-appointed as the Goblin King is ready to show himself and his forces and claiming his new kingdom...
...New York City!
The Goblin King has a vast army (composed of Goblin-like minions & petty supervillains) in numbers plenty enough to overwhelm the combined efforts of the NYPD and The Avengers!
No building will be safe from the merciless attacks of Goblin King’s missiles.
Even Spider-Island, headquarters of the Superior Spider-Man (aka Otto Octavius’ mind in Peter Parker’s body), will suffer the unstoppable wrath of violence and destruction by the Goblin King’s army.
Also, any friend and associate of Spider-Man (including relatives and loved ones of Peter Parker, since his new company, “Parker Industries”, is supporting the tech used by the superior webslinger) are now targets to be killed and/or kidnapped by Goblin King’s deadly entourage.
And as if the battlefield wasn’t messy enough...
...you can always count on J. Jonah Jameson (currently Mayor of New York) to make it worse releasing a legion of Spider-Slayers!
Boom. -- Boom. -- Boom. -- Boom. -- Aaaaand Boom.
Otto Octavius is out of ideas, out of resources, and even having an out-of-time Spider-Man 2099 at his side, it isn’t enough to avoid that New York City would turn to be the Goblin Nation.
What would Parker do?
Don’t miss the amazing finale for the spectacular run of this comic book title that will define the Superior Spider-Man, once and for all!!!
This TPB edition collects issues #27-31 + Annual #2 from the title of “Superior Spider-Man”. And with this volume ends this comic book title.
Creative Team:
Writers: Dan Slott & Christos Gage
Illustrators: Giuseppe Camunculi, Javier Rodríguez & Phillipe Briones
ALL KNEEL BEFORE THE GOBLIN KING
I was Doctor Octopus. Now I am something far greater!
The sh...mmh...crap hit the fan and New York City suffered it.
Finally, the Green Goblin currently self-appointed as the Goblin King is ready to show himself and his forces and claiming his new kingdom...
...New York City!
The Goblin King has a vast army (composed of Goblin-like minions & petty supervillains) in numbers plenty enough to overwhelm the combined efforts of the NYPD and The Avengers!
No building will be safe from the merciless attacks of Goblin King’s missiles.
Even Spider-Island, headquarters of the Superior Spider-Man (aka Otto Octavius’ mind in Peter Parker’s body), will suffer the unstoppable wrath of violence and destruction by the Goblin King’s army.
Also, any friend and associate of Spider-Man (including relatives and loved ones of Peter Parker, since his new company, “Parker Industries”, is supporting the tech used by the superior webslinger) are now targets to be killed and/or kidnapped by Goblin King’s deadly entourage.
And as if the battlefield wasn’t messy enough...
...you can always count on J. Jonah Jameson (currently Mayor of New York) to make it worse releasing a legion of Spider-Slayers!
Boom. -- Boom. -- Boom. -- Boom. -- Aaaaand Boom.
Otto Octavius is out of ideas, out of resources, and even having an out-of-time Spider-Man 2099 at his side, it isn’t enough to avoid that New York City would turn to be the Goblin Nation.
What would Parker do?
Don’t miss the amazing finale for the spectacular run of this comic book title that will define the Superior Spider-Man, once and for all!!!
February 19, 2023
The Superior Spider-Man met his match, met his better. Yup, there's no prizes for guessing who vanquished him, The Green Goblin. Is this the beginning of the end for Otto? And is that Peter Parker sniffing around again? Time for the fate of Goblin Nation to be determined?
Not as good as previous volumes of Superior Spider-Man that set such a high bar, but very much saved by the season finale in The Superior Spider-Man #30, which is a utterly superb Five Star read! 8 out of 12 overall.
2014 read
Not as good as previous volumes of Superior Spider-Man that set such a high bar, but very much saved by the season finale in The Superior Spider-Man #30, which is a utterly superb Five Star read! 8 out of 12 overall.
2014 read
May 25, 2015
Oh crap, do we really have to say goodbye?
Guess that means the only thing left to do is pull out the old Ugly Cry gif...
I'm not going to spoil the plot for those of you who haven't read it, but I'm assuming that everyone knows that this is the last volume where Doc Ock plays the role of our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-man.
So. With that in mind, you also must realize that this is where Peter takes his body back.
Right? Ok.
Well, he takes it back with a little help from Otto, who has finally found something (someone) that he cares about more than himself.
Our Superior Spider-Man has been beaten down, and is feeling the weight of his actions, along with the knowledge that he has been outplayed by the Green Goblin. Everything and everyone that he holds dear is facing ruin and death.
In order to save what he loves, he'll have to sacrifice himself...
*cue dramatic music*
And here's my biggest complaint:
The whole 'there's nothing else to be done' thing was such a fucking cop-out. It felt...lame and tacked-on. It just wasn't an ending worthy of such an incredible character.
I'm still kinda pissed about it, to be honest.
But. All good things must come to an end, and all that that.
And there were a few standout moments for Peter upon his return.
A little part of me cheered for the return of one of my all-time favorite heroes, even while a bigger part of me mourned the loss of one of what will almost certainly go down as one of the best runs of a Spider-Man title ever.
Doctor Octopus...you were the Superior Spider-Man.
*lonely tear falls*
Guess that means the only thing left to do is pull out the old Ugly Cry gif...
I'm not going to spoil the plot for those of you who haven't read it, but I'm assuming that everyone knows that this is the last volume where Doc Ock plays the role of our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-man.
So. With that in mind, you also must realize that this is where Peter takes his body back.
Right? Ok.
Well, he takes it back with a little help from Otto, who has finally found something (someone) that he cares about more than himself.
Our Superior Spider-Man has been beaten down, and is feeling the weight of his actions, along with the knowledge that he has been outplayed by the Green Goblin. Everything and everyone that he holds dear is facing ruin and death.
In order to save what he loves, he'll have to sacrifice himself...
*cue dramatic music*
And here's my biggest complaint:
The whole 'there's nothing else to be done' thing was such a fucking cop-out. It felt...lame and tacked-on. It just wasn't an ending worthy of such an incredible character.
I'm still kinda pissed about it, to be honest.
But. All good things must come to an end, and all that that.
And there were a few standout moments for Peter upon his return.
A little part of me cheered for the return of one of my all-time favorite heroes, even while a bigger part of me mourned the loss of one of what will almost certainly go down as one of the best runs of a Spider-Man title ever.
Doctor Octopus...you were the Superior Spider-Man.
*lonely tear falls*
August 17, 2015
It’s a Gobin-a-rama! Goblins 24-7! A Goblin – apolooza!
What’s for dinner? Goblins.
Who’s on first? What’s on second? Goblins.
What’s the frequency, Kenneth? Goblins are on all the cable channels, Mr. Rather.
If you haven’t figured it out. Someone is flying the crazy Goblin flag.
This is how the Superior Spider-Man run winds down. Otto Octavius, still in control of Spider-Man/Peter Parker, is watching everything he’s worked hard to create, start to crumble. Why? Because one thing Octavius was always good at was self-promotion. Sure, he had a crummy child hood, but that doesn’t forgive treating everyone else like dirt and being unwilling to take that one final extra step to being a full-fledged superhero and noble guy – putting yourself before others.
So, now it’s the less-than-superior Otto vs. Norman Osborn and –
Bottom line: A decent wind-up to what’s one of the best Spider-Man story lines in decades. My lone quibble is how Parker went from zero to hero in order to regain control of himself. It was hard to buy into the process. Otherwise, well done, Mr. Slott!!
What’s for dinner? Goblins.
Who’s on first? What’s on second? Goblins.
What’s the frequency, Kenneth? Goblins are on all the cable channels, Mr. Rather.
If you haven’t figured it out. Someone is flying the crazy Goblin flag.
This is how the Superior Spider-Man run winds down. Otto Octavius, still in control of Spider-Man/Peter Parker, is watching everything he’s worked hard to create, start to crumble. Why? Because one thing Octavius was always good at was self-promotion. Sure, he had a crummy child hood, but that doesn’t forgive treating everyone else like dirt and being unwilling to take that one final extra step to being a full-fledged superhero and noble guy – putting yourself before others.
So, now it’s the less-than-superior Otto vs. Norman Osborn and –
Bottom line: A decent wind-up to what’s one of the best Spider-Man story lines in decades. My lone quibble is how Parker went from zero to hero in order to regain control of himself. It was hard to buy into the process. Otherwise, well done, Mr. Slott!!
July 15, 2016
27 - The Goblin Nation is running roughshod all over New York and Otto realizes what is happening and that it's also too late! Spidey goes looking for the Green Goblin even as an assault is prepared on Spider-Island!
The end time is clearly here. All the pieces Slott put on the board up until this point are finally coming into play. Let's see if the destination was worth the journey!
28 - The Goblin Nation attacks Spider-Island and devastates it! Meanwhile, Peter is lost in Otto's memories.
The manure continues to hit the windmill. Otto is off his game, Mary Jane's got web shooters, and everyone is looking for Spidey! And the Goblins have Anna Maria!
29 - The Goblin is bent on destroying everything Otto Octavius holds dear! Meanwhile, JJJ decides to release his new army of Spider-Slayer robots!
Don Lamaze dies in a touching act of self sacrifice and Spider-Man 2099 shows himself again. The way things ended makes me think the chaos is just beginning.
Annual 2 - Ben Urich deals with his nephew being the Goblin Knight and the Wraith breaks into Parker Industries and runs into Carlie, aka Monster.
This was mostly filler, although the Ben Urich story had some touching moments.
30 - Otto leaves Spider-Man 2099 high and dry against the Spider-Slayers to save Anna-Maria. Meanwhile, Peter relives Otto's memories.
Well, what I've been waiting for is coming soon. It's about time, too, since there isn't much of New York left to save.
31 - Spidey and the Green Goblin finally have it out!
Peter Parker is back and dukes it out with the Green Goblin and his minions. Afterwords, Peter begins the cleanup on what's left of his life after Otto was done mucking around with it. While I liked that Peter is back in control, it was kind of anti-climactic. For as much buildup as there was, the end was a little bit of a letdown. Still, it was an enjoyable read.
Closing Thoughts: When I started the Superior Spider-Man, I was not prepared for the roller coaster ahead of me. Doctor Octopus had good intentions at first and was frightfully effective until things started going off the rails.
While I enjoyed the journey, I thought Peter's return was a little too easy. Still, Dan Slott turned what easily could have been a bullshit sales booster into some of the most compelling Spider-Man stories in years, exploring what it means to be a hero. Four out of five stars.
The end time is clearly here. All the pieces Slott put on the board up until this point are finally coming into play. Let's see if the destination was worth the journey!
28 - The Goblin Nation attacks Spider-Island and devastates it! Meanwhile, Peter is lost in Otto's memories.
The manure continues to hit the windmill. Otto is off his game, Mary Jane's got web shooters, and everyone is looking for Spidey! And the Goblins have Anna Maria!
29 - The Goblin is bent on destroying everything Otto Octavius holds dear! Meanwhile, JJJ decides to release his new army of Spider-Slayer robots!
Don Lamaze dies in a touching act of self sacrifice and Spider-Man 2099 shows himself again. The way things ended makes me think the chaos is just beginning.
Annual 2 - Ben Urich deals with his nephew being the Goblin Knight and the Wraith breaks into Parker Industries and runs into Carlie, aka Monster.
This was mostly filler, although the Ben Urich story had some touching moments.
30 - Otto leaves Spider-Man 2099 high and dry against the Spider-Slayers to save Anna-Maria. Meanwhile, Peter relives Otto's memories.
Well, what I've been waiting for is coming soon. It's about time, too, since there isn't much of New York left to save.
31 - Spidey and the Green Goblin finally have it out!
Peter Parker is back and dukes it out with the Green Goblin and his minions. Afterwords, Peter begins the cleanup on what's left of his life after Otto was done mucking around with it. While I liked that Peter is back in control, it was kind of anti-climactic. For as much buildup as there was, the end was a little bit of a letdown. Still, it was an enjoyable read.
Closing Thoughts: When I started the Superior Spider-Man, I was not prepared for the roller coaster ahead of me. Doctor Octopus had good intentions at first and was frightfully effective until things started going off the rails.
While I enjoyed the journey, I thought Peter's return was a little too easy. Still, Dan Slott turned what easily could have been a bullshit sales booster into some of the most compelling Spider-Man stories in years, exploring what it means to be a hero. Four out of five stars.
April 21, 2014
Superior Spider-Man has been one of the best and most consistently high quality titles of the Marvel NOW! relaunch. The controversial body-swap idea of Otto’s mind inhabiting Peter’s body while Peter’s mind was lost in the ether and Otto’s Spider-Man becoming a different kind of hero could’ve gone either way but Dan Slott managed to make it work really well and proved all the naysayers wrong; Superior Spider-Man was a success, critically and commercially.
But it was never going to be the status quo (though that didn’t stop some gormless cretins from sending Slott death-threats for getting rid of their beloved Peter Parker), and so with Volume 6: Goblin Nation we see the end of Superior Spider-Man, the series and the character, and the return of Peter Parker once again as Spider-Man in the forthcoming All-New Amazing Spider-Man title (this last point is not a spoiler - Peter Parker’s return has been publicised heavily these last few months and with Superior ending, what else was going to happen to the character?).
So is Goblin Nation a fitting finale for this great title? For me, not entirely.
What made Superior stand out when it first started was how fresh and exciting it was. Otto did things differently and, despite having read Spider-Man before, you could never quite guess what he was going to do next. He even lived up to the name and really WAS the Superior Spider-Man, setting up the ultimate crime-fighting network, toppling Shadowland in no time, even shocking readers by executing some criminals - he was a controversial “hero” but he wasn’t boring and was enormously pro-active in reducing crime. Goblin Nation, on the other hand, is nothing if not predictable. I won’t go into specifically how things play out but suffice it to say that what you expect to happen, happens.
The Green Goblin, here calling himself the Goblin King, has launched all out war on New York City and has managed to evade Spider-Man after hacking his spider-bots so they failed to detect anyone with a goblin mask or logo. As the Goblin army descends on New York City, the spirit of Peter Parker ascends, making his way through Otto’s Mindscape to return triumphantly.
I liked how in this final volume Dan Slott did a round-robin of everything that had happened in the series by including characters as minor as Don Lamaze to Spider-Man 2099. It was like reading a greatest hits of Superior Spider-Man before the classic final close-out between Spidey and Green Goblin and in that respect was a good way to end the series.
But I don’t think Otto got the great exit he deserved. Slott gave him a great final speech as he prepared to hand over the reins to Peter and you do see that he’s really grown as a character, though I thought his exit was a bit anti-climactic and rushed. I was also hoping he wouldn’t say the line he ended up saying (twice!) which was “YOU are the Superior Spider-Man!” (groan). I would’ve preferred if his final words were about Anna-Maria instead.
Superior Spider-Man #30 was really the final issue as that’s Otto’s last appearance while #31 is Peter’s triumphant return though its a bit tedious to read. Peter cleans up all the loose Superior story threads in that issue, ready for a whole new storyline in All-New Amazing Spider-Man, and the way he does this is both efficient and unimaginative. There was no excitement with his fight with the Green Goblin and no question that the Goblin Nation would fall - the only surprise was the Goblin’s identity reveal but even that was more of a mild “oh... ho hum” than a shocking revelation.
Superior Spider-Man has been a high watermark in Spider-Man comics and one of the most enjoyable and original storylines the character’s ever had. The first few trade paperbacks are superb and are Dan Slott at his finest. The last couple trades though? You can feel things were being hurried along so All-New Amazing Spider-Man #1 could coincide with the latest (and lamest) Amazing Spider-Man movie, so the comics suffered in declining quality as Slott was rushed and Christos Gage was brought in to co-write the issues to fit the demanding release schedule.
Goblin Nation is a decent last bow for Superior Spider-Man but definitely not amazing.
3.5 stars.
But it was never going to be the status quo (though that didn’t stop some gormless cretins from sending Slott death-threats for getting rid of their beloved Peter Parker), and so with Volume 6: Goblin Nation we see the end of Superior Spider-Man, the series and the character, and the return of Peter Parker once again as Spider-Man in the forthcoming All-New Amazing Spider-Man title (this last point is not a spoiler - Peter Parker’s return has been publicised heavily these last few months and with Superior ending, what else was going to happen to the character?).
So is Goblin Nation a fitting finale for this great title? For me, not entirely.
What made Superior stand out when it first started was how fresh and exciting it was. Otto did things differently and, despite having read Spider-Man before, you could never quite guess what he was going to do next. He even lived up to the name and really WAS the Superior Spider-Man, setting up the ultimate crime-fighting network, toppling Shadowland in no time, even shocking readers by executing some criminals - he was a controversial “hero” but he wasn’t boring and was enormously pro-active in reducing crime. Goblin Nation, on the other hand, is nothing if not predictable. I won’t go into specifically how things play out but suffice it to say that what you expect to happen, happens.
The Green Goblin, here calling himself the Goblin King, has launched all out war on New York City and has managed to evade Spider-Man after hacking his spider-bots so they failed to detect anyone with a goblin mask or logo. As the Goblin army descends on New York City, the spirit of Peter Parker ascends, making his way through Otto’s Mindscape to return triumphantly.
I liked how in this final volume Dan Slott did a round-robin of everything that had happened in the series by including characters as minor as Don Lamaze to Spider-Man 2099. It was like reading a greatest hits of Superior Spider-Man before the classic final close-out between Spidey and Green Goblin and in that respect was a good way to end the series.
But I don’t think Otto got the great exit he deserved. Slott gave him a great final speech as he prepared to hand over the reins to Peter and you do see that he’s really grown as a character, though I thought his exit was a bit anti-climactic and rushed. I was also hoping he wouldn’t say the line he ended up saying (twice!) which was “YOU are the Superior Spider-Man!” (groan). I would’ve preferred if his final words were about Anna-Maria instead.
Superior Spider-Man #30 was really the final issue as that’s Otto’s last appearance while #31 is Peter’s triumphant return though its a bit tedious to read. Peter cleans up all the loose Superior story threads in that issue, ready for a whole new storyline in All-New Amazing Spider-Man, and the way he does this is both efficient and unimaginative. There was no excitement with his fight with the Green Goblin and no question that the Goblin Nation would fall - the only surprise was the Goblin’s identity reveal but even that was more of a mild “oh... ho hum” than a shocking revelation.
Superior Spider-Man has been a high watermark in Spider-Man comics and one of the most enjoyable and original storylines the character’s ever had. The first few trade paperbacks are superb and are Dan Slott at his finest. The last couple trades though? You can feel things were being hurried along so All-New Amazing Spider-Man #1 could coincide with the latest (and lamest) Amazing Spider-Man movie, so the comics suffered in declining quality as Slott was rushed and Christos Gage was brought in to co-write the issues to fit the demanding release schedule.
Goblin Nation is a decent last bow for Superior Spider-Man but definitely not amazing.
3.5 stars.
August 11, 2014
We all knew this would happen. There was no way that Otto would be allowed to maintain control of Peter's body indefinitely. Status quo would eventually revert the title back to normal. Peter would regain control of his own body, and that would be that. I didn't expect to be sorry that it was ending.
Sure, I'm going to miss Otto, at least a little. Reading his internal monologues could be a lot of fun. But I'm really just worried about Anna-Maria. She had a great life, living with the man she loves, with an apparently very fulfilling career. Now what? She doesn't know it, she may never know it, but the man she loved is gone. Maybe it's because I'm not a big fan of Spider-Man, but I ended up caring about this brand-new character so much more than any of the already established characters. I guess I just don't want to see her go. Full credit to Slott for creating her.
But aside from my emotional attachment to Anna-Maria, I was surprised with how predictable this volume in particular was. Which hadn't been much of an an issue for Superior Spider-Man before. I get the impression that Slot was very rushed to get this wrapped up by a specific date and issue. It shows. I wish he'd been given the time to do this right. But it is what it is, and that's not terrible. Predictable, a little cliche in spots, but a decent enough read. It could have been better, sure, but it definitely wasn't bad.
This whole Superior Spider-Man thing worked out so much better than I'd ever thought it could. I almost didn't read any of this storyline, and that would have been a shame. I'm sorry it's over, even though I always knew it would end, and I hope that Slott can continue to do fine things with Spider-Man, now that he's Peter Parker again.
Sure, I'm going to miss Otto, at least a little. Reading his internal monologues could be a lot of fun. But I'm really just worried about Anna-Maria. She had a great life, living with the man she loves, with an apparently very fulfilling career. Now what? She doesn't know it, she may never know it, but the man she loved is gone. Maybe it's because I'm not a big fan of Spider-Man, but I ended up caring about this brand-new character so much more than any of the already established characters. I guess I just don't want to see her go. Full credit to Slott for creating her.
But aside from my emotional attachment to Anna-Maria, I was surprised with how predictable this volume in particular was. Which hadn't been much of an an issue for Superior Spider-Man before. I get the impression that Slot was very rushed to get this wrapped up by a specific date and issue. It shows. I wish he'd been given the time to do this right. But it is what it is, and that's not terrible. Predictable, a little cliche in spots, but a decent enough read. It could have been better, sure, but it definitely wasn't bad.
This whole Superior Spider-Man thing worked out so much better than I'd ever thought it could. I almost didn't read any of this storyline, and that would have been a shame. I'm sorry it's over, even though I always knew it would end, and I hope that Slott can continue to do fine things with Spider-Man, now that he's Peter Parker again.
August 25, 2021
This was so cool.
As Norman targets Otto's belongings and loved ones and holds nothing back even endangering Anna it's upto him to out a stop to it and for that he has to let Peter come back and what a return it is as be wrests control of his body again and fights his arch enemy Norman again and it's an epic fight, no holds barred and the fallout of that continues and the things Peter has to answer for! Jonah, May, MJ, Carlie and more..!
It's an epic volume and has some of the best scenes like how Peter is ready to sacrifice for his close ones and what makes him a great hero and also shows Norman as one of the most dangerous villains. Just epic stuff and the ending was shocking but the aftermath will be interesting to read!
Overall great stuff and I loved every moment of it and this run was quite amazing. Loved seeing the take on Otto as a hero and some great reveals and the art was great throughout. And also Anna 👀
Good reading and one of the best Spider runs.
As Norman targets Otto's belongings and loved ones and holds nothing back even endangering Anna it's upto him to out a stop to it and for that he has to let Peter come back and what a return it is as be wrests control of his body again and fights his arch enemy Norman again and it's an epic fight, no holds barred and the fallout of that continues and the things Peter has to answer for! Jonah, May, MJ, Carlie and more..!
It's an epic volume and has some of the best scenes like how Peter is ready to sacrifice for his close ones and what makes him a great hero and also shows Norman as one of the most dangerous villains. Just epic stuff and the ending was shocking but the aftermath will be interesting to read!
Overall great stuff and I loved every moment of it and this run was quite amazing. Loved seeing the take on Otto as a hero and some great reveals and the art was great throughout. And also Anna 👀
Good reading and one of the best Spider runs.
September 13, 2014
Huh. I guess, like the finale of most of my favorite stories, the ending to The Superior Spider-Man was just ok. I’m not sure whether or not it was Christos Gage’s influence, the lack of some of my favorite artists from earlier collections, or just the fact that one of the best comic stories of recent years was coming to an end. But what a great ride getting here.
What I liked. Goblins everywhere. The Goblin King finally unveils his plot to destroy the Superior Spider-Man and turns NYC into Goblin Nation. I really enjoyed the Goblin King fucking with Otto. Showing him that he’s not as superior as he may have thought. “The Schnoz” also had a pretty surprising moment in this one too.
J.Jonah finally snaps after being tormented by Spidey for the past couple of volumes and it turns into a real shit-show for the city of New York. MJ takes the bull by the horns . And portions of the inevitable standoff between Otto and Peter were pretty cool.
Giuseppe Camuncoli provides the best artwork of the illustrators present in this one. It’s unfortunate that Ramos and Stegman weren’t around, but you can’t win’em all.
I didn’t care for a couple of things. The Annual (#2) that was included was weak. I just didn’t think it was well written, that important to the overall story, and it was really flaccid in the artwork department. Especially following Ramos’s stunning stuff in The Superior Spider-Man, Vol. 5: The Superior Venom . A couple of the dialogues between Otto and Peter, as well as a few other places, were sort of cliché. The final moments with the Goblin King weren’t highlights for sure. And of course, .
Overall though, I thought that Superior Spider-Man has been a FUCKING BLAST and every comic fan out there is depriving themselves of what is ultimately a top-notch story if they pass this one by. Spider-Man fan or not, READ THIS SHIT! I doubt you’ll be disappointed with Slott’s tale told in its entirety.
Get this review and more at:
What I liked. Goblins everywhere. The Goblin King finally unveils his plot to destroy the Superior Spider-Man and turns NYC into Goblin Nation. I really enjoyed the Goblin King fucking with Otto. Showing him that he’s not as superior as he may have thought. “The Schnoz” also had a pretty surprising moment in this one too.
J.Jonah finally snaps after being tormented by Spidey for the past couple of volumes and it turns into a real shit-show for the city of New York. MJ takes the bull by the horns . And portions of the inevitable standoff between Otto and Peter were pretty cool.
Giuseppe Camuncoli provides the best artwork of the illustrators present in this one. It’s unfortunate that Ramos and Stegman weren’t around, but you can’t win’em all.
I didn’t care for a couple of things. The Annual (#2) that was included was weak. I just didn’t think it was well written, that important to the overall story, and it was really flaccid in the artwork department. Especially following Ramos’s stunning stuff in The Superior Spider-Man, Vol. 5: The Superior Venom . A couple of the dialogues between Otto and Peter, as well as a few other places, were sort of cliché. The final moments with the Goblin King weren’t highlights for sure. And of course, .
Overall though, I thought that Superior Spider-Man has been a FUCKING BLAST and every comic fan out there is depriving themselves of what is ultimately a top-notch story if they pass this one by. Spider-Man fan or not, READ THIS SHIT! I doubt you’ll be disappointed with Slott’s tale told in its entirety.
Get this review and more at:
December 1, 2015
Goblin Nation is an epic conclusion to the Superior Spider-man legend.
When I first heard the swap-consciousnesses thing with Peter Parker and Dr Octopus I thought it was a prank. Although I hadn’t read so many spider-books back then I found the idea ridiculous. I didn’t think that this plus the death of Peter Parker would be a fitting end to the over fifty year run of The Amazing Spider-Man. Now I know that I couldn’t be more wrong. Superior Spider-man is by far one of the best Spider-man stories ever.
Superior Spider-man made me a big fan of Dan Slott. Although he is not the extraordinary comic book writer (like Brian K. Vaughan or Grant Morison) he is perhaps the most ambitious writer I know-at least of Spiderman series. He has the ability to transform a ludicrous idea to a truly fascinating and entertaining story. Which man in his right mind would not only dare to kill Peter Parker but also make Dr Otto Octavius the new Spider-man? It takes huge balls to do that. Slott even received death threats for this move. Even Stan Lee shocked a bit by the concept of the storyline. But guess what; this bold move turned out amazingly well.
Goblin Nation is a story that has it all; Spider-man against a whole Goblin army, heartbreaking moments and jaw-dropped, action-packed scenes, humorous jokes and of course Otto’s catharsis. He finally understands what “With great power comes great responsibility” really means. I really like when comic book writers use the catharsis theme to a graphic novel. It’s like reading an ancient Greek tragedy but with superhero protagonists.
Oh and guess who’s finally back
Superior Spider-man showed us that no one is only good or only villainous. Even the worst criminal can be a hero if he wants it.
Ps: I am happy because of the Amazing Spider-man’s return while at the same time I am sad and depressed because the Superior Spider-man era it finally came to an end. Oh man it’s like 11th and 12th Doctor all over again.
Ps2: For some weird reason I keep imagine Superior to say with David Tennant voice:”I don’t wanna go”.
Ps3: First read this December 2014 and reread it November 2015
When I first heard the swap-consciousnesses thing with Peter Parker and Dr Octopus I thought it was a prank. Although I hadn’t read so many spider-books back then I found the idea ridiculous. I didn’t think that this plus the death of Peter Parker would be a fitting end to the over fifty year run of The Amazing Spider-Man. Now I know that I couldn’t be more wrong. Superior Spider-man is by far one of the best Spider-man stories ever.
Superior Spider-man made me a big fan of Dan Slott. Although he is not the extraordinary comic book writer (like Brian K. Vaughan or Grant Morison) he is perhaps the most ambitious writer I know-at least of Spiderman series. He has the ability to transform a ludicrous idea to a truly fascinating and entertaining story. Which man in his right mind would not only dare to kill Peter Parker but also make Dr Otto Octavius the new Spider-man? It takes huge balls to do that. Slott even received death threats for this move. Even Stan Lee shocked a bit by the concept of the storyline. But guess what; this bold move turned out amazingly well.
Goblin Nation is a story that has it all; Spider-man against a whole Goblin army, heartbreaking moments and jaw-dropped, action-packed scenes, humorous jokes and of course Otto’s catharsis. He finally understands what “With great power comes great responsibility” really means. I really like when comic book writers use the catharsis theme to a graphic novel. It’s like reading an ancient Greek tragedy but with superhero protagonists.
Oh and guess who’s finally back
Superior Spider-man showed us that no one is only good or only villainous. Even the worst criminal can be a hero if he wants it.
Ps: I am happy because of the Amazing Spider-man’s return while at the same time I am sad and depressed because the Superior Spider-man era it finally came to an end. Oh man it’s like 11th and 12th Doctor all over again.
Ps2: For some weird reason I keep imagine Superior to say with David Tennant voice:”I don’t wanna go”.
Ps3: First read this December 2014 and reread it November 2015
October 20, 2022
Ending on a positive note, Superior Spider-Man wraps up in a predictable, yet still engaging, manner. Whilst it inevitably ends in , Ock’s journey of acceptance is some of the best character content Slott’s given in quite a few volumes. The sections not focused on the titular characters drag on rather too long though, with the overall narrative structure feeling rather disjointed. If parts weren’t so tedious, this would be well on its way to four stars, however, it unfortunately lets down what could have been a very solid finale.
February 12, 2015
My triumphant return from the Indy world, I picked the right thing to read.
Dan Slott, you are Mr. Spider-Man.
I'd been waiting for this final chapter for a while, my library was late to order it, and it somehow hid from me until now...
Well it was worth the while.
Otto realizes that the Green Goblin has defeated him, NYC is burning, everyone is turning against him, there's no one left to trust...
But we see Otto keep fighting, not giving up, and asking himself "What would Parker do?" in a split second decision...but Otto doesn't have to wonder, because the Soul of Peter Parker has survived inside the Mindscape of Spider-Man, and screams out to Otto to act!
The result saves a life, but lets the Goblin escape. In the process, Peter reveals to Otto that his soul is still alive in Spider-Man's body.
We see Peter's soul hiding from Otto, so much so, that he dives into Otto's own memories, and experiences his whole life, which nearly robs him of his remaining memories as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. The struggle is played out very well, convincingly, with Peter losing himself at times, only able to recall who he is by the very strength of self and powerful memories that cannot be taken from him.
This 2 page spread covers the entire history of Spider-Man, with art way back from Ditko all the way forward. It is in web form all around Peter, who's just established dominance in the Soul of Spider-Man. He focuses on how important his memories were, the ups, downs, triumphs, tragedies, and the fun, surprisingly, (or not, actually) he focuses on how much FUN he had.
It's so effective.
Once Peter re-emerges, he and Otto back and forth, except, it's not nearly what you'd expect. Otto owns up to his arrogance, and tells Peter that he's always underachieved, and he (Peter) could be so much more.
Otto swings back to Parker Industries (which Peter is totally confused to see) and
His oldest enemy stole everything from him, only to discover that even with his victory, Otto would never be Peter. It's positively powerful what Otto does, and with it, the greatest act of selflessness of his life, towards the person he had hated longer and more than anyone...
To me, this is the pinnacle of the entire series right there. Yes, we still have some stuff to do, but I'm sure you can figure out what we do from here...and you should absolutely read this.
Dan Slott is the Scott Snyder of Spider-Man. A very creative, super planned out, and cognisant of the history of the character, respectful, incorporating it into the present, but also paving new grounds.
The Coda of the book/epilogue if you wish, shows just how much damage was done between Otto's arrogance, and Osborn/Goblin's destruction. Broken lives, damaged relationships, forever change the whole scope of Peter's world.
It's Greek Tragedy, in a sense, because although there is a resolution, and what needs to happen happens, the return is not as triumphant as one would think. Poor Peter, struggling that hard to survive, and this is what you come back to...
But. If there's one thing anyone knows, it's that Peter Parker is Amazing, and he can make it back from this. He will, and I think it makes me appreciate him a whole lot more...I think many of us took him for granted and just joked about his whipping boy status in Marvel.
This was an eye opener, and I hope I don't take the Wall Crawler for granted anymore...poor bastard, welcome back Pete. We missed you!
Dan Slott, you are Mr. Spider-Man.
I'd been waiting for this final chapter for a while, my library was late to order it, and it somehow hid from me until now...
Well it was worth the while.
Otto realizes that the Green Goblin has defeated him, NYC is burning, everyone is turning against him, there's no one left to trust...
But we see Otto keep fighting, not giving up, and asking himself "What would Parker do?" in a split second decision...but Otto doesn't have to wonder, because the Soul of Peter Parker has survived inside the Mindscape of Spider-Man, and screams out to Otto to act!
The result saves a life, but lets the Goblin escape. In the process, Peter reveals to Otto that his soul is still alive in Spider-Man's body.
We see Peter's soul hiding from Otto, so much so, that he dives into Otto's own memories, and experiences his whole life, which nearly robs him of his remaining memories as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. The struggle is played out very well, convincingly, with Peter losing himself at times, only able to recall who he is by the very strength of self and powerful memories that cannot be taken from him.
This 2 page spread covers the entire history of Spider-Man, with art way back from Ditko all the way forward. It is in web form all around Peter, who's just established dominance in the Soul of Spider-Man. He focuses on how important his memories were, the ups, downs, triumphs, tragedies, and the fun, surprisingly, (or not, actually) he focuses on how much FUN he had.
It's so effective.
Once Peter re-emerges, he and Otto back and forth, except, it's not nearly what you'd expect. Otto owns up to his arrogance, and tells Peter that he's always underachieved, and he (Peter) could be so much more.
Otto swings back to Parker Industries (which Peter is totally confused to see) and
His oldest enemy stole everything from him, only to discover that even with his victory, Otto would never be Peter. It's positively powerful what Otto does, and with it, the greatest act of selflessness of his life, towards the person he had hated longer and more than anyone...
To me, this is the pinnacle of the entire series right there. Yes, we still have some stuff to do, but I'm sure you can figure out what we do from here...and you should absolutely read this.
Dan Slott is the Scott Snyder of Spider-Man. A very creative, super planned out, and cognisant of the history of the character, respectful, incorporating it into the present, but also paving new grounds.
The Coda of the book/epilogue if you wish, shows just how much damage was done between Otto's arrogance, and Osborn/Goblin's destruction. Broken lives, damaged relationships, forever change the whole scope of Peter's world.
It's Greek Tragedy, in a sense, because although there is a resolution, and what needs to happen happens, the return is not as triumphant as one would think. Poor Peter, struggling that hard to survive, and this is what you come back to...
But. If there's one thing anyone knows, it's that Peter Parker is Amazing, and he can make it back from this. He will, and I think it makes me appreciate him a whole lot more...I think many of us took him for granted and just joked about his whipping boy status in Marvel.
This was an eye opener, and I hope I don't take the Wall Crawler for granted anymore...poor bastard, welcome back Pete. We missed you!
May 10, 2015
OK Otto, this is your last shot at greatness for a while. I figure the only way for Peter Parker to get back in control of his body is to forcibly eject your personality from his head, and that means leaving your psyche strewn all about the 616 cosmos, tattered and broken for years to come.
(Perhaps they'll even import a better, younger, even more morally ambiguous Otto Octavius from one of the other universes that will come smashing together in 2015's Secret War 'warm reboot', and then we can quietly sob at the permanent loss of the original ugly duckling Spidey villain...unless you count Rhino as a top-tier original villain. I don't.)
This book gets pretty dark pretty fast - the culmination of the Goblin's plots against Parker through Carlie, his family and subverting Superior's spider-bots, all turns into an overwhelming takeover of NYC and giving us the Goblin Armageddon we've been dying to see since Norman took over the Thunderbolts (under Warren Ellis' warm, wet tutelage), and which really escalated after the Osborn mini series I adored from Kelly Sue DeConnick.
The more disturbing thread of this story is how Parker is submerging himself in Otto's memories to "hide". Really icky, sympathy-inducing stuff (like the origin of the sad-sack Kingpin in the Daredevil TV series this year).
The more encouraging thing is seeing MJ get in the game. Kicking ass and not hiding in fear, that's our tiger. I really admire her, and teenage me still carries a torch for her. Is it legal to put a comic book character up as one of your five freebies? Seems like a waste, but it's not like Emma Stone is any more likely to give me the time of day than an imaginary redhead.
This book goes into full culmination and resolution mode near the end, and I'd say it earned the re-introduction of the real Peter Parker. The only trouble is how much of a hand the Master of the Obvious, Commodore Christos Gage, had in scripting it. To say it's over the top is assuming Christos ever finds himself wondering where the Obvious Line is and deciding *not* to cross it.
Spidey apologizes to everyone and earns their respect and grudging forgiveness in two pages or less each? Dolt that Gage is, he doesn't have a clue how to handle nuanced adult emotions.
The other part of this that isn't entirely satisfactory is how blunderingly, obligatorily painful is the switcheroo from one set of plot threads to the next. It's like that "final two minutes" that most of the TV shows I watched have (Supernatural, SHIELD, Flash), which take a fully-wrapped episode and just dump in a new character, dramatic escalation or plot device out of nowhere, just to tease you into taking the next leap.
It's painful to watch how badly-staged this stuff is, compared to how artfully it can be done in the movies, where they offhandedly mention or glimpse something early on that pays off much later, but it's just woven into life at a random moment you'd never see coming.
I'm looking forward to the big Spider-Verse storyline, and I'm glad to have Parker back, but between the slightly ham-fisted plotting, and the over-use of Gage's, um, talents *cough* I could use a palate cleanser. Maybe some crazy-quilt Remender is on deck.
(Perhaps they'll even import a better, younger, even more morally ambiguous Otto Octavius from one of the other universes that will come smashing together in 2015's Secret War 'warm reboot', and then we can quietly sob at the permanent loss of the original ugly duckling Spidey villain...unless you count Rhino as a top-tier original villain. I don't.)
This book gets pretty dark pretty fast - the culmination of the Goblin's plots against Parker through Carlie, his family and subverting Superior's spider-bots, all turns into an overwhelming takeover of NYC and giving us the Goblin Armageddon we've been dying to see since Norman took over the Thunderbolts (under Warren Ellis' warm, wet tutelage), and which really escalated after the Osborn mini series I adored from Kelly Sue DeConnick.
The more disturbing thread of this story is how Parker is submerging himself in Otto's memories to "hide". Really icky, sympathy-inducing stuff (like the origin of the sad-sack Kingpin in the Daredevil TV series this year).
The more encouraging thing is seeing MJ get in the game. Kicking ass and not hiding in fear, that's our tiger. I really admire her, and teenage me still carries a torch for her. Is it legal to put a comic book character up as one of your five freebies? Seems like a waste, but it's not like Emma Stone is any more likely to give me the time of day than an imaginary redhead.
This book goes into full culmination and resolution mode near the end, and I'd say it earned the re-introduction of the real Peter Parker. The only trouble is how much of a hand the Master of the Obvious, Commodore Christos Gage, had in scripting it. To say it's over the top is assuming Christos ever finds himself wondering where the Obvious Line is and deciding *not* to cross it.
Spidey apologizes to everyone and earns their respect and grudging forgiveness in two pages or less each? Dolt that Gage is, he doesn't have a clue how to handle nuanced adult emotions.
The other part of this that isn't entirely satisfactory is how blunderingly, obligatorily painful is the switcheroo from one set of plot threads to the next. It's like that "final two minutes" that most of the TV shows I watched have (Supernatural, SHIELD, Flash), which take a fully-wrapped episode and just dump in a new character, dramatic escalation or plot device out of nowhere, just to tease you into taking the next leap.
It's painful to watch how badly-staged this stuff is, compared to how artfully it can be done in the movies, where they offhandedly mention or glimpse something early on that pays off much later, but it's just woven into life at a random moment you'd never see coming.
I'm looking forward to the big Spider-Verse storyline, and I'm glad to have Parker back, but between the slightly ham-fisted plotting, and the over-use of Gage's, um, talents *cough* I could use a palate cleanser. Maybe some crazy-quilt Remender is on deck.
July 5, 2016
A good ending to this series. I'd begun to tire of this series but overall I enjoyed it.
January 21, 2019
"Every triumph. Every Tragedy. The heartache...and the joy. Family. Friends. The adventure of it all. And the fun. My god, there was so much fun."
-Superior Spider-Man #30
A FANTASTIC climax to a consistently good series.
-Superior Spider-Man #30
A FANTASTIC climax to a consistently good series.
May 24, 2018
Great ending to this title. Some aweeome scenes with the Goblin king, cool twists and great art. Cant wait for the continuation!!
July 8, 2014
And thus ends the Superior Spider-Man.
The first half of the series was excellent. The second half flagged a bit. The ending works, and Dan Slott managed to wrap up what would seem to be yet another impossible-to-wrap storyline.
I think what happened, for me anyway, is that the series started with the new Spider-Man doing things very differently. Showing the ways in which things could have been very different, maybe even a little better at times, for Spider-Man.
However, towards the end it started to feel like we were just saying, "You know the stuff that happened to Spider-Man Regular? Let's do that to this Spider-Man."
For example, the Venom storyline. We basically watched, again, a new Spider-Man go through exactly what the OG went through not so long ago. And it ended in a way that wasn't dissimilar. And the new Spider-Man came to pretty similar conclusions.
But hey, overall, AWESOME series. I recommend Superior Spider-Man for any comic book reader, wholeheartedly. Despite being a fanboy who loves the character dearly, the change behind the mask was earned by the time it was all said and done, and the story won me over.
Marvel has been willing to take a lot of risks with the Spider-Man books over the last few years, always returning to the norm eventually, but I appreciate the ride and hope they'll continue to take chances.
The first half of the series was excellent. The second half flagged a bit. The ending works, and Dan Slott managed to wrap up what would seem to be yet another impossible-to-wrap storyline.
I think what happened, for me anyway, is that the series started with the new Spider-Man doing things very differently. Showing the ways in which things could have been very different, maybe even a little better at times, for Spider-Man.
However, towards the end it started to feel like we were just saying, "You know the stuff that happened to Spider-Man Regular? Let's do that to this Spider-Man."
For example, the Venom storyline. We basically watched, again, a new Spider-Man go through exactly what the OG went through not so long ago. And it ended in a way that wasn't dissimilar. And the new Spider-Man came to pretty similar conclusions.
But hey, overall, AWESOME series. I recommend Superior Spider-Man for any comic book reader, wholeheartedly. Despite being a fanboy who loves the character dearly, the change behind the mask was earned by the time it was all said and done, and the story won me over.
Marvel has been willing to take a lot of risks with the Spider-Man books over the last few years, always returning to the norm eventually, but I appreciate the ride and hope they'll continue to take chances.
November 7, 2025
This was a good conclusion to the Surperior Spiderman arc. Though Superior Spiderman was not my favorite they had a good conclusion to move Back to Peter as Spiderman.
December 19, 2014
Superior Spider-Man was one of the best of Marvel's Now initiative. I've most enjoyed its exploration of identity, ego, intelligence, memory and love. I was really hoping that Dan Slot would nail the ending. sadly, I'll have to play the role of the East German judge and give him a 3.5 (rounded up for the 90% of everything else that I loved.) I get why he didn't keep it, but man, I really liked Spidey-Doc's costume. A lot.
August 13, 2019
The oversized finale of SSM dragged. A lot. Way too much Green Goblin, and way too abrupt of a transition for Peter taking over his body again. What started as an exciting and novel idea eventually overstayed its welcome. With that being said, this was a fun series overall, and I'm looking forward to finally catching up to current Spidey. Recommended.
May 5, 2023
I think I didn't mention that the artwork is awful. It's too messy, even confusing at times. This is the worst time to spend figuring out what exactly is happening in the panel when all I'm trying to do is finish this thing, while hoping the last arc doesn't suck.
Peter Parker is still around, in Otto's head, hoping to return to full control. Otto is being checked by the Avengers some more, so he quits. Green Goblin and Hobgoblin are fighting, then calling a truce... they don't even know. Green kills Hob and takes over his men. But it's not the original Hob under the mask. Dun, dun, duuuuunnnn. As if I can tell apart Urich from Kingsley. There's also Osborn in the mix, whichever one that is. The story is such a mess.
Peter Parker is still around, in Otto's head, hoping to return to full control. Otto is being checked by the Avengers some more, so he quits. Green Goblin and Hobgoblin are fighting, then calling a truce... they don't even know. Green kills Hob and takes over his men. But it's not the original Hob under the mask. Dun, dun, duuuuunnnn. As if I can tell apart Urich from Kingsley. There's also Osborn in the mix, whichever one that is. The story is such a mess.
April 18, 2020
Equal parts good and messy.
I liked the conclusion, I disliked the filler issues SSM fighting while actual SM wandered around the dreamscape. It was a big dull. The last three issues really brought things to an exciting head, and many of the character interactions were exciting.
I read the beginning of Superior, and I’ve read the end. There’s a lot of stuff in the middle that I didn’t(and mostly will never) get to. One thing is for certain; I’m ready for Peter Parker Spidey!
I liked the conclusion, I disliked the filler issues SSM fighting while actual SM wandered around the dreamscape. It was a big dull. The last three issues really brought things to an exciting head, and many of the character interactions were exciting.
I read the beginning of Superior, and I’ve read the end. There’s a lot of stuff in the middle that I didn’t(and mostly will never) get to. One thing is for certain; I’m ready for Peter Parker Spidey!
July 20, 2023
THIS WAS SO SO SO GOOD!
December 21, 2021
SPOILERS
From the beginning of Superior Spider-Man, writer Dan Slott has been teasing us the return of the Green Goblin, who has been building an army under the alias of the Goblin King. So, with Spider-Man taking the city of New York for granted as its people are not impressed by being watched (Big Brother-style) by the web-slinger's highly technological security, the Goblin strikes and so can Otto take down who is perhaps Spidey’s greatest foe?
Meanwhile, the return of another key character looms large within Otto’s mind and that is Peter Parker who, throughout this final volume, tries to regain his body by looking through whatever there is left of his memories that Otto erased, which leads to Peter being trapped in Otto’s tragic past. Although these two characters have battled each other, going back to the Lee/Ditko years, there was always a connection between Peter and Otto, given how each had their own direction in life, something they both sympathise at the very end of their odd internal relationship.
As the Goblins wreak havoc on New York, this final arc is the culmination of everything Slott has set up from the start of Superior. With these last seven issues (including the second annual), there are many characters thrown in the mix, some of which you could cut out such as Roderick Kingsley, who really has no participation in the Goblin War, while Miguel O’Hara briefly partners up with Spidey for one action sequence.
Annual #2 is the low point of this volume as despite showcasing one of my favourite Marvel characters Ben Urich and his conflicted relationship with his nephew Phil – formerly one of the Hobgoblins and now the Goblin Knight. Despite the impressive art from the always great Javier Rodríguez and to a lesser extent Phillipe Briones, the annual rarely progress the plot and more about characters that I couldn’t engage with.
“Goblin Nation” has more than one artist, but the way the comic uses the multiple artists is weird. The first issue here uses three, including Humberto Ramos, who draws the Goblin side of the narrative, Javier Rodríguez drew Spidey and the Avengers and finally one of the best Spider-Man artists, Marcos Martin drew the surreal mindscape that Peter explores. This is a good formula that is quickly disregarded for the remaining issues, which is drawn by Guiseppe Camuncoli, who does a serviceable job at presenting an epic if predictable climax that is still enjoyable, especially when arguably the one true Spider-Man is back from the grave.
Towards the end of Superior in 2014, Marvel announced the revival of The Amazing Spider-Man, in which Peter has regained his body and the Spider-Man mantle. As much as I enjoyed this series that shows how a former villain would do if he was Spider-Man, seeing Peter Parker putting on his classic red and blue suit was a real punch-in-the-air moment. However, that final issue is rather anti-climactic as Peter resolves the situation with ease and the true reveal of the Goblin King is a pale attempt of second-guessing the readers, as well as setting up where the characters will go with Amazing, which has not gained a great response.
I will always love Peter Parker, who shall forever be my Spidey, but considering the highs and lows of this controversial title, Superior is one of the best stories that gave a new angle to the Spider-Man mythos, as well as Doc Ock.
From the beginning of Superior Spider-Man, writer Dan Slott has been teasing us the return of the Green Goblin, who has been building an army under the alias of the Goblin King. So, with Spider-Man taking the city of New York for granted as its people are not impressed by being watched (Big Brother-style) by the web-slinger's highly technological security, the Goblin strikes and so can Otto take down who is perhaps Spidey’s greatest foe?
Meanwhile, the return of another key character looms large within Otto’s mind and that is Peter Parker who, throughout this final volume, tries to regain his body by looking through whatever there is left of his memories that Otto erased, which leads to Peter being trapped in Otto’s tragic past. Although these two characters have battled each other, going back to the Lee/Ditko years, there was always a connection between Peter and Otto, given how each had their own direction in life, something they both sympathise at the very end of their odd internal relationship.
As the Goblins wreak havoc on New York, this final arc is the culmination of everything Slott has set up from the start of Superior. With these last seven issues (including the second annual), there are many characters thrown in the mix, some of which you could cut out such as Roderick Kingsley, who really has no participation in the Goblin War, while Miguel O’Hara briefly partners up with Spidey for one action sequence.
Annual #2 is the low point of this volume as despite showcasing one of my favourite Marvel characters Ben Urich and his conflicted relationship with his nephew Phil – formerly one of the Hobgoblins and now the Goblin Knight. Despite the impressive art from the always great Javier Rodríguez and to a lesser extent Phillipe Briones, the annual rarely progress the plot and more about characters that I couldn’t engage with.
“Goblin Nation” has more than one artist, but the way the comic uses the multiple artists is weird. The first issue here uses three, including Humberto Ramos, who draws the Goblin side of the narrative, Javier Rodríguez drew Spidey and the Avengers and finally one of the best Spider-Man artists, Marcos Martin drew the surreal mindscape that Peter explores. This is a good formula that is quickly disregarded for the remaining issues, which is drawn by Guiseppe Camuncoli, who does a serviceable job at presenting an epic if predictable climax that is still enjoyable, especially when arguably the one true Spider-Man is back from the grave.
Towards the end of Superior in 2014, Marvel announced the revival of The Amazing Spider-Man, in which Peter has regained his body and the Spider-Man mantle. As much as I enjoyed this series that shows how a former villain would do if he was Spider-Man, seeing Peter Parker putting on his classic red and blue suit was a real punch-in-the-air moment. However, that final issue is rather anti-climactic as Peter resolves the situation with ease and the true reveal of the Goblin King is a pale attempt of second-guessing the readers, as well as setting up where the characters will go with Amazing, which has not gained a great response.
I will always love Peter Parker, who shall forever be my Spidey, but considering the highs and lows of this controversial title, Superior is one of the best stories that gave a new angle to the Spider-Man mythos, as well as Doc Ock.
June 22, 2014
Look, this was a good romp. We all had fun, but let's call a spade a spade. This was a gimmick. And this is the volume that makes it perfectly clear. It's also what makes these kinds of things so frustrating.
Sure, SpOck was kind of a jerk and I didn't like him all the time, but he was interesting and new. There was a lot happening that was really really interesting. And then this book happened. It just cheapens the experience and the characters. Honestly, we all knew what was going to happen, but it just wasn't long enough. There was too much groundwork laid and it's already being undone. What's worse is that most of it is being undone because of a cop out.
Ok, big spoiler coming up because I need to put it out there to explain my issue with this volume.
Seriously. Spoiler.
Last chance.
Ok, so, like I said, we were all expecting Peter to come back. He's been slowly building strength for a while now. It was shaping up to be another epic showdown like we saw back in the beginning of the series. But then we get into the middle of Goblin Nation, which, in it's own right, was a pretty compelling arc. Peter is still gaining strength and suddenly you realize that this showdown is going to happen in the middle of this big thing they've been building to for ages. Won't that mess up the pacing? No. No it won't. Not because it's handled well. No, it's because SpOck gives up. With no reason. There's a feeble attempt to pass it off as Otto realizing how good Peter is, but it's so half hearted that it's pathetic. Sure, there's an arc of Otto realizing what it is to be a hero and let to go of his issues with Peter, but that's not where the focus is. It just really cheapened the whole series for me.
Ok, back on track, Goblin Nation was interesting, but it got clumsy. Aside from the above, it also tries to force in an Annual, Spider-Man 2099, and all sorts of other stuff. It's just action and unfocused. There are some highlights, though. Lamaze has an excellent moment in the book. One of the best feels I've had in comics lately. But overall I'm just not impressed. By the time I'd decided against liking this series, I was too far in to not finish it.
As for the art, it's solid. It's good enough that it's there to support the story but doesn't overshadow it.
I think if you look at SSM in the future, it will be an interesting story. There are definitely things the author was trying to accomplish, but it got too muddied by editorial mandates and maintaining the status quo. If this had been something tried by a smaller publisher, it would have been a lot better.
Sure, SpOck was kind of a jerk and I didn't like him all the time, but he was interesting and new. There was a lot happening that was really really interesting. And then this book happened. It just cheapens the experience and the characters. Honestly, we all knew what was going to happen, but it just wasn't long enough. There was too much groundwork laid and it's already being undone. What's worse is that most of it is being undone because of a cop out.
Ok, big spoiler coming up because I need to put it out there to explain my issue with this volume.
Seriously. Spoiler.
Last chance.
Ok, so, like I said, we were all expecting Peter to come back. He's been slowly building strength for a while now. It was shaping up to be another epic showdown like we saw back in the beginning of the series. But then we get into the middle of Goblin Nation, which, in it's own right, was a pretty compelling arc. Peter is still gaining strength and suddenly you realize that this showdown is going to happen in the middle of this big thing they've been building to for ages. Won't that mess up the pacing? No. No it won't. Not because it's handled well. No, it's because SpOck gives up. With no reason. There's a feeble attempt to pass it off as Otto realizing how good Peter is, but it's so half hearted that it's pathetic. Sure, there's an arc of Otto realizing what it is to be a hero and let to go of his issues with Peter, but that's not where the focus is. It just really cheapened the whole series for me.
Ok, back on track, Goblin Nation was interesting, but it got clumsy. Aside from the above, it also tries to force in an Annual, Spider-Man 2099, and all sorts of other stuff. It's just action and unfocused. There are some highlights, though. Lamaze has an excellent moment in the book. One of the best feels I've had in comics lately. But overall I'm just not impressed. By the time I'd decided against liking this series, I was too far in to not finish it.
As for the art, it's solid. It's good enough that it's there to support the story but doesn't overshadow it.
I think if you look at SSM in the future, it will be an interesting story. There are definitely things the author was trying to accomplish, but it got too muddied by editorial mandates and maintaining the status quo. If this had been something tried by a smaller publisher, it would have been a lot better.
November 3, 2025
От ми і підійшли до завершення першої серії Суперіора. І так, Зелений Гоблін зі своїми підданими розпочав повномасштабну атаку на Нью-Йорк, скориставшись глітчом у роботах Павука, павучий острів зруйновано, близькі люди Пітера опиняються під прицілом, як і близькі Отто, як і важливі для нього місця оскільки Норман знає, чия свідомість ховається під маскою Павука. Проблем додає і те, що Джеймсону уривається терпець щодо Павука і того, що він його шантажує, а тому мер випускає нові моделі Убивців Павука, щоб позбутися нашого героя. Поки все це відбувається, залишки свідомості Пітера мандрують по спогадах Отто. А, ну і ще тут була Ватанабе, але кому не все одно. Ось цей невеликий підсюжет з тим як вона разом з Карлі розслідують те, що Отто захопив тіло Пітера, якщо дивитися на нього в контексті усіх серії вийшов ніяким, і був потрібен лише для того, щоб в результаті Озборн дізнався ким насправді є Суперіор.
Фінал вийшов насиченим, емоційним і досить навіть динамічним, основний сюжет малював Джузепе Камунколі, який видав хорошу роботу. Слотта досить вдало вдалося вплести майже усі побічні лінії та персонажів, які були у цій серії у фінал. Щодо самого Отто то тут він виходить досить безпорадним в прямому протистоянні з Гобліном, що насправді було правильним рішенням, як ніяк саме Нормана зазвичай позиціонують як головного поганця Павука і те, що він стає тією загрозою через яку Октавіусу доводиться переосмислити свої дії та повернути Пітера класно. Що у випадку Гобліна не класно так це твіст щодо його особистості та зв'язку з однією компанією, ось цей елемент, як на мене, був найслабший у цьому томі.
Окей, а зараз я мушу сказати, що помилявся і беру свої слова назад. Впродовж довгого часу я вважав і говорив, що фінали усіх трьох серій Суперіора лайно, однак перечитавши цю серію та фінал мушу сказати, що це не так. Частково це я казав через те, що постійно чув від людей про те, що ран завершився раніше запланованого і, що злі редактори наказали Слотту згорнути лавочку, бо виходив новий фільм з Ендрю Ґарфілдом, однак зараз усвідомивши, що фанати Павука деге... група людей якій не варто вірити на слово спробував знайти якесь підтвердження. І як виявилося справжня ситуація зворотня, як виявилося серія "Superior Spider-Man" існує всупереч бажанням різних авторів, які не хотіли, щоб їхнього Людину Павука заміняли і їм доводилося використовувати Отто, серія яка повинна була існувати тільки шість номерів, але Ден Слотт скористався виходом фільму і продовжив їй час до його виходу.
"Superior Spider-Man" є чудовою серією і я неймовірно радий, що таки перечитав її, як виявилося вона набагато краща ніж я пам'ятав і є однозначно вартою уваги.
Фінал вийшов насиченим, емоційним і досить навіть динамічним, основний сюжет малював Джузепе Камунколі, який видав хорошу роботу. Слотта досить вдало вдалося вплести майже усі побічні лінії та персонажів, які були у цій серії у фінал. Щодо самого Отто то тут він виходить досить безпорадним в прямому протистоянні з Гобліном, що насправді було правильним рішенням, як ніяк саме Нормана зазвичай позиціонують як головного поганця Павука і те, що він стає тією загрозою через яку Октавіусу доводиться переосмислити свої дії та повернути Пітера класно. Що у випадку Гобліна не класно так це твіст щодо його особистості та зв'язку з однією компанією, ось цей елемент, як на мене, був найслабший у цьому томі.
Окей, а зараз я мушу сказати, що помилявся і беру свої слова назад. Впродовж довгого часу я вважав і говорив, що фінали усіх трьох серій Суперіора лайно, однак перечитавши цю серію та фінал мушу сказати, що це не так. Частково це я казав через те, що постійно чув від людей про те, що ран завершився раніше запланованого і, що злі редактори наказали Слотту згорнути лавочку, бо виходив новий фільм з Ендрю Ґарфілдом, однак зараз усвідомивши, що фанати Павука деге... група людей якій не варто вірити на слово спробував знайти якесь підтвердження. І як виявилося справжня ситуація зворотня, як виявилося серія "Superior Spider-Man" існує всупереч бажанням різних авторів, які не хотіли, щоб їхнього Людину Павука заміняли і їм доводилося використовувати Отто, серія яка повинна була існувати тільки шість номерів, але Ден Слотт скористався виходом фільму і продовжив їй час до його виходу.
"Superior Spider-Man" є чудовою серією і я неймовірно радий, що таки перечитав її, як виявилося вона набагато краща ніж я пам'ятав і є однозначно вартою уваги.
September 28, 2014
3 1/2 Stars
As much as I have enjoyed Doc Ock's run as Spider-Man it was definitely time to bring Parker back, because the premise was getting a bit tired.
I felt like this was mostly about killing time until the big return, which really wasn't all that exciting. I feel like there was tons of build up with very little payoff. Slot decided to take the sentimental emotional route over the action packed epic duel which was fine but after so much build up I expected Parker's actual return to be a bit more spectacular instead of 'blink and you miss it'.
Unfortunately the 2099 characters who had faded into the background came back into forefront, I shocking hate Miguel O'Hara.
Really I hate all of the stupid side characters.... Wraith and Hobgoblin to be exact. To be honest I've never been much of a Green Goblin fan either, he just seems like a lame Joker (sorry I'm a DC girl). Plus everytime he called himself the Goblin King I thought of David Bowie.
Then Spidey pulls off Goblin's mask to reveal
I was hoping for more collaboration between Peter and Otto before the switch back. I wish people weren't so accepting of Parker's 'oh I was possessed by Otto' story, I was hoping he would have to deal with the Avengers' distrust and MJ's anger. The wrap up was just a bit too tidy.
Overall, I'm happy with the Superior Spider-man storyline. I think it was clever, interesting, and fun but Parker's return could have come a bit sooner.
As much as I have enjoyed Doc Ock's run as Spider-Man it was definitely time to bring Parker back, because the premise was getting a bit tired.
I felt like this was mostly about killing time until the big return, which really wasn't all that exciting. I feel like there was tons of build up with very little payoff. Slot decided to take the sentimental emotional route over the action packed epic duel which was fine but after so much build up I expected Parker's actual return to be a bit more spectacular instead of 'blink and you miss it'.
Unfortunately the 2099 characters who had faded into the background came back into forefront, I shocking hate Miguel O'Hara.
Really I hate all of the stupid side characters.... Wraith and Hobgoblin to be exact. To be honest I've never been much of a Green Goblin fan either, he just seems like a lame Joker (sorry I'm a DC girl). Plus everytime he called himself the Goblin King I thought of David Bowie.
Then Spidey pulls off Goblin's mask to reveal
I was hoping for more collaboration between Peter and Otto before the switch back. I wish people weren't so accepting of Parker's 'oh I was possessed by Otto' story, I was hoping he would have to deal with the Avengers' distrust and MJ's anger. The wrap up was just a bit too tidy.
Overall, I'm happy with the Superior Spider-man storyline. I think it was clever, interesting, and fun but Parker's return could have come a bit sooner.
May 6, 2014
Are there all that many fans of Doctor Octopus? Alfred Molina gave the guy some pathos pre-villainy in Spider-Man 2, but I can't think of many instances in the comics where I actually cared much about the motivations of the metal-tentacled genius with the bowl hair cut. His character hasn't received much of an update over the years, and even in Ultimate Spider-Man, which I generally enjoyed, painted him as a fairly uncomplicated psychopath.
What Dan Slott really nailed in this series was to highlight the most interesting traits of both Peter Parker and Doctor Octavius by contrasting them in the same body. It really shows a Octavius that wrapped himself in an arrogance built around his intelligence because everything else in his world brought him pain.
His attempts also show that a more motivated, more ambitious Spider-Man might just destroy the damn city. But throughout I found myself rooting for this weird narcissist who, for perhaps the first time, decided to dabble in do-gooding.
There's a growing genre of super-hero stories where the character realizes that beating up villains isn't a particularly proactive or intelligent way to make the world a better place. It's a question I think we should ask more often. It reflects a growing discontent with what a hero really is and what they should work towards. Wouldn't a genius like Parker be better served curing diseases and disabilities rather than swinging around the city punching bank robbers?
Also, as an only occasional reader of mainstream Marvel continuity, I appreciated that Dan Slott kept the references to the batshit crazy megastories of past arcs to a minimum. I'm the sort of comic reader who follows writers, not characters, so it's nice to have a story that doesn't send me running to Wikipedia to figure out what the hell Spider Island involves.
It's not really a spoiler to say that Octopus doesn't last forever in Parker's body. How on earth could that last indefinitely? But it ends with such a graceful note that I almost wish the mad doctor could find a new home with Slott as the writer.
What Dan Slott really nailed in this series was to highlight the most interesting traits of both Peter Parker and Doctor Octavius by contrasting them in the same body. It really shows a Octavius that wrapped himself in an arrogance built around his intelligence because everything else in his world brought him pain.
His attempts also show that a more motivated, more ambitious Spider-Man might just destroy the damn city. But throughout I found myself rooting for this weird narcissist who, for perhaps the first time, decided to dabble in do-gooding.
There's a growing genre of super-hero stories where the character realizes that beating up villains isn't a particularly proactive or intelligent way to make the world a better place. It's a question I think we should ask more often. It reflects a growing discontent with what a hero really is and what they should work towards. Wouldn't a genius like Parker be better served curing diseases and disabilities rather than swinging around the city punching bank robbers?
Also, as an only occasional reader of mainstream Marvel continuity, I appreciated that Dan Slott kept the references to the batshit crazy megastories of past arcs to a minimum. I'm the sort of comic reader who follows writers, not characters, so it's nice to have a story that doesn't send me running to Wikipedia to figure out what the hell Spider Island involves.
It's not really a spoiler to say that Octopus doesn't last forever in Parker's body. How on earth could that last indefinitely? But it ends with such a graceful note that I almost wish the mad doctor could find a new home with Slott as the writer.
June 26, 2015
This volume wraps up nearly everything from the Superior Spider-Man run. I don't think it's really a spoiler that the real Peter is back, but how he came back is fairly anti-climactic. While it made sense because the story had been building to that moment, you immediately think "that's it?"
There's some stuff about the Green Goblin's status quo that changes. I sort of see the reason, but I'm still on the fence about it. Slott has Norman a little too smart IMO, making him out to be super-genius level and on top of that Slott ratcheted up his "diabolical-ness" even more to the point of being a caricature.
Clearly the real Peter has much to explain, much to apologize for and much to understand in order to integrate into his life again, which is partially the point of all this, giving Slott seeds for story ideas. Despite the Superior Spider-Man's story devolving it did serve to highlight how well Peter does handle things, despite the sometimes chaotic amount of stuff happening at once and despite his personal feelings he's still manages to pull it all together and maintain some sense of a normal life and happiness while saving the day.
Seeing him return and back in action was a thrill. Long live Peter Parker!
There's some stuff about the Green Goblin's status quo that changes. I sort of see the reason, but I'm still on the fence about it. Slott has Norman a little too smart IMO, making him out to be super-genius level and on top of that Slott ratcheted up his "diabolical-ness" even more to the point of being a caricature.
Clearly the real Peter has much to explain, much to apologize for and much to understand in order to integrate into his life again, which is partially the point of all this, giving Slott seeds for story ideas. Despite the Superior Spider-Man's story devolving it did serve to highlight how well Peter does handle things, despite the sometimes chaotic amount of stuff happening at once and despite his personal feelings he's still manages to pull it all together and maintain some sense of a normal life and happiness while saving the day.
Seeing him return and back in action was a thrill. Long live Peter Parker!
April 4, 2015
While this series did a great job creating a wealth of intricacies regarding how Otto inhabited Parker's body, the Goblin stuff felt forced, though I'm someone who thinks that Joker and Goblin are only effective when played sparingly and aren't written as well as they were in the past.
Even if I didn't like the use of Green Goblin now, I'd have found him to be proof of the fact that this volume is rather overstuffed: there's lots of goblins, and they're everywhere, and they're formidable, but Parker/Otto prevails naturally. It's a familiar Spider-Man story an that's both welcome and not, considering that SSM did well to subvert Spider-Man's familiar tropes.
Despite being overstuffed and perhaps a bit too fast-paced, it never falls apart, which is highly commendable.
Even if I didn't like the use of Green Goblin now, I'd have found him to be proof of the fact that this volume is rather overstuffed: there's lots of goblins, and they're everywhere, and they're formidable, but Parker/Otto prevails naturally. It's a familiar Spider-Man story an that's both welcome and not, considering that SSM did well to subvert Spider-Man's familiar tropes.
Despite being overstuffed and perhaps a bit too fast-paced, it never falls apart, which is highly commendable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews