The Superior Spider-Man, Vol. 5: Superior Venom

The Superior Spider-Man (2013)

by Dan Slott, Christos Gage, Humberto Ramos (Illustrator)

Collects Superior Spider-Man (2013) #22-26 and Superior Spider-Man Annual #1.

Flash Thompson, the Secret Avenger known as Venom, is back in town - but will his first run-in with the Superior Spider-Man be friendly, or will Flash sense something perilous about Peter Parker's presence? And as Otto Octavius takes another big step in his life as Peter Parker, could a big part of Flash's life be coming to a close? Will he be Venom no more? As Cardiac returns, MJ faces her fears, and a new Goblin is born, the one question everyone will be asking is, "Who is the Superior Venom?!" And after half a century, don't miss one of the most cringe-worthy moments in all of Spidey-history! Guest-starring the Avengers! Plus: Blackout wants to re-establish his reputation by killing the Superior Spider-Man - and to do so, he targets Aunt May!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Spider Man, Superheroes, Comic Book, Fiction

150 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Dan 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.

Reviews

[Alejandro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not 100% superior, but still amazing reading!


This TPB edition collects issues #22-26 + Annual #1 from the title of “Superior Spider-Man”.

Creative Team:

Writers: Dan Slott & Christos Gage

Illustrators: Humberto Ramos, Javier Rodríguez & Marcos Martin


SUPER-HERO 2.0

Everything is going exactly exactly according to plan.

Dr. Otto Octavious’ mind is still in control of the body of Peter Parker, therefore he is the Superior Spider-Man! However he doesn’t only got Peter’s powers but also in the package came along Peter’s sense of responsibility, and due that Otto understood why heroes exist and he keeps the role of super-hero, but once villain mastermind, always villain mastermind, so while Otto will honestly play the role of super-hero, really doing his best to keep safe his city, he will do it making tactical improvements in the act that only a true mastermind can conceive...

...with thousands of small spider-bots patrolling New York for any crime or emergency, having his own private army of foot soldiers and manned mecha to back him up in battles, and his own island serving as headquarters, certainly the good ol’ Otto IS the Superior Spider-Man!

Even, thanks to Otto, finally Peter Parker got his college doctorate and starting his own technological company, Parker Industries! Yep, Otto is also the Superior Peter Parker!


AVENGERS, GOBLINS AND…VENOM!

This city has a protector... a lethal protector.

However, even a villain mastermind and superior hero has limits about how much can handle at once...

The Goblin King’s Underground Domain is thriving thanks that he tampered spider-bots’ protocols and now anyone with a Goblin-like costume is “invisible” to their sensors, allowing to happen “secret” Goblin Wars, between the Goblin King and the original Hobgoblin.

The Avengers aren’t happy with the now not-so-Friendly Superior-hood and his methods.

And whaddayaknow...

...VENOM is back in town!!!

But now he is “Agent Venom” (da frak?) and the lethal symbiote is in control of Flash Thompson (yep, him), and even is a covert-ops Avenger!!!

Bummer that nobody told to good ol’ Otto...

...so yes... LEEEEET’S GET READY TOOOOO RUMBLE!!!


FAMILY ISSUES

Otto Octavious not only got Peter Parker’s life but also his family.

Otto is a man with different taste in women than Peter, so he already terminated any chance of a romantic relationship with Mary Jane Watson and now Anna Maria Marconi is the lucky girl in the heart of the Superior Spider-Man.

Anna Maria is a small person (she has a medical condition of dwarfism) and believe it or not, good ol’ Aunt May, one of the sweetest characters ever conceived in comic books’ history, will show having the finesse of a bulldozer approaching the topic in the face of the very Anna Maria.

J. Jonah Jameson is now part of Peter Parker’s family due that Aunt May married Jay Jameson (J. Jonah’s dad) and while he initially showed genuine intention of supporting the Superior Spider-Man, now due a little itsy bitsy teenie weenie blackmailing thing, J. Jonah now is scheming a slaying plan to literally destroy that public menace known as the Superior Spider-Man.

Family, mmh? We can’t live with them and without them.


ART ATTACK

I am grateful that, in this saga of Superior Spider-Man, there is the artistic talent of Humberto Ramos. I am fan of his art style for many years and I’ve been lucky to get most of his Indy works (Crimson, Out There, Revelations). So definitely, it’s a plus having him as one of the illustrators in this saga, and thank goodness he did most of the illustrations in the volume.

However, one bad thing in this particular trade paperback was that they had also Javier Rodríguez drawing some pages in the issue #26 and the whole Annual #1, since honestly I can’t believe that Marvel Comics wouldn’t have any other illustrator around to work in the project, since I don’t like to be offensive but I found Javier Rodríguez’s art style totally lame and unworthy to be published in comic books published by of one of the two biggest comic books’ houses. Easily was the key factor to take away one star of the general rating of the story.

[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's all a happening, as Superior Spider-Man does his thing his own way, incidents lead to what could be the world's worst nightmare is back - welcome back Venom! Some big changes for Flash Thompson are afoot. There's also a new Goblin. And who, or what is, Superior Venom? Not as powerful or innovative as the earlier volumes but still the best ongoing stories since JMS in opinion! 7.5 out of 12., scaping into a Four Star read area.

2014 read

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Say hello to your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Venom!



So, as many of you already know, Venom is actually Flash Thompson, one of (the real) Peter Parker's best friends, and war vet who lost his legs in combat. He's been working with S.H.I.E.L.D. as an agent and is in control of the Venom-symbiote, which allows him to have his legs back during his time as Agent Venom. Of course, since Otto purged Parker's memories, he has no idea who Flash is, or that he's a friend. He only knows the old Venom.
And the old Venom was a threat...



This is the volume where you really start to see the flaws in Doc Ock's way of doing things. His hubris starts to cause major problems when dealing with Flash, and his ego gets in the way of a peaceful resolution to their problems. Instead of hugging it out, and having an Amazing team-up?
The Superior Spider-man ends up getting taken over by the symbiote.



And what happens when Doctor Octopus is under the influence of a parasitic...sorry, symbiotic evil alien?



Ok, no, he doesn't dance. But there's quite a bit of douchebaggery, nonetheless.



I love this title! Superior or not, Dan Slott has made Doc Ock one of my favorite characters in the Marvel universe. I'm going to be sad to see him go...

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

22 - Agent Venom takes on the Crimemaster and Spidey wants them both! Parker Industries is up and running!

Not a lot actually happened in this other than my one line summary. Spider-Otto reminds me of Darth Vader at times. While I'm enjoying the Superior Spider-Man quite a bit, I'll be glad when Petey eventually takes back control.

23 - Venom escapes and Spidey is furious! Meanwhile, J. Jonah Jameson goes to Alchemax for help to get a certain Spider-monkey off his back and Aunt May finally meets Anna-Maria.

Things really kicked up a notch in this volume. Otto's single-mindedness when it comes to fighting crime is getting even more out of hand. I'm curious about where the whole Flash Thompson angle is going.

24 - The Superior Venom is on the rampage! Can Otto get the symbiote under control or will he be a bigger monster than ever?

Yeah, the shit has really hit the fan. Flash Thompson is dying and Otto is way out of control. To top it off, the Avengers are on their way. This run must have been hell waiting for month to month.

25 - The shitstorm is now an F5 as The Avengers show up to take down The Superior Venom! Also, the Hobgoblin doesn't like what the Green Goblin is doing. And what's going to happen with Carlie Cooper?

Now that was some carnage. To top it off, Menace and Monster are set to go on a rampage and the Hobgoblin and Green Goblin are about to war on each other. How much longer will Otto be able to maintain the charade?

26 - The Avengers have come for Spidey and the Goblins are gunning for him. What's a super-villain in a webslinger's body to do?

Spidey quits the Avengers in dramatic fashion and the Goblin King reigns over his Goblin Nation. The war for Spider-Island is coming fast! And Peter Parker survives in Spidey's head after all!

Annual 1 - The vampire Blackout comes for Aunt May as a way to strike at Peter Parker, the man the mob thinks makes Spider-Man's gadgets!

Nice cameo by Danny Ketch in this one. Spider-Man and Blackout have a surprisingly good fight. It does not end well for Blackout. And it finally looks like the big Spider-Man vs. Green Goblin gang war has arrived!

Closing Thoughts: Dan Slott's examination of what it means to be a hero is coming to an end soon as Otto continues to unravel. While it's been a very interesting and enjoyable road, I'm glad the destination is finally in sight. Four out of five stars.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. Octopus is still inhabiting the body of Peter Parker and still making superior tweaks to the Spider-Man business, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that he’s also an unbalanced “superior” (read: smug, insufferable) jerk.

“Hey, Ock, eating five plates of Aunt May’s wheatcakes won’t erase the fact that you’ve been an ass to practically everyone. I hope the wheatcakes give you the squirts while you’re swinging around New York.”

This volume: Venom, now a crime stopper (and super-secret Avenger) is in town and because Ock has laid waste to Parker's memories, he sees him as not only a threat but also something to be exploited. It doesn’t quite work out that way (see gif below).

The Superior Annual, at the end of this collection, has Spider-Man/Ock running up against half-demon Blackout, who’s threatened Parker’s family. Ock’s use of pliers and a blowtorch will guarantee this won’t happen again. Ever. Ugh!

Bottom line: So far, this is the lesser of the Superior Spider volumes. Peter Parker’s back in Doc Ock’s head. Wait. What? How? Still it beats the clone saga by a million miles.



Face it, Tiger, you’re going off the deep end!

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blast you Gage, you insufferable buffoon! Which incompetent fool thought you could even hold the incomparable Slott's pen for him, let alone co-script any of this run alongside that incomparable genius, that master of the divine scripted word?

I see that if I want anything done right, I'll have to send one of my minions to have you dispatched to a place where your disastrous intellect can do no further harm to this world. Perhaps your kind can be tolerated among the Muppet Babies?

No one should be allowed to put second-rate exposition in the mouth of the superlative Otto Octavius! Why, it's an insult to science! And a terrific inconvenience, when I have a whole city to patrol - and a freshly-peeled alien symbiote to command! If only I didn't have to suffer utter imbeciles, I would have already discovered the secret to fulfilling every one of that inferior Parker's failed ambitions!

All I need is one or two additional opportunities to prove my superiority over the police, the Avengers, and those scientific degenerates, and my precarious and crumbling plans will finally bear the fruit that is deserving of my vast intellect and impossible willpower.

At a minimum, it is acceptable that Humberto Ramos knows how to execute portraiture of my exquisite form in battle, and allows the plebeians to enjoy with "fun" their passive and respectful admiration of my exploits.

[Mike here, while Otto has his head turned: Not even gonna pretend to read Gage's Annual. Annuals are usually disposable, sometimes a chance for up-and-comers to try some wild ideas and tryout for the majors. Other times they're just filler by "reliable" creators who are there at a moment's notice to do whatever shit job editorial needs done fast and on time.]

...

[Hilarious, at least to me - I discovered *another* bilous review of this book - it pissed me off so much, I slammed it twice! Read on...]

Christos Gage. They should publish his writings under a pseudonym, so guys like me with a full-on hatred of his writing "style" don't despise it immediately. Then again, there must be fans - or maybe just one fan among Marvel's editorial staff.

This is just the usual sins. Monologuing. Over-announcing the stuff we know, could infer, or can actually see drawn in the panels. Stiff writing like having Otto talk about re-evaluating his brutal ways on one page, and then threaten "by any means necessary" a few pages later. Leave nothing to the imagination eh Mr. Gage? Seems your only writing teacher was 60's Stan Lee.

Where we see Slott's influence is less on the dialogue (which I assume he left far too much of to Gage, while he was off launching Silver Surfer) and all on the fun romp through the tottering shambles that is the life of both Parker *and* Spidey.

In previous volumes, I've been pretty pissed at Slott for creating the house of cards of future pain and misery that Otto is building for Parker (who *will* eventually regain his body, we know). Somehow in this volume, I've been secretly enjoying just how much Otto is wrecking things - not deliberately, but more as a slow, inevitable consequence of his own attempts to be better than Parker ever was. Whether it's launching a new tech company, helping his Aunt May, building a relationship with Anna, or keeping crime at bay (and running a gang of henchmen in the process), I'm believing the "pride cometh before the fall" underpinnings of this patchwork of good-that-goes-awry.

It's all the more a crime that Ramos and Slott have to suffer at the hands of the master of mediocre. In purer hands, this book would have been another masterwork in the Superior run.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you haven’t been keeping up with the Spidey news, Peter Parker’s coming back after being “dead” for a year and a half which ISN’T a spoiler because a) superhero comics and b) duh (and if you’re reading this in the future, this isn’t news at all – in fact, they’ve probably killed him off again and put Pastepot Pete in Spidey’s body – The Pasty Spider-Man!).

What the news underlines is something I’ve noticed about this series which is the episodic nature of Superior Spider-Man where each book deals with a certain stage in Otto’s time as Spidey before moving on to the next. It might seem overly efficient but I quite like it. This time around it’s Venom’s turn as Flash Thompson/Venom shows up in NYC and Spidey takes him down, separating the symbiote from him, and absorbing it himself, believing he can control it – which of course he can’t.

I want to say that this is an amazing book like the first three but it’s not. It’s what you’d expect from a Superior Venom book and doesn’t really surprise the reader with any flourishes. Dan Slott’s usual brilliance is somewhat dimmed in this book by Christos Gage, the hack he’s co-written the series with, and Gage brings his slapdash style to the story where you find yourself caring less about the characters and find your attention drifting at times with the story.

Which isn’t to say it’s all bad as there are still some great moments like when Peter invites Anna Maria to meet May and Jay and May kinda patronises Anna Maria for being a small person - it’s awkward in a slightly funny “she’s from an older generation” way. Parker Industries is up and running which I’m sure will be cool to see grow and develop in future stories and it’s nice to see MJ make an appearance in the story. The Superior Venom fights are ok too, and Flash has some interesting character moments, separated from the super-powered side of his personality.

But the ending? That’s the big payoff. Peter comes back in a big way, characters die, old characters change, NYC changes, and the Goblin King takes centre stage for the final part of Superior Spider-Man. It’s a great ending that really props the book up.

Humberto Ramos continues to kill it with the art. His action scenes are dynamic and crazy looking, his layouts are amazing, and I love the emotion he gives all of the characters with their facial expressions and body language. His design for the Superior Venom is awesome too.

Like the last book, I wasn’t as in love with it as much as I was the first three volumes of the series, but it’s still a really enjoyable, inventive and fun book in a great series. Sad to see it winding down, but all good things etc., eh? Superior Spider-Man continues to be a must-read comic for all Marvel zombies and Spidey aficionados out there.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was so good.

It starts with Venom coming and facing off against Spidey but then Flash meeting his friend Peter not knowing who he really is. Meanwhile Peter has made something to cure Aunt mays legs but things go sideways as he has other plans. The Superior Venom is here and it's so cool to see, it's Ock in Pete's body with Venom Symbiote. Crazy.

Then the face off with Avengers, Enter Iron man. More people believe something is wrong with Peter and it's one of the coolest fights seeing Spider-man vs the Avengers.

And Peter returning!!!

Plus an annual when Aunt May is kidnapped by Blackout what length will Otto go to save her and it was a good read. And a fascinating one too. Though the art in that one and the resolution to that was weird.

Plus the Goblin war starting soon. I am loving the slow build up to it and just shows how far this has been coming up and Green Goblin vs Hob Goblin finally which could have been better handled tho. Aside from it it's another terrific read!!

[Jesse A · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series was once so promising but it's really gone off the rails. Super disappointing. 2.5 stars.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, this was the least successful of the Superior Spider-Man books. Don't get me wrong, I still think that Slott is doing a great job on this book. This just kind of felt like filler. If I cared about Venom more, I probably would have been much more invested. But I don't, not really. In fact, I've cared so little about Venom that I didn't even know that Flash Thompson is now hosting the symbiote. (I actually think that's an interesting idea, and maybe I'll look up when and where it happened.) But this isn't a skippable volume, despite being mostly filler. A few important things happen, including Peter finally introducing his aunt to his girlfriend, which doesn't go terribly well. Aunt May's cringe-inducing, condescending reaction to finding out her nephew is dating a little person is horribly realistic, and it allows Otto to display his single more redeeming feature, his love for Anna Maria. There's also some lead-in to the storyline that we've all been waiting for, Superior Spider-Man vs. Green Goblin. This is going to be interesting.

[RG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun with the goblin battle.

[Molly™☺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A marginal step-up from the last volume, it still maintains a lot of flaws from the previous, but with a little more of the spark that made the early entries so good. Otto's brutal ways are resulting in more significant consequences, and Peter's return is a welcome addition to what's shaping up to be a compelling conclusion. It's aiming to reach the highs of the series' peak without quite hitting the target.

[Lono · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Superior Spider-Man, Vol. 5: The Superior Venom
by Dan Slott, Christos Gage, Humberto Ramos (Illustrator), Javier Rodriguez (Illustrator)

My Review: 4 out of 5 stars



Ramos’s art in this volume was so DAMN good I’ve gotta start there. Humberto OWN’S Spider-man. His illustrations are the only reason I liked this collection a little more than the last one. (The Superior Spider-Man, Vol.4 Necessary Evil ). He just keeps getting better on this title. I’ve picked up Spidey stuff in the past based solely on his artwork, but this is him at his best. No mistaking his cartoony style for anyone else’s because it’s so distinctly recognizable, his layouts are so crazy good, and his characters are so uniquely drawn it just doesn’t get any better for me. Ramos conveys emotion so well with his facial expressions. You can tell by just looking at his work that he is so ridiculously enthusiastic about the characters and story. He is just, quite simply, THE SHIT. Now that I’ve got that out.



Slott picks up where he left off with the last volume and pretty much maintains the status quo. Not as great as the earliest volumes, but I can only hope he is building towards what will be the mother of all showdowns with the Goblin King in the next collection. But, don’t get me wrong, it’s still pretty kick ass. Agent Venom comes to NYC and crosses paths with Spidey in an encounter that’s reminiscent of his run in with the Black Cat in the last collection. I really like this version of Venom more than most of the previous reditions of the character. Flash Thompson’s history with Peter (and Octo-Pete’s inability to recall any of them) really makes their interactions more interesting than the drooling “must kill Spider-Man” Venom from years past. The Avengers show up again to make good on their promise to keep Spidey in line. This, of course, leads to another all-out brawl. A ton of action in this one kids. All the while the Goblin King lurks about, putting his pieces in place for what is sure to be a toe-curling climax in the next collection.



Aunt May, MJ, Anna Marie, Jay and the rest of the crew are all back for this one. Enjoyed the dinner with Anna Maria and Aunt May. The maniacal Peter is still friggin funny. Hearing Otto’s voice coming out of Parker’s mouth just doesn’t get old for me. The Superior Spider-Man Annual that was included at the end was sorta alright. Not sure it really did anything significant for the story that wasn’t done already and the art was ehh. And the villain, Blackout, lame. Otherwise, still a much better collection than most of the stuff out there and definitely worth a read. Bring on Goblin Nation. You should check out my pal's "Superior" reviews at ( Sam's review , Gavin's review) and

Get this review and more at:

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Venom! What would a Spider-Man be without a run in with an alien symbiote?
This is the Flash Thompson version of Venom (my favourite I think). Check out Rick Remender's great work on that title: Venom, Vol. 1

Here, Spidey gets a little too full of himself, and in trying to help Flash walk by repairing his legs, accidentally frees the Venom symbiote, which of course, takes over Otto.

This plot has moments where it meanders, but I think that's more to Christos Gage than to Slott.

The really important developments are as follows, to me at least: 1 - Otto's love for Anna Maria is shown when Aunt May makes an inappropriate remark, showing how good a person Otto actually is under it all.

2 - Carlie Cooper will never be the same after her capture by the Goblin King and his minions...

3 - The Goblin reveals himself to a longtime rival, who might not live to tell another soul about it.

4 - Otto-Venom goes nuts, and only the combined forces of the Avengers and Flash are able to combat it.

5 - Even then, Otto isn't able to free himself from the alien symbiote...but is someone else able to?

There's some very cool stuff here if you ignore the ho-hum bits. They're building to a huge Goblin/Spidey Showdown, and I cannot wait for that to arrive at the library!

I have a sneaking suspicion there's not much more for Otto to do, but I sure hope that doesn't mean the end of Superior, as it's been a fantastic series, and great way to bring new life to old characters.

This is also a great book for elevating Flash's status in the Marvel world, before, it seems only Captain America knows him (that being soldier thing helps) and Iron Man and Spidey both comment about having no idea who he is.

If you're invested in Flash Thompson at all (I am, thanks to Dan Slott actually, and Rick Remender, but mostly with the Flash Thompson ASM issue where he goes overseas and serves. That one was a rather well done one to me, so I like that he's moved on with his life and upwards) this is a great result.

If you just want to see more of Otto Parker, this is great too, but if you miss Peter...well, you're not alone, and don't fret...

This seems like the closest we've seen Otto go to returning to his evil ways, and that was only due to the Venom impact. Otto is able to convince the Avengers that it was Venom affecting him the whole time - way back to their first concern after he killed Massacre way back in Vol. 1. However, Iron Man, in all his paranoia, discovers something that Otto cannot talk his way out of, and it might spell the end of Spider-Man's membership with the Avengers!

All in all, a good recovery from a lacking Vol. 4 (NOTE - A lacking volume 4 of this series is better than the majority of volumes from many other series out there.) Cannot wait to get Vol. 6 from the library (assuming it's in before next year!!!)

[Malum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seeing Venom tear some stuff up was fun, but the highlight for me was the annual, where we see Spider-Man go all Punisher on somebody's ass.

The biggest complaint i have with this volume is that they must have gotten a new artist for issue 26, because the art so far has been pretty good, but in 26 it suddenly looks like they gave the drawing duties to a first year art student.

[Just a Girl Fighting Censorship · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much as I enjoy this Octavius story line it is time for it to come to a close. I think they have gotten all that they can out of the premise and it is time to move on and give Parker his body back. Still this comic continues to be entertaining and well produced. I highly enjoyed seeing SpideyOCK on symbiote and seeing practically nothing of Miguel O'Hara. However, I really could care less about the growing 'Goblin problem' so something tells me I might not enjoy the next volume...The Superior Spider-Man, Vol. 6: Goblin Nation, we shall see.

One thing that really bothered me was Aunt May's treatment of Anna Maria she really came across as quite the bitch. If they wanted tension and a chance for Ock to get mad they could have gone another route beyond Aunt May being height insensitive.



This volume closes out with the Spider-man annual which was a high point, I loved the change up in the art department and was fascinated with how Ock handled Aunt May being kidnapped by Blackout.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm kind of on the fence with this one.

I started and finished the book in one sitting, so it's not as if it was a slog to get through, with all the elements from the first four volumes that I'd enjoyed still in place.

But, it took a while to finally get to what I was most looking forward to, Venom. I'm aware that you can't rush into something like this and that you need to build up gradually but it took a little too long for me.

Speaking of taking too long, the whole Goblin Wars storyline is finally coming to fruition. This is one element of the series that has really dragged and I'll be happy to see it finally go somewhere.

By now it feels like it's time for the Superior Spiderman to take a bow and move over. As much as I've loved this run (and yes I'm aware I'm years behind at this point) especially as he's pointed out glaring faults of his predecessor, there doesn't feel like there's anywhere else he can be taken as a character. His methods are being rightly questioned and if he keeps going the way he is there'll be nobody left to challenge him.

I've enjoyed Superior Spiderman. A more focused and determined hero has been a welcomed change, but I'm missing the quips and sarcastic one liners, it's one of the things that drew me to the character. Plus, I can't wait to see how Parker deals with the fallout of everything that has happened in his "absence"

I'm not a big enough comic fan to pass judgement on the artwork. It didn't blow me away but I wasn't struggling to work out what was going on or repulsed by its simplicity etc. I've seen better and worse. Strange to say for a comic but as long as it's passable then I'm more focused on the story than the art. This is probably down to being a lover of novels more than comics.

3.75/5

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ehhhh this run is starting to get boring.

I will say the art is still great. I do love that my boy Flash Thompson comes in and gets to be a badass. The superior Dr. ock still is a selfish prick but his love for his gf is very cute. But everything else feels like fodder, like a filler but without being a filler...if that makes sense.

Point is, it's not bad, but I doubt I'll remember this arc 2 months from now.

[Bryan Fischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this one quite a bit! Really liked the Venom arc, and Annual #1 especially. There was one major reveal that happens that I was not a fan of as it seemingly came out of nowhere. Wish they re-worked it because I’m thinking it’s going to play a big factor in the next book/conclusion.
Artwork was really good throughout. I really liked the Superior Venom design. But using 3 different artists for issue #26 was a bit of an odd choice.

[Rory Wilding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things have been looking up for Otto Octavius, who is making remarkable changes living Peter Parker’s life as not only has he earned Peter his doctorate, but he’s founded Parker Industries. As Peter, Otto has strengthened his former adversary’s relationships with his family and has a new girlfriend with Anna Maria Marconi, while as the Superior Spider-Man, he is taking extreme measures in protecting New York from any and all threats.

Life may be good, but as always with Spider-Man, there are repercussions. In the first Superior Spider-Man Annual, Aunt May is held captive by the half-demon Blackout, who demands Peter, as Spider-Man's “tech designer”, hand himself over in exchange. With an annual, there are more pages than in a single monthly issue and written by Christos Gage (who has co-written through Dan Slott’s extensive run), he does bring a lot of filler with guest appearances from characters such as Ghost Rider and Doctor Strange.

I’m not quite invested in the supernatural side of the Marvel Universe, let alone interested in Blackout, who looks like a more hardcore Morbius. Frankly, Otto remains the most villainous figure on the page and certainly his brutal methods towards Blackout catches the attention of the attention of the elderly hostage, who subsequently tries to forbid her nephew to work alongside Spider-Man. The best thing to come out of the annual is the stunningly colourful art by Javier Rodríguez, whose pages can go from many small panels to highly-detailed splash pages. Considering how dark and violent this story is, Rodríguez’s weirdly upbeat art-style is a pleasant contrast.

Returning to the main series written by Slott, there are a lot of gears in motion, from Peter preparing to introduce her dwarf girlfriend to his aunt and her husband, Peter’s closest friends, including the Avengers are beginning to suspect who is under Spidey’s mask, and last but not least, one of Spider-Man's greatest enemies returns in a new way. When Flash Thompson AKA Agent Venom reunites with Spider-Man who has no memory of Peter’s history with the former jock, Otto decides to help with Flash’s legless problem, whilst deceptively apprehending the symbiote, which ends up bonding with Spidey, making once again all the wrong decisions.

Like I said before, with four issues, there is a lot going on, some of which you can cut out such as Miguel O’Hara’s brief appearance, as well as the first Hobgoblin Roderick Kingsley and his band of super misfits. That said, Humberto Ramos has been doing his best work with this title as his cartoonish art fits with the over-expansive narrative, whilst still able to draw the domesticity of Peter’s problematic personal life. The action is incredible with the Superior Venom looking monstrous and wreak havoc on the New York streets, which gets bigger and bigger, especially when Earth’s Mightiest Heroes step in.

At the end of this volume, it finally sets up something that has been teased since the beginning of this excellent run, the Goblin King and his army ready for war. However, the possible return of one key character makes the conclusion even more exciting.

[Roman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Сьогодні виходимо на фінішну пряму у серії відгуків на Суперіора. З 22 по 25 номер відбувається сюжет про Венома. Зав'язкою стає те, що Отто втручається в місію Агента Венома з наміром відібрати у нього симбіота. І оскільки Октавіус стер спогади Пітера то він не пам'ятає, що Флеш (а саме він був тоді носієм клінтара) є другом Паркера й планує придушити ветерана. По ходу сюжету Павуку таки вдається забрати симбіота, перетворитися в Суперіор Венома та почати сіяти хаос у місті, який призводить до сутички з Месниками та поверненню привида Пітера. Скажу чесно, це найслабший сюжет у серії, але тим не менш в пам'яті він у мене відклався гіршим ніж на справді є, тут є прикольні моменти як от, наприклад продовження підсюжету із Зеленим Гобліном та його протистоянням з Гобгобліном, чи коли Октавіус приходить посратися з тіткою Мей за її реакцію на те, що Марконі є карликом, а також те як Отто вирішує скористатися своєю трансформацією у Венома, щоб виправдати зміну своєї поведінки. Взагалі я колись почув, що цей сюжет йде більше як філер, який потрібен був для того щоб потягнути час до завершення серії і я от не знаю наскільки це правдиво, оскільки єдину інформацію яку я знайшов це те, що на його місці та на місці сюжету про Станер початково Слотт планував зробити Павучі Світі, поки його не переконали відкласти цей сюжет до повернення Пітера і вже тоді зробити.

У 26 номері завершується історія про протистояння Гоблінів, а також відбуваються конфронтація між Месниками та Суперіором, в результаті вийшов досить хороший та цікавий номер.

Перший щорічник розповідає історію про те як один мафіозник наймає суперлиходія Блекаута та розповідає йому про те, що Паркер працює на Павука аби той через нього дістався до супергероя та помстився за Кінґпіна. Перед нами ще один хороший випуск серії, який показує наскільки жорстоким може бути Отто, те, що він робить з Блекаутом за те, що той напав на тітку Мей реально жорстоко.

Передостанній том Суперіора викликав змішані враження, з одного боку у нас тут є однозначно найслабший сюжет в серії, який попри те має певні хороші моменти й поганим то його повноцінно не назвеш, просто ніяким, з іншого ж у нас тут є два цілком непоганих сюжети, які завершують його. Це все тепер змушує мене задуматися, а чи справді фінал настільки поганий наскільки я його пам'ятаю?

[Peter Derk · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want to talk like a villain, I have some handy hints for you.

1. Never call someone an "asshole."
If you use a word like Asshole, you're missing an opportunity to use a far more villainous word. Dummies aren't dummies, they're imbeciles. Or dolts. Even if someone is really acting like an asshole, make sure to call them simpleton instead.

2. Never call Robots "Robots".
They are automatons. Or auto-men. Or your army of robo-centric humanoids. Never, ever robots.

3. Never miss a chance to insult.
Classic Darth Vader line, "Then he is as clumsy as he is stupid." Haha, I always wish I could go in the movie and high-five him for that one. Nothing like taking a mistake and using it to point out TWO flaws about a person.

4. Never be below the absolute boiling point of rage.
Let's say you're Doctor Doom, and you're impersonating Daredevil's alter-ego, Matt Murdock. And let's say Foggy Nelson, your lifelong friend and confidant, comes into your office to deliver very important and relevant news. On the way in, he trips and spills a coffee cup on some papers.

Incorrect Response: Haha, oh, Foggy. Are you alright? No worries. That's why they make copy machines, right buddy?

Correct Response: You pig-headed dolt! Your imbecilic mincing about has ruined the plans for my new robonautnics. You and your simpleton ways have spoiled the plans of Doctor D- Matt Murdock for the last time!

[Ronson Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

This graphic novel series was awful. Just plain bad. George R.R. Martin gets to a point quicker! The story arch that is Doc Octopus inside Peter Parker's body/ mind has been stretched out far too long. While I had very high hopes for this collection, following how much I enjoyed "The Avenging Spider Man", a predecessor to this, I couldn't believe how disappointing this was. The art work is fine but every other element falls short, massively. I'm not one to normally prattle on in a review but I found that I disliked this so much, I needed to advise other potential readers against it. Despite its title, "Superior Venom", this graphic novel does so little with the potential that is the Venom character. Readers are given five seconds worth of interesting writing, only to have it dismissed with other random story lines, without introduction or logical flows. What's the real Peter Parker doing? Occasionally occupying panels in the novel to remind you that he's doing nothing but floating around, waiting for the "best time to strike". This never happens. I won't be following up to find out when or if it does.
Thanks for reading this rant and if you enjoyed this work and think I'm crazy, maybe I am! Everybody has their own opinion and a right to make one!
Ronson

[Jaye Berry]

There is a LOT going on in here and it really felt like it was going off the rails.

So we have Flash Thompson who is merged with the symbiote Venom showing up and after having wiped Peter's memories, Otto doesn't know that Flash is a friend who has Venom under control. Then things get out of hand and suddenly we have Superior Venom up in here with the Avengers showing up to open up a can of whoop ass.

I gotta be honest any time the Avengers show up I immediately go to sleep. They are supposed to be Earth's mightiest heroes and all that but every time I swear they just get their own asses handed to them?? I am not impressed. They did do good in here but I feel like it just took them too long with so many of them too but in the end they still do fuck all. Their entire appearance in here was just giving cameo.

Then there is a whole bunch of side plot about a goblin war building up and I can't express how much I don't care about any of those ugly ass goblins or what they are up to. Any time it cut to them just fighting each other for no reason I quickly kept it moving.

Let's be real for a quick second though- why the fuck does EVERYONE buy that Peter is just Spider-man's assistant who helps him with his tech? There is a part where he literally steps out quickly followed by Spider-man walking in and not a single person questions that being weirdo behavior. Even when he runs off to a spidey alert everyone is like, ah silly old Peter going to help his buddy Spider-man fight crime. :) It's giving people don't know Clark Kent is Superman just because he wears glasses.

I can just tell that Otto's run as Superior Spider-man is going to end because the cracks are showing through. He's letting his own ego get in the way but I'll miss him though!!

[Tesutamento · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marvel'ın aynı yıl Superior Carnage denemesinden sonra elbette okurlar Superior Venom' u bekleyecekti. Bu sayı o okurları ve tüm Venom/siyah kostüm hayranları için. Ben bu siyah kostümlülerden zaman içerisinde o kadar sıkıldım ki (sağ olsun sosyal medya, forumlar vs.) Otto'yla birlikteliklerinin nasıl olacağı hususu ilgimi çekiyordu fakat ne kadar az tipik Venom olursa o kadar iyi olacaktı. Cildin sonuna geldiğimde pek de memnun olmadım.

Olaylar çok beklendik şekilde ilerliyor. Otto Peter'ın yaşadığı şekilde bir güç zehirlenmesi yaşıyor ve çıkarmak istiyor. Günlük yaşamında da daha agresif tutum sergiliyor. Yine gereksiz bir Avengers müdahalesi kısmı var. Avengers vs Superior Venom süper fikir, değil mi?

Superior Spider-Man serisi ilk başladığında gerçekten şaşırtıcı konseptler ve fikirler barındırıyordu fakat Peter/Otto vücut değişimi hikayesi bu kadar uzatılmaması gereken bir hikayeymiş gibi geliyor artık. Hikaye daireler çizmeye başladı ve bu hissediliyor. Bir sonraki cildin son cilt olması isabetli ve belki azıcık geç kalınmış bir hamle olmuş. Umarım tüm seri boyunca kurdukları Green Goblin'li büyük final güzel bir kapanış olur.

[Michael Church · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite volume of the series by far. Partly because I'm a big Venom fan and was really excited to see Agent Venom in action for the first time. It was a nice tie in and made me really interested in reading the Venom standalone book. I also think it fit in a lot better than some other cameos. It was a little forced at first, and I think if appreciate the intro more if I was already following Venom's book, but it had a great payoff.

I'm also a sucker for hero against hero stuff. While SpOck was a jerk at first, eventually it just became part of the story and it really worked with the way it ended. The symbiote just works perfectly for all of the little plot points that Slott needed to accomplish with this volume. It doesn't hurt that it serves up a nice helping of fan service at the same time.

The build to Goblin Nation in this volume is also epic. I was intensely invested in the escalation of that situation and what's happening to those characters. It's going to be a really interesting battle and, honestly, this volume is the biggest reason so far that I'm excited for it.

The art continues to shine. Ramos has such a distinctive style. His look works most of the time, but there were a couple of times that Aunt May or MJ looked a little weird. What I thought really stood out was the last issue in the arc that had 3 artists being used for 3 completely separate story threads. It was great and each art style fit extremely well. The annual was also a real treat. Rodriguez gives a great look and as a standalone story, it really fits in well and works on it's own.

I'm excited to see the rest if this series now. This might be the volume that actually sold me on the Superior Spider-Man.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

The penultimate arc to Dan Slott's Superior Spider-man story line, and the final filler arc before the long alluded Goblin Nation arc, which will see the return of Norman Osborn as the Green Goblin.

Like the title suggests, this volume includes Venom and see's him confront Otto-Spider-man. Flighting follows suit and Ock gets the Venom symbiote for a while because that's what always happens in these symbiote storylines.

The following is very spoiler-rific because we also learn what we've suspected for a good while now: Peter isn't really gone! He's finally coming back! So we've had 5 trades (or 26 issues) of Doc Ock being Spider-man and trying to be the 'superior' Spider-man, and what have learnt? Well, that he's not actually the Superior Spider-man. Because even with all his gadgets and henchmen and his violence, he's no better at being Spider-man than Peter is. The real Superior Spider-man is actually Peter, because he doesn't need (as many) gadgets and henchmen to be Spider-man.

Near the end of this volume, there's 5 pages drawn by Marcos Martin. I really like Panel Syndicate, but I wish he was back on Spider-man as a regular. He's Ditko meets Romita but still has his own style.

[Zack! Empire · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I'm not really a big fan of Venom, but I'm still giving this book four stars. Why? Because it's a great series. Dan Slott and co have me so invested in this story they could put almost anyone in to it and I bet I would like it.
Saying that though I should point out that the stuff I liked most in this book was the non-Venom stuff. I like seeing Otto start his own company, showing him slip more and more as Spider-Man, and finally dealing with the problem of the Avengers. Plus, the Goblin War seems to have finally started, and we get a few nice surprises there! I can't wait to see this series wrapped up with the next collection, but I'm a bit sad to see it go!

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter Parker's personal life is a worthy centerpiece, and the police investigation into spiderman with Carlie is good enough to turn the pages. I really like Anna Maria Marconi and I buy in to how she can like Peter. I'm interested to see how this resolves.

The rest, with venom and the avengers and all-not all that interesting. The writers did a nice job of making the symbiote itself a character, but then dropped that ball pretty quickly. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't "superior."

[Alex Sarll]

There's a scene here which tries to suggest that Spider-Man is somehow out of control - because he's about to eviscerate someone for the crime of texting while driving. Nope, that is in fact an entirely sensible and proportionate response to a selfish and potentially lethal misdeed. Would that we had a few like him policing London's traffic.