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The Superior Spider-Man (2013) (Single Issues)
The Superior Spider-Man (2013-2014) #1
Peter Parker spent a lifetime living up to the responsibilities his powers foisted upon him but his story has finally ended. NOW! the new Spider-Man has arrived and he is better, smarter, stronger, and superior in every single way!
23 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 9, 2012
20 people are currently reading
514 people want to read
About the author
Dan Slott
2,004 books454 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 45 reviews
March 21, 2025
3/5 Stars
July 22, 2013
Weird.
Not a spoiler because it's how the volume begins, but what you should know is that Doctor Octopus has put his mind into the body of Peter Parker, Spider-Man.
It's one of those nightmare scenarios, where you're watching Doc Ock (yeah, wer're tight, I call him Ock) ruin Peter Parker's life because he comes at it the way he does his own. The thing is, Ock is really smart and kind of an asshole. Peter Parker is really smart, but absolutely not an asshole.
It's a book that tackles that old question. Haven't you always wondered if your life would be better if you were 10% more of an asshole? If you just cared a little less about what people thought and instead just did things because you felt like it? Because Ock isn't necessarily TRYING to ruin Peter Parker's life. It's not one of these situations where he's impersonating Spider-Man so that people will continue to call him a Menace. Or a Dennis. Or a...well, you can do the math on combining those terms. No, Ock is planning to remain as Peter Parker forever. He's in it for the long haul.
The experiment is interesting. Is there something essential to the characters that made them who they are, or could anyone be Spider-Man given some web shooters and a rad pair of pajamas?
Either way, between this and Brand New Day and Spider Island, for better or worse, I have to admit that I appreciate the people at Marvel being up for experimenting and trying some wild ideas with this character. Most of them, on paper, don't actually work. I mean, mind swap? This is the ultimate soap opera nuttiness. As is having a clone. Or secret agent parents. Hmm...
But really, even though the ideas sound pretty stupid, I end up enjoying where they go with them. Rather than take a big story (X-Men fighting the Avengers!? WHAAAAAT?!!!) and have the one-sentence premise BE the entirety of the story, the spider books do a good job of making the premise nothing more than a platform and letting the story go from there.
Not a spoiler because it's how the volume begins, but what you should know is that Doctor Octopus has put his mind into the body of Peter Parker, Spider-Man.
It's one of those nightmare scenarios, where you're watching Doc Ock (yeah, wer're tight, I call him Ock) ruin Peter Parker's life because he comes at it the way he does his own. The thing is, Ock is really smart and kind of an asshole. Peter Parker is really smart, but absolutely not an asshole.
It's a book that tackles that old question. Haven't you always wondered if your life would be better if you were 10% more of an asshole? If you just cared a little less about what people thought and instead just did things because you felt like it? Because Ock isn't necessarily TRYING to ruin Peter Parker's life. It's not one of these situations where he's impersonating Spider-Man so that people will continue to call him a Menace. Or a Dennis. Or a...well, you can do the math on combining those terms. No, Ock is planning to remain as Peter Parker forever. He's in it for the long haul.
The experiment is interesting. Is there something essential to the characters that made them who they are, or could anyone be Spider-Man given some web shooters and a rad pair of pajamas?
Either way, between this and Brand New Day and Spider Island, for better or worse, I have to admit that I appreciate the people at Marvel being up for experimenting and trying some wild ideas with this character. Most of them, on paper, don't actually work. I mean, mind swap? This is the ultimate soap opera nuttiness. As is having a clone. Or secret agent parents. Hmm...
But really, even though the ideas sound pretty stupid, I end up enjoying where they go with them. Rather than take a big story (X-Men fighting the Avengers!? WHAAAAAT?!!!) and have the one-sentence premise BE the entirety of the story, the spider books do a good job of making the premise nothing more than a platform and letting the story go from there.
January 2, 2025
I remember being 11 or 12, reading ASM 700 and loathing how it ended and what it meant for my fav superhero.
then Dan slott proved every single hater wrong with this 31 issue wonder of a series. His magnum opus and arguably the best Spidey book of the century.
re-reading them will be such a treat
then Dan slott proved every single hater wrong with this 31 issue wonder of a series. His magnum opus and arguably the best Spidey book of the century.
re-reading them will be such a treat
February 27, 2019
All my nightmares have come true.
June 27, 2025
This actually looked like a really good storyline [which I haven't read but I have read/heard about it]. The artwork was good but I do not feel inclined to invest that much time and money in it. Salute for a good concept though.
September 3, 2019
The plot sounds interesting!
February 16, 2014
When I first heard about this storyline -- was it really only a year ago? -- I was rolling my eyes. Spider-Man without Peter Parker? (Again?) Otto Octavius as Spidey? This seemed like Not Necessarily the Dumbest Thing Marvel Has Ever Done, But Pretty Close.
And I was wrong. Otto is a fascinating Spider-Man. It's a good story when he's being the bad Spidey you'd expect him to be -- but it's a great story when Otto makes real improvements on how Peter Parker played the role. I'm thoroughly enjoying this character study, and looking forward to seeing a lot more of Otto before the inevitable return to the default settings.
And I was wrong. Otto is a fascinating Spider-Man. It's a good story when he's being the bad Spidey you'd expect him to be -- but it's a great story when Otto makes real improvements on how Peter Parker played the role. I'm thoroughly enjoying this character study, and looking forward to seeing a lot more of Otto before the inevitable return to the default settings.
June 3, 2014
When this was first recommended to me, I thought "There is no way this can be that good." Then I read it and it was awesome. I don't know how, but Dan Slott managed to make the plot device of Otto Octavian swapping bodies with Peter Parker interesting, fresh, and fun. I look forward to being able to read more!
January 6, 2015
This is hugely amusing. I can't be the only one to really enjoy the new and improved egomaniacal and ruthless spiderman courtesy of doc oc. The rules are just fine, too. The Doc is in a life-and-death struggle for control of Peter's body, but he just doesn't know it yet. Sweet.
November 2, 2018
I really enjoyed this book even though I've read it I believe 3-4 already. The interesting thing about this book is to see how Doctor Octavius has to live through the now dead Peter Parker's life. Doc must face off against some of Peter's greatest enemies and even the mentally insane Massacre. In the end Otto ends up killing Massacre and he was now seen as a hero to the city.
September 2, 2023
God damn I'm glad I decided to start earlier than just the Spiderverse to tie together Spidey and Ultimate Miles. This was brilliant, absolutely brilliant. The similarities and yet contracts between Peter as Spidey and Otto as Spidey is brilliant. Plus the edge of Otto really makes for some stark moments you never get in a Spidey comic.
Fantastic stuff!
Fantastic stuff!
January 11, 2022
After watching the 2017 Spider-Man animated series' take on the Superior Spider-Man arc, I was convinced that I needed to check out the source material. This is a pretty good start, even if I don't have all the context. Otto's thoughts around Mary Jane are cringe though.
March 8, 2019
good story
Read
January 2, 2023El inicio de Otto Octavius como Spider-Man
October 24, 2016
Turns out The Superior Spider-Man really is a better version of Spider-Man.
Oh, man, you know what I want to read? The Spider-Man origin story! You know, learning about how Peter Parker gets his superhero powers, that high school tension, the inevitable death of Uncle Ben after he says something about great power and great responsibility. No no no. No more Spider-Man origin story. Blame the incessant reboots, but I never want to see that origin story ever again… which is good, because Superior Spider-Man Volume One: My Own Worst Enemy (collecting issues 1-5) is beyond all that.
Despite starting with issue one, you’re coming in at the end of The Amazing Spider-Man #700. I didn’t read that, but Dr. Octopus was able to put his mind into the body of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Now, Peter Parker’s consciousness is still there, watching him do everything, but it turns out Doc Ock, being a genius and all, actually has some great ideas about how to fight crime more efficiently. Enough so that Peter Parker is sitting there going, Huh, why didn’t I think of that? Of course, he also has to awkwardly watch him be better at school, hit on Mary Jane, etc. I did have concerns that a Spider-Man comic might not work without the Peter Parker wit and charm in fighting criminals (after all, Doc Ock may be bright, but he’s not quick on the one-liners). However, with an amusing premise, a growing brood of villains, and great art work, The Superior Spider-Man has enough to offer for me to continue on with the series. Three stars.
Oh, man, you know what I want to read? The Spider-Man origin story! You know, learning about how Peter Parker gets his superhero powers, that high school tension, the inevitable death of Uncle Ben after he says something about great power and great responsibility. No no no. No more Spider-Man origin story. Blame the incessant reboots, but I never want to see that origin story ever again… which is good, because Superior Spider-Man Volume One: My Own Worst Enemy (collecting issues 1-5) is beyond all that.
Despite starting with issue one, you’re coming in at the end of The Amazing Spider-Man #700. I didn’t read that, but Dr. Octopus was able to put his mind into the body of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Now, Peter Parker’s consciousness is still there, watching him do everything, but it turns out Doc Ock, being a genius and all, actually has some great ideas about how to fight crime more efficiently. Enough so that Peter Parker is sitting there going, Huh, why didn’t I think of that? Of course, he also has to awkwardly watch him be better at school, hit on Mary Jane, etc. I did have concerns that a Spider-Man comic might not work without the Peter Parker wit and charm in fighting criminals (after all, Doc Ock may be bright, but he’s not quick on the one-liners). However, with an amusing premise, a growing brood of villains, and great art work, The Superior Spider-Man has enough to offer for me to continue on with the series. Three stars.
January 13, 2013
SPOILERS****
SPOILERS***
I am much happier with this than I was Amazing Spider-Man 700. I think my only problem with this is that we are getting too much artificial hype. This makes a great first part to the second section of this arc but to warrant a new title and all the hype? In my opinion that makes it too much. Although everyone is expecting that Peter will be back in control soon, Marvel's decision to end the Amazing title with the "death" of Peter Parker with no real hint that he was coming back is too much. I was angry after the issue. I wan't one of the people calling for Slott's head but I didn't feel it was a good sent off for a character that I have known for over 40 years. In my head I was comparing it to the death in Ultimate Spider-Man which felt much more relevant and had a very respectful follow up to the death. This one was going to go with no one knowing Peter was gone. It didn't feel like the end of an era or the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Spider-Man; it did feel exactly like what it's turning out to be; the end of the first act of a larger arc. Taken in that respect, I can read this story in the correct frame of mind. If I were to give Marvel a recommendation it would be to not try to hype every incident in a story.
SPOILERS***
I am much happier with this than I was Amazing Spider-Man 700. I think my only problem with this is that we are getting too much artificial hype. This makes a great first part to the second section of this arc but to warrant a new title and all the hype? In my opinion that makes it too much. Although everyone is expecting that Peter will be back in control soon, Marvel's decision to end the Amazing title with the "death" of Peter Parker with no real hint that he was coming back is too much. I was angry after the issue. I wan't one of the people calling for Slott's head but I didn't feel it was a good sent off for a character that I have known for over 40 years. In my head I was comparing it to the death in Ultimate Spider-Man which felt much more relevant and had a very respectful follow up to the death. This one was going to go with no one knowing Peter was gone. It didn't feel like the end of an era or the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Spider-Man; it did feel exactly like what it's turning out to be; the end of the first act of a larger arc. Taken in that respect, I can read this story in the correct frame of mind. If I were to give Marvel a recommendation it would be to not try to hype every incident in a story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2015
Outra série que dá um “twist” na idéia geral do seu herói. Em Superior Spider-Man temos o icônico vilão Doctor Octopus tomando a mente de Peter Parker e agindo em seu lugar como Homem-Aranha. O resultado que temos é um Homem-Aranha muito diferente e até bem mais eficiente, trocando a natureza largadona do herói por um guardião da lei inteligentíssimo e frio. Além de mudar a visão do Homem-Aranha, o Peter Parker de Octopus também é um personagem muito interessante em si mesmo, já que o vilão tenta viver uma vida diferente para Peter, com mais ambição no seu futuro. O livro é apresentado no tema bem humorado de Homem Aranha e é uma leitura muito gostosa e interessante.
February 20, 2013
I still don't like the new status quo for Spider-Man. I am mildly interested in where this is going. I dislike that Otto is making Peter sound like a snob. It was a relief to find out that Peter is still around. Though this means that Peter will most likely return in a year or so and take over as the main character in the Superior Spider-Man series which means all of us fans have bitched for nothing. Comics have made the death of a super hero a joke. They kill off a hero and bring in a new character or a superior character in this case to bring in more readers and money.
February 15, 2014
Dr. Octopus has taken over Peter Parker's body, and memories. He is now determined to be a better Spiderman. With Parker's memories and his own genius he takes on the criminals of New York.
I picked this book up on the recommendation of the guys at The Beguiling.
I finished it because it was interesting to see how Spiderman has changed and improved in some ways. The conflict between Peter, who still lurks within the consciousness of Spidy, and Dr. Octopus who is also in there, is interesting.
I would recommend this to Aidan. He likes Spiderman.
I picked this book up on the recommendation of the guys at The Beguiling.
I finished it because it was interesting to see how Spiderman has changed and improved in some ways. The conflict between Peter, who still lurks within the consciousness of Spidy, and Dr. Octopus who is also in there, is interesting.
I would recommend this to Aidan. He likes Spiderman.
September 9, 2013
Einfach toll! Ich hatte es total verpasst die ersten zwei Ausgaben dieser Reihe im Kiosk zu besorgen und bin froh sie aber noch in einem Comicladen gefunden zu haben. Die Geschichte ist richtig gut und veranschaulicht auf deutliche Art und Weise was den Superior Spider-Man anders und interessanter macht als den original Spidey. Die Illustrationen sind richtig gut und Spidey sieht fantastisch aus. Freue mich jetzt schon auf Teil 2!:D
May 15, 2014
Would Peter Parker still be spider-man if somebody else lived his life? Would Peter's memories alone propel someone else to accept the idea that “with power comes great responsibility”? And what if that someone was a super villain by the name of Dr. Octopus? Superior Spider-Man gives a completely different spin on the Spider-Man theme that comes up sometimes funny, sometimes exciting and unfortunately sometimes creepy.
January 15, 2015
All of the Power, None of the Responsibility!!! Spider-man's longtime nemesis Doc Ock sits in the drivers seat of Peter Parker/Spider-man and tries to become a more superior Spider-man. Long story short: he switched bodies kind-of and trapped Peter Parker in his old and frail body....and killed him. So Ock is Spider-man in this series and dishes his own brand of justice. It was a great run and ultra fun to read (it was a little over a year long so there's not too many trades of this series).
February 19, 2015
I picked this up from my library at random, having no idea what it was about, or any of the major events that led up to it.
Initial reaction: Um... WHAT?
But I was surprised to find that I did enjoy it. It was bizarre and totally unexpected, but it did keep my attention (though, at times I found it to be incredibly slow). I probably won't make a huge effort to keep reading the series, but it's a good read, and if I'm bored one day I might pick up more.
Initial reaction: Um... WHAT?
But I was surprised to find that I did enjoy it. It was bizarre and totally unexpected, but it did keep my attention (though, at times I found it to be incredibly slow). I probably won't make a huge effort to keep reading the series, but it's a good read, and if I'm bored one day I might pick up more.
March 29, 2013
I'm really so conflicted. When they killed Ultimate Spider-Man, it wasn't that big of a deal. It was just a story line. But this is Earth-616. The REAL Spider-Man.. and he's gone. I don't even know how to feel. The comic books are just as interesting and just as good of a read for me.. but I just feel that all of this is wrong.
October 7, 2013
Generally I'm more of a DC Comics fan. I find most Marvel comics contrived, cold and boring. With the first arc of The Superior Spider-Man, I have to admit I was intrigued from start to finish. Though the storytelling was a bit choppy at times, over all events seemed to flow organically and kept me guessing as to what would happen next.
December 26, 2013
The big new twist in Spider-Man is that Dr. Octopus killed him and took over his body ... and then found himself reluctantly becoming a super-hero. This is far from Slott's best work, but it's certainly entertaining (though as several people have pointed out, Doc Ock's treatment of Mary Jane has some nasty overtones).
February 20, 2016
Outstanding series! Really well written and quite genius. I almost gave up in the beginning during volume 2 because Dr. Octopus was so arrogant as Peter Parker/Spider-man that it actually made me angry and frustrated. But I stuck it out and after that it got a lot better in that aspect and the story took over my attention. (Series includes 6 volumes)
December 12, 2013
OK, everyone's been saying I should check this out. You know what? I really enjoyed it. It's an interesting status quo for Spider-man and Otto Octavius. I wasn't sure if I'd totally dig the execution at first, but... this volume really revs it up, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
May 17, 2014
Doc Ock is in Spiderman's body ! An entire series of Doc Ock trying to be a "superior" spider-man. What I am intrigue is the aggressiveness in this book. Civilians shot point blank, no one is safe. Will the superior spider-man be better than the Amazing spider-man ? Must read for spidey fans.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews