The Superior Spider-Man, Vol. 1: Full Otto

The Superior Spider-Man (2018)

by Christos Gage, Travis Charest (Cover Art), Mike Hawthorne (Artist)

Collects Superior Spider-Man (2018) #1-6.

Otto Octavius once again becomes the Superior Spider-Man! If you think you’ve already read the most intense, unexpected and surprisingly heartbreaking Superior Spider-Man story there is, prepare to be proven wrong! Leaving the moniker of Doctor Octopus behind, Otto is going to show the world he’s the most pragmatic, most effective and — to him, anyway — best super hero on the planet. But when Terrax the Tamer — a villain who considerably overpowers him — strikes, being superior isn’t enough. It’s time to go cosmic! But is the world ready? After tussling with Terrax, Otto is looking forward to the usual Spider- Man fare of street-level villains — so imagine his dismay when a major magical threat rears its ugly head and he’s forced to…ugh…ask for help! Will Doctor Strange lend a hand or stop Otto himself?

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

130 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 31, 2019

About the author

Chris N. Gage is a writer for comic books and television.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 2 out of 5]

The gift that kept on giving, sees it as no surprise that Marvel resurrects the Superior Spider. Lots of set-up as the ground is set for how Otto will live and crime fight from Horizon Labs. A long way off from Dan Slott's remarkable run - the first place they need to work on is his dialogue, it needs to be more abrupt, more dismissive; they are struggling to get the tone of this series right, asides from some nice art from Mike Hawthorne. 5 out of 12, Two Star read.

2019 read

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christos Gage was along for the ride when Otto Octavius originally became the Superior Spider-Man. Now he's brought Otto back and it's just as much fun as the original. Otto has a new body, setting up shop in San Francisco. Gage smartly brings back a lot of elements from the previous series. Otto is working for Horizon again. Anna Maria is also along for the ride. She's the best addition to Spider-Man's supporting cast in several years and that trend continues here. I love her spunk and smarts as she forces Otto to be a better man whether he likes it or not. Otto takes on Terrax and Master Pandemonium in the first 6 issues. I've had a soft spot in my heart for both Master Pandemonium and the Night Shift since I first saw them come across the path of the West Coast Avengers back in the 80's. They're goofy characters but there's something about them I've always enjoyed. Mike Hawthorne's art falls in the line of Marvel house style. It's solid but there's nothing flashy to it.

[Molly™☺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A surprisingly fun read, who knew that Otto would make such a likeable Spider-Man? Whilst the dialogue can feel overly cheesy at times, the character arc is done well, and you can see Otto grow as a hero and a person whenever you turn the page. The plot is a side piece to the character development, offering nothing fresh without being offensively bad. Accompanied by nice art provided by the talented Mike Hawthorne, this makes Doc Ock a contender for second most interesting Spider-Man.

[Sud666 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Otto Octavius is now Spiderman..well the Superior Spiderman. It is not a bad story at all. The art is pretty good and the story works, for the most part. Superior Spidey fights Terrax the Tamer and a demon called Master Pandemonium. There no more spoilers.

Having Doc Ock as Spiderman is interesting. It does show him in a new light and he is amusing. It is a slight stretch for him to be fighting cosmic level and super powerful magical beings (he did have Dr. Strange's help), but it's not too bad a story.

But, at the same time, it is nothing great. I am also not a fan of the midget doctor. She's supposed to be smart, as in VERY smart. But then we are treated to her asking about the phrase "The die is cast", not knowing where it was from, and then saying it sounded like a 1930's gangster quote. Ummm no dolt you are only off by 1,950 years (roughly). It was no gangster but Julius Caesar. He said it as he crossed the Rubicon. Actually, JC was quoting the Greek comedian Menander. Plutarch had him saying "Let a die be cast" (allegedly in Greek), while Suetonius has him saying "The die has been cast". This is the more familiar version. In Latin in comes out too " iacta alea est", though over the years it is more common to quote it with the word order slightly changed into "Alea iacta est" rather than the original phrasing. There now you know, though this allegedly "brilliant" midget seems unaware. Just as I am unaware of any 1930's gangster even remotely uttering such a phrase or having the background to do so. I truly doubt Bugsy Siegel or Al Capone read much Latin or Caesar. So if Doc Ock likes brains in his women, he needs to look elsewhere. Quickly.

Not bad but not great. I'll be interested enough to check out vol 2 but nothing to rave about.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good, but I wish it was a little bit more.

Gage writes the heck out of Spider-man. If haven't played the PS4 game, he wrote that, and it was great. So now it is his chance to write Otto as Superior Spider-man! I personally really enjoyed what I read of Slott's run on the character and was excited to read this. A big bad comes down to earth, looking like a cheap Darkseid knock off, and Otto plans to stop him no matter what. In doing so he must team up with his new lab partner who doesn't like him much and his band of villains turned good (Somewhat).

This volume contains a lot of fighting but it is all pretty entertaining. However, the strongest part of the volume for me was Otto helping others and being a hero, even when injured, easily the best part. The weakest part came from the exhausting amount of dialogue sometimes on a page. Gage did the same in Buffy, and it could get annoying. While some of his dialogue is gold, some is just boring.

Overall, it's a solid fun book but I wanted something more "special" I guess. However, I'll finish up the series as volume 2 ends it! A 3 out of 5.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Superior Spider-Man is back, and he has chosen to defend San Francisco from all threats, whether the city likes it or not! First up, Terrax the Tamer - talk about breaking yourself in easy. Plus, Master Pandemonium arrives, and the only way Otto can defeat him is by swallowing his pride and...asking for help? That'll end well, I'm sure. All this, and the wrath of Anna Maria Marconi!

When I heard that Superior Spider-Man was going to get a new ongoing series, I crossed my fingers that it'd be Chris Gage writing it, and lo and behold, my prayer was answered. Gage was Dan Slott's unsung partner in crime for much of his run, and if anyone could tackle Otto, it'd be him, and I was right.

Gage manages to write some genuinely intriguing storylines for Otto, putting him in uncomfortable positions and literally forcing his character to grow. Otto's hero's journey is definitely one for the books, and Gage makes sure that he's dragged along it, kicking and screaming, which makes for some hilarious interactions. The decision to bring Anna Maria in as a supporting character is genius as well, and she definitely brings out the best in everyone involved.

On art we have Mike Hawthorne, who isn't quite as polished as previous Spidey artists, but after having most of the previous Otto run pencilled by Giuseppe Camuncoli I'm probably a bit spoilt. There's nothing wrong with Hawthorne at all, it's just a little pedestrian, but that's not a bad thing.

The Superior Spider-Man's return is a triumph, and I'm so glad. Gage's storylines really stretch him in both physical and emotional ways, while the artwork tells the story ably. This volume should get 5 stars just for the Full Otto pun in the title, but I restrained myself - you should definitely check it out though.

All together now - the die is cast!

[Memphis Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Because the Superior Spider-Man was my favorite story arc ever in Spider-Man and possibly all of Marveldom, I was pretty sure I would like this comic. And I did!

Building perfectly on the recent history of the character, the team led by Christos Gage wrestles with the legacy of evil and the difficult effort to be better. The dialogue, characters, and artwork (!) are all vibrant. Plus a team up with Doctor Strange in which they truly detest each other? Awesome.

Can't wait for volume 2.

I may even add this to my pull list and start buying single issues in hopes of its not being cancelled.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nesta nova leva de aventuras do Homem-Aranha Superior, grande parte dos elementos legais que foram inseridos por Dan Slott e Giuseppe Cammuncoli na série inicial são usados aqui. Ainda bem, porque eles são muito bons para serem perdidos dessa maneira. Além da perspicácia e esperteza de Christos N. Gage para usar os elementos que vieram antes dele com maestria, também temos os lindíssimos desenhos de Mike Hawthorne enfeitando essa HQ. Guardem o nome desse desenhista que ele ainda vai dar o que falar. O Homem-Aranha Superior, que na verdade é o Doutor Octopus, neste encadernado está vivendo em São Francisco, onde os Laboratórios Horizonte e sua amada Anna-Marie se mudaram. Ele também contratou uma equipe de vilões para ajudá-lo a realizar seus serviços de herói. Sim, uma lógica de Octopus. O primeiro arco, então é muito bem realizado, redondinho, interessante. Mas o segundo arco, em que junto com o Doutor Estranho, num encontro de Doutores, os dois combatem o Mestre Pandemônio, é bastante fraquinho. De qualquer forma, esse encadernado foi um ótimo início para uma nova e superior fase do Homem-Aranha Superior!

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wonder if Matt is in on this.

Feels very much like a follow-up of Slott's Superior. But I don't know about Otto fighting cosmic and magic.

[Kelly K · Rating 2 out of 5]

BORRRRED. This isn't my Otto. Get lost imposter.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now that Otto Octavius has fully embraced the mantle of Superior Spider-Man and moved to be the defender of San Francisco, you'd think life would begin to settle down for him. NOT SO.
Highlights:
-Hires Night Shift to be his henchmen
- Takes down Stilt Man (rather hilarious sequence even though Otto can be such a jerk)
- Gets busted by Anna Maria, who he had assumed a new identity to work near. She is pissed that he followed her, but when she sees he really is trying to do good, she becomes his helper.
- Huge battle with Terrax! Does a really good job of showing that he's serious about being a hero: persistence despite getting beat down pretty heavily. At one point, he is able to leach some of the Power Cosmic off of him, and uses it every effectively, aiding in the defeat.
- We see a really soft and heroic side (primarily from Anna Maria's encouragement and feeding of specific answers he is to give) to Otto when he helps with the rescue efforts, including giving a child news that his mother is gone.
- Otto tries to go out on a date, but it is ruined by the rise of Master Pandemonium, a demon from Hell. Seeking help from Doctor Strange, they are able to combine mastery of magic and science to defeat him.

Overall, I like the direction Marvel is taking with this one. While Doc Ock is one of Spidey's most famous rogues, it creates great story to see him trying to live up to being the Superior Spider-Man. PLUS... it will be amazing when he snaps and reverts back to his old ways. LOL

Recommend. This is a good one.

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not Dan Slott's version. In fact, it read a whole lot like the Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider series that ran a couple of years back: an inferior take on Spider-Man. This is definitely an inferior version of Superior Spider-Man, down to the second-rate villains. The art was little more than functional throughout. May or may not take a look at the next volume of this.

[Jaye Berry · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was kinda like a poor imitation of the last Superior Spider-man run. Otto fighting all the cosmic and magic shit?? No. ❤️ That's cool he has a team up with Dr Strange but omg stop. Plus that demon guy spitting demons out of the hole in his stomach that then formed a giant meat suit made of possessed people? Gross dude. I never want to look at anything like that ever again.

I do love the set up though, learning all about his new life and the everything he has going on now. The writing at times was so cringy though and while I love to see Anna Marie back in the game, she said cringy stuff too and it just kept GOING. It's times like these when you can tell the writing is just unfortunately not that good. I like that she wants to help him and ~keep him in check~ but the way it was gone about just seemed so lazy. Like oh we are trying to put these two together again so let's have her do all this when it doesn't make any sense that she would be doing that in the first place? Drawing her from Otto's pov looking down at her as she's smol and angry was so cute though lmao.

I just gotta complain about all the cosmic shit again but why would you have his ass out there fighting that? I love to see his character development and how he does things but it annoyed me to no end.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favourite version of Spider-man but I did enjoy the Doctor Strange story.

[David Ferreira Alves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um Otto transformado em Homem Aranha Superior e a sua luta para ultrapassar todos os preconceitos do seu passado.
Interessante dilema filosófico...
Vale a pena pensar na possibilidade de redenção.

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was ridiculous. The idea of Otto Octavious taking over Peter Parkers body was an interesting plot device for a year, but give him a cloned body and turn it into a series? That is bad. Worse yet, set it in San Francisco. Marvel is notorious in bungling series set in California. I can't believe I finished the book. Glad I did not pay for it

[A M H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume was great.

[Alex Sarll]

At first, the Superior Spider-Man was Dr Octopus' mind joyriding in Peter Parker's body, and proving far more effective as a crimefighter what with eg being perfectly willing to shoot a villain calling himself Massacre in the head, rather than leaving him free to inevitably escape and kill again. It was never going to last, of course; these changes to the identities of core heroes never do. And at the end of that, if Parker wasn't really dead, Octavius should have been, at least for a year or two. But no, his mind survived in a vending machine, and then via various dubious crossovers and some cloning bollocks, the Superior Spider-Man is now available for his own have-cake-and-eat-it solo series, snootily fighting crime in San Francisco while Parker carries on doing his own inept version in New York. To be fair, they pulled much the same stunt with the last two Scarlet Spider comics, which also saw Peter's variant clones assuming his cast-off identities to fight crime far from the Big Apple, and both of those were pretty good – though not especially long-lived, which makes one wonder why Marvel keep on going back to the same well. Assuming a similarly short lifespan here might explain why the first issue is so rushed, with Otto getting his new secret identity busted by his ex almost immediately – but then why spend the whole second issue in a protracted slugfest with the fairly tedious, if powerful, Terrax? True, it leaves Octavius powered up, which has possibilities...except then he promptly gets powered down again, and soon aforementioned ex is acting as his conscience, which seems to consist of threatening to expose him unless he plays along with her idea of morality, because that's very ethical, isn't it? And some of her injunctions are plain daft, and not even within the restrictive code of mainstream heroes, like expecting him to admit his secret identity on a first date. So soon it becomes essentially a standard Spidey book except where the Spider-Man is intermittently a bit sulky about being nice to people, and that really doesn't seem like the point of either character. And then she stops minding him for the duration of a Doctor Strange team-up which attempts to elevate demon-handed running joke Master Pandemonium into a serious threat. Bouncing from pillar to post as it does, it feels less Superior, more a Tangled Web.
(sorry)

[Adam Rodgers · Rating 4 out of 5]

With Otto Octavius now in a cloned younger body, combining Peter Parker's and his own DNA, he continues the fight for good as the Superior Spider-Man.

While essentially a step back into the Superior Spider-man character after the Superior Octopus storyline, Gage has a bit more freedom with the character, no longer having to keep up the Peter Parker identity and Otto can very much be his own hero. A number of threats are thrown at him, varying from the innocuous Stiltman to the cosmic level villian Terrax. Otto is pushed to his limits but endearingly thinks his way out of each problem, using his own tech and resources as well as utilising his new found spider powers. He also really puts his life on the line, and now this is wholely him rather than being influenced by Peter.

Gage also spends some time with Otto's new civilian identity Dr. Eliot Tolliver, who unlike Peter Parker is a wealthy successful scientist which is an interesting contrast. While Otto is still arrogant and self-absorbed, his heroic tendancies are there, if somewhat brutal, cold and calculating!

The redemmed villian playing hero narrative has been done before, but it is the well defined character of Octavius that makes this story stand out. Gage takes dips into Otto's childhood to reflect on how he became a villian, but also how that tough start could also be used to shape a hero. Overall, this an absorbing tale and is a strong addition to the Spider-Man universe, if likely shortlived.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christos Gage spins a new thread for Otto Octavius in the latest volume of the Superior Spider-Man. Relocated to San Francisco, the former Doctor Octopus is attempting to live the heroic lifestyle. He has a cloned body that gives him the powers of his old adversary, a lauded professorship at Horizon University as Elliot Tolliver, and even a gang of minions in the Night Shift. Yet all of this nearly comes crashing down when former flame Anna Maria Marconi recognizes the doctor. The sudden arrival of Terrax the Tamer puts their discussion on hold, as Otto swings into action against the cosmically-enhanced threat. Enduring a violent beating in order to turn the tide, Otto and Anna agreed to a partnership to help keep the latest wall-crawler on the side of the angels. Naturally, this is tested by the return of Master Pandemonium and a team-up with Doctor Strange. Gage writes a conceited but remorseful Doc Ock, which fills the book with heart and humor. The references to classic West Coast characters also inject a sense of nostalgia, helping root the series deeply within the larger Marvel Universe. Mike Hawthorne has a slick and clean style that pops off the page, while helping give detail and design to the overall cast. Superior Spider-Man: Full Otto gets right to the heart of Otto Octavius while swinging the Spider-Man mythos in a unique direction.

[Rocky Sunico · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hot off the heels of Spider-Geddon, someone thought it would be a good idea to try to make another Superior Spider-Man comic. It's trying to hit a lot of the same beats of the original shift for Amazing Spider-Man with the twist of Otto trying to be a better person. This first volume consisting of two story arcs have us getting up to speed with his San Francisco life while facing two heavy-hitters - Terrax and Master Pandemonium.

This makes the book feel a lot like the Ben Reilly Scarlet Spider comic with things ending with Mephisto showing interest in Otto whereas Ben was dealing with Death. Some things may work, but it's not quite as striking as the original Superior Spider-Man story arc.

[Javier Lárraga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quiza no sea tan bueno como su primera saga con esa dinámica de interactuar con los personajes secundarios de Peter Parker pero creo que tiene el potencial de ser mejor en otros aspectos.

The Superior Spider Man Full Otto nos narra las aventuras en solitario de Otto Octavius una vez que ha resucitado en el cuerpo de un clon creado a partir de los genes de Peter Parker y del propio Otto después de los acontecimientos de la saga anterior. Ahora asumiendo la identidad de Elliot Tollivier, Otto viajará a San Francisco (lugar donde aparentemente no hay héroes y los villanos son apenas unos pandilleros con poderes) para ser el Spider Man Superior una vez más.

Pues puedo decirles que la saga estuvo entretenida y me pareció genial ver a Otto enfrentandose a 2 amenazas nivel vengador con tácticas totalmente distintas a como lo haría el Spider Man original, sinceramente eso estuvo muy bueno.

La saga flaquea un poco en la repetición de Otto volviendo a ser un insensible sobre todo después del final de la original Superior Spider Man pero de ahi en fuera me gustó esta nueva etapa del personaje y espero ver que pasa con el.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christos Gage does a really good job of telling fun comics. Here, Otto is doing his best to be the best version of himself, which is a hero. While I think Otto's story was best left closed, this was fun. Gage adds enough from the previous run to feel familiar but does a decent job introducing some new characters. Now, that being said, the Night Shift seemed oddly placed and didn't fit well. I loved the idea of Otto being completely outclassed physically and how he overcame it. The antagonists here were solid. Mike Hawthorne's art was super solid. Overall, a fun look at a guy who might not be good but wants to be.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

COLLECTS SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN (2018) ISSUES #1-6

The first three issues in this collection act as the pilot for this new series, setting the stage for what's to come, and I really enjoyed the story told here. The fourth issue deals with the fallout of the opening story, and the last two issues find Otto facing off against the forces of Hell. I'm not that into supernatural/demonic stories, so I wasn't a fan of the end of this collection. However, I love the idea of the Superior Spider-Man as a hero with a series of his own.

Final rating = 3.5 stars

[Skylar Marine · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first Superior Spider-Man comic

This is the first Superior Spider-Man comic that I have read. While I know the basics regarding what the original run was about, something about the concept bothered me enough that I never gave the series a chance; but after reading this one I'm definitely going to read the original series of him learning what it's like to be "Spider-Man" after transferring his conciseness into Peter Parker's body. I'm sure it's very obvious, but I find this book was more impressive than I had originally anticipated.

[Bekah Stegner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superior is definitely one of my favorite spider-people. I loved the beginning of this, and I love Otto's (Elliot's) character and especially his complicated relationship with Anna Maria. I didn't love where it ended up - Pandemonium was a little weird fr - but I'm hoping the next volumes will continue Otto's arc well. It would surprise me if this series could stand up to his original run. It's one of the only comics I'm tempted to buy physically so I can reread. This continuation of his story is a 3.5 ⭐ for me so far.

[Ryan]

An enjoyable read nonetheless, but can't help but feel if this slightly takes away from Otto's sacrifice to save Anna-Maria in Goblin Nation. Hopefully this series finds ways to build on Otto's brilliant full circle character development in Slott's previous series, without regressing it. Other than that, if you didn't read the Arc in Amazing Spider-man: Worldwide, you'd be kind of lost as to how Otto returns.

[Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly barely remember what happens in the first five issues, but I finally read the sixth issue. Overall I assume it’s a pretty good series. I guess I will finish it off. I always enjoyed Superior Spider-Man storylines, but I can tell it is coming to an end. It is starting to feel really spin-offy, and I highly doubt it was doing great in sales.

[Patrick Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the earlier incarnation of this title and I am enjoying this one as well.

Otto is trying to start over in San Francisco. -nuff said

Mike Hawthorne's art is gorgeous, I would buy this book just for the visuals alone, but the story is interesting. Give it a try

[DOUGLAS J BERRY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not on Otto pilot.

Good color artwork and plenty of it. Otto octavius is getting more complex. He's now a clone of Peter Parker and the original otto.. Terrace the tamer, master pandemonium and Dr strange are just a few guests.