The Superior Spider-Man is a real effort on Marvel’s part to shake things up for 2013.
I don’t know how, but I am still in the fight! I AM Peter Parker, and I swear I’ll find a way BACK!!!
After Otto’s near death experience, he enters Peter Parker’s body and takes over his mind. With his new identity, Otto can have a fresh start but his old traits are still controlling many of his decisions and motives. In his arrogance Octavius believes that Spiderman’s powers combined with his mighty intellect will usher in a new ‘superior’ version of the hero. What Otto can’t understand is Peter’s selflessness and willingness to sacrifice. During one of Otto/Spiderman’s encounters with his old crew, the Sinister Six, Otto refuses to put a stop to them, not wanting to risk his own skin unnecessarily. He does eventually end their shenanigans but in a way that only Otto would do and with a brutality alien to our old wall crawler.
The story hinges on this tension between what the old Spiderman would have done versus how Otto deals with tough situations and persons. Fans may or may not like this approach but it does create a new and fresh take on the character and the story line. Stegman’s art is quite good, with thick pencil work and vibrant flashy scenes that move a lot. His overall composition i.e., backdrops, close-ups and long shots are sometimes not that good but his style is soft and harsh at the right times. Delgado’s colours are thick but not too bright, adding a touch of sinister foreboding and edge to Stegman’s happy style.
