Big things have been happening recently in the world of Spider-man and if the Internet chatter is to be believed a large percentage of folks are pretty pissed off about it. If you haven't heard, not only was Spidey's long-running flagship title, Amazing Spider-man, cancelled after a mammoth 700 issues and replaced by a new book, Superior Spider-man, but Peter Parker himself has apparently been "killed" and replaced by one of his arch-enemies; the notorious Doctor Octopus. That's right, Otto Octavius is the new Spider-man!
Intrigued? I was. I haven't picked up a Spider-man book in years but when I heard about the above, I couldn't wait to part with my hard-earned pennies. Which I guess is the type of reaction Marvel was hoping for. After all, the whole point of a story like this is to get maximum attention, draw in new or casual readers, and boost sales. As far as I'm concerned, in this day and age, when comic sales have long been on the decline, there's nothing wrong with this type of marketing stunt. That is, providing it's done right and the story is solid. Now granted I haven't been following Spider-man in recent years so I may have a different perspective to avid readers, but in my opinion writer Dan Slott is doing it right. Because so far it's a cracking read.
"How did it all go down?" I hear you ask. Well, in a three-parter titled "Dying Wish", a deathly-ill Dr. Octopus uses a golden "Octobot" he designed to swap consciousness with Peter Parker so that he can take over Parker's life while Parker is left to die in Ock's failing body. Following a confrontation at Avengers Tower, Parker attempts to use the Octobot to swap back bodies only to discover that Octopus has added shielding to the Spider-suit to prevent another transfer. But as Octopus is about to finish him off, Parker uses the connection they share via the Octobot to imprint his memories on Ock's mind, causing him to see the error of his ways. As Parker finally dies, Octopus promises to keep Spidey's loved ones safe and use his own intelligence and resources to become a "superior Spider-man". Which is where the fun really begins. Because watching the arrogant and ambitious Dr. Octopus trying to be a hero is hugely entertaining.
Unfortunately some fans disagree. So much so that Dan Slott actually received death threats on twitter. Which is pretty ridiculous. Apparently Slott took it all rather seriously but if it were me I'd have been laughing my ass off. Just the thought of some spotty nerd, who probably looks something like Napoleon Dynamite or Screech from Saved by the Bell, sitting in his parents basement typing with sweaty fingers, "I know where you live..." Well, that's some funny shit. It's as if these fools (who apparently care waaaaaaaaaaay too much about fictional superheroes) actually think the new status quo is gonna last and Doc Ock will be Spider-man forever. I mean come on! We all know that ain't gonna happen. So far, Dying Wish/Superior Spider-man is following a well-used template that sees popular heroes die, get replaced, and then return from the dead to reclaim their identity. Only five years ago we saw both Batman and Captain America "killed" and their former sidekicks step in to fill their respective shoes until their miraculous return from the grave. Spider-man will be no different. But what makes this storyline more interesting is that Spidey's replacement is an enemy rather than an ally. In this regard, Slott has added a great little twist to the usual format that opens up a ton of interesting story possibilities. How anyone can have a problem with that is beyond me.
I'm a big fan of the classic Stan Lee/Steve Ditko/John Romita/Gerry Conway Spider-man tales. In fact, I'd say superhero comics don't come any better. And honestly, Dying Wish/Superior feels to me like the kind of "how will Ole Webhead get outta this one?" tale those guys might have spun. Sure it would've only lasted for an issue and the book wouldn't have been cancelled and replaced but that's just the way modern comics are—what would have been a single comic's worth of story is always stretched out to fill a trade paperback now that comics are "a more visual medium". But Spidey seemingly dying and a deadly foe stealing his identity? That's classic Marvel mayhem.
To all the haters, all I have to say is chill out and stop taking this shit so damn seriously. Slott and Co. have crafted an over-the-top, whacky little thrill ride in the classic Spidey tradition. It won't run forever so get on board and enjoy it while it does.
Unfortunately some fans disagree. So much so that Dan Slott actually received death threats on twitter. Which is pretty ridiculous. Apparently Slott took it all rather seriously but if it were me I'd have been laughing my ass off. Just the thought of some spotty nerd, who probably looks something like Napoleon Dynamite or Screech from Saved by the Bell, sitting in his parents basement typing with sweaty fingers, "I know where you live..." Well, that's some funny shit. It's as if these fools (who apparently care waaaaaaaaaaay too much about fictional superheroes) actually think the new status quo is gonna last and Doc Ock will be Spider-man forever. I mean come on! We all know that ain't gonna happen. So far, Dying Wish/Superior Spider-man is following a well-used template that sees popular heroes die, get replaced, and then return from the dead to reclaim their identity. Only five years ago we saw both Batman and Captain America "killed" and their former sidekicks step in to fill their respective shoes until their miraculous return from the grave. Spider-man will be no different. But what makes this storyline more interesting is that Spidey's replacement is an enemy rather than an ally. In this regard, Slott has added a great little twist to the usual format that opens up a ton of interesting story possibilities. How anyone can have a problem with that is beyond me.
I'm a big fan of the classic Stan Lee/Steve Ditko/John Romita/Gerry Conway Spider-man tales. In fact, I'd say superhero comics don't come any better. And honestly, Dying Wish/Superior feels to me like the kind of "how will Ole Webhead get outta this one?" tale those guys might have spun. Sure it would've only lasted for an issue and the book wouldn't have been cancelled and replaced but that's just the way modern comics are—what would have been a single comic's worth of story is always stretched out to fill a trade paperback now that comics are "a more visual medium". But Spidey seemingly dying and a deadly foe stealing his identity? That's classic Marvel mayhem.
To all the haters, all I have to say is chill out and stop taking this shit so damn seriously. Slott and Co. have crafted an over-the-top, whacky little thrill ride in the classic Spidey tradition. It won't run forever so get on board and enjoy it while it does.
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