New year, New Spider-Man...sort of

While at work yesterday I saw a kid wearing a shirt with Spiderman’s face on it, I was only seconds away from saying “Oh! You’re a fan of Dr. Octopus?” That’s the situation we are in now.  An elderly man has implanted his mind into the body of a 20 something year old dude and is living his life.  After months of hinting at it, we now know that’s the way that Peter Parker dies but Spider Man lives.  Like all such gimmicks it was meant to generate more interest in the Amazing Spider-Man or rather the book that will be replacing it, “Superior Spider-Man”, and attract new readers.  I’ve never consistently read a Spider-Man book.  Steph has read all of Bendis and Bagley’s Ultimate Spider-Man and has them all in trade.  She ADORES the character Peter Parker and Spider-Man is her favorite super hero in all of Comicdom. 

 So with Marvel offering me a jumping on point, I took the bait.  Before I read Superior #1 I went back and read Amazing Spider-Man 699, 700, and Avenging Spider-Man 15.1 so as to know the back story of issues happenings.  To catch you up to speed: Doc Ock, in the final moments of his life, switched minds with Peter Parker, thus trapping him in his frail dying frame.  Instead of making some heroic re-switcharoo, Doc Ock’s body gives out and takes Peter with it.  As this happens, Peter forces Doc Ock to relive all the major moments in his life that made him who he is.  This causes Ock to vow to change his ways and be live a life worthy of, and superior to Peter Parker.  That brings us up to Superior #1.

The idea took some getting used to; after all we have an elderly man who has, until recently, always been evil gallivanting around in twenty something’s body.   But after thinking about it, I was thinking it had potential.   A redeemed villain trying to live with a situation he sorta of regrets while at the same time living up to the memory of his archenemy? That could be cool, right?  Doc Ock would bring his genius and scientific know how to reinvigorate and update Spidey’s gadgetry, maybe even creating some new corny catch phrases, and the new suit he created isn’t the worse thing in the world, so I was trying to remain positive.

At first the issue was mildly entertaining, if not a little creepy, on account of him ogling Mary Jane and all.  And then the biggest cop out in the world happens.  Throughout the issue Ock fights the sinister six and towards the end is beating Boomerang to death and when the disembodied spirit of Peter stays his hand, but Ock can neither see nor hear him.  Come on Marvel.  All of us knew it was coming but draw it out a little.  Wait till issue 20 or 10 at least.  You advertise this big change and then you give us a way back to the status quo in issue #1.  I know the idea was a little weird to begin with but at least it shook things up a bit.  My first clue should have been the nonchalant way in which Peter gave up in Amazing 700, very different from his death in Ultimate Spider-Man.

We’ll have to see how this all plays out but I just hope they use this sorta turning point to build on Spider-Man and Peter Parker’s history instead of trying to do things just for shock value alone.  Comic Book fans are fickle, we want change and new stories all while staying true to each of our favorite versions of these characters.  Creators are then caught between a rock and a hard place.  Understanding all this I'll try to keep open minded.  We’re only on issue #1, so lets wait and see.  Cool cover though.