COMIC REVIEW: FTN reviews Superior Spider-Man #30

Plot: Dan Slott
Script: Christos Gage
Pencils: Giuseppe Camuncoli
Publisher: Marvel Comics

This is it folks! We’ve seen the preview cover for the new Amazing Spider-Man #1(so I don’t want to hear anything about spoilers unless you live in an underground bunker devoid of an Internet signal.). We’ve kept our ears to the ground for rumors, and it seems now the moment is upon us. Peter Parker is back in all his angsty glory.

With everything falling down around him; Goblins running amuck, JJJ taking heat for being Spider-Man’s bitch and now the love of his life kidnapped and people starting to realize this isn’t Parker it seems that ol’ Ock just can’t take the pressure. Like an addict who has hit rock bottom he decides to get clean and relieve himself of the pressure of trying to be Superior. With every wrong choice he made, with every bridge burned Ock has finally come to the conclusion that he is just not Superior.

I really have to give it to Ock on this one. First, I loved him as Spider-Man. It was a joy and a load of fun to read a darker Spider-Man. Ock had a lot of great moments in the suit and I can’t lie, I’m gonna miss the big lug. But second, it takes a big person to realize that he just can’t handle the pressure, stepping aside to let someone who knows better take the reigns. As any man’s man will tell you, that’s not an easy thing for us guys to do. Ock, you will be missed. The way he stepped down and let Peter back in was a great moment. Handled perfectly you could see the respect that had been forged on Ock’s part toward Peter and I thoroughly enjoyed that.

The impact this will have on Peter going forward will be huge. He’s going to have to deal with this Goblin blight, and quickly. He has to figure out what to do with Spider-Man 2099. He will have to deal with the fallout of the JJJ fiasco which will no doubt make things even worse for Spidey than before. He’s also going to have to break Anna-Marie’s heart and patch things up with MJ, if that’s what he wants anyway. All that and now it looks like the Avengers will be on his tail for that underground medical facility. What’s a Spider to do? Peter has a lot of work ahead of him and it will be great to see him handling the challenges.

But I think the bigger issue is what Peter could be. He got a glimpse of that when he saw his own name on the side of a building and when he heard he had his own private lab. I think that was also a moment of self discovery for Peter as well. I’m hoping he realizes that his ambitions were always too low. He is always satisfied with being the number 2. I think Ock has shown Peter that he’s capable of so much more, and I hope he runs with that. It would be great to see Ock pop up in his head from time to time to encourage Peter to go big. Plus, owning your own tech company can only be a plus in the hero game. Just ask Bruce Wayne or Tony Stark. I hope Peter rebuilds what was broken by Ock’s bad decisions.

Overall this was a great issue which not only spotlighted the inner turmoil of an Ock who realizes that he was fooling himself into thinking he was Superior, but also was an eye opener for a Peter who has the capabilities to seize the world, figuratively of course. And gee-wilickers, how many of you got chills from the last page of Peter reaching for and donning the red and blue once again?! I got all warm and fuzzy inside. I cannot wait for the wrap up of Goblin Nation and onto the new Amazing title. Dan Slott, you are a Spider genius!

4.5 out of 5 nerds