Background. In 2012, Dan Slott made the boldest decision to be taken with Spider-Man in recent decades: to (apparently) kill off Peter Parker. In the final issue of Amazing Spider-Man #700, Otto Octavius swaps minds with Peter, dies in Peter’s body and takes over Spider-Man’s. But Otto doesn’t want to be just another villain: he wants to be the greatest Spider-Man who ever lived. Thus was born Superior Spider-Man, one of the character’s most talked-about and controversial story arcs.
What it contains. The first arc of Superior Spider-Man, featuring Otto Octavius in Peter Parker’s body operating as Spider-Man. It includes the start of the experiment, the first clashes with Spider-Man’s old enemies (who don’t understand the change in tactics), Otto’s attempts to be better than Peter academically and professionally, and the first serious ethical issues arising from the premise. Art by Ryan Stegman and Humberto Ramos, among others.
Why it’s worth reading. Superior Spider-Man is one of Marvel’s most radical ventures of the 21st century. Over 33 issues, the reader experiences a completely different Spider-Man: more efficient, more violent, more calculating, and morally ambiguous. Slott turns the premise into a reflection on what makes Peter Parker, well, Peter Parker. Essential reading for understanding the modern Spider-Man.
Edition details. 960 pages. First volume of the complete run. US edition published by Marvel Comics. ISBN 9781302951078.
