Poor Old Otto
After last issue's developments, Carlie Cooper is slowly doubting what she knows about Spider-Man. She's no longer sure if Peter is still under the mask. Plus, Doc Ock faces the Vulture. With his new responsibility as Spider-Man, how will things go between he and his old friend?
The Good
I can't believe I'm saying this but I love this new take on Spidey. Much like Peter, he's smart and a bit of a wise-ass but he's never afraid to make everyone else around him feel inferior. Although he isn't very humble, giving Doc Ock the chance to be a hero definitely opens up a lot of doors for dynamic and bold stories. Dan Slott is a genius because he gives us a reason to sympathize with one of Peter Parker's most iconic villains. Slott uses Doc Ock's rich history to enhance the story and shows that Otto's got a lot of heart. He introduces the Vulture in this issue and it's heartbreaking to see Otto wanting to give him a break but because he's in Peter's body, his old friend the Vulture sees him as a threat. There's some great character work to behold here that's paired with great energetic art from Ryan Stegman and Edgar Delgado. They've been solid since issue 1 and have certainly proved that they can do very little wrong with Spider-Man and the rest of the cast.
The Bad
Peter Parker's ghostly self wasn't much of a nuisance here but I feel that the book would fare a lot better if Doc Ock could just stay in the spotlight by himself. Oh and I get that Carlie's a good detective and all but I'd much rather go through a year or two with Doc Ock being Spidey rather than have her figure everything out. He's a great character and having him play superhero has been a lot of fun so far
Verdict - 4.5 out of 5
What can I say, I love Doctor Octopus as Spider-Man. Dan Slott's hit gold and he makes this new Spider-Man a really interesting and formidable character. Stegman delivers with his pencils once again and Edgar Delgado amps all the art up with his colors. It's awesome to see both Doc Ock and Peter's pasts coming back to hit them hard in this issue. Most importantly, the plot takes some emotional turns that you wouldn't expect and truly establishes the foundation for both the book and it's titular character.