I remember so looking forward to this and it was worth the wait.
Spider-Man's long time enemy Otto Octavius aka Dr. Octopus managed to pull his greatest trick, and like a great magician he never told him his secret. He was able to defeat Peter Parker once and for all by taking his life. Before Parker passed away, he was able to reform Otto by teaching him his life long motto, "With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility". Octavius then chooses to become a better person. -summary
It has been nearly a year now since Marvel decided to re-jump start their universe following the events of Avengers vs. X-Men, Spider-Man: Dying Wish, and X-Force: Final Execution. Unlike DC whom just went and took a shortcut rebooting everything; Marvel just introduced brand new chapters to their characters lives. They simply went on to do the unthinkable with their characters going so far to permanently kill off Charles Xavier by Cyclops' hands, hence turning him into a villain, and most notably, to the chagrin of many fans, killing off Peter Parker as The Amazing Spider-Man. However, Spider-Man still lives; due to the events of Spider-Man: Dying Wish, Spider-Man's long time enemy Otto Octavius aka Dr. Octopus killed his long time foe by swapping minds with him. Thus, becoming Spider-Man and leaving Parker to die in his broken and abused body, which suffered numerous beatings to Spider-Man and other super-powered types over the years. Before Otto could move on to a new level of villainy, Parker was able to reform him. Now it's Otto's turn to try and become the hero Parker was. Many naysayers will have you believe this is Marvel running out of ideas. Really? Well, if you happen to ignore those folks whom more than likely have never read the stories, you will see this is Marvel brain-storming at its finest. The Superior Spider-Man has shaped up to be one of the most interesting and best storylines in the Marvel Now! line. Its only competition there is The Age of Ultron. Now in comparison to DC, I'll say Batman: Death and the Family and Aquaman: The Others gives it very solid competition because those are great storylines that cannot be overlooked. This TPB collects The Superior Spider-Man issues 1 - 5, and is written by Dan Slott.
The Superior Spider-Man is truly Spider-Man like you never seen him before. If there's anything out there feeling completely fresh it's definitely this one. Slott hasn't done away with Peter's world at all. He introduces it to Otto, whom quickly begins to think that Peter was insane for playing the hero for so many years, as he suffers a quick beating to the new Sinister Six, ironically, it was Otto himself whom originally formed the group to kill Spider-Man. This new group is formed by Boomerang, and flanking him are The Living Brain, Speed Demon, Shocker, Overdrive, and a new Beetle. The story is written very well, as we quickly learn this Spider-Man is very different, fighting the group completely using his intelligence in a very crafty way.
The later stories continues Otto's development setting him completely apart from Peter, and very early, he indeed feels like the Superior Spider-Man, from his city patrolling tactics, to his extremely violent methods on dealing with criminals. He takes down some notable villains with extreme prejudice. This Spider-Man is still very much like Otto in the way that he's arrogant yet very confident with everything.
Peter's world interacts very well with Otto; there's always this lingering possibility that someone such as Mary Jane is going to learn this isn't Peter Parker. There are some interesting elements thrown out there, plus Jonah Jameson actually makes peace with this Spider-Man, which further establishes Marvel's direction in regards to moving forward with something fresh; but it's Otto whom still shines the brightest by far. His attempts to winning over Mary Jane, along with learning Peter is a college drop out, and he must go back to school if he wants his title as "Doctor" again, provides some out loud comedic moments.
We get to see a truly darker side to this Spider-Man so the development never seems to stop. The comedy works very well, as does the suspense. However, the book isn't completely flawless though. Peter still plays a role that I won't spoil, and he does manage to steal a lot of Otto's thunder. I'll leave it at that.
Ryan Stegman draws the first three issues which look really great. The action panels are highly entertaining with some stand out moments. The after effect flashes of Speed Demon look really cool, along with the mid-air death struggle vs. the Vulture, plus there's an overall sleekness to the presentation and detailed backgrounds that usually sport a vibrant feel. But quite possibly the most overlooked detail in regards to the character designs is the new display of confidence. Otto's body language speaks volumes, as he's just bursting with the confidence Peter rarely displayed. Otto is a geek at heart, just like Peter, but now with these new looks he's a completely changed person with so many reasons to be happy with his life. He also wears his frustration very well, the gut wrenching frown on his face when he learns that he must return to school, despite earning his doctorate when he was sixteen will provide some chuckles. Also, I love the dialog, it's something watching a young man like Peter calling people "dolts" and shouting "confound it!". Otto shows his true age even in this young body. Issues 4 - 5 are drawn by Giuseppe Camuncoli. His character designs appear to be somewhat better done with a fine finish. I think the colors is what helps it stand out more though. There's nothing to really complain about here.
After these first 5 issues I have been following this series monthly, and I can tell you it's still moving with some solid momentum. The Superior Spider-Man is a winner at this point. Everyone I know whom has given these stories a chance have admitted to enjoying them despite wanting to come into them with pure hatred and leaving that way. The only people that hate it are those who haven't read it, or those holding on to some type of "loyalty". I recommend reading the book for yourself. I do understand it's going to be tough getting use to Peter being gone, and Otto taking his place; I felt very bitter about it at first. It felt like losing a long time friend, but it seems like I gained a new one. I like Spider-Otto or SpOck, I'm beginning to like him a hell of a lot more. It's cool to finally have a Spider-Man that will cross the line, and is tired of fighting the same enemies over and over. Give the book a shot, you just may like it, and although it isn't necessary to read Dying Wish; I still recommend doing so since that's a solid book as well.
Pros: Very interesting lead character, very fresh story, and entertaining artwork
Cons: Some minor story elements
