Superior Spider-Man #16 Review!

Hello everybody, Donlinedude here and welcome to my review of Superior Spider-Man #16.

Synopsis:

With everyone in the Bugle offices now staring at Phil Urch, Joe Robertson orders everyone to turn off their phone or get away from their keyboard, threatening to fire whoever texts, tweets, or posts a status update about the current situation. Ben Urich refuses to believe that his nephew is the Hobgoblin, but Norah is more sceptical, asking Phil to say himself that he is not the Hobgoblin.

Unfortunately for Phil, an anonymous employee tips off the media and "Spider-Man", who swiftly arrives at the Bugle. As Phil starts to lose it, Robbie reprimands SpOck for his handling of the situation and asks where his proof is. After noting the irony at play here, Otto proves his claim by explaining how he injected Phil with Nano-Spider Tracers. At this point, Phil finally snaps, activating his flame sword and using Norah as a hostage, quipping that "nothing says Goblin like a dead blonde!" (only if you're green though).

In his secret lab, Tiberius Stone laughs at Hobby's misfortune, before moving onto the next target on his list, Horizon Labs! As various news crews debate whether or not costumed vigilante's deserve secret identities, we cut to Captain Watanabe interrogating a Spider-Ling as the Wraith. Despite her use of "fear gas" (Man, Scarecrow would sue if he lived in the Marvel U, ha, rhyme!), the henchman maintains that everything involving their salary is above board. At Carlie Cooper's request, Watanabe sends her the Spider-Ling's bank number, which gives them a lead on a large (likely illegal) offshore account, and since Carlie knows Spidey's secret identity, this only serves to fuel her theory. The pair decide to travel to the Caymans in order to follow the money.

Back at the Bugle, Norah breaks free of Phil's grip and elbows him in the face, whilst also feeling the need to tell him their through (I don't think he'd have assumed otherwise). With no hostage, Phil resorts to using his Lunatic Laugh on the civilians. He falters however at the realisation that he's killing his "Uncle Ben", which allows SpOck to detonate the Nano-Tracers, stunning Urich. SpOck then tackles him through the window and out into the street.

Meanwhile, the Goblin King watches the chaos from his Goblin Underground. He chides "Spider-Man" for releasing Urich's identity to the public, remarking that "it's almost like you don't know how this game is played anymore" (if only you knew Gobby). He then instructs Menace (where the hell did she come from?) to bring Urich to him.

Surrounded by police and Spider-Lings, as well as several news-crews recording everything, Phil opts to surrender rather than continue to fight. SpOck picks up the now-discarded flame sword with the intention of killing him, but he's suddenly interrupted by an Avengers Priority Call from Captain America himself, who tells him that they need to talk (What, do you think he's a Skrull again Cap?). Otto deactivates the sword, thanking the people of New York for their efforts.

As the chaos dies down, the media begins to question why so many employees of the Bugle have led double lives as super villains. Robbie dismisses everyone except for Ben and Norah. He explains that Ben will have to be temporarily sidelined. Norah however will have to be let go since she was the one reporting the front page Hobgoblin stories.

En route to New Jersey, Phil Urich's convoy is attacked by Menace, who frees Phil and takes him to the Goblin Underground. After watching the news reports on his escape (Which includes SpOck blustering over it and Mayor Jameson dodging questions.) he's let in to see the Goblin King, but first he's given something else to wear. As he dons his new costume, the Goblin King informs him that Phil Urich's life is over, and this new identity, the Goblin Knight, is all he has. In return, the Goblin Knight promises to deliver "the spider" to the Goblin...

Thoughts:

Thankfully this story arc has managed to end in a way that isn't a cop-out. There's good payoff to the characters, especially Phil Urich, the ongoing plot threads are built upon very nicely and art from Humberto Ramos is pretty good, although it's a little rushed in some places.

Despite Phil Urich being exceedingly irritating in his previous appearances, I actually felt a small amount of pity for him as his life crumbles to dust here and he goes down what looks to be the point of no return. Dan Slott gives a surprising amount of depth to this character in this issue, which justifies the somewhat tragic nature of this issue. You could almost say that "the Superior Spider-Man" did kill Phil Urich, as by the end all he has left is the Goblin. Watching him lose control in the Bugle offices was very tense and it made sense (Another rhyme!) because he's under pressure from numerous things. Norah Winters on the other hand is still very annoying, her dialogue was nothing short of nauseating.

I very much enjoyed the appearance of the Wraith and the way in which both her and Carlie Cooper's ongoing plot to expose Otto is building. The same can be said of the Goblin King, whose army is becoming pretty impressive with the additions of Menace and the Goblin Knight, even if Menace's appearance came out of nowhere. I also appreciated that we see more of the fallout from Otto's actions.

While it's not perfect, this issue is the most satisfactory, as well as the most fun, conclusion to a Superior Spidey story arc so far and actually leaves me jazzed for the next issue and the re-introduction of Spider-Man 2099...

Score: 4.0/5.0

Superior Spider-Man #15 Review

Hello everybody, Donlinedude here and welcome to my review of Superior Spider-Man #15.

Synopsis:

Hobgoblin arrives at one of the Tinkerer's shops. He informs the Tinkerer of the destruction of Shadowland and asks that he fix his gear before abruptly leaving in a panic. The Tinkerer then opens a secret door to the back of the shop, where Tiberius Stone (whose been cowering there for weeks like the little weasel that he is) is working. With Kingpin out of the way, Stone no longer needs to hide from him. He agrees to do one final job for the Tinkerer, to fix Hobby's gear. While doing this, he thinks about the millions of ways to get back at the various people who've hurt him (including "Spider-Man"), declaring that they "MESSED WITH THE WRONG NERD!" (dude, seriously?).

Elsewhere, the "Superior Spider-Man's" minions and Spider-Bots are scouring the remains of Shadowland for the bodies of the Kingpin and the Hobgoblin. Carlie Cooper (whose investigating the site along with Captain Yuri Watanabe) pulls "Peter" aside for a quick chat, asking how on earth he can afford all the minions and equipment. SpOck answers that the cities helping out and she can ask Mayor Jameson. The body of Smedley Kornfield is soon unearthed, leading everyone, including Ock, to believe the Kingpin is dead. SpOck takes off, instructing Carlie to contact him once the Hobgob's bod is found. Carlie tells Yuri that she's all but certain of her "crazy theory about Spider-Man", relaying what "Pete" told her to Watanabe, who decides to do some investigating as her vigilante alter ego, the Wraith!

Meanwhile, Phil Urich is in trouble. Despite bagging a fat check from the Bugle for his Goblin footage, it's not enough to cover his rent to Roderick Kingsley, the original Hobgoblin, or his fixed gadgets. After a call from Kingsley, Phil resorts to robbing banks per his suggestion.

All the while, Spider-Ock becomes frustrated at his inability to locate Hobgoblin. He muses in his lair
whether he should commit 100% to Spider-Man and abandon the life of Peter Parker, only to put that thought out of his head when he receives a call from Anna Maria Marconi.

Realising that the Hobgoblin is unknowingly piggybacking off of his Spider-Bot hack and that this could tip Spider-Ock off to his schemes, the Goblin King shuts the program down temporarily and instructs his men to lie low for awhile, wondering aloud how well "the wannabe" will do against the Spider.

The call from Anna Maria turns out to be a summons to the Chancellor of ESU's office. He tells "Parker" that he'll be receiving a full credit despite his "spotty" attendance, at which point Otto kisses up to Doctor Lamaze. While leaving, Anna tells Peter that she cares about their future, which pleases Otto (I think that was the look on his face anyway?) though "unfortunately" he has to leave as the Hobgoblin has been spotted.

SpOck wastes no time in attacking Hobby, who is also furious at Spidey for ruining his job with the Kingpin. He attempts to kill SpOck with his flame sword, but Stone (who is observing not too far away) turns the device off via remote, which leads Otto to regain the upper hand. Gobby then retreats and discards his costume. Having tagged him with some Nano Spider-Tracers, SpOck is able to listen in on Phil bursting into the Bugle offices demanding an advance on his Goblin footage. SpOck then activates a feed broadcasting on every channel, instructing everyone in the city to contact him if they find the Hobgoblin, exposing his identity as Phil Urich (oh snap!)..

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Thoughts:

Okay, this is actually going quite well. The story has not at all gone the way I was expecting, but unlike the last story arc, that's actually a good thing. Despite the huge amount of plot elements Dan Slott is juggling around, he manages to keep a balance between them for the most part. I was relieved to finally get a moment of contemplation with Otto Octavius, never mind the fact that it took us a total fifteen issues to get to this point, and the idea he brings up about abandoning the Peter Parker persona is very intriguing.

Since Phil Urich has been soooo annoying in his appearances as the Hobgoblin, I actually found it quite amusing to watch his life come crashing down his pointy ears. "Since when did
being a bad guy become a job?" The Goblin King is becoming rather compelling as a master manipulator, and it was nice to see him exercise some common sense unlike Otto. I was also interested in the fact that both his and his assistants faces was kept obscured, much how it was in the original comics, Unless it's a fake out and its just ol' Stormin' Norman, I'm expecting a twist regarding the Goblin King's identity.

I didn't care for the way Mary Jane was characterised. After fifteen issues (not to mention all the guest appearances and team-up series) she's just now entertaining the thought of something being wrong with Peter? That's respect for your supporting cast right there. She should have been suspicious a long time ago.

Humberto Ramos' draws some good panels for the most part, although that shot of Happy SpOck is just wrong. To quote Scott Pilgrim, "that is eeeevil!"

Overall, a decent issue and hopefully the cliffhanger will be paid of in good form next time, though I've still got my doubts...

Score: 3.0/5.0

Superior Spider-Man #14 Review

Hello everybody, Donlinedude here & welcome to my review of Superior Spider-Man #14. Yeah there's been a bit of a break here, but I'll be putting out a video review of the three story arcs of Superior that I haven't reviewed on my Youtube channel either this week or the next, along with a review of the Claremont/Miller Wolverine series to tie in with the release of The Wolverine.

Synopsis:

In Hell's Kitchen, a father narrates that his son is afraid to sleep at night because they live in the shadow of Shadowland, property of Wilson Fisk, aka the Kingpin. The father is frustrated that no one is doing anything about Shadowland, when, as if on cue, the "Superior Spider-Man" arrives, complete with "Arach-Nauts", a small army of "Spiderling" minions & around 300 Spider-Bots, to commit "regicide".

Otto and his Spiderlings cut through the Hand ninja like a knife through warm butter, which convinces Kingpin & the Hobgoblin to fall back. Otto is forced to take a call from Mayor J. Jonah Jameson, who is disgusted that "Spider-Man" is attempting to blow up a building in "his city". However Octavius reminds Jameson of the conversation they had in the previous issue. Jameson protests, saying that lives will be lost, but Otto states the only bodies that will be found in the rubble of Shadowland will be those of Fisk and the Hobgoblin, deliberately leaving the last part of the exchange open to Fisk's security feed so as to intimidate the Kingpin.

Inside the castle, the Kingpin realises that, despite the voice being the same, this is not the Spider-Man he knows. This is one who will kill them if given the chance. He retreats underground with the Hobgoblin, revealing an obese man named Smedley Korfield watching television and stuffing his face. Fisk breaks Smedley's neck and tells Hobgoblin that Mr Kornfield's body has been modified to mimic his own DNA, which, along with cosmetically altered dental appliances, will allow the Kingpin to convincingly fake his death. He then activates the self-destruct sequence, escaping in a one-man sub and leaving Hobgoblin to die.

Ol' Phil is smarter than he looks however, and manages to escape the castle before it collapses. He thinks he's gotten away, only to scream when he realises one of the Spider-Bots has spotted him (what a sissy.). But lo and behold, the drone doesn't alert Otto, instead enacting "goblin protocol" and sparing Hobby, who takes the opportunity to flee.

With Shadowland now reduced to rubble, "Spider-Man" is thanked by the grateful residents of Hell's Kitchen, including the father & son from earlier. All the while, Jameson is fuming that SpOck has him completely under his thumb.

The father leaves for work a short while later, leaving his son with a neighbour. As he walks away, his narration resumes, saying that he believes his son will be safe because "Spider-Man" is watching over them all. Little does he know, new dealers are emerging on the streets, invisible to the Spider-Bot's sensors because of a little goblin tattoo.

Underground, in the sewers, or the "Goblin Underground" as they are now calling it, the Goblin King's henchman welcome the several members of the Hand ninja, who feel disgraced for retreating from battle. They join the rest of the small army building underneath New York as the Goblin King himself makes an announcement that, in having taken over several of the Kingpin's operations, they have now passed the tipping point. 52% of crime in the city is under their control. The Goblin cackles, declaring that New York is his...and he did it without lifting a finger...

Thoughts:

This issue was surprisingly fast. I was expecting more of a complex take down of Shadowland that perhaps might even fail, not an all-out assault by Doc Ock that actually succeeds! Like the decision to kill off Massacre, I'm glad that Slott was allowed to make this story decision and we're left with an interesting ending to this issue with the Goblin King making a surprise appearance as his power grows. It's good that he's making regular appearances and contributing to the plot rather than just standing around in the background letting us know he's there, like Cygor from the Spawn comics.

The "Superior Spider-Man's" new costume definitely reflects Otto's personality and I like the addition of the spider legs and the black lenses. Perhaps this is a metaphor for how Otto is twisting the image of Spider-Man to match his own warped personality? The art by Humberto Ramos is pretty good here since most of this issue is utter chaos and that's something Ramos' style is very much suited to. I will say that the pace was maybe a little too fast, but overall this was a good issue, though after the previous arcs, I'm more than wary of the next instalment...

Score: 4.0/5.0

Superior Spider-Man #8 Review

Hello everybody and welcome to my review of Superior Spider-Man #8.

Synopsis:

At the H.E.A.R.T clinic, Dr. Elias Wirtham, aka Cardiac, returns with Otto Octavius's Neurolitic Scanner. He reassures Amy Chen as he fixes the device to her head that it is a magic helmet.Wirtham tells another doctor, Vargas, that the scanner is working, but he knows there's more that it can do. Unfortunately, the only one who knows how to properly work the device is it's inventor.

At Avengers Tower. SpOck is facing off with the Avengers while Ghost Spidey looks on. Peter makes the comment "not the face" which distracts Otto long enough for Black Widow to blast him in the back. Captain America then wallops Otto in the face with his shield and declares that it's time the Avengers got to the bottom of this.

Meanwhile, in her apartment, Carlie Cooper is on the phone to a mysterious individual who is apparently on a "leave of absence" thanks to her. She is (rightly) convinced that the Superior Spider-Man isn't the real Spider-Man, but she needs help from this person as she doesn't want to go into this half-cocked. The mystery person agrees to help her with the case.

Back at Avengers Tower, Otto regains consciousness to find the Avengers scanning him with various devices, the tests of which eventually prove to the Avengers that "Spider-Man"...isn't a Skrull, nor is he being possessed (what the hell?), which pisses off Ghost Spidey something rotten (I'm right there with you man). During the conversation, SpOck notices an abnormality in his brain patterns and asks to study some of the data firsthand. Cap states that SpOck is now on probation and if he steps out of line, he's fired (well at least the word was mentioned).

As the other Avengers leave, Black Widow asks to speak to SpOck in private. She tells him that she knows what this is about. She thinks that Spider-Man's change in personality has to do with the death of Silver Sable in Ends of the Earth. She also says that she's there for him as he now has "red in his ledger" (I wonder what that's a reference to). As the two converse, Ghost Spidey manages to take control of his right hand and draws a picture on the notebook in front of SpOck without him noticing. Widow gives SpOck a flash drive containing the data he wanted, Otto thanking her for the offer. As he leaves, Natasha notices the drawing by Ghost Spidey, but dismisses it as a doodle.

Otto makes his way to Horizon Labs, marvelling over his luck that neither Iron Man & Giant Man were present with the Avengers. Upon his arrival, he inserts the flash drive into his computer, but the data is "inconclusive". SpOck determines that he needs a better scan of his brain and he knows just how to get one.

Cardiac and the other doctors are prepping Amy for surgery when the alarm sounds. Cardiac suits up and confronts the intruder, who of course turns out to be SpOck, who engages Cardiac in combat when he refuses to yield the scanner. As they fight, Otto notices his invention and makes to snatch it off the girls head, with Peter trying his best to stop him. SpOck claims that he's in the right, retrieving the stolen property of Dr. Otto Octavius, but Cardiac interrupts saying that he's using the scanner to undo one of Ock's crimes. He explains to SpOck that Amy was in a car crash that killed her parents and left her with brain damage, the cause of which was Doc Ock's global warming scheme. Struck by a sense of responsibility, Otto fibs to the doctors and Cardiac that he has dedicated his life to studying Doc Ock's technology and he can work the scanner "like a virtuoso!" and perform the surgery himself.

The surgery goes off without a hitch thanks to Otto. Afterwards, he and Cardiac have a conversation in which they both admit they were wrong about each other, to the point where Otto even approves of the H.E.A.R.T clinic. He then asks to borrow the Neurolitic Scanner for a while, promising to return it once he's done. Cardiac agrees to this, notably calling SpOck friend. One of the other doctors then calls the two in, saying Amy wants to see the two of them. She thanks "Spider-Man" and offers him her toy, Mr Pinky Penguin. SpOck says he can't, but Cardiac reassures him that they've found her a replacement. A Spider-Man doll.

Later, at Horizon, as Otto muses over his "victory", Peter promises him it won't last as he will soon find a way back. Otto then responds with "no Peter, you won't", revealing that he can hear Peter now. He also reveals that "Peter" is in fact the memories of Peter Parker taking on a life of their own. SpOck instructs the Living Brain to prepare his equipment, as he's about to perform a "Parker-ectomy"...

Thoughts:

So in a storyline that was teased specifically with the word "Fired", SpOck doesn't actually get fired? From the Avengers or Horizon Labs? This is such a bizarre issue to review. It feels as though Dan Slott is cancelling out every good thing he does here with something bad. It's not the first time he's done this, the whole thing with Mary Jane in #2 was frustrating enough. Here though, it's in complete reverse.

After building up this showdown with the Avengers, having them scan SpOck and determine that he's fine is quite hard to swallow. I know the Avengers present aren't geniuses, but Slott makes them out to be monumentally stupid. SpOck attacked Captain America and refused to submit to the tests! Peter Parker would never do that and Cap should know that! It's such a massive cop out and what's worse is it could easily have been avoided by, oh I don't know, SpOck willingly submitting to the tests and not acting like a complete moron! Superior Spider-Man my arse! The scene with Black Widow is very mixed, the cheap gag at the end is annoying and the Avengers Assemble reference isn't exactly subtle, but I do like the way Widow opens up to "Spider-Man" and what could be done with this development going forward. Also it's good that SpOck remembers her words later on when he performs the surgery

There are some good things to enjoy about this issue though. I like that Carlie Cooper is still suspicious of "Peter" and the conflict with Cardiac is resolved in a very good way. the latter situation is very well written and gives Otto a much needed chance to grow as a character, and then it's ruined by the very next scene. I thought the whole point that Dan Slott was building towards was Otto being humbled by the girls gratitude for saving her life? Instead it's just used to massage his planet-scale ego, and then he moves onto attempting to get rid of Peter! Speaking of Peter, I was pleasantly surprised by the revelation behind his appearances here. This actually means there could be a lasting effect if Otto were to successfully perform his "Parker-ectomy". Which I suppose puts my fears to rest that Ghost Peter's presence in these past eight issues

I don't really have much to say about Humberto Ramos's artwork, there are some good shots here and there, though I was left confused by the Avengers vs SpOck scene, I couldn't tell if SpOck was dodging or being hit? While there is some very good stuff to be had in this issue, there's a lot of bad as well and it's just SO frustrating. I've been worried about the way #9 might be going for a while now and reading this issue hasn't helped at all...

 Score: 3.0/5.0

Superior Spider-Man #6 Review

Hello everybody & welcome to my review of Superior Spider-Man #6. I figured I might as well start with this issue since it utilizes material from Avenging Spider-Man, which I've been reviewing regularly. I will be posting video reviews of issues 1-3 and 4-5 in a few days (hopefully), but for now. Please enjoy this review :).

Synopsis:

Mayor J. Jonah Jameson is holding a press conference, stating that he is closing down supervillian prison, the Raft, and issuing a mandatory 10-year sentence for using a super-power to commit a crime, which annoys a present Phil Urich. All of a sudden, Jameson and his guards are besieged by Screwball & Jester. The two prank Jameson, Jester throwing a pie in his face whilst Screwball pulls his pants down and films the whole thing using her helmet. They then make their escape, leaving behind a furious Jameson and a bunch of reporters in stiches.

The footage is viewed live by people all over New York, including Doc SpOck, who creeps out "his" co-workers at Horizon Labs with his laughter. He then receives a message for Spider-Man, which turns out to be a summons to the mayors office. Jameson wants "Spider-Man" to apprehend Jester & Screwball for humiliating him. SpOck initially refuses, but changes his mind aftr Jameson inadvertently reminds him of the pranks he and Jameson have suffered at the hands of Spider-Man. SpOck remotely programs his network of Spider-Bots to locate the two criminals, then leaves with Jameson's blessing.

In Avengers Tower, Captain America is discussing Spider-Man's change in behaviour with Wolverine, Thor, Black Widow & Spider-Woman, noting that Spider-Man recently killed the criminal Massacre. Thor mentions his recent encounter with SpOck (referencing Avenging #18), how he was erratic and arrogant and that one needs steadfast allies on the field of battle. Wolverine disagrees however, saying they all have blood on their hands and they shouldn't desert Spidey when he needs them most. He askes that they wait and see where this goes next.

Elsewhere, Doc SpOck arrives ahead of schedule for his meeting with his physics tutor, Anna Maria Marconi. As she arrives, a pair of guys make fun of her, which angers SpOck. This stirs a memory of him being bullied as a child, which is also viewed by Peter Parker, who is snooping around trying to find a way of regaining control of his body. After a conversation with Anna about the bullies, she tells "Peter" that the real reason she called him was to give him a second chance to make a first impression with the  Dr. Don "The Schnoz" Lemaze (who Otto resents due to them being classmates together).

Meanwhile, Screwball & Jester land on a rooftop. Screwball tells Jester that the Jameson video is their best yet. Hundreds of people are linking to Screwball.com, completely unaware that Screwball's programs are grabbing all their credit card info and passwords. The pair don't notice that a Spider-Bot has caught sight of them. The little robot transmits it's info back to Otto, who instantly leaves, once again infuriating Dr Lemaze. As he changes into his costume, Otto notices the two boys who teased Anna earlier. He decides that he has time for one more thing.

SpOck arrives to attack Screwball & Jester, who are just at that moment deciding who to pull their last "Jest" of the day on. Screwball activates her helmet-mounted camera, broadcasting the fight live. SpOck behaves aggressively during the fight, punching Screwball in the chest. When he becomes flustered and attempts to apologise, Jester takes the opportunity to slingshot a projectile at SpOck, hitting him in the groin. Screwball then pelts Otto with paintballs, obscuring his vision and forcing him to rip off his eyepieces.

As all this is going on, Anna is trying to call Peter, wondering where the hell he's got to. She then notices a crowd around the car of one of the boys that teased her earlier. It's completely totaled! Anna realises the boys are in the boot of the car. She frantically calls 911, wondering who would do something like this? (I think we all have an inkling who did it.)

Filled with rage at the humiliation, SpOck viciously attacks Screwball & Jester, which is witnessed by everyone watching the video, which includes Jonah, MJ & the Avengers. Wolverine agrees with Cap, they need to bring Spider-Man in. All this causes Peter to surface from Ock's memories, manifesting in "ghost" form. He is greeted by a horrifying sight. Jester & Screwball lying bloodied on the floor, with a bloodstained SpOck standing over them. Peter cries in anguish at Otto's actions. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?

Thoughts:

So far, this is the strongest issue of Superior with regards to the writing. Dan Slott handles the scene with the Avengers well, wisely tying things together with Chris Yost's work on Avenging, which I was really hoping he'd do given how consistently strong that series has been. I'm actually okay with Wolverine sticking up for "Spidey" (despite their brawl in Avenging #16), it showcases how he really has respect for Peter deep down, though he rarely shows it.  The biggest flaw is "Spider-Man" himself. Otto isn't as interesting here as he is in Avenging Spider-Man, which is spectacularly ironic given this is the main Spider-Man title. Instead, he's a villian pretending to be hero, rather than one who is trying to be a hero, and that's quite disapointing. 

Screwball & Jester add a lot of humour to this issue, making it feel more like an issue of Amazing (and that's definitely a good thing). What made their fight with SpOck so interesting to me was how Otto handled it. The last time I saw Screwball (during "Who Was Ben Reilly?"), Peter defeated her instantly. Otto actually prolongs the fight with his over-aggressive attitude, which I felt to be a nice touch, as it actually shows that Otto isn't as Superior a Spider-Man as he thinks. Peter certainly wouldn't have been hit in the balls by Jester, though I'm by no means complaining about that.

Unfortunately, it's Humberto Ramos's turn to provide the artwork. Now I'm not saying that Ramos is a bad artist, not at all. He paces the action well and the angles look great, there are some shots that actually look really good. I just don't think Ramos is the right pick for a Spider-Man title. His style is hyperkinetic and borders on cartoony (again, that's not entirely a bad thing). I still think he'd be better suited to Deadpool.

While my opinions over this are mixed, I enjoyed this issue more than the others. Hopefully Slott can deliver next issue. I'm certainly interested to see what happens when SpOck is confronted by the Avengers...

 Score: 3.5/5.0