The Superior Spider-Man Returns #1: He’s Still a Jerk!

The Superior Spider-Man Returns #1 looks into the past in order to establish a future story for Otto Octavius’s wall-crawling persona. Building upon Doc Ock’s recent appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man and reestablishing his messy past as The Superior Spider-Man, this issue looks to build upon the success of the original run, while still pushing forward today’s ongoing Spider-Man stories. Writer Dan Slott and artist Mark Bagley team up with a plethora of creators from this defining moment in Spider-Man’s history in order to recapture that magic in a wonderful way.

Normally you would see that a book contains several writers and artists and think two things: 1. This is an anthology book, or 2. This is about to be the messiest comic this year. Thankfully, The Superior Spider-Man Returns #1 breaks both of those stereotypes, delivering a fun, new story that holds all of the heart and nuance of the original series. It is no secret that a vocal amount of fans are unhappy with the direction Spider-Man has gone over the last few years (regardless of the misleading sales numbers), so it’s almost a breath of fresh air to see these all-star creators returning to an era that many remember fondly. This also is an era that some consider to be the last, truly exceptional era in the character’s history, one that feels like it came out only yesterday, even though it was about a decade ago. Regardless of the politics behind this release, it is apparent that all the creators involved, especially Slott, are firing on all cylinders, delivering one of the most refreshing starts to a Spider-Man comic in years.

Many were worried about the plot of this comic going into it, considering that the only way to bring back The Superior Spider-Man would be via a strong retcon or impractical shenanigans. While The Superior Spider-Man Returns #1 does take the retcon route, it is not in the way you would expect. This introduction seems to show that this story will be a blend of current day and flashbacks, essentially making it so that we have our cake and can eat it too. This also helps set up a new villain, whose origin story is weaved into the tale in a nice, organic way. The writing in particular is absolutely stellar here, with Dan Slott and Christos Gage not missing a beat when it comes to the voice and characterization of the Doc Ock possessed Peter Parker. This flashback to 2013 is also full of enough context to capture new readers, making the story accessible to practically anyone who is interested. Overall, this comic accomplishes several feats in just one issue, setting up what is destined to be an amazing series. 

Going over to the art, this is where the nostalgia is truly going to kick in. Series artist Mark Bagley has been arguably the best Spider-Man artist since the mid ’90s, and continues to draw some of the best looking Spider-Man today. Along with him comes Ryan Stegman, Humberto Ramos, and Giuseppe Camuncoli. Together, this group of artists helped define over a decade’s worth of Spider-Man comics, using that same talent to firmly bring readers back to that era. Each artist’s particular styles fill this book with nostalgia and awe, with Edgar Delgado’s colors helping to bridge the transitions between each of their segments. Overall this book is a tour through the 2010’s when it comes to the art, and it works on every conceivable level.

Rounding out the creative team on this issue is Joe Caramagna on letters. Anyone familiar with The Superior Spider-Man will know that Slott gives him a very particular way of speaking, one that blends the harsh stubbornness of Doc Ock with the responsibility of Peter Parker. Caramagna does an excellent job translating that onto the page, truly making this book feel like something that came out in 2013. This is a prime example of the writer and letterer being on the same page when it comes to dynamics and execution.