Review: The Superior Spider-Man #13

Marvel Comics/$3.99

Marvel Now’s The Superior Spider-Man has been a mixed bag for me. On one hand, I love that writer Dan Slott and company have taken many risks with the character. Killing Peter Parker, having Otto Octavius take his place, and giving birth to a darker, more violent Spider-Man was a huge gamble. It has made for some interesting stories and twists on familiar characters that have kept me reading the title to see what the creative team has up their proverbial sleeves. On the other hand, I love the character of Peter Parker and miss the more traditional tales of the Amazing Spider-Man and am unsure if the decision to switch gears was a wise one. To say that this title has divided Spider-Fans is an understatement. Some love it, some hate it, but most are sticking with the book to see where these interesting twists and turns are leading them.

The Superior Spider-Man #13 is the conclusion of the “No Escape” storyline, where Alistair Smythe, the Spider-Slayer, has attempted to break out of the floating prison designed to hold super villains called The Raft. Smythe has managed to escape his scheduled execution, free himself and fellow villains Scorpion, Boomerang, and the Vulture, and hold the rest of the Raft (including Mayor J. Jonah Jameson and a group of civilians) hostage while playing a cat-and-mouse game of chase with the superior Spider-Man. The confrontation comes to a close in this issue, which also features an appearance by the Lizard, as Spidey and the Spider-Slayer have their final battle- to the death! The conclusion of the book wraps up with Spider-Man having a new headquarters, a new costume and some minions on the way, and a little something to blackmail Mayor Jameson with.

Love or hate the new direction that Spider-Man has taken, it’s hard to argue that Dan Slott is an excellent writer, weaving Spider-tales that are highly entertaining and full of action and twists. While Slott plotted this issue, Christos Gage actually wrote the script, with pencils provided by the excellent Giuseppe Camuncoli. Inks were done by John Dell and Terry Pallot, with Chris Eliopoulos doing the lettering. The art pops off of the page and makes the story really come alive. All in all, a satisfying conclusion to the “No Escape” arc and a fun read. Superior? The verdict’s still out on that one. A fun thrill ride of a comic? Absolutely!