Honestly, Yost is really delivering on the concept of Otto as Peter so much more than Slott is. After reading this issue, I think the problem is that Slott is focusing too much on his high-concept ideas of Peter influencing Otto, whether through the memory transfer or through his ghostly presence, and of Otto trying to surpass Peter as Spider-Man. Yost actually somewhat ignores both concepts here and it's a much more believable (and enjoyable) experience.
First, although Otto makes brief mention of the odd sense of affection that he feels for the children of the Future Foundation, he spends the rest of the issue being Otto. Sure, he helps ensure that the time stream doesn't collapse, but, honestly, an evil Otto would also ensure that the time stream didn't collapse because it would ruin his plans. In other words, nothing that Otto does here requires him to be a superhero. OK, if he had been a super-villain, he might've let the kids die, focusing simply on the time stream. But, his main goal here is keeping the time stream in one piece, something that really defies any sort of moral categorization.
Second (and possibly more importantly), Yost has Otto seemingly acting like a super-villain. After all, he steals Sandman here. Based on the narration of Mr. Oborus, it seems like Otto may be planning on bringing back the Sinister Six, possibly as Spider-Man himself. I mean, maybe he might not lead the team, since it would be a little too obvious, but, with a partner like the Sandman, he could be the power behind the throne. It's these plots -- of Otto subverting the Spider-Man norm, not trying to surpass it -- that I find more believable and exciting. Even if I don't get "Superior Spider-Man" at some point, I could still see myself getting this series. Crazy, but true.
No comments:
Post a Comment