The Superior Spider-Man #33 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Whereas previous issues published under the "Edge of Spider-Verse" banner have done little more than introduce us to the various Spider-Men from the Multiverse, Gage actually moves the plot along significantly in this issue.

First, we learn that it's Morlun's brother, Karn, that we've seen hunting the Spider-Men for the last few issues, not Morlun.  I wasn't 100 percent clear on that in the main story; I thought Karn might just be another name that Morlun used.  But, the back-up story makes it clearer.  Moreover, Gage reveals that Karn has numerous siblings, including more obvious vampire ones that we meet here, named Bora and Brix.  In fact, he's from a whole family of people that hunt the Spider-Men, or, as they call them, Spider-Totems.  This revelation shakes up Otto, since he realizes that they have to wipe out the entire family before the Spider-Men are going to be safe.  He also realizes that Assassin Spider-Man and Spider-Girl will help him commit the genocide that he needs to commit to be free.  Gage also wisely reminds us why Otto is so invested, that he can't return to his time lest he lead Karn straight to Anna Maria.

Perhaps most importantly, we learn in the back-up story that Karn is seeking atonement for his sin, namely his lack of the love of killing.  Centuries ago, this "failing" resulted in him hesitating in killing the Master Weaver, as he was apparently destined to do, and his mother dies in his place in trying to do so.  (We don't learn why he was destined to kill the Weaver.  We just know that his brother, Daemos, fails in his attempt and that the Weaver calls Karn the "Chose One.")  Although his "sin" is clear (if you buy it), I can't say that his "atonement" makes much sense.  For reasons that seem a stretch, Karn is thrown into the Multiverse to kill Spider-Men.  The helmet placed on his head to keep his family from seeing his face is somehow attached to the Master Weaver and his ability to sense Spider-Men; each time Karn kills a Spider-Totem, it opens a portal that could send him home.  I seriously don't know what I should think about this part.  On one hand, it's nice to get this sort of insight into Karn's motive.  We're not going to have to wait until the last issue for some big (and ultimately unsatisfying) reveal explaining it, as we had to do with "Original Sin."  But, it just seems so...clichéd.  It's essentially Hermey the Elf from "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" meets Scott Bakula from "Quantum Leap."  Plus, the mechanics don't make much sense to me.  Why the random portals?  Why not tell him that he has to kill x number of Spider-Totems and be done with it?

Along a similar line, the mechanics of Otto's activities in this issue also don't make much sense.  Otto creates a device to reverse-engineer Karn's ability to drain the Spider-Men's powers, intending to drain him of the stolen power instead.  The only small catch is that it doesn't work.  Otto manages to shake off the loss, and he suddenly announces that a few adjustments will result in it hiding the Spider-Men's signal from Karn.  Really? I'm not really convinced, from an engineering perspective, that a device meant to reverse the flow of a certain type of energy could easily be turned into one that would preclude that type of energy from being tracked.  But, I guess I'm supposed to go with it.  It's not too hard to do so, to be honest, since Gage almost immediately calls into question how effective it is -- even if it does work -- by revealing that the congregation of Spider-Men make them easily trackable to Karn and his family.

In other words, we get a lot thrown at us in this issue.  In the end, it feels like too much, like Gage was under the gun to hit as many marks as he could.  Moreover, despite the information dump, it still isn't clear to me what the plot of "Spider-Verse" is going to be.  Is it really just Karn killing enough Spider-Men to make it home?  That feels a little...formulaic.  I'm giving this issue a three, since some of it -- mostly Camuncoli's great battle scenes -- felt like a four and some of it -- especially Karn's unbelievable motives -- felt like a two.

*** (three of five stars)

Superior Spider-Man #32 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Slott definitely stars off "Spider-Verse" with a bang, showing us Otto's actions during the period of time when he disappeared in issue #19.  At first, I thought that we were just going to be treated to a fun romp through the 2099 world, and the brief appearances from the Specialist and Venture were exciting if disappointingly brief.  But, this issue does have "Edge of Spider-Verse" emblazoned on its cover, so it was clear that it had to tie into that plot somehow.  The good news is that Slott brilliantly uses Otto's attempt to return to his own time as the device for introducing Morlun's rampage throughout the Spider-Verse.  After encountering the fourth dead Spider-Man, Otto stars to wonder why so many Spider-Men are winding up dead and begins assembling an army to take on the mysterious assassin.  It feels totally organic, and I have to applaud Slott for thinking of such a great way to get this story rolling.

Since "Spider-Verse" is just starting in this issue, we're still left with a lot of question.  For example, we still don't have any idea why Silk's release from Ezekiel's bunker kicked off Morlun's rampage.  Moreover, we know that Otto's activities here happen in the past, and it seems likely that he leaves the army at some point, since he does re-appear in issue #19.  However, Slott does cast some doubt on that.  First, we see a dead "Civil War" era Iron Spider in this issue.  This Spider-Man is presumably not an alternate-universe version of Peter Parker, but a past one.  Assuming that Peter hasn't died in the present due to the murder of a past self, Slott at least floats the possibility that Morlun's actions (and, therefore, possibly Otto's) are somehow not affecting the present.  As such, we could be looking at a world where Otto had a different experience than this one in the original continuity, returning in issue #19 as normal.  However, now, he might exist outside the time stream, setting up the possibility that he survives his eventual death in issue #31 since it's his original issue #19 self that dies.  (Oy, my head hurts.)  At any rate, Slott is clearly going to have to give us some sort of explanation.  Either we're dealing with a different Otto or we need to know why Otto returned to the present and then promptly forgot about Morlun murdering the Spider-Men of the multiverse.

Even with these questions, it's definitely a fun issue.  Slott has always been great at juggling a lot of characters, and the joy of this event is going to be seeing all the Spider-Men interacting.  Otto meets the Indian Spider-Man in the main story and a Logan-trained assassin Spider-Man in the back-up story, and I find myself hoping that someone with a better knowledge of the various Spider-Men is keeping track somewhere.  So long as Slott remembers to have fun throughout this event and not have it devolve into an attempt to check all the boxes, I think we're going to have a great time.

(NOTE:  It laters become clear that the vampire here is Karn, not Morlun.)

**** (four of five stars)

On Superior Spider-Man

It's been a long and turbulent journey, but, in the end, I'm not really sure how I feel about the "Superior Spider-Man."  After thinking about it, I realized that I'm not sure how I feel because I'm not sure that Slott knows how he wants me to feel.

I'm going to go into an obsessive amount of detail here, but, to bottom-line it, I think the main problem with "Superior Spider-Man" is that Slott was never really clear on what motivated Otto.  We never really get a definitive sense if Otto is the guy who tried to kill 99.92 percent of the Earth's population or the guy who got angry when the Vulture made him strike a child.  Slott tries to stake out a position that they're the same person, but we're never really sure if that bridge is because of Peter's inherited memories or Slott's wishful thinking.

The Original Sin
Spider-Man attracts his fair share of die-hard fans, and, as someone who's read, according to Comic Collector, 27+ years of "Amazing Spider-Man" comics, I clearly fall into that camp.  It's hard for me to think of a more divisive plot twist during that time than this one, except the "Clone Saga."  For me, the switch felt like a cheap stunt, given the rushed feeling of the last few issues of "Amazing Spider-Man" that set the stage for it.  Maybe if Slott had taken more than three issues to tell that story, I would've bought the transfer of Otto's consciousness into Peter's body.  It would've felt more organic.  Or, Slott could've done a better job of conveying Peter's shock over losing control of his body; as it was, these issues focused almost exclusively on Peter's mad scramble to undo the procedure.  This rush to introduce Spider-Otto became "Superior Spider-Man's" original sin, resulting in some readers, like me, never really accepting the premise.  Like "A Christmas Carol," nothing wonderful could come from the story that Slott was going to relate if you didn't accept that Peter Parker was dead like a doornail.  Most of us -- correctly -- did not.  (In fact, Peter himself didn't even "die" until issue #9 of the new series.)

This sense of unease wasn't made any better by the carpet-bombing that Stephen Wacker (and, to a lesser extent, Dan Slott) did to anyone who didn't immediately accept this change as OMG YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING GENIUSES!  I mean, it's a clever, if disingenuous, move to paint anyone opposing a BOLD NEW DIRECTION as simply a mindless defender of the status quo.  But, claiming yourselves as the sole stewards of Spider-Man is always a dangerous road for creators to go.  It's doubly true of editors, given their long history of screwing up everything, as the "Life of Reilly" blog that I have in my links section details through the behind-the-scenes story of the "Clone Saga."  Reluctant though I was, after the questionable premise and aggressive attacks, I eventually decided that Wacker and Slott were clearly lying to us and that Peter would return.  Although it might mean that nothing would be wonderful, I was at least prepared to grit my teeth and bear it.  In my most optimistic moments, I hoped for another "Big Time!"

The Four Laments
Re-reading my reviews, my complaints about this series fell into four categories:

1) Throughout the series, it was difficult to tell where Peter ended and where Otto started.  At the start, Ghost Peter made this confusion worse.  Otto didn't erase his presence until issue #9; as such, for almost a third of this series, Otto was directly competing with Peter for our attention.  In issue #3, Otto is furious at the Vulture for forcing him to strike a child, despite the fact that he was trying to eliminate most of the Earth's population a few issues earlier in the "Ends of the Earth" arc.  One could point to Peter's influence for inspiring this change of heart, but it's clear that it's Otto himself -- and his experience as an abused child -- that feels this anger.  In issue #8, Slott is even more direct, bringing Otto face-to-face with a girl injured during his aforementioned attempt to burn the Earth.  He feels remorse, but, again, it's unclear why he didn't feel such remorse when he originally tried to pull off that plan.  Are we supposed to pin this kindness on Peter?  It makes more sense than the Vulture example, but it's still unclear.  The issue is somewhat mooted after Otto erases Peter's memories, but, on some level, it made the problem even worse:  if Otto is no longer haunted (literally) by Peter, why stay a good guy?  If I had to tease out an argument, I'd say that Slott is saying that Otto cares more about being superior (as either a hero or a villain) than he does about the actions themselves (heroic or villainous).  To Otto, burning down the Earth and making New York safe are one in the same.  But, Slott never clearly makes that argument, making you question Otto's motivations for the entire series.

2) Slott relied way too frequently on overly convenient devices to resolve problems.  Alistair Smythe's "Slayer-Bots" miraculously create cybernetic implants on the spot to get Boomerang, the Scorpion, and the Vulture into the game in issue #11.  In issue #21, Stunner conveniently awakens from her coma, allowing Otto use of her virtual-reality technology to convince Dr. Lamaze (as Otto) that Peter didn't steal his research.  More unbelievably, the entire Goblin Nation arc is based on the premise that Otto missed the Goblin King building his army as a result of the Goblin Protocols blinding his lenses to the Goblin Army's presence.  In other words, we're supposed to believe that Peter lived in New York City and never noticed, outside his costume, that the Green Goblin and his men were wrecking havoc on the city for a few weeks.  Moreover, it's not just technical innovations that created these convenient moments.  Max decides to fire Sajani -- but not Grady -- in issue #19 as a result of the destruction of Horizon Labs, despite both of them engaging in activities that he had banned.  Slott clearly has Max fire Sajani so that Peter could hire her and she could use her expertise to perfect the cure for the Goblin Serum.  Had Max fired both Grady and Sajani, I'd be singing Slott's praises.  But, by firing only Sajani without explaining why Grady got to stay, Slott once again sacrifices characterization (of Max as a caring and understanding boss) for expediency.

3) Slott spent most of the time juggling an excessive number of sub-plots.  Four of my favorite issues were #17-#18, #25, and #30, where Otto's battles with Miguel, the Avengers, and the Goblin King, respectively, were almost the sole focus of the issues.  Similarly, in issue #7, I note with glee that Slott focuses on Spidey's fight with Cardiac and not the three sub-plots that he had on the back burner at that point.  Unfortunately, most of the time, it was almost impossible to identify the primary story that Slott was telling.  In issue #16, I lament that we're not given a chance to see how Phil responds to his life falling to pieces around him as Otto launches a full-out assault on the Hobgoblin, because Slott is too busy focusing on other sub-plots.  The best example of this phenomenon comes from my review of issue #23:  "It's not enough that Peter has to deal with Aunt May and her reaction to Anna Maria in this issue or that the Venom symbiote took over Spider-Man.  We also have him deciding to 'cure' Flash of the Venom symbiote, Yuri deciding that Peter kidnapped Carlie after a visit to MJ, JJJ, Jr. commissioning Alchemax to build more Spider-Slayers, and the Green Goblin deciding that Carlie must know Spider-Man's identity if she knows that Otto is controlling his mind."  'Nuff said.

4) Slott appropriated main characteristics of other comic-book characters, turning Spider-Man into an amalgam character (and, therefore, diluting the focus of the story on Otto's experience as Spider-Man).  At some point, it stopped feeling like "Spider-Man" and more like "Iron Man:"  Spider-Island, the Arach-naughts, the Spiderlings, etc.  In terms of Peter's estrangement from his supporting-cast members, it actually became "Batman," with Slott having to create an emotional distance between them (as I mention in my review of issue #15) to explain why they didn't realize that they were no longer dealing with Peter.  As I said in issue #29, we're supposed to believe that Mary Jane can't figure out that Peter isn't Peter, but Miguel could?  Moreover, you could actually say that Otto's more aggressive version of Spider-Man was really Batman-esque.  This series provides any number of examples of Otto's brutality, though "Superior Spider-Man" Annual #1 and "Superior Foes of Spider-Man" #11 probably do the best job of showing us the fear that he's inspired in the villains that he faces, similar to Batman.

Trying to find a theme to these four complaints, I would say that Slott was trying to cram 60 issues of stories into 30 issues and didn't have a clear vision of the story that he was telling.  Would Otto be redeemed?  Would Otto be superior?  Would Otto return to villainy?  Slott didn't seem to have an answer from the start, taking us on a winding road with no clear map.  I've read that he and Wacker never intended Otto-Spidey to last as long as he did, making you wonder which plots Slott just threw at us to stall for time.  But, it makes it clear why the series felt so poorly plotted from the start.  If Slott and Wacker had really trusted the concept and given themselves the time to develop all these plots and thoughts, I would've enjoyed this series more.  Instead, at the end, it feels like a pastiche of situations leaving us with no clear sense of who Otto was.

The Successful Foreshadowing
Retroactively, we do see some hints of where Otto will find himself in issue #31.  In "Superior Spider-Man" #6AU, Otto blames his inability to stop Ultron from taking over the Earth on his need to "act" like Peter, finding yet another excuse for why he was struggling to be "superior" to Peter.  In the end, Otto ditched the excuses and simply realized that he wasn't superior.  Moreover, he feels Peter's impulse to feel bad for Max Modell, but dismisses it; later, he'll tell Peter to dismiss this sentiment -- of feeling bad about his superiority -- so that he could, in fact, be superior.  Moreover, in issue #10, it was clear to the reader that an over-confident Otto would be so convinced of his ability to be superior to Peter and defeat the Goblin that he would underestimate "Norman" and get his ass handed him in the early rounds of their battle.  Similarly, in issue #14, he essentially reveals his identity to Alistair Smythe before he kills him, showing how overconfident he was, never imaging that he wouldn't be able to deliver the coup de grâce.

Slott also foreshadowed where other characters would be.  In issue #12, it's clear that JJJ, Jr.'s fast and loose relationship with the law was going to have consequences down the line.  Similarly, it was clear by issue #24 that the main challenge for Peter after his return was that he was going to have to choose between redeeming Peter's reputation or Spider-Man's, but it was going to be hard to do both without revealing his secret identity.

On some level, these moments almost imply that Slott did have a map and I'm just being excessively critical.  The problem is that you also have counter-examples that could explain a triumphant Otto crowing over his superiority in this issue.  After all, he did successfully take down Shadowland.  Maybe he could've successfully been a hybrid Batman/Iron Man; after all he does manage to launch Parker Industries and finish his Ph.D. thesis.  Maybe he was a superior Peter Parker; he is dating a brilliant, nice girl who clearly loves him.  I think Slott would argue that he was keeping us guessing.  But, I know when we're dealing with someone keeping us guessing on purpose (see anything Rick Remender has ever written) and someone keeping us guessing because they don't know the answer.  All this contradictory foreshadowing leads me to believe that Slott falls into the latter category.

The Final Assessment
Was it worth it?  Sure.

I'm not entirely sure how history is going to remember it.  We all seem to be getting nostalgic about the "Clone Saga," and I think even the most die-hard critics of this story would agree that it was better than that mess.  Do I think that it's going to be on the same level as Peter failing to save Gwen Stacy or the struggling to identify the Hobgoblin?  Probably not.  In the end, Slott tried to do too much.  He missed the chance to give us an amazing think-piece on heroism, exploring why someone like Otto Octavius would be inspired to change his stripes and become a hero, even after Peter's memories were expunged from his consciousness.  Instead, he decided to make Otto's main justification for his heroism the fulfillment of his ego, leaving us a narrow story, despite the 31 issues dedicated to it.  I would've preferred to see Otto move past his need to be superior and decide if he really wanted to be a hero.  It might've been fun to see Spidey become a bad guy, after Otto decides that he no longer wants to be a hero.  Moreover, he only concedes that Peter is superior for the tritest reason ever:  love.  It still strikes me as more of a move of desperation than one of truth.

I leave this series with a sense that we had so many other places that we could have gone had Slott really kept this core question in focus:  what motivates Otto?  In the end, my only answer is ego, and it feels unsatisfying.  The preceding paragraph is my rejoinder to Wacker's argument that anyone criticizing this series was opposed to new ideas.  I actually wanted Slott to go further than he did.  But, I will certainly applaud him for being bold.  Every time I was ready to drop this series, Slott managed to pull an amazing story from his hat and I hung in there, as other books fell off my pull list.  If he had managed to sell it to me, I'd be excited about the upcoming issues dealing with the aftermath of Otto's "possession" of Peter.  As it is, I'm just glad that he's home.  Onwards and upwards.

Superior Spider-Man #31 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Slott wraps up so many different storylines in this final issue that it's hard to know where to start in terms of writing a review with a summary and various good and bad items.  That format requires a certain coherence that I'm not sure we have here.  In other words, it's messy.  Instead of spending hours trying to force a narrative structure onto the story, I thought I would just group the main developments together and go from there.  In no particular order:

I'm not sure how I feel about the Goblin being Norman (and, to a certain extent, Liz).  On one hand, Slott sets up the awesome idea that a Norman now cured of the Goblin Serum's madness is a Norman who will be an even greater future thorn in Peter's side.  Of course, on the other hand, this idea makes no sense.  Norman only became the Goblin because of the Goblin Serum's madness.  Without the madness, would Norman really be the Goblin?  Slott seems to accept that premise way too quickly for me.  I would love to read a story where Norman Osborn struggles with this decision, deciding if he really is a villain.  It's sort of a reverse nature/nurture question.  Slott precludes that debate from happening, which seems odd for him, given that the whole point of this series was Otto going through a similar journey.  He essentially discards the chance to do what he did for Otto for Norman (though, likely, with Norman deciding to embrace the Goblin).

Beyond this existential question, the details (such as we know them) of Norman's return are difficult to accept.  Notably, Norman Osborn full-on melted in "Avengers" #24.  Slott doesn't provide any explanation for how he is un-melted, though he seems to hint that Norman may have the ability to control his shape now, allowing him to morph into Banks.  (When Peter unmasks the Goblin, he's revealed to be Liz's chief of staff, Banks.  Norman informs him that he took on Banks' face since everyone recognizes his own face now.)  However, it's a drastic enough shift from the last time that we saw Norman, all melted, that we are really owed an explanation for how he emerged from his coma and confirmation (if I'm right) that he can in fact control his shape.

While we're on this theme, we're definitely owed an explanation for why Liz Allan would turn against Spider-Man, since we have even less information from which we can draw a conclusion.  Slott wants us to believe that she did it to secure a future for Normie, but I'm not entirely sure why she would need Norman's help to do that.  Did she accept that working with Norman to lay the foundations for the creation of Alchemax required accepting his plans as the Goblin?  I could see a world where the entire Goblin Nation was intended to create the need for the Spider-Slayers, given that we see Tyler Stone selling them for a handsome profit, improving the viability of Alchemax as a fledgling corporation, I'd have to imagine.  It seems plausible, but Slott needs to make that argument.  He'd also do well to explain why Allan Chemicals and Norman's share of Oscorp weren't enough of a legacy.  Slott seems to be hinting that Liz is motivated by something darker than just securing Normie's future.

In other words, when it comes to Norman's purported return and Liz's heel turn -- the two major developments of this issue -- I'm left attempting to connect the dots on my own,  despite how central both twists are to the plot of not only this arc, but, the last 14 or so issues (at least).  It's hard to call that a satisfying ending to this arc.

However, Peter's future is just as murky as this issue's resolution.

First Slott's answer to the problem of believing that Spider-Man has returned seems to be...Spider-Man returning.  Miguel, Black Widow, the Goblin:  the minute that Spidey makes it with the quips, they accept that it's him.  As lazy as it is, I'm actually OK with it, in the sense that I'd like us to move past this phase of the story as quickly as possible.  I can't really think of anything interesting in terms of Spider-Man trying to convince people that he's Spider-Man again.  In fact, it's virtually impossible for him to be able to do so on a large scale, since people didn't really know him in the first place.  Sure, with the Avengers, he can tell them the truth, they can find the tests that they ran when Otto controlled his mind, and, presto chango, problem solved.  Other people, like Sajani here, might make comments about him killing his opponents for a few issues, but it seems clear that Slott is going to have people believe that he's at least behaving the way that he used to behave sooner rather than later.  Any attempt to prove to the public that he wasn't in his right mind would be ridiculous, so, honestly, this approach of just having him behave as he normally would is probably the only realistic way to put this period of his history behind us.

In fact, Slott makes it clear that Peter's greatest problem is going to be, as expected, in his personal life.  However, Slott (thankfully) doesn't seem intent on milking this drama for too long.  It seems that, again, he'll also just be able to behave normally and all sins will be forgiven.  Sure, we're going to have a crushing scene with Anna Maria, but, once he makes a few dinners with Aunt May and Jay, I'm guessing that Slott is going to try to just forget this part of his history.  It would be weird if, two years from now, Jay were still complaining about that several months period when Peter was rude.  Given that he was finishing up his Ph.D. and starting his own company, it's pretty clear that Peter has an excuse, and it would get old if we kept having this fight over and over again.  In some ways, Slott already has Peter face the worst-case scenario:  Carlie and MJ believe him that Dr. Octopus took over his body, but they realize that they can no longer take the drama that comes from associating with him.  It's hard to argue with them.

The problem is that Slott premises both these best-case scenarios on everyone forgetting, eventually, that Peter was connected to Spider-Man.  In the end, more than any other development in Slott's run, it's this connection that has the most impact on this series.  When Spider-Man's aggressive streak is long forgotten, Peter's connection to Spider-Man will remain.  Peter tells Aunt May that he's going to call a press conference distancing himself from Spider-Man, but it seems unlikely that such a move is going to work, given that, obviously, he'll always be connected in some way to him.  It also seems to be poorly coordinated with Spidey returning to normal, if you will.  Peter is going to disassociate with him for his bad behavior just as his behavior improves.  Is Spidey going to call a press conference and say that Peter's disapproval was what he needed to get his head on straight?  It seems like a bad idea since, again, it would only strengthen their connection in the public eye.

After spending most of this series assuming that the point of it was to ruin Peter's life when he returned, I read this issue wondering if Slott had just decided that he was as tired of that story as we are.  He could have gone all sorts of places with it.  He could've forced Peter to tell Aunt May that he was Spider-Man and possessed by Dr. Octopus to explain away his behavior, or he could have Spider-Man treated as a Batman-esque vigilante for a while.  Instead, the goal seems to be to rush to the previous status quo as soon as possible, which leaves me feeling duped.  If we're right back where we were at the end of "Amazing Spider-Man" #696, what was the point?

I'm not saying that I didn't enjoy this issue, but, when framed in the context of the larger story of Dr. Octopus taking over Peter's body, I'm not sure it did what it needed to do.

A Note on Miguel:  To be honest, Miguel plays enough of a role here to merit me using a longer review.  But, with him getting his own series (hurrah!), I'm going to have to figure out a way to handle reviews where he features prominently.  In the meantime, I'll just say that Spidey arrives in time to help him defeat the Spider-Slayers and then Miguel accompanies him on his search for the Goblin King.

*** (three of five stars)

Superior Spider-Man #30: "Goblin Nation, Part 4"

***** (five of five stars)

Summary
The two Spideys are trying to fend off the Spider-Slayers, with Miguel telling Otto to go for the joints, hitting them where they're weak.  "Norman" tells them that he was trying to do that to Spidey by going after Lamaze, but, "just like these Spider-Slayers, Spidey's gotten tougher."  He says that he has to do better and orders Menace to show a captive Anna Maria on the screen where the user's face is normally projected.  Anna Maria warns Spidey that it's a trap, and an enraged Otto punches the screen.  Miguel ponders why his controls aren't working, noting that he built them with tech from 2099, so no one could hack it.  Otto says that the Goblin could, given that he hacked his tech, which he claims was "centuries ahead of its time."  The Goblin ups the stakes, telling Otto that he'll lead him to Anna Maria if he leaves Miguel to fend off the Spider-Slayers on his own, a fight he couldn't win.  Miguel tells Otto that the Goblin is tipping his hand, since he knows that they could defeat the Spider-Slayers together and Miguel could then help find Anna Maria, but Otto has already left.  Miguel announces that it confirms that he's not the real Spidey as he's overwhelmed by the Spider-Slayers.

In Otto's Mindscape, Peter continues to relive Otto's memories, getting to the point where Otto transferred his consciousness into Peter's mind with the golden octobot.

In New York, Otto watches as the Spider-Slayers start attacking the authorities and reviews his failures:  the city is racked with violence, the Goblin Army is on the rampage, his base is destroyed, his army is dispersed, Parker Industries is "in dire straits," the Mayor is after him, he alienated his allies, and Anna Maria is "in the hands of a madman."  Otto accepts that it's his fault and "like so many times before" he has failed.  On the street, cops try to fend off the Goblin Army while Thor takes on some of Hobgoblin's men.  Cap and Iron Man help Cardiac evacuate the H.E.A.R.T. Clinic, but Iron Man notes that Cardiac will have to answer for running an illegal medical-facility.  Cap says that Spider-Man participated in the work and that they'll have to arrest him.  Elsewhere, the Wraith helps Black Widow, Spider-Woman, and Wolverine fight Spider-Slayers.  She tells them that they were the Mayor's and, on cue, an unhinged JJJ, Jr. is answering questions from an angry press about the "taxpayer-funded robots" that have turned against authorities.  JJJ, Jr. says that Spidey coerced him into it and, when one of the reporters asks how Spidey managed that, he then blames Alchemax for building them.  One of the journalists conveniently has Liz Allan on his iPad:  she informs the press corps that she warned JJJ, Jr. that the Spider-Slayers weren't ready and produces the waivers that JJJ, Jr. signed to prove it.  She announces that she's severed ties with the Jameson Administration and that she's doing everything she can to correct the Mayor's mistakes.  After the call ends, Liz picks up something off the floor and Normie enters Liz's office, telling her that he misplaced something.  She doesn't let him finish his sentence, though, telling him that she has a company to run and that it's all for him, as she holds a Goblin mask behind her back.  (DUN-DUN-DUN!)

Otto continues Web-Slinging around town until Menace appears, leading him into the Goblin Underground.  In the Mindscape, Otto and Peter review Peter's last moments in Otto's body, as Peter shared his memories with Otto.  Otto again says that he doesn't want them, but Peter says that he does, reclaiming them and becoming whole.  Underground, Otto threatens Menace if she's harmed Anna Maria, and Menace observes that Otto is so desperate that he's not even trying to dodge her blasts.  She tells Otto that her sister died because of Spidey and that he's going to die after he suffers.  They discover someone tied to the subway tracks as the Goblin drives a train at the figure.  Thinking that it's Ana Maria, Otto approaches, but discovers that it's Amy Chen, the girl that he saved at the H.E.A.R.T. Clinic.  Otto realizes that, if he leaps to save Amy but gets hit by the train in the process, no one will be there to save Anna Maria.  He's paralyzed by indecision, but Peter takes over "their" body and leaps to save her.  The Goblin and Menace depart to "put together their next set piece," in Peter's words.  Now revealed, Peter berates Otto, telling him that, when you don't have time to weigh options, you always act and do the right thing, even if it means giving up the advantage.  Otto surfaces with Amy and gives her to the authorities.

Witnessing the chaos in the city for the first time, Peter asks how Otto could let everything get that bad, and Otto tells him that it was because he was arrogant.  Realizing that Peter knows the truth from being in his head, Otto admits that it's because, underneath, he knew that he wasn't the best, so he overcompensated.  He also observes that Peter was guilt-ridden because he knew, deep down, that he was smarter and better than others, so he sabotages himself.  But, Otto tells him not to do it today, since, as he said, when lives are at stake, you shouldn't hesitate.  He tells Peter to accept that he's superior and they head to Parker Industries.  Sajani greets him, but Otto ignores her, going into Peter's lab.  Otto puts on a helmet that gives him access to the Mindscape and proceeds to wipe away Otto, telling him that Peter must have no distractions.  He tells Peter that the most painful part is deleting Anna Maria to save her, because he knows that only Peter can save her because he is "the superior Spider-Man."  A returned Peter wipes away a tear and heads to the closet in his lab, putting on his original costume and announcing, "My turn."

The Review
This issue was exciting in part because I wasn't expecting Peter to return this issue.  I had expect Otto to get his chance to battle the Goblin, though I wasn't entirely sure why he would have to sacrifice himself to win, something he would likely have to do for Peter to return.  Here, Slott gives us the only reasonable answer:  he sacrificed himself because he knew that he couldn't win.  It's a brilliant testimony to both Otto and Peter.  Moreover, if Peter follows Otto's exhortation not to feel guilty for being superior, it could significantly change the way that Peter behaves in future issues.  If I wasn't already excited about Peter's return, I certain am now.

The Excellent
1) Camuncoli really delivers just a spectacular two-page spread showing Peter returning.  He's my least favorite of the Spidey artists, given the weird way that he usually draws Peter's face, but he really sold this moment.  Moreover, it comes as a result of an incredibly clever device.  I wasn't really sure where Slott was going with Peter leaping into Otto's memories, but it makes sense that, by reliving Otto's life, he would also relive the moment where Peter shared all his memories with Otto.  It closes the loop and solves the problem of Otto having dumped those memories later.

2) Moreover, Slott allows Otto to exit as a hero.  He not only realizes his own failure - his arrogance stemming from his self-doubt - but also Peter's - his brilliance driving his guilt.  His exhortation to Peter to be the best that he could be - the superior superhero that Otto now realizes that Peter was and he wasn't - is a moment for the ages.  Moreover, he does it to save Anna Maria.  He sacrifices his memory and persona - himself - to allow Peter not to be distracted.  Although I'm still hopefully that Otto will return one day, we end this issue, undeniably, with Peter Parker, a point that Camuncoli drives home as Peter changes from his superior costume into his regular one.  Brilliant stuff.

The Good
1) Holy crap!  I don't know if Liz will turn out being the Goblin, but, damn, I didn't see the mask incident coming.  It makes sense, as I've said previously, since she could've easily overridden the Spider-Slayers controls, despite Miguel's tech.  But, maybe it is Normie, since, after all, he "misplaced" something in Liz's office.

2) Slott does a great job really conveying Otto's spiralling out of control.  Between his panic over Anna Maria and his self-recrimination for thinking that he could be a "superior" Spider-Man (and seeing the damage that the Goblin Army has inflicted on the city), the Goblin seems to have him exactly where he wants him.

The Meh
I didn't see the H.E.A.R.T. Clinic development coming, but it again raises the question about Slott's plans for Peter once he "returns."  But, it also reminded me of another question.  Given how far Peter's star has fallen with the Avengers, doesn't it seem weird, as he went more and more loony, that not one of them took the chance to try to talk to Peter as Peter?  He mentioned in issue #26 that three of the Avengers know his identity; I'm pretty sure that he's referring to Captain Marvel, Spider-Woman, and Wolverine, since they were part of the New Avengers when he revealed his identity to them.  I'm not holding it against Slott when it comes to the issue, but, in terms of the larger story arc that he's telling, it's a noticeable flaw at this point that not one of the three of them tried to talk to Peter separately.

Superior Spider-Man Annual #2 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

To be honest, I'm surprised that both these stories are told in an Annual.  Although not exactly central to the larger "Goblin Nation" plot, they both certainly flesh out the overall story in a way that Slott hasn't had the space to do in the main title as he rushes us to the end.

Ben Ulrich gets a rare moment in the spotlight here, and Gage uses it for all its worth.  Ben holds out hope that he might be able to redeem Phil.  Phil's been a one-trick pony of angst-driven fury under Slott, but Gage actually dangles the possibility that Phil is really just in over his head and in desperate need of a father figure to rescue him.  This conviction makes it all the more devastating when Ben is forced to concede that some part of the Phil that he used to know may still exist, but, for the most part, Phil wants to be a Goblin.  This revelation brings Ben peace, and he's in a better place at the end of this issue, with this certainty, than he was at the start.  He appreciates who Phil was and mourns who he became.  There's a life lesson in there somewhere for all of us.

If the Ben Ulrich story contributed some important color to the "Goblin Nation" story, the Wraith discovering that Carlie was kidnapped by the Goblins and turned into Monster seems pretty core to the plot, particularly since it directly leads to Sajani trying out her experimental cure for the Goblin Serum on Carlie.  I could see the Ben story being included in an Annual, even if its absence makes the main story less emotionally compelling.  However, I'm particularly surprised that the Wraith story is wrapped up here, given how much time Slott has spent on it in the main title.

Despite my surprise over them being included in the Annual, both stories are solid and really do flesh out the "Goblin Nation" story.  They're definitely worth the $4.99 cover price, something that I don't often say.

**** (four of five stars)

Superior Spider-Man #29: "Goblin Nation: Part 3"

*** (three of five stars)

Favorite Quote:  "But I forget, you're not the last guy.  He could turn a hangnail into an epic tragedy." -- Norman, really on a roll

Summary
The Goblin watches on television the havoc that his Goblin Army is wrecking across New York, with reporters advising residents to stay off the streets and inside.  Menace returns with Anna Maria just as a reporter covers the collapse of Parker Industries, where Sajani tells the reporter that Carlie and Peter are buried in the rubble.  Menace expresses concern over Carlie, but the Goblin says that the real tragedy is the quick death of Spidey's "best friend," observing that he's going to have to find someone else close to Spidey.  (Anna Maria is, not surprisingly, visibly upset.)  In JJJ, Jr.'s office, Tyler Stone tells Jonah that the Avengers are stretched to their limits fighting the Goblin Army and helping first responders.  He suggests that Jonah launch the Spider-Slayers to help in the rescue efforts.  Liz agrees, saying that they're not combat ready, but they're field ready and using them to help with the rescue efforts would be a PR win for both the Mayor and Alchemax.  However, JJJ, Jr. refuses, saying that he had them built to take down Spider-Man, swearing that he's involved.  Glory expresses shock that Jonah only cares about his vendetta on Spider-Man, with the city under attack and Peter possibly dead.  Jonah tries to explain, but Glory won't hear it.  Noting that Marla's dying wish was for Jonah to release his hate, Glory quits, saying that she knows that he never will.

Outside Mystic, CT, Mary Jane and company exit their car, with May expressing concern for Peter given the news report, Jay expressing frustration over Jonah not returning his calls, and Ollie feeling anxious that he's not in New York helping.  Peter calls MJ to tell her to get to safety, and MJ tells him that she's already gotten everyone to safety.  She starts to tell him to call his panicking aunt, but he tells her to deal with it.  She berates him over the fact that she's helping him despite them not being together, but he ends the call, leaving her to remark that he could never deal with a woman raising her voice.  At that moment, Peter is working with Sajani to find a way to cure Carlie, but he notes that the Goblin Serum is complex and undoing it in a way that leaves the subject alive is extremely difficult.  Sajani rails against him for blowing up half their "barely insured building" to fake his own death, but Peter tells her that she's not helping him find a cure by yelling at him.  Their fight is interrupted by the Goblin calling Otto and telling him to put on his costume because he has something to show Otto.  Peter tells Sajani that he has to go, leaving her incredulous as he instructs her to continue working on a cure.  Otto confirms to the Goblin that he's in costume, and the Goblin tells him that he was furious at him, Spider-Man's "number two enemy," for killing Spidey before the Goblin got the chance.  He thought that he could get revenge by making Otto his lackey, but, when Otto refused, he was left with no choice but to destroy everything important to him, to "wipe [Otto] off the face of the Earth and the pages of history."  He then proceeds to destroy Otto's family home, the lab where he became Dr. Octopus, the Boneyard where his greatest inventions are stored, Mocha Cola where he saved "all those people from getting blown up" (and where they're working a late shift), and the H.E.A.R.T. Clinic where he spent so much time helping people.  Otto reels, telling the Goblin that he'll kill him, and the Goblin asks what army he'll use to do that, since he killed them, too.  He then tells Otto that he's going to teach him a lesson and that he's "holding class" at E.S.U. where he has someone "very dear" to Otto.  Otto realizes that it's a trap to force his hand, but worries that the Goblin has Anna Maria.  He realizes that he's never been on the other side of this particular equation before and wonders what Parker would do.

Spidey races across town, calling in a mugging that he witnesses to Chief Pratchett.  Pratchett tells Otto that the police think that Spidey is working with the Goblin, and an incredulous Otto tells him to talk to the Mayor.  Pratchett ends the call and asks Jonah (who's there with him, along with the Alchemax team) what he wants him to do next.  JJJ, Jr. tells him to dispatch the Spider-Slayers to the location that Spidey sent, and Liz agrees to do it, telling Jonah that he knows the risks.  Tyler tells Miguel that it's time to head to the lab to monitor the Spider-Slayers' deployment, but Miguel is gone.  Spidey arrives at ESU, crashing into a window.  The Goblin observes that it's more Spidey than Otto to arrive so bullishly, without planning or henchmen, and Otto warns that he'll learn the difference between them soon enough when he tears his head from his neck.  The Goblin reveals that he has Dr. Lamaze, making Otto laugh.  The Goblin is confused, since he thought that Lamaze was Otto's only friend, noting that he saw him almost kill himself to save him "and the midget."  He tells Otto to view it as the dress rehearsal, raising the stakes for the grand finale.  Otto deploys his Spider-Arms, resulting in the Goblin noting Otto's predictability.  Saying that he was going to use the following tactic for the finale, the Goblin reveals that he's hacked the arms, chastising Otto for basing them off his old designs and making them easy to hack.  He leaves as he orders the arms to attack Spidey, and Otto tells Lamaze to run as the arms are trying to kill him.  Otto is oblivious to one of them, and Lamaze hurls himself into it as it lands a killing blow.  Otto asks why Lamaze saved him, and Lamaze says that he ran when Anna Maria needed help.  Spidey saved the both of them, and Lamaze wanted a chance to do the right thing.  He thanks Spidey for teaching him to be a hero, and Otto grieves as Lamaze dies.

Just then, the Spider-Slayers arrive, programmed with Jonah's face.  Spidey tells him that he risks being exposed, but Jonah says that he doesn't care.  He's lost the woman that he loves and his self-respect, and he doesn't care if he loses his office or freedom if he gets to kill Spider-Man.  Otto haughtily says that he can defeat the Spider-Slayers in his sleep, but Jonah delights in telling him that they're now "light-years ahead of the old ones" and "powerful enough to tear [him] limb from limb."  However, just then, they stop, and Miguel (as Spidey) reveals himself.  Otto asks why he's still in this timeline, and Miguel tells him to be glad that he is, since he's the one who disabled the Spider-Slayers.  Spidey suggests using them as a robot army to stop the Goblin, but Miguel tells him that they're not going anywhere until he gets answers.  Otto calls him a fool for wasting their time, but Miguel tells him that he has decades, since he doesn't belong there.  He's also not sure that Spidey belongs either, telling him that there's something wrong with history and him.  He tells him that he's acting like a totally different person from the one that he's supposed to be, and he wants to know why.  However, the Slayers reactivate, and Miguel expresses shock.  One of them then grabs Miguel, and Norman Osborn's face replaces Jonah's, telling them that Norman "runs this city...and everything in it."

The Review
Slott does something remarkable here:  at a certain point, I forgot that we're dealing, at least in theory, with Spider-Man.  Slott makes it clear that this war is now between the Goblin and Otto.  The Goblin cares less about discovering who Spider-Man actually is and more on punishing Otto for robbing him of the chance of killing Spider-Man.  It's an epic super-villain pas de deux.  It has some flaws, but it's one of the unfortunately rare moments where I feel like Slott really delivers on the premise of Otto as Spidey.

The Good
1) The Goblin destroying everything significant to Otto is a great twist, the moment when Slott pushes aside the existing storylines and makes this arc all about the war between the Goblin and Otto.

2) Although Lamaze's death feels rushed, Slott does manage to get across his message here.  Not only is Lamaze redeemed (and any potential obstacle to a returned Peter graduating from his Ph.D. program seemingly removed), but Otto is also temporarily laid low.  He initially dismissed the threat that the Goblin posed to Lamaze, implying that he didn't care what happened to him (at least compared with Anna Maria).  But, Otto's clear grief over his death really does leave you with the sense that the Goblin has taken everything from him.  Moreover, Lamaze tells Otto that he sacrificed his life to save Spider-Man because Spider-Man had once saved him, inspiring him to be a better man.  Otto not only is forced to realize that, despite all his failings as Spider-Man, he has been the type of hero to inspire someone, but also mourn his only true friend at the same time.  As Otto said earlier, he's never been on this side of the equation, and it's one of the few moments of growth that Slott has allowed him since this experiment began.

3) I will also say that I do enjoy Gage's Goblin here.  He's a little too Joker at times, but he does really have a way with words.

The Unknown
1) An obvious question here is how the Goblin (or, as he claims, Norman Osborn) managed to get control of the Spider-Slayers.  Is it because they're using some form of Oscorp technology?  I want to hope that we'll get an answer to this question, but, the way things have been going in this arc, I'm doubtful.  (Also, speaking of Oscorp, I feel like we've really glided over the fact that Liz is constructing Spider-Slayers for Jonah, given the fact that she just described Spidey as a friend to her chief of staff in issue #17.)

2) I'm intrigued where Slott is going with Jonah.  He's clearly unhinged, willing to lose everything not only to stop Spidey, but to kill him.  It's a whole new level of crazy.

3) I'm starting to wonder if the Goblin is Normie.  The focus on "hacking" (here, with Otto's robotic arms; previously, with the Goblin Protocols) is almost adolescent.

The Bad
The revelation that the Goblin really didn't know Peter's secret identity and was just kidnapping his loved ones because of his affiliation with Spider-Man was yawn-inducing.  It's now happened at least twice -- first in "Amazing Spider-Man" #695 when Peter himself got kidnapped, and again in "Superior Spider-Man Annual" #1, when Aunt May got kidnapped.  Three times in 36 issues means that it's happening pretty much every six months, given that "Amazing Spider-Man"/"Superior Spider-Man" ships twice a month.  It's starting to feel like some sort of 1980s cartoon where the damsel gets kidnapped and the hero has to save her by the end of the episode.  Each time, we're threatened with the possibility that the villain actually knows Peter's secret identity, and each time it's revealed that he's really just striking at Parker because of his affiliation with Spider-Man.  In other words, the shtick is old.

The Really Bad
Once again, I just can't really buy that Mary Jane hasn't figured out the fact that she's dealing with a different Peter.  After all, Miguel is able to put two and two together, and he only met the real Peter once.  If that weren't bad enough, Slott continues to engage in pretty much outright character-assassination to make Peter fit into the way that Otto "plays" him.  Here, Mary Jane says that Peter could never stand when a woman raised her voice.  Of course Slott has her believe that since, if she didn't, she would have to wonder why he reacted the way that he did to her yelling at him.  At some point, Slott would've essentially turned Peter himself into a super-villain if this series continued, raising the question why he had as many friends and loved ones as he did if he were really so terrible of a person.

Superior Spider-Man #28 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

The best moment of this issue is, hands-down, Otto bursting from Spider-Island riding his robot man-servant, which has turned itself into a make-shift boat.  It was as hilarious as it sounds.

Does the Goblin know that Peter Parker is Spider-Man?  It's obviously the question running through this issue.  It's hard to know, though, for two reasons.  First, Slott has so blurred the lines between Spidey and Peter Parker that it's hard to tell.  With everyone in the world apparently knowing that Peter designs weapons for Spider-Man, it seems likely that the Goblin could (again) try to go after Spider-Man through Peter and his family and friends, just like Blackout did in the Annual.  (I mean, at this point, even MJ is using Web-Spinners.  Is anyone really going to be surprised if the end result of this arc being Peter revealing his identity at least to his family and friends?)  But, it's also just as likely that Carlie could've told the Goblin Spidey's identity under the effect of the Goblin Formula.  However, here, Slott adds another complication, the fact that Carlie shows that she's able to fight off the effects of the Formula, at least for a time.  The problem is that I'm having a hard time finding this part of the story compelling.  It's not that Slott isn't doing a good job keeping the balls in the air; it's just that I've read so many versions of this story so many times that it's hard for an author to bring new insight to it.

Moreover, Peter's identity isn't the only one in question here.  It's still unclear who the Goblin is.  The Goblin apparently has unfettered access to Oscorp technology, given that he uses it to bypass not just Spidey's Spiderbots but apparently his Spider-Island security grid.  But, would Norman still have that access?  Is the Goblin maybe Liz Allan?  Or Tiberius Stone?  Who knows?  (Who cares?)

At this point, the entire dramatic tension of the arc revolves around identities, exacerbating that "Been there, done that" feeling.  In fact, the only real tension for me is whether Annamaria is going to survive.  It seems unlikely that Slott would want to carry her into the new series, given that Peter probably wouldn't share the same feelings for her that Otto did.  She seems a pretty easy Ensign Jones to sacrifice, using her death to fuel Otto's rage (and make him make mistakes).  But, it would be sad to see her dismissed this way.  She's been the only character (new or otherwise) that's really felt real since this series began, and I'd hate for her to get Women in Refrigerators-ed.

In sum, Slott just keeps using old tropes and convenient technologies to move along this plot.  It's getting harder and harder to care how he's going to end Otto's time as Peter; I just find myself anxious for it to happen.

** (two of five stars)

Superior Spider-Man #27.NOW (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I'm not really sure what I think about this issue.

On the plus side, Slott tells a tale suitably epic for the months that he spent building up the story.  The Goblin King is a worthy opponent for Otto.  In fact, Slott reveals that the Goblin has done for the franchise of the Green Goblin almost exactly what Otto has done with the identity of Spider-Man:  he's expanded it, creating his own infrastructure (like the underground train-network), amassing his own troops (including not only the gang members but now the Hobgoblin's franchisees), and improving his technological abilities (like the Goblin Protocols).  He is every bit the villainous equivalent of Otto's Spider-Man, and it sets a stage for a truly epic confrontation, one that Otto seems destined to lose.  Otto himself seems to know that, given his furious response to the Goblin's offer to be his lieutenant.  This issue earned an extra star from me for this exchange, particularly the revelation that Otto isn't so totally off his game that he'd be lured into the Goblin's trap himself (instead using his virtual-reality avatar to confront the Goblin).  But, Slott makes it clear how rattled he actually is, having him not only threatening the Goblin into conflict but also inadvertently confirming that he does control Spidey's body in his moment of rage.

All that said, it seems completely unbelievable that Spidey missed the Goblin building his empire.  This issue begins 31 days after the last one, and we're left to believe that Otto has apparently never inadvertently stumbled across the mayhem that the Goblin gangs have imposed on New York City during that time.  Spidey mentions that the "Daily Bugle" website keeps crashing on him and that police reports are garbled, implying that the Goblin's technological attack on him is broader than just the Goblin protocols.  But, Slott never explains how the Goblin accomplishes that and keeps Otto from noticing.  Wouldn't the Goblin have to know that Spider-Man is Peter Parker to crash his browser?  Moreover, if Otto is living with Annamaria, as he now appears to be, wouldn't Annamaria maybe mention that New York is functionally under the control of the Goblin gangs?  Otto only realizes it when he happens to catch one news report asking if Spidey is working with the Goblin. It's never really been brought to his attention before that?  I mean, you've got the goblin tattoo on the mole in "Superior Spider-Man Team-Up" #10 and the Goblin tagging the Brooklyn Bridge at the beginning of this issue.  Otto doesn't realize the scope of the Goblin's influence before then?

Moreover, if the Goblin really did manage to impose some sort of technological blinder on Otto, doesn't he patrol?  Does he really rely just on his Spiderbots?  We're told here that Annamaria barely sees him and that he never goes to work.  What else is he doing?  I could see an argument that Otto was so confident in his Spiderbots that he ignored patrolling, but Slott seems to rule out that possibility.  We're supposed to believe that Otto and everyone he knows have never connected the uptick in crime with the Goblin gangs, through technology or in person, at any point in the last 31 days.  It just seems completely preposterous.  He can send a virtual-reality avatar to meet the Green Goblin, but he can't look out his window and see some gang members in Goblin masks holding up a liquor store?

Hopefully, we can put this ridiculous premise behind us.  Now that Otto's war with the Goblin King is under way, we can forget how it started and just focus on the ensuing battle.  But, it still serves as a reminder of why I so often wind up disappointed in Slott lately, given his almost constant use of overly convenient turns of events to propel a story when a little more time fleshing out the obvious problems would've resulted in a stronger story.  Although he manages to stay above the Clone Saga, it's not by much.

A Note on Miguel:  Miguel appears here, as JJJ, Jr. comes to Alchemax to collect his Spider-Slayers.  Stone tells Liz's chief of staff, Mr. Banks, that they got them done quickly because they were told "time was a factor," and Miguel comments, "you have no idea."  That's it.  (Notably, JJJ, Jr. declares that he wants the Slayers to kill Spidey and that he wants him to know that JJJ, Jr. was behind it.  Good times.)  Hopefully Wacker isn't lying that we're getting a new Spidey 2099 book at the end of the year.  Fingers crossed.

** (two of five stars)

Superior Spider-Man #26 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

If Slott is banking on Peter losing most of his memories providing enough drama when Peter returns to keep "Amazing Spider-Man" interesting, man, he is barking up the wrong tree.  The advertisements announcing Peter's return say that he will pay "a cost" for returning, and his memories seem like the type of sacrifice that would fit the bill.  But, would anyone really believe that Peter would never regain them?  No.  After all, no one really believed that Peter would never return.  We'll get a few issues of humor when he doesn't remember who Ben Ulrich is, but it's going to get as old as it is when Otto doesn't remember those memories.  Same schtick, different issue.  It gets to my point from last issue:  at some point, I just want to read about Spider-Man fighting Venom, not Peter as Spider-Man forgetting who Flash is fighting Venom.

That said, I did like the idea that Otto made a mistake in keeping only Peter's core memories, allowing him an unfettered view of himself and the obstacles that he's capable of overcoming.  It reminds us who our boy is.

I also found that Slott managed to pull off something here that I never thought possible:  I actually buy Roderick Kinglsey as the Hobgoblin.  I recently just re-read "Amazing Spider-Man" #200-#300, and I can say that the Hobgoblin stories really were, without a doubt, some of the best stories that I've ever read.  The mystery over his identity was gripping, even as the clues got so muddled that it became clear that the reveal wouldn't wrap up all the loose ends and dropped hints.  But, Ned Leeds as the Hobgoblin worked, even if it wasn't a perfect reveal.  When I learned years later that it had been ret-conned to be Roderick Kinglsey setting up Ned, it just seemed to be yet more editorial interference.  I recently read "Spider-Man:  Hobgoblin Lives" and, even though it did a better job than I thought possible of telling the old stories in a way that made Kingsley's role as the Hobgoblin clear, it still felt wrong.

After reading this issue, though, I realized that it was because we never really knew Roderick.  He was always a bit player, never leaving you with the sense that he could become a villain on the scale of the Hobgoblin.  However, Slott has really built his character over his run.  By the time he fakes his death here at the hands of the Goblin by using his mind-controlled butler as a body double, you just have to smile, because it's exactly the sort of thing that he'd do.  It made me buy that he was crafty enough to do it to Ned Leeds, and it feels like closure to a long-standing pet peeve.

Finally, Slott really does set up the Goblin Nation story that kicks off next issue.  Now controling both his own and Hobgoblin's army (as well as possibly Spidey's, if "Superior Spider-Man Team-Up" #9 is to be believed), he's certainly got the fire power to give Otto a run for his money.

*** (three of five stars)

Superior Spider-Man #25 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

This issue is much better than the other ones in this arc, mainly because Slott is forced to focus on only two of the various storylines that he's been trying to advance.  Moreover, the double-sized issue gives him all the more space to do it.

Slott wraps up the Venom storyline more or less as I predicted, with Otto using his possession by the symbiote as an excuse for his recent erratic behavior.  Otto claims that he was infected by "microscopic fragments of the symbiote" when he and Flash first fought in "Venom" #4.  Otto seems to think that it solves all his problems, but Slott makes it clear that it's not the case.  Although Mary Jane buys the story, Otto is going to have to decide whether or not to reveal his identity to May and Jay in order to get them to forgive him.  (MJ herself seemed prepared to tell them.)  Moreover, the Avengers don't buy it, and Tony Stark uses his special access to the Avengers' systems to prove that Spidey erased the results of the tests that the Avengers ran a few months ago.  Slott also seems to be setting up a situation where Peter is going to have to also reveal his identity to the Avengers in order to earn back their trust once he resumes control of his body.

Speaking of Peter, we learn in this issue that he's been hiding in Otto's sub-conscious the whole time.  Although I don't necessarily buy that Peter wouldn't have previously stopped Otto in other examples of his increasingly violent behavior (from killing Massacre, for example), I certainly buy that Otto's possession by the symbiote is on a greater order of magnitude and finally forced his hand.

Finally, Carlie becomes a Goblin here, though Slott uses a careful dodge when it comes to the Goblin trying to get her to reveal Peter's identity.  The Goblin claims that he's Norman Osborn, though I think that it's pretty clear that he's not.  But, rather than keeping this one on the back burner, we're finally going to see it come to fruition with the upcoming Goblin War.  I have to say that I'm pretty excited about it.  As far as I'm aware, we've never seen the Green Goblin and the Hobgoblin go head-to-head with each other, and it clearly seems long overdue.

Beyond the plot issues, this issue is as fun as it is due to Spidey's fight with the Avengers.  It's suitably epic, with Thor have to scale up his attacks as it becomes clearer and clearer that Spidey's lost control.  It made me realize that Slott really has neglected these sorts of direct stories in this title.  Part of the reason that the Spider-Man 2099 arc and this issue were so great is that they focused on a central conflict.  With recent issues fractured into numerous vignettes, Slott never manages to build excitement for any one story in particular.  You just start getting into the inner workings of Goblin Nation and suddenly you've switched to newly bigoted Aunt May.  By focusing mainly on Spidey's fight with the Avengers and then Carlie's integration into Goblin Nation, Slott actually manages to build and sustain that excitement (not to mention deliver a good ol' fashioned slug-fest).  Hopefully we'll see more of that in coming issues.

**** (four of five stars)

Superior Spider-Man #24 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

At this point, I just have to hope that Slott initiated this storyline to use Peter being possessed with the Venom symbiote as the excuse for why he's been acting so weirdly lately.  If not, then Slott clearly intends to leave Peter's personal life in ruins before he lets Otto go.  Berating Aunt May for mistreating his "woman?"  Slott is really pushing the envelope here in terms of behavior that Peter could somehow explain when he eventually takes control of his body again.  In fact, Slott seems to be setting up the situation that Peter is going to be able to clear either his good name or Spider-Man's, but not both's, unless he decides to reveal his secret identity.

The problem is that I'm not sure if Otto would even recognize the opportunity to redeem Pete by using Venom as an excuse.  In "Superior Spider-Man Team-Up" #7, Otto seemed to realize that he had gone too far down the Punisher road, if you will, with the ends justifying the means too often.  We see none of that self-reflection in this title.  Instead, Otto only has rage, like he had in issue #18 when he listed everything wrong with his life.  The clear implication in that rant was that other people were getting in the way of him being "superior."  If he doesn't recognize that he's gone too far, blaming any excesses on other people, then he's not going to recognize the chance that blaming the symbiote for his behavior presents.

In other words, Slott really does seem to want to ruin Pete's life.  It's the problem with this series, but not in the way that Wacker thinks.

Wacker thinks that anyone complaining about Otto's control over Peter is complaining about Peter still being dead.  I'm not.  I'm complaining about the fact that the question about Otto's legacy as Peter and Spider-Man after Peter inevitably returns is the only thing that serves for dramatic tension in this book.  Since Slott is just flying through plots and sub-plots, the only constant theme is the fear that Otto will do something to irreparably ruin Peter's life.  In that way, it's become a process story, not a substance one.  It's not the meditation on Otto trying to be a hero that it initially seemed to be (or that "Superior Spider-Man Team-Up" is).  In fact, even stories that have nothing to do with either Otto's struggles to be Spider-Man or Peter's future problems when he returns are too complicated to enjoy.  I would've rather have just seen Spider-Man possessed by the symbiote, rather than Otto as Peter as Spider-Man possessed by it.  [Sigh.]  In other words, I'm really just over this whole thing.

** (two of five stars)

Superior Spider-Man #23 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Ho boy, this issue is terrible.

First, as expected, Aunt May reacts badly when it comes to Anna Maria's size, asking about whether her "condition" would affect any grandchildren that she and Peter would have.  In this way, Slott doesn't just muck with Aunt May's character by making her a bigot, but he also turns her into some sort of grandchildren-crazed mother, something that she's never previously been.  It's just drama for drama's sake.

Moreover, Slott again seems to be sprinting through stories.  We're dealing with so many sub-plots that it's hard to try to even remember them.  (I can't even remember if Spidey somehow knows that Dr. Wirtham is Cardiac.  He seems to know, but I'm not sure if Wirtham knows that Peter knows?  See what I mean?)  It's not enough that Peter has to deal with Aunt May and her reaction to Anna Maria in this issue or that the Venom symbiote took over Spider-Man.  We also have him deciding to "cure" Flash of the Venom symbiote, Yuri deciding that Peter kidnapped Carlie after a visit to MJ, JJJ, Jr. commissioning Alchemax to build more Spider-Slayers, and the Green Goblin deciding that Carlie must know Spider-Man's identity if she knows that Otto is controlling his mind.

It would be one thing if Slott was just missing opportunities to tell a fuller story.  But, we're not even getting the necessary details.  I found myself wondering if Otto never really accessed a memory involving Flash Thompson before he wiped away Peter's memories.  I'm reading this story on a trip, so I don't have access to my back issues.  However, I'm pretty sure in the Spider-Man 2099 arc, when he was scanning his memories, they were mostly of him in high school.  It seems impossible that he doesn't recognize Flash from those memories.  On one hand, it at least makes last issue make a little more sense, since Otto was willing to kill Venom because he didn't recognize Flash.  But, I don't buy him not recognizing Flash, so it presents a thoroughly different problem.

Moreover, I'm equally sure that Yuri knows that Carlie was trying to discover the identity of the person controlling Spider-Man.  At the very least, she announced that she had discovered that Otto Octavius built Spider-Island, so you'd think that Yuri would be starting there when searching for Carlie.  Slott tries to cast blame on Peter since Carlie sounds scared of him in the voicemail that she left for MJ.  Although it technically makes sense (since Carlie likely didn't reveal Pete's identity to Yuri, leaving her unable to connect the investigation into Spider-Man with Pete), it feels like the overly convenient ruse that it is.  

Basically, Slott is just cramming in too much stuff.  If he had chosen one or two (at most) of the back-up stories, we might've had a decent issue focused on Peter's drama with Aunt May and Spider-Man's attempt to liberate Flash from the symbiote.  Instead, we're distracted by unmade connections and questionable developments that leave you scratching your head.

A Note on Miguel:  Miguel appears briefly here when JJJ, Jr. goes to Alchemax asking Liz to build Spider-Slayers to put a stop to Spidey.  Liz assigns the job to Tiberius and Miguel.

* (one of five stars)

Superior Spider-Man #22 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I spent most of this issue feeling like I missed an issue.

Slott and Gage dive right into the launch of Parker Industries, despite the fact that Peter was only raising money for it two issues ago.  Parker Industries isn't just fully operational, though:  it's already developed a cure for Aunt May's leg.  Slott usually can let a sub-plot simmer (as he's doing with the storylines involving Goblin Nation and Carlie's investigation), but, lately, he seems to be resolving sub-plots as quickly as he develops them (e.g., Peter's academic problems in the last two issues).  Moreover, Spidey has a mad-on for Venom that I don't 100 percent understand.  I mean, OK, I get the anger at the symbiote, but I feel like Otto would've done some digging on a threat like Venom and realized that he wasn't who he thought that he was.  (He did the same for Blackout in the Annual.)  I'm guessing that Slott is going to posit it as Otto trying to be "superior" to Peter by defeating one of his greatest enemies, but it still feels a little forced that Otto doesn't seem to care that it's Flash.

But, my main problem is Aunt May suddenly turning...bigoted.  She makes a comment about Peter's commitment to diversity while talking to Cardiac (in his civilian guise) and when seeing Anna Maria.  Slott seems to be setting up her expressing disgust when Peter introduces her to Anna Maria, but I can't really see Saint May reacting way.  Again, it feels forced, like Slott just decided to shake up Aunt May by making her a little racist/sizeist.  Weird.

** (two of five stars)

Superior Spider-Man Annual #1 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Honestly?  I don't have much to say about this issue.  It's a perfect Annual story.  It deals with a story too large for the regular title, providing a development that adds depth to the story that Slott is telling but isn't necessary to understand it.  I totally bought Otto complaining that Peter was irresponsible revealing that he makes Spider-Man's tech, so I also bought that someone would inevitably not only kidnap him (as the Hobgoblin previously did in "Amazing Spider-Man" #695), but also use Aunt May against him.  In fact, the only thing that I didn't buy was that Otto didn't kill Blackout for doing it.  That said, though, I buy Gage's point that he's playing a longer game, using Blackout as an example for anyone thinking of kidnapping May like he did.  In that way, Otto really does clean up one of Peter's mistakes, a goal in his drive to be superior.  Great stuff all around.

**** (four of five stars)

Superior Spider-Man #21 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

OK, I have to give credit where credit is due.  Otto's rant after Lamaze exposed Peter's work as Otto's was hilarious.  "A retractable platform!  Over some piranha?  Or a kraken."  Indeed.

I was surprised to see Slott wrap up the issue of Peter's thesis so quickly and not only because it denied us such comedy gold.  The trend of the last few issues of this title and "Superior Spider-Man Team-Up" has been to put "Peter" in situations that the real Peter will find difficult to resolve when he returns.  Slott seemed to be setting up not only Peter getting expelled from his Ph.D. program, but also losing the money that he, Jay, and Sajani fronted to start Parker Industries.  It seemed like the start of a major storyline, so it was odd to see it so quickly resolved.

On one hand, I have to salute Slott for so cleverly resolving it.  Using Stunner's virtual-reality technology to convince her that he was still alive was one thing; using it to convince Lamaze that Peter was a child genius who was the source of Otto's inventions was another thing.  I totally didn't see it coming.  It's a great fake, making you think that the technology was introduced for one reason, only to reveal that it was really introduced for another reason.

On the other hand, I'm not really sure that it works, though.  OK, I believe that Otto convinced Lamaze that he was alive.  But, why would the ESU faculty so quickly accept Lamaze's recant of his accusations?  A simple J-STOR search should pretty easily reveal that Lamaze was right.  As a result, I again felt like Slott again dropped the ball in his rush to finish the story.  He seemed to have backed himself into a corner, and he was unfortunately left needing both a deus ex machina and a serious dose of willful suspension of belief on the part of the reader to exit it.  This sort of denouement is happening too frequently lately.

Finally, I'm intrigued by the Carlie development, but I'm not sure if we need another mystery.  Are we supposed to believe that the Goblin is actually, what, Norman Osborn's mind inhabiting Otto Octavius' body?  I guess we'll see.  Also, I'm starting to agree with Phil from a few issues ago:  when are the Goblins going to do something?

** (two of five stars)