The Superior Spider-Man Appreciation Thread 2019

[Aura Blaize]

Yost was good. Gage marries Yost's sensibility to Slott's silver age inspired camp, IMO.

This. It's amusing that out of all of SpOck's writers, I liked Slott's the least. He literally wrote Doc Ock as Spider Man. And while I know that's what it was, the others gave him more human moments. A man seeking redemption, which was the best thing about the character.

[SuperiorIronman]

A problem I have with Slott's Superior Spider-man is that you really can read it at any arc and get the idea of what's happening. While that's good because it was intended to go longer and that it provides an easy jumping on point, it's not particularly great at ongoing narratives. It just never reached the point where it could do callbacks.

-The Avengers can make no progress figuring out what's happening to Spider-man
-Carlie Cooper is the only one who knows about Ock for sure
-Any progress made for later arcs like Black Cat is undone by virtue of the fact that by this point it cannot and will not involve Otto.

What Slott however was really good at though was hitting the notes of what he wanted and by extension the readers to see. It's just that the execution like most of his grander ideas is lacking.

Yost really does hit the nail on the head when it comes to Otto's character and how conflicted he is in his approach. That's not surprising seeing as at the time he was also writing the very good Scarlet Spider. Already being in the mindset for villains going straight instead of a reluctant hero he trades that for someone who is enthusiastic about the job, just not terribly good at it.

Currently I do find it's pretty similar to Yost's portrayal while also reconciling how Slott portrayed Otto.

[Tendrin]

This. It's amusing that out of all of SpOck's writers, I liked Slott's the least. He literally wrote Doc Ock as Spider Man. And while I know that's what it was, the others gave him more human moments. A man seeking redemption, which was the best thing about the character.

I didn't have a problem with Slott's take. He was, as you say, literally writing silver-age doofus Doc Ock as Spider-Man and that was glorious. If he hadn't, we'd probably never have gotten some of the great moments like Doc Ock's attack on Shadowlands and Ock's monologueing for Kingpin and Hobgoblin to overhear complete with silver age villain evil laugh.

But Yost and Gage (who coscripted one of the best Superior Spider-Man stories in slott's run in 'No Escape') both showed a man seeking redemption a bit more earnestly than Slott's more narcissistic, ego-driven Doc Ock did in the Superior Spider-Man main title. Ock might've made /noise/ about redempotion, but he wasn't /really/ seeking it, I think, under Slott's pen. He just thought he deserved it. The differrence in tone between Yost, Gage, and Slott caused some whiplash.


I mean, Yost gave us a Doc Ock morosely about to turn himself in in the wake of the Superior Six fiasco whereas I don't think you get the impression that Slott's Ock would have /ever/ even remotely considered that, you know?

[Digifiend]

http://www.adventuresinpoortaste.com...-spider-man-4/

[Snoop Dogg]

http://www.adventuresinpoortaste.com...-spider-man-4/

Based Hawthorne making Anna Maria thiccer than Rhino's hide.

[Tendrin]

Based Hawthorne making Anna Maria thiccer than Rhino's hide.

...I don't think that's Anna Maria, man.

[Batman Begins 2005]

I didn't have a problem with Slott's take. He was, as you say, literally writing silver-age doofus Doc Ock as Spider-Man and that was glorious. If he hadn't, we'd probably never have gotten some of the great moments like Doc Ock's attack on Shadowlands and Ock's monologueing for Kingpin and Hobgoblin to overhear complete with silver age villain evil laugh.

But Yost and Gage (who coscripted one of the best Superior Spider-Man stories in slott's run in 'No Escape') both showed a man seeking redemption a bit more earnestly than Slott's more narcissistic, ego-driven Doc Ock did in the Superior Spider-Man main title. Ock might've made /noise/ about redempotion, but he wasn't /really/ seeking it, I think, under Slott's pen. He just thought he deserved it. The differrence in tone between Yost, Gage, and Slott caused some whiplash.


I mean, Yost gave us a Doc Ock morosely about to turn himself in in the wake of the Superior Six fiasco whereas I don't think you get the impression that Slott's Ock would have /ever/ even remotely considered that, you know?

I rate Christopher Yost as the best SSM writer as his SpOck is arrogant but he's trying to become a better person and there's times Otto admits his faults. I'm thinking about SpOck entering an old headquarters he had as Doc Ock and as you note, willing to hand himself because of the Superior Six. My three favourite SSM stories are all from Yost in Avenging Spider-Man #15.1, #16 and #17.

[SuperiorIronman]

I can't believe I missed the prior issue. Having just read it, not bad I dig it. That's a really clever way to fight Terrax.

As for the following issue I'm at least mildly amused that they put the wrong Spider-man on the cover and instead of digitally editing the cover, it looks like Otto they just slapped on his arms and webshooters (actually those don't even look like Otto's) but it's a good cover.

[Michael Watkins]

if for some reason that Otto had a movie, who would you cast?

my top 2 are Wes Bentley and Nicholas Tucci. i'm sure there's some unknown who could do it better, though.

[Huntsman Spider]

Anna Maria as Otto's Jiminy Cricket gives me life and strength I didn't know I needed.

[SpideyClone]

For some reason, I'm reading Otto's dialogue with Sheldon Cooper's voice and it works LOL

[Michael Watkins]

I love this book!

[Michael Watkins]

Anna Maria as Otto's Jiminy Cricket gives me life and strength I didn't know I needed.

Me too. This is what Infamous Ironman was missing.

[Huntsman Spider]

I didn't have a problem with Slott's take. He was, as you say, literally writing silver-age doofus Doc Ock as Spider-Man and that was glorious. If he hadn't, we'd probably never have gotten some of the great moments like Doc Ock's attack on Shadowlands and Ock's monologueing for Kingpin and Hobgoblin to overhear complete with silver age villain evil laugh.

But Yost and Gage (who coscripted one of the best Superior Spider-Man stories in slott's run in 'No Escape') both showed a man seeking redemption a bit more earnestly than Slott's more narcissistic, ego-driven Doc Ock did in the Superior Spider-Man main title. Ock might've made /noise/ about redempotion, but he wasn't /really/ seeking it, I think, under Slott's pen. He just thought he deserved it. The differrence in tone between Yost, Gage, and Slott caused some whiplash.


I mean, Yost gave us a Doc Ock morosely about to turn himself in in the wake of the Superior Six fiasco whereas I don't think you get the impression that Slott's Ock would have /ever/ even remotely considered that, you know?

You should be quite gratified by the preview, then, as Anna Maria does call out Otto/"Elliot Tolliver" for how despite all his posturing about wanting to be a hero, he seems to feel nothing but contempt for the people he "protects" and lacks the requisite empathy and compassion for those same people that a true hero needs.

For some reason, I'm reading Otto's dialogue with Sheldon Cooper's voice and it works LOL

For some reason, I read him (the "Elliot Tolliver" incarnation) with a blend of Liam O'Brien's and Crispin Freeman's voices from their various anime and videogame roles. Mostly because I think those two best capture Otto's sheer bombastic personality with simmering hints of menace and ruthless calculation beneath that over-the-top attitude.

Me too. This is what Infamous Ironman was missing.

Someone to not give Doom a free pass because "he's trying to be good now" and call him out when he even hints at slipping back into his old ways or that he hasn't changed as much as he wants (others) to believe he has? Yeah, I can see that.

[Snoop Dogg]

Every time someone tried to question Vic he teleported away. Every. Time.