Secrets, Lies and Birdseed: Superior Spider-Man #3 Review

Marvel

This series just gets better and better. I didn’t really want to like Superior Spider-Man, but I just can’t help it. From start to finish, it’s awesome in so many ways. I have to keep reminding myself that I hate Doc Ock, but I’ll be damned if it ain’t perfect. I don’t use that word lightly either.

The Vulture and his relationship with Octavius is really what drives the plot of this one. I was surprised to see another villain so early on in the series. “Birds of a feather” and all that, though, right? There are some things in here that you’ll probably never see in another Marvel comic, and that’s great. Jameson’s new Spider Signal even features at both ends of the issue and makes for an electrifying conclusion. There’s something breath-taking about the way that he’s written and just how he seems to be redefining Peter Parker’s legacy. We get a good look at some of what defined Otto Octavius here as well and how close he and Adrian Toomes (aka The Vulture) seemed to be.

Marvel

This issue is exactly why I love Dan Slott’s writing. Sure, he scared us a bit in his build-up to this series, but a great writer has never gotten anywhere by refusing to push the envelope a little bit. The pacing picks up in this issue and remains pretty constant throughout. The dialogue is pretty spot-on and actually as close to perfect as I can see it. Ok. Fine, it’s perfect. There’s actually a rather obvious DC Comics nod in the first few pages of the issue as well, which Batman really should have figured out for himself years ago. There’s really nothing wrong with the writing here. Nothing.

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Well done, Mr. Slott. Keep up the good work.

The art is still great on this issue and Ryan Stegman has seriously brought his “A” game to Superior Spider-Man. Again, everything is awesome in this issue, from the pencils to the inked lines and shadows, which he uses to his full advantage. Every panel looks brilliant and the costume especially is awesome with those shadowed bits that remind you just how cool it is that they switched out the classic blue for basic black. The colors from Edgar Delgado are equally impressive and the light effects are badass in many parts. As far as the art, everything is as it should be, from Adrian to Spidey’s webbing. It’s spectacular in almost every sense of the word. The Spider Signal is a nice touch in this issue and looks almost as immersive as the classic Bat Signal. From DC. Really though, everything here is as it should be. There’s nothing for them to change.

This gets a 5/5, all things considered. Yes, I actually considered everything from Slott’s script, to the art, coloring and even the rather shocking ending. (There’s a joke in there somewhere, I just know it.) For several reasons, this will be a tough one to forget once your squishy noodle brain absorbs it all. I recommend this issue more strongly than any I have this year.

Superior Spider-Man #3 (2013)
Marvel
Writer: Dan Slott
Pencils: Ryan Stegman
Inks: Ryan Stegman
Colors: Edgar Delgado
Letters: Chris Eliopoulos

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