Comic Book Review: Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #8

This is now the only Spidey book Chris Yost will be a part of and that is truly a shame as he’s been killing it so far. No more ‘Scarlet Spider’ after this week’s issue to double up on his work. While ‘Superior Spider-Man’ #8 isn’t as strong as every issue that led up to it (including the all too quick ending to the Superior Six), it was a great send off for his writing. Honestly I want to see Yost back on Spider-Man at some point or be able to tackle other known characters. He’s got a great way of writing a monologue that truly gives us the thoughts of his lead character which I felt has been missing from this title, and now that I think about it. quite a few other titles as well.

After the fallout from ‘Superior Spider-Man Team-Up’ #7, we open this book with Doc Ock having failed. He no longer feels like the Superior Spider-Man after his own ex-teammates were able to override his mind control and defeat him. In fact with someone else having saved him, he now feels like the Inferior Spider-Man. If someone like Parker could beat him all of these years, clearly he wasn’t actually the superior specimen that he thought he was.

The only solution is to come clean. Right as he decides this, two policemen tell him that he needs to come into questioning. But ever the egomaniac, he can’t turn himself into such common law enforcement. He’s going to turn himself into The Avengers and tell them the truth about what he did and see if they can restore Parker to life and back into his own body, or at least be held acountable for his actions.

On the way in, we see Namor is for some reason in New York and being attacked by members of Wakanda’s army. Spidey decides that he has to step in before and make sure nothing happens on his watch, as failed as it was. After saving Namor, he’s almost immediately attacked again and the entire thing escalates with Spidey saving the day and being angry at Namor for having his war show up on his shores. Namor lets him know that he feels Spidey truly is noble and not at all inferior as he is letting his self doubt get the better of him. They briefly bonded in ego, though we probably won’t see this again outside of the pages of an ‘Avengers’ title, if it even gets referenced there at all.

Honestly, Yost truly writes Doc Ock living through Peter’s eyes. I prefer his writing style to that on the lead Superior Spider-Man title and wish him good luck on where he goes from ‘Scarlet Spider’ and can’t wait to see how he finished up this run. I also wish his interior point of view was done on the main title which would give us more of an interesting behind-the-mask kind of insight and not just have Ock looking like a complete bastard. Don’t get me wrong, he is, it’s just different when his actual interior monologue gives his perspective on why he is doing what he does.

The book ends with Otto once again feeling that he should be the Superior Spider-Man and no longer preparing to turn himself in.