Is the latest rendition of this storied franchise really superior to the original?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Marvel:

THEN!…Peter Parker spent a lifetime living up to the responsibilities his powers foisted upon him but his Amazing story finally ended dramatically in the historic Spider-Man #700. NOW!…The new Amazing Spider-Man has arrived and he is better in every single way. Smarter, stronger…Superior.

No mater how you feel about the ending of Amazing Spider-Man, it happened.  Our hero is not himself anymore and in his place is a maniacal madman that’s now in complete control of his former body. There’s certainly a lot of raw emotions about how that transpired and there’s differing opinions on the new status quo, but trust me when I say try and leave those thoughts to the side as you strap in for this absolutely thrilling ride.

Despite any negative feedback, series writer Dan Slott has forged ahead with this Superior Spider-Man and what may surprise a good deal of fans out there is the fact that this release is easily one of his best written features.  It does stumble a bit out of the gate but I absolutely enjoyed reading about Doctor Octopus, his frustrations and accomplishments as he takes over a life that just doesn’t belong to him.  The dialogue is riveting and fits the characters so well that in the end it all makes some semblance sense, and when you reach that final page you’ll realize it’s all worth it.

From the first panel to the end the art by Ryan Stegman is simply top-notch.  If you picked up his work on Scarlet Spider then you know what kind of quirky and utterly sensational illustrations you’re in for, but I’m happy to report that the job on display here carries with it some of his best work to date.  Whether it’s a heated battle with a lackluster but nonetheless new Sinister Six or a dinner date with Mary Jane, the stellar pencil strokes convey the right atmosphere as this artist handily displays that he knows exactly what he’s doing.

Superior Spider-Man #1 is an endlessly entertaining experience that successfully begins an era that’s sure to be a very intriguing feature in the Marvel Universe.  And despite some minor creative stumblings near the beginning it earns a recommendation.

4/5