Superior Spider-Man #28 by (W) Dan Slott and (A) Giuseppe Camuncoli Review written by Daniel Orona. Theres a lot happening in this weeks Superior Spider-man 28. After months of development as a subplot, we now find ourselves in the midst of the Goblin War, where all of the seeds planted by Dan Slott in issues prior are finally given room to grow in to items of significance. This issue moves along quickly and the shift in pace is immediately felt, especially after the suspense-driven rising action of last issue. With only three books left until Slotts run on Superior wraps, theres no room left for subtlety. All the stops have been pulled out, and theres work to do. For both Spider-Man and Mr. Slott. One of the things I like most about this issue is also one of the things that has frustrated me most about Superior, as we see a lot more attention being paid here to Spideys staple supporting cast. Despite their roles in the main plot, Spider-Mans friends have been hard to connect with, the weight of their roles on the core character that is Peter Parker diminished almost entirely as Dan Slotts captivating plot twists involving Otto have diverted our attention. The Mary Jane Watson we see here is one who I would have liked to see more of in prior issues; one who knows the Spidey game proper and is capable of both getting in on the action as well as drawing from past experiences to figure things out. Tasked with the responsibility of wrapping up both the action of the Superior Spider-Man vs. the Goblin and Peters chaotic social life, the writer has got quite a bit on his hands, and Im somewhat skeptic that such a thing is actually possible within the limited number of books left. However, I predict that whatever loose ends are left after this arc will be dealt with in the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man series, the question then becoming how new and exciting plot points can flourish alongside so much decompression. Visually, Camuncoli is a great choice for this story arc. His Spider-Man is lean, no games and ready for business and its clear that hes paying attention to every detail of the art in this book, something a story arc like this deserves no less than. His characters are expressive and vibrant, with lots of fluidity in their gestures and we also see some innovative page layouts, and well-played personal touches in the rendering of some of the more abstract elements of the plot, such as Peters dream world. As always, were left with some major cliffhangers towards the end of the issue. The reveals have been the most rewarding aspect of reading this series, and they hold new gravity as Otto Octavius world begins to unravel before him, all while taking Peter Parkers life and legacy along for the ride. My rating for this issue is 8/10.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 23:11:44 +0000