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  • OK, here's how it goes, as far as I can tell. In a previous issue, Otto Octavius, who is dying, has mind-swapped with Peter. The main story concerns Peter - in Octavius' dying body - desperately trying to mind-swap back while Otto - in Peter's body - tries to stop him. There is much cat-and-mouse as each knows all of the other's secrets. In the end, Peter attempts the mind-swap but is blocked. However, he does manage to make Otto re-live his (Peter's) life, which somehow causes Otto to reform to some extent. As Peter in Otto's body dies, Otto swears to be a hero - because of his superior intellect and ambition, he'll be a better hero than Peter ever was.

    Meanwhile, the Punisher and the Russian... ;)

     

    Also, Aunt May is married to Jonah's dad, when did that happen?

     

    Anyhow, since I haven't read Spider-Man regularly since around 1983, any statement by me that I will stop buying Spider-Man comics would have little impact.  I will say that this story provides me with zero impetus to start reading them again.

  • Time to be Mr. Contrary and say that I'll be following this for a while to see where it goes. 

  • I'm upset because this is basically the same end run they did with Apocolypse and Cyclopse...mixing their minds, so that they could have a more agressive, SOB hero...


    Frankly, I expect(ed) MJ to realize that it's not Peter speaking to her, "Woman, stop your prattling, your pep talks," etc.

     

    I fully expect if this new direction doesn't work...that Dr. Strange will come by with his amulet, shine in on Spidey, and say "This isn't right, Otto..." You don't deserve a second chance...you made your choice.  It's not fair to Peter...who has struggled so hard, so long...he deserves some happiness....I'm going to reverse your positions."  Poof!

    And once again, just like after the White Event, Peter is distraught over having the perfect ending, and being brought back...

  • They did this with Apocalypse and Cyclops, eh? I wasn't reading any X-Men books then.  So it doesn't matter to me whether it's been done before.  If that's the main criteria, I should just stop reading anything, period.

    Of course this will be reversed somewhere down the road...it's the nature of the ongoing serial format.  That doesn't mean there won't be some interesting stories along the way.  This could be an interesting character study of Otto.  It could be total dreck.  I'll read it first.

  • I read this when it came out. I'm torn. While I overall liked the story it feels a little gimmicky. I'm up for Doc Ock being Spider-man for a while but can it sustain? I'm going to follow for a while though. I thought as an end to Dan Slott's end to his run of Amazing Spider-man this was good. As an end to 50 years of Amazing Spider-man,  this doesn't come close.

     

    As far as Peter's fate. I think we all agree he diserved better. However given the Parker luck I don't think we should be too surprised this is how it came to pass. I'd say give it at the most 2 years and we'll see Peter back in some form or fashion.

     

    All in all I found the issue entertaining and will be following Otto's exploits as Spidey for the foreseable future.

  • It sounds like an interesting direction to take the book in for a couple of years. My big question is: How can Peter save himself when he's dead? I'd hate to see other people walk in and save him -- that's probably unsatisfying (unless, perhaps, it's Otto himself that does it), so I expect some afterlife shenanigans. 

    Money being tight, I'm not buying the Spider-Man books, and will continue not buying them... but I look forward to his upcoming appearance in Daredevil.

  • I give it about one year, or until the new Spider-Man movie comes out...when they need Spider-Man back to the way he was, just as the audience expects him. " The appearance of change, without substantial change."

  • I don't for a second expect this to be permanent - I'm surprised some of you even hedge your bets by saying "if this direction doesn't work ...".  At some point, Peter will be Peter again, it's just the nature of the beast.  It doesn't upset me at all, as I've always been more of a fan of the journey than the destination.

    I enjoyed the story itself quite a bit.  Otto finally almost won, as he stymied Peter at every turn.  He didn't really lose either; his path was changed by Peter's last desperate gambit - hoping against hope there was a bit of humanity and some capacity for good still in Otto.  As an aside, the second Spider-Man movie did a good job of showing that before his accident, Otto Octavious was a good man - and I wished that was played up more in the comics.  We should get some of that now.

    Peter dies a noble and heroic death, saving the lives of all of his family and friends by pulling the ultimate rabbit out of his hat.  Of course, typical Parker luck, none of them know.

    I have enjoyed Slott's run quite a bit and I will follow him on Superior Spider-Man.    As for Ramos' art, I'm still not a fan, but this was a good outing - he has either dialed back his manga influenced style, or has gotten an inker that fits his style in a way that has more appeal to me than before.

    I skimmed over the backups and the multi-page letters section.  I'll probably re-read them today.

    I also read Avenging Spider-Man 15.1.  Otto - as Spidey - was thoroughly unlikeable here, gloating and almost cackling at his victory.  If Gage were writing Superior SM, I would skip it. 

  • I have no doubt Peter will be back, although I suspect Slott has plenty of Spidey-Ock stories to tell. Some day someone will bring Peter back, even if they have to do a total reboot *cough* Mephisto *cough*.

    In the case of this story, it's a classic Peter Parker win. He finds a way to defeat Doc Ock but loses in the end. Read any of the first few years of Spider-man stories and see the pattern. He's always been the kind of hero who sacrifices himself for others.

    I'll be along for the ride. I have no idea what Dan Slott will do but I would not be surprised if the hero's journey of Otto will eventually lead him to sacrifice himself to bring Peter back.

  • I'm with you on this also, Robin.

     

    PS: Wonderful job on that photoshoped photo, by the way.  I almost believed it wasn't touched up, until I noticed how clear the issue was and unwrinkled, despite being clutched by a too-thin finger or two.

    Robin Olsen said:

    I thought Slott was leaving the book? I can't bring myself to read anything by anybody who's been on the book since the Mephisto deal, the library has ALL of the issues in trade paperbacks and I've skimmed through them, but there's just no appeal to me, it's too much like being back in the '70s, which was NOT my favorite Spidey era. I'll look in on him in Avengers (if he's still there after this), but the main books do NOTHING for me. Sorry to be contrary.

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