“The Ock-Man Re-Commeth”

Well, it was bound to happen, for you cannot keep a Superior mind down for too long. (I would know) This week we as True Readers were treated to the return of the one,  the only, the true evil  Dr. Otto Octavius or Doc Ock.

I have been waiting for this ever since the end of the Superior Spider-Man title run. To me, that series was some of the best Spider arcs in a long time. Part of it was the joy and uncertainty of seeing someone else using Peter Parker’s body and powers for their own personal gain. Sure it wasn’t a story we haven’t seen countless times but with one of the best Spider-Scribes of all time: Dan “now The Man” Slott it was Marvel Magic.

Once that storyline hit its end it was only inevitable that readers would see Ock return at some point. The only question was how?

Sure we are talking about characters that inhabit a world where taking a trip to the great unknown is like booking a weekend getaway but still, us  nerds are a picky bunch. We like our fiction wacky but want some believability in it dammit!

So current fans of this volume of our favorite Arachno-knight, know that the seeds have long been planted as it had been revealed that Ock’s consciousness had been dormant inside the robotic frame of The Living Brain. As a matter of fact some of the better parts of this installment has been Ock’s constant torment and kvetching making for great comedic fodder throughout the months. Ah but where there is great comedy, soon great tragedy will follow.

This issue served as the companion piece to the revelation that was made on the last page of The Clone Conspiracy #1 (Out now True Readers Spoilers Ahead – Jumping Joe)

In that issue Spidey was following up an investigation into a new genetics company called New U. He was initially skeptical of their methods and agenda (rightfully so) and found himself aghast when he came face to face with a few long gone from this mortal plane – faces from his past. I won’t ruin the other return here, go read the other book. It’s a bender.

What this issue did is bring us up to speed and give us answers on how a big return like this was possible. I thought it was explained quite well as rather than have the big Bad of the story responsible for the return, Ock himself was the main architect of his resurrection.

Using a combination of science and weird future technology Ock was able to return to the land of pajama wearing altruistics and spoil the day. I do have a couple questions of course. Are we essentially getting another clone return or is Ock the one hundred and eight percent real McCoy? Since the method was a little different than the others is this the authentic genuine Bad Doctor? I guess time will tell. It certainly can’t be any worse than his resurrection at the hands of The Hand way back when.

Dan Slott and Christos Gage can’t take all the credit though. The pencils of Giuseppe Camuncoli are magnificent! This man was meant to draw Spider-Man. I have not seen a bad outing from him yet. All the panels move smoothly and the layouts are crisp but he has a very heightened sense of the way all the characters move, even when they are not in motion. He knows how to take the story to the fullest through the reader’s eyes.

Look we all know that some dances are meant to be eternal and this is one of them. Spider-Man vs his first and most worthy foe Dr. Octopus. The bonus is we get the rivalry renewed with both at the height of their physical and mental prowess. Nevertheless, things are about to be very crowded for our Friendly World Wall Crawler. Part of the fun of being a Peter Parker fan is seeing the torment he will have to overcome to succeed. Well, now he has a foe back that remembers everything. That certainly can’t be good for Parker Industries’ business but it’s more profitable for me.

Story: Dan Slott & Christos Gage Art: Giuseppe Camuncoli
Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review