4. It Played Into Dan Slotts Strength As A Writer
While other series have incorporated the Superior Spider-Man since his introduction in 2013 (i.e. the Avengers, Deadpool, Journey Into Mystery and others), Dan Slott, the self-proclaimed "worlds biggest Spider-Man fan," is unquestionably the character's mastermind and chief architect. And those who are familiar with Slotts other Spider-Man writing the past decade (as well as his work on other series), will note that only a mind as wonderfully twisted as Slotts could pull off an idea as grand as Superior. The Superior Spider-Man storyline accentuated all of Slotts gifts as a writer: it was quirky, bold, fast-paced, jaw-dropping, infuriating, head-smacking and funny. People who rolled their eyes at Slotts sometimes corny dialogue during the Amazing Spider-Man era were suddenly enamored with how expertly this verbiage read coming from the lips of the obliviously egomanical Otto Octavius. Readers who thought Slotts constant references to obscure Spider-Man storylines from the past were just show-boaty, were suddenly enchanted when characters like Spider-man 2099 and Stunner appeared in Superior. The series was not without its flaws, but it was also so much fun, and Slott was so clearly comfortable writing it. Even when things went slightly off the rails, most readers realized the end result was something worth smiling about because Slott was in command.
Mark is a professional writer living in Brooklyn and is the founder of the Chasing Amazing Blog, which documents his quest to collect every issue of Amazing Spider-Man, and the Superior Spider-Talk podcast. He also pens the "Gimmick or Good?" column at Comics Should Be Good blog.
