In the last month I've done something I've never done before: I purchased a comic book in both paper and digital form. I've been a comic book fan for years and I still have my comics shipped to me via my preferred independent store in Westminster, CO. Cost wise, I'm paying more per comic than I would if purchased my comics through on online outlet but I like being able to pick up the phone and ask Jim to add/remove comics from my pull file. The major problem with this method is that I receive my comics once a month and that means I'm at least a week behind all the internet reviews and spoilers posted to many of my favorite fan sites. In most cases that's not really a problem. During the month of December, however, this was a MAJOR problem.
Over the course of the last few years I've become an avid follower of Dan Slott, the former writer for Amazing Spider-man and the current writer for Superior Spider-man. I followed him when he shifted from the short-lived Mighty Avengers series to Amazing Spider-man. I've always been a fan of Spider-man but had a falling out with Marvel when they pulled the whole Clone Saga debacle back in the mid-90s. Thankfully, I also missed the One More Day nonsense from 2007. Long story short: I followed Spider-man from the periphery but hadn't bought a book in over ten years . . . until Dan Slott took over. What a brilliant move on my part.
On December 26th, the final issue of Amazing Spider-man hit the shelves and I simply couldn't wait for my paper copy to arrive. So, I purchased the digital copy and devoured it. Unless you've been living under a popular culture rock, you'll know that Slott's closing narrative arc brought Peter Parker's run as Spider-man to a close. In what will always be remembered as his final triumph, a dying Doctor Octopus switched minds with Peter Parker (but also retained all of Peter's memories). Peter, stuck in Doc Ock's body and unable to return to his own, died. That's right: Doctor Octopus is the new Superior Spider-man. But there's a twist. In his last moments, and through a lot of comic book technobabble, Peter forced Doctor Octopus to live Peter's entire life. Otto Octavius experienced all of Peter's successes and failures; Doc Ock came to know all the people who loved, and hated, Peter Parker and Spider-man. Experiencing the influences that called Peter to become the Spider-man we all know and love--Uncle Ben, Aunt May, Gwen Stacy, MJ--Otto swore to Peter that he would carry on the heroic Spider-man legacy. And while I realize Peter's death is probably temporary--I'm predicting that Otto will discover Peter living in the same brain space within a couple years--it made for a compelling story. Slott tapped into the essence of what it means to be a hero. Peter Parker isn't a hero because he has the proportional strength of spider and can stick to walls. Peter Parker is a hero because he does his best to do the next right thing.
In a recent interview Slott said the following about Peter's death as Spider-man and why he felt this was the best possible way to conclude Peter's story.
He’s not Superman. Spider-Man doesn’t always win. He’s us. We do our best, but sometimes we fall short. What makes him heroic is that he stays on the right path. There’s a victory in this story for Peter if you’re willing to see it. Any superhero can look heroic in the winner’s circle, when they’re adored and showered with praise. But when you’re in a losing battle, when the world’s against you, when everyone thinks you’re a menace, but you do the right thing anyway… that’s when you’re better than a superhero. That’s when you’re Peter Parker.
If you haven't had the chance to read the last couple issues of the story, I'd encourage you to do so. It's a moving exploration about what it means to be a hero and, at some level, there's a meta discussion going on about why we, as comic fans, keep sticking around.
