One of the bigger questions as we lead up to Amazing Spider-Man #700 is just what’s going to happen once the book is rebooted as The Superior Spider-Man.
But, Marvel being in the publishing industry, it has to put out solicits, and it has to tell you SOMETHING about the book you’re going to buy. So what’s happening with the Wall Crawler?
All Signs Point To His Being Harry Osborn
Really, it’s a pretty short list for his replacement, and Marvel absolutely loves sticking a former archenemy in a hero’s costume (see also: Rulk). Kaine is busy in Houston, Flash Thompson is busy being Venom, Ben Reilly is dead, Norman Osborn is currently also dead in hiding, Matt Murdock doesn’t need to hide from the feds, T’Challa is too busy… Really, unless we’re getting into the X-crew here, Harry’s the only one who fits.
The only possible stumbling block is that he apparently hates kids, and Harry, uh, has one.
He’s On A Pretty Frantic Publishing Schedule
To say the new Spidey is all over the place is putting it mildly: Superior will be up to issue #6 by March after launching in January. He’ll also be appearing in three other books and Avenging Spider-Man (of course) on top of that. He’ll be running into and/or beating up Thor, Daredevil, Alpha (in fact he restores Alpha’s powers), the Future Foundation, and Sif, and that’s just for starters.
He’s Got Some Sort Of A History With MJ
Issue two deals with his “reuniting” with MJ. And the cover is, well, this:
MJ does not seem entirely receptive, which is a bit telling.
He Can Go Head To Head With Thor
One of the solicits for Avenging Spider-Man #18 mentions that he and Thor get into it. And since he’s not immediately squished, we’re talking a pretty tough hero, in that case.
He’s Kind Of A Douche
One thing that keeps popping up, throughout Marvel’s ad copy, is that this new Spidey might be pretty far up his own spinneret. He’s arrogant enough to go toe-to-toe with a god (see above), and the copy implies heavily that “Superior” is how he views himself. Apparently we will not be dealing with the troubled, snarky Peter Parker but a haughty, high-on-himself Spidey.
Which actually has comedic and storytelling promise, but man, that’s a switch.