[8.7/10] I liked both parts of this one. The A-story with Otto-qua-Spider-Man interacting with The Avengers had a nice hook to it, and I liked the B-story with Peter understanding Doc Ock’s psychological history even better.
The A-story had just enough Avengers to kick the proceedings up a notch without making the episode feel overstuffed. The RDJ-esque Tony is always a treat to have around, and the mix between his confidence in his assessment, Ms. Marvel’s concern that’s something wrong, and Black Widow as something of a middle ground between them makes for a really nice dynamic.
The MCU fan likes how Tony Stark is a bit flawed in this, noting a change in Peter but also seeing that this Spider-Man is more effective than he’s ever been before. There’s an interesting theme here about whether being better at your job is worth you needing to be an arrogant jerk to do it, and it’s particularly interesting to have Tony as a voice in that debate here.
In terms of the nuts and bolts action, I liked the debut of M.O.D.O.K., particularly how Ms. Marvel laughed at him having a giant baby head. The telekinetic action was kind of forgettable, but it made for a nice opportunity for Superior Spider-Man to show what he’s capable of, while also showing that he’s a prick to his teammates to accomplish that.
But again, the Peter-in-Otto’s Memories B-story was even better. I love love love the notion that young Otto was basically like Peter: smart, frequently bullied, and physically overmatched. But while Peter had his Aunt May and Uncle Ben to make him a good person, Otto had an abusive father who demeaned his intellectual accomplishments, instilled a superiority complex, and taught Otto that power was all that mattered. It made Doc Ock vengeful and desperate to prove that he did have power, that he was worthy of respect from those who wouldn’t give it to him, and that he just had to act on his impulses and deploy his abilities against anyone who’d stand in his way. It’s scarily plausible, and I like Peter realizing the “there but for the grace of god go I” of it all.
The tease at the end is fine. I’m glad that we’re at least advancing Peter out of cyberland, and it’s nice that Miles (and Ms. Marvel for that matter) knows his buddy well enough to know that something’s wrong, even if he can’t prove it.
Overall this is a stand out episode for what has been Marvel’s Spider-Man’s best arc yet.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2019-10-02T04:05:27Z
[8.7/10] I liked both parts of this one. The A-story with Otto-qua-Spider-Man interacting with The Avengers had a nice hook to it, and I liked the B-story with Peter understanding Doc Ock’s psychological history even better.
The A-story had just enough Avengers to kick the proceedings up a notch without making the episode feel overstuffed. The RDJ-esque Tony is always a treat to have around, and the mix between his confidence in his assessment, Ms. Marvel’s concern that’s something wrong, and Black Widow as something of a middle ground between them makes for a really nice dynamic.
The MCU fan likes how Tony Stark is a bit flawed in this, noting a change in Peter but also seeing that this Spider-Man is more effective than he’s ever been before. There’s an interesting theme here about whether being better at your job is worth you needing to be an arrogant jerk to do it, and it’s particularly interesting to have Tony as a voice in that debate here.
In terms of the nuts and bolts action, I liked the debut of M.O.D.O.K., particularly how Ms. Marvel laughed at him having a giant baby head. The telekinetic action was kind of forgettable, but it made for a nice opportunity for Superior Spider-Man to show what he’s capable of, while also showing that he’s a prick to his teammates to accomplish that.
But again, the Peter-in-Otto’s Memories B-story was even better. I love love love the notion that young Otto was basically like Peter: smart, frequently bullied, and physically overmatched. But while Peter had his Aunt May and Uncle Ben to make him a good person, Otto had an abusive father who demeaned his intellectual accomplishments, instilled a superiority complex, and taught Otto that power was all that mattered. It made Doc Ock vengeful and desperate to prove that he did have power, that he was worthy of respect from those who wouldn’t give it to him, and that he just had to act on his impulses and deploy his abilities against anyone who’d stand in his way. It’s scarily plausible, and I like Peter realizing the “there but for the grace of god go I” of it all.
The tease at the end is fine. I’m glad that we’re at least advancing Peter out of cyberland, and it’s nice that Miles (and Ms. Marvel for that matter) knows his buddy well enough to know that something’s wrong, even if he can’t prove it.
Overall this is a stand out episode for what has been Marvel’s Spider-Man’s best arc yet.