Posted - June 20, 2014 | Updated : August 27, 2015

Superior Spider-Man 5

This is the breakdown for this issue: The main subplot is about the villain Massacre. Related to this is a smaller subplot involving the Mocha-Cola (as in Coca-Cola) CEO. Then we have the Anna Maria Marconi subplot. Plus. Plus. A showcase of Giuseppe Camuncoli's choicer panels this issue.

Let's begin with the art. Camuncoli gives us not one, not two, but three beautiful Superior Spider-Man/Peter Parker panels. Here's the first one

Panel the second.

Panel the third.

Jaw dropping aren't they?

Now on to the main subplot which is how Superior Spider-Man dealt with Massacre. Otto followed a sequence of steps and made specific decisions when he handled the "Massacre situation". To make things interesting, I'd like to make educated guesses as to how Peter would've handled the exact same situation. Let's go . . .

First problem: How to find Massacre. Otto Octavius step 1: Conscript Uatu Jackson's face recognition software and deploy the same to the Spider Bots. In last issue's breakdown I commented on Superior Spider-Man's unusual lenses, it turns out these lenses are linked to the Spider Bots. Neat.

Step 2: Let the Spider Bots use the software to search for Massacre while Spider-Man does something else. If it was Peter Parker he would swing around trying to find leads - Peter himself said so in this issue. No Spider Bots, no face recognition software, just legwork. I like Otto's approach. By leveraging technology it covers a wider area and frees up Spider-Man's time.

The Spider Bots eventually do find Massacre. Step three for Otto: Leverage New York's Finest by alerting them to the whereabouts of Massacre. This way Spider-Man is being backed up by what amounts to a small army of policemen. Even Peter says this is a brilliant move, he clearly would not have thought about it.

Step four for Otto: Access Peter's memory about the past run-in with Massacre. Find out Massacre's M.O. of taking hostages and placing them in off-site locations. Use technology to locate and save said hostages. Once again, Peter is surprised by this move. Clearly he would not have done it resulting in Spider-Man being stymied, albeit temporarily, by a hostage situation, later on.

Step five for Otto: Confront Massacre and kill him. What?! This is worth going through panel by panel.

First, Spider-speed and Spider-sense allows Otto to come in close in spite of Massacre's guns and land one on the face.

Next Massacre uses the hostage gambit, finds out it's no longer valid. The look on Massacre's face - priceless.

I thought this guy couldn't feel a thing? Why does he look like he feels like a horse's ass? Hehehe.

Next take Massacre's gun and wound him with it.

And now for the coup de grace. But. But right before.

Awwww, he can feel shit. Moving on . . . Otto Octavius kills Massacre.

Question: Was it the right thing to do? Here's my opinion: How you behave towards a criminal should be an expression of your identity and NOT the criminal's identity. Let me explain. Previous issues of Spider-Man reveal Otto Octavius as a killer, in fact, a particularly casual killer. That is who he was as Doctor Octopus. That is who he still is as Spider-Man. Therefore, it was a correct move for him to finally kill Massacre. On the other hand Peter Parker is most definitely NOT a killer. Peter Parker's identity is tied in with the concept of being a hero. IF it was Parker in the Spider-Man suit it would have been wrong to kill Massacre, because doing so would be a betrayal of self; a betrayal of identity. On the other hand, for Otto, the reverse would have been true; NOT killing Massacre would have been a betrayal of identity. The genius of writer Dan Slott is he allowed us to see Spider-Man engage in "extreme vigilantism" without throwing Peter Parker into a guilt trip that would have scarred his soul. I'll be honest, after seeing Massacre kill all those people in the fast food joint last issue. I greatly enjoyed seeing Superior Spider-Man smoke him.

Furthermore, The case for Otto being a superior Spider-Man keeps getting stronger. Peter is the One True Spider-Man but it can't be denied that Otto is doing excellently here.

Related to the Massacre subplot is that of the CEO of Mocha-Cola. Mocha-Cola is the corporate rival of Phizzy Cola. Get it? Mocha Cola? Phizzy Cola? Mocha-Cola owns Burger Town. Get it? If you didn't then I'd like to congratulate you on your successful escape from North Korea. Seriously, Mocha-Cola is Coke. And Phizzy-Cola is Pepsi. Anyway. . .

The CEO is in her posh apartment when this absolutely frightening thing happens.

Massacre has a proposition for the CEO.

Massacre in action clearly shows that she accepted the offer.

Because of his ubiquitous Spider Bots, Otto knows about this whole deal and confronts the CEO. Forcing her to turn herself in.

This is so unfair. If Massacre broke into your house with a proposition would you really say 'No'. Obviously, her agreement to the whole scheme was done under threat, and, therfore, she does not deserve Otto to be on her case like this.

Okay. Enough of that. Let's get some food as in: Anna Maria Marconi. Let me explain. Ever since Otto as Peter went back to college for that all-important doctorate he has been hounded by Anna Maria Marconi to avail of her tutoring service. Imagine Otto Octavius needing a science tutor. It's absurd and Otto clearly thinks so. He drops by on Anna Maria to tell her off. It turns out that Ana Maria Marconi charges 60 dollars an hour for her services, meals included. It is the free meals part that really got to Otto. Mainly because Ana Maria turned out to be a phenomenal cook.

First up is the Involtini.

Involtini are little meat bundles stuffed with cheese or eggs and served with a savory sauce. Here's what it looks like for real

Next up is Pignolata.

Pignolata is a soft pastry half covered in chocolate syrup the other half in vanilla icing. Here's what it looks like for real.

Great issue. Now I'm hungry.