The Superior Foes of Spider-Man #14

Written by: Nick Spencer
Art by: Steve Lieber


I've always “kind of” like Shocker. To be fair, I never knew much about him, but his quilted costume always interested me in that hokey kind of way. All I knew was that he was nothing more than a pest for Spider-Man and as far as I knew Shocker couldn't cause any kind of real trouble for him. 14 issues into The Superior Foes of Spider-Man, and all of these opinions I still hold true. Shocker is still a loser, but damnit, he's my loser now. This is a testament to Nick Spencer and Steve Lieber's abilities as storytellers. They took characters who are actively losers and made them emotionally investing. This is due to the almost indie-film pace of the comic.

Superior Foes has mixed up languid character-driven pace with a surprising amount of action, flip-flopping between the two perfectly. This week's issue definitely is a character-driven one where almost nothing happens in terms of advancing the plot. Spencer and Lieber take the time to give us backstory on events that have already happened along with more back story for characters. This issue is essentially the Superior Foes sitting in a room and talking. But, again, it's a testament to Spencer and Lieber's talent by turning this into a funny and heartfelt issue.

Lieber specifically has a several points in the issue where he shines, including two one page spreads, and a great two page spread. Not to mention mixing up the style of art he uses throughout the book (including adorable chibi versions of Spider-Man and Captain America). I can't imagine this book with another artist. He takes the interesting artistic choices usually reserved for creator-owned books and meshes them perfectly into a Marvel setting.

Superior Foes takes a breather this month with a character-focused issue, that ultimately leads to a “shocking” turn of a events. If you've been reading along, you'll love it. If you haven't, then what the hell are you still waiting for?