Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One [Paperback]

Zeb Wells (Author), Kaare Andrews (Author), Kaare Andrews (Author), Jose Villarrubia (Author)

Book Description

Series: Spider-Man (Graphic Novels) | Publication Date: April 20, 2005

Peer behind the curtain to witness the birth of a mad genius! Featuring Doctor Octopus's first encounters with both Peter Parker and Spider-Man, the first appearance of Doc Ock's arms, and the true inspiration that led him to build his remarkable appendages - which may have come from a certain web-slinging wall-crawler! Collecting Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One #1-5.

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Marvel Comics (April 20, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785115323
• ISBN-13: 978-0785115328
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,487,563 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best Doc Ock mini-series from Marvel's summer of '04, April 21, 2005

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One (Paperback)

Last year when "Spider-Man 2" was due in movie theaters the film was set up by every Marvel Spider-Man comic book when Doctor Octopus showed up as the villain. If that was not enough publicity for the film there were several mini-series published as well, of which "Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One" was the best of the bunch. The advantage that this five-part story by writer Zeb Well sand artist Kaare Andrews had over the others is that it focuses much more on Doctor Octopus. In fact, as you can guess from the title, this is essentially a retelling of the origin of Doctor Octopus.

The original origin of the character in "Amazing Spider-Man" #3 was that Otto Octavius was a brilliant scientist ("atomic genius") who designed his mechanical arms to allow him to work safely with radiation. But an explosion bound his arms to his body and affected his brand, turning the scientist bitter. In Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's story Octavius only has a pair of thought balloons before the explosion and the indications are that he was a brilliant atomic scientist that everyone admired. But in "Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One" the accident does not come until the end of the second issue.

Looking back before that fatal moment Wells and Andrews tell the story of a young Otto Octavius who was already deeply disturbed. He is a smart little boy who is tormented by the other kids and a great disappointment to his sadistic father. Fortunately, even as a little boy Otto knows something about acid, which explains why he would love science. In this story Otto is picked on his entire life and when he and a young Peter Parker have a chance encounter it is clear despite their common problem of having people break their glasses they are destined to go in different directions.

It also turns out that his over protective mother has done more harm than his abusive father, which is proven when she attacks her son's feelings for his young assistant, Mary Alice Anders. When Otto picks his relationship with his mother and his work over his love for Mary, he breaks her heart and literally seals his fate. Confronted with his mother's hypocrisy, Otto is not in his right mind when he gives a demonstration of his four-armed cybernetic apparatus and Doctor Octopus is born. What emerges is Otto's ego unleashed and when he breaks free from his holding cell he almost kills a young Spider-Man. Haunted by nuclear-tinged visions, Doctor Octopus believes he is being called by his creator and decides a nuclear power plant in Queens is where he can set the power of the atom free. Standing in his way, of course, will be Spider-Man.

Overall this story really is about the inner struggles of Otto Octavius and his transference of his obsession about atomic power to his super-powered opponent (the same way he thinks a nuclear reactor is his "mother"). Spider-Man is barely a minor character in this story, but that is appropriate for tale being told. Likewise the artwork by Andrews is extremely effective because this is not a Spider-Man story so it should not look like one. Andrews's artwork is better suited for a horror story than a superhero gig (I kept think Mike Mignola's "Hellboy" more than any other artistic point of reference). Granted, this version of Otto Octavius is totally whacked from page one, which makes it both over the top and inconsistent with how the character is usually portrayed in Spider-Man comic books, but Wells and Andrews do such a good job of running with it that you just go along for the ride and enjoy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written and very engrossing, January 8, 2006

By 

DJ Joe Sixpack (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One (Paperback)

This book collects a fine, five-issue mini-series that gives Doc Ock his most in-depth origin story yet. Going back to Otto Octavius's preschool days, the first chapter shows him as a pudgy egghead, tormented by cruel kids and big bullies all the way through high school. A side story about an abusive, insensitive ogre of a father rings a bit false, but otherwise the lengthy comparison between Ock's miserable school years and Peter Parker's is an interesting touch.

Mainly it's the quality of the writing and artwork that stand out here; this is a very wordy, yet totally engrossing story, well complimented by Kaare Andrews' fine, fluid artwork. I was glued to this book from start to finish, and thought it was an excellent addition to the ongoing Spider-man saga. Recommended!