Spider-Man: Doctor Octopus - Out of Reach #3

Background

Again, I'm doing two Doc Ock limited series reviews in one sitting. After last month, I should have known that's not a good idea. Oh well, let's get on with it. By the way, if you want more detailed information about the story itself, go buy the book and see if you can find anything in there that's worth mentioning that is not already in this review.

Story Details

Brigham Fontaine has returned to the secret hide-out of Doc Ock. He needs him he says, he wants to work for the doctor. A little cat and mouse game follows, who's the smartest of the two. Later, they start robbing banks.

Over at the Parker residence, Peter is taking a bath and is watching television at the same time. He sees the news about the robberies and has to go. Leaving Mary Jane, half dressed (or half undresssed, you pick one).

Over at the hide-out, Brigham and Otto are having a conversation. It turns out, Doc Ock is after power, not money. And Brigham mentions he can give Ock that.

Meanwhile, Spider-Man returns to the site where he fought Doc Ock last issue, looking for clues.

The next day, at the Central Bank Research Center. Brigham introduces Doc Ock to a playground beyond his wildest dreams. Otto has to sit in a chamber and Brigham will amplify his powers by turning him into a living battery.

But Doc Ock refuses, remembering how he got his powers in the first place. Then Spidey enters the building. A fight follows and Spidey gets zapped by the machine that was supposed to be used on Ock. He goes KO.

Later, Otto and Brigham see the news. Brigham is angry for they say Otto kidnapped and brainwashed him. He wants te set the record straight. Ock is tired and goes to sleep. Brigham leaves for the televison studio.

At the studio, with the broadcast is still going, he says he does not have a bomb but something far more dangerous. Of course, this is seen by Doc Ock and Peter Parker.

General Comments

Well, I totally lost interest after seeing Peter taking a bath with his boxer shorts still on (I kid you not!). Talk about silly to the max. And would you leave a half undressed Mary Jane, when you're about to make-up to her? No way! Peter does, which makes it silly to the extreme. And given the current MJ and Peter releation over in Amazing, this is totally out of character.

Then the looking for clues, on a site where he fought Doc Ock last, hours after the fact. That's odd. Why didn't he do that before? If he's such a reponsibility guy, why did he go home and start looking for clues when Doc Ock did something bad again? Here too, way out of character.

My last remark about this book, to me, it looks like all they're doing is fighting and watching television. This can't be real. Peter returns home, finally. And what does he do? He watches television, in bed, alone. So, where's MJ?

Overall Rating

Not even 1 web score this time. Extremely silly story, even the worst book of the Marvel Team-Up and Marvel Two-In-One series combined is 10 times better than this one. Heck, I'm even willing to say that Spider-Man: Chapter One (the series we all have a hard time remebering) is way better than this book. My advice, unless you're a Spidey completist like me, stay away from this book. And please, do feel sorry for me...