2 out of 5

Immediately after I closed the cover on Volume 2 of Superior, I dug out the issues that followed and started to read them again.  How had that concluding set of books – which I thoroughly enjoyed – come out of such an uneven series?  Volume 1 started with a couple of very promising issues before stumbling over repetitive jokes and structure; volume 2 doesn’t have that lead-in, just getting worse at its gags and concluding with two fill-in issues that very literally put a pause on the storyline.  Now, maybe some of this has to do with series sales – that the first issues weren’t expected to blow up the charts and so Spencer had some more freedom, only to gain an audience and then start to gear the writing more toward the funny stuff to keep that audience…?  And then maybe Marvel said you’re definitely getting canceled but go ahead and close things out and so Nick hunkered down for volume 3, fleshing out the character and heart that was rumbling ‘neath the story and making the jokes feel more organic?  Lots of speculation there.  Who knows.  There’s some good stuff in the volume – focusing on Beetle, on Shocker – that underlines the soulfulness that began peeking through the first collection, but it’s once again underminded by that predictable joke format and over-explained gags.  And then we get to the fill-in issues, which are spectacularly unfunny and not drawn by and thus lacking the humble charm of Steve Lieber, and #11 doesn’t even deal with our Superior Foes…  So it really sinks any expectations set up by the preceding tale, and sinks even lower by not being entertaining.  Plus: same price as the first trade for less issues.

Trade includes some bonus sketches / page roughs.