MANGA REVIEW | "Spider-Man: Octo-Girl" - Volume Two
Hideyuki Furuhashi and Betten Court have a real knack for superhero spinoffs. The debut volume of Spider-Man: Octo-Girl proved that My Hero Academia: Vigilantes wasn’t a fluke in the slightest. In fact, the writer/artist duo showed that they know how to pull out new ideas and emotions from these well-known characters, in ways that even the original mastermind may have never thought of before. Volume Two of Spider-Man: Octo-Girl continues to showcase this, through a foray of strong characters, good backstories, and some fun action and humor.
Otoha’s life is still flipped upside down thanks to Doc Ock, but she’s at least got some friends to look out for her. However, one of them, Marika, has her own problems to deal with, specifically an old pal-turned-stalker. If that’s not enough trouble, then the appearance of Superior Octopus certainly adds a heaping load more onto it. But what’s the reason behind S.O.’s troublesome ways, and are they actually troublesome to begin with?
Marika’s situation is one more played up for laughs. Kirika, whose appearance may remind readers of a certain someone from The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated, always saw Marika as her theater partner-in-crime. So when she up and quit acting, Kirika instead became a drama queen thirsting for her former partner’s attention. Perhaps most humorous is her level of strength, which — while not Incredible Hulk levels — shows just how persistent she can be.
As for Superior Octopus, this story is where Spider-Man: Octo-Girl shows its true strengths. Although built for evil, S.O. now sees himself as a rival of Spidey’s rather than a villain. He wants to do good, and even set up shop in San Francisco where he can do a decent amount of hero work. However, Doc Ock’s warning about heroes and their dark destinies rings true to just about every hero in the Marvel universe.
Yes, being a hero is noble, but the toil that takes on their bodies, minds, and spirits is something you wouldn’t wish your biggest enemy on. Even a villain like Doc Ock knows this, which is why he pushes Superior Octopus to drop the hero schtick. As one will imagine, that’s not something a person with justice on their minds can just throw into a trash can, like a tattered suit after a long, hard fight. The same can be said about friendship, which is on the mind of Otoha when someone from her past is revealed to be S.O.’s partner.
A flashback shows the harsh truths involving small, common folk and the nasty tech world. An inventor father, a takoyaki-making uncle, and the tragedy that befalls both Otoha and her friend Taka. And in the middle of it all is a company that’s causing Spider-Man headaches back in New York City. Unfortunately, a headache would be a better thing this corporation caused these two former friends, as it’s going to take a lot more than a tasty box of octopus dumplings to both rekindle their friendship and deal with this sort of evil.
We’re already coming close to the end of Spider-Man: Octo-Girl, with only one more volume left to tell this story. It’s a shame that we won’t be sticking around long to see how Otoha and Doc Ock’s intertwined lives would evolve, but perhaps that’s for the best. Furuhashi and Court are doing the smart thing and keeping this spin-off short and fulfilling, instead of stretching it out and losing its luster. Hopefully, when the story concludes in the next volume, Spider-Man: Octo-Girl will show just why this duo should be on the top of any comic book writer’s must-collaborate list.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
