This was just so cute! I love when comics go down the multiverse "what if" route. Its a great way to bring in new readers who aren't sure if comics/manga are for them.

I really love it when comics show off how "just go with it" they can be! Okay, so Doc Oc falls into a coma and now shares the body with a Japanese school girl, hijinks ensue. Cameo's from Deadpool Samurai also show up. The whole thing is a fun mix of American comics by way of Japanese sensibility, and it works. There are a lot of moving parts to make it work, but it's a fun and silly premise that does what it set out to do. I mean, I was entertained!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this. So fun and cute. I watched so many Spider-Man movies and shows growing up, but I've never thought about his villains beyond their surface bad guy value. This manga takes a dive into Doc Ock, as his mind was accidentally transferred to a young girl in Tokyo. Chaos ensues. I love MHA Vigilantes, and this is by the same people, so I went into this with high hopes. They did not disappoint. Definitely will buy a physical copy when this releases.

Marvel manga has already given us a wealth of wild “what ifs.” What if Deadpool led a Japanese-based Avengers team? Or what if Spider-Man met Ultraman? Next month, there’s a new possibility on the table: what if Doc Ock was a Japanese schoolgirl?

Spider-Man: Octo-Girl hails from the Hideyuki Furuhashi and Betten Court, the team behind My Hero Academia: Vigilantes. Volume 1 goes on sale from Viz Media next month. So what’s it about? Is it worth your while? And what’s even going on? Read on to find out!

Spider-Man: Octo-Girl starts with a fight between eternal foes Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus. But as Doc Ock falls to his imminent death, he triggers a failsafe. His consciousness will be transferred to one of many clones prepared for just such an occasion, allowing him to cheat death. But when he wakes up, he finds he’s not in a clone body. Instead, he’s sharing a body with Japanese schoolgirl Otoha!

Now, Doc Ock and the shy, bullied girl must share a body while they figure out how to get him back to himself. Only one can be in control at a time, with the other speaking to whoever is “up front” via a cute little octopus hair clip. But getting home won’t be so easy, and friends and foes old and new stand in the way of Doc Ock’s plans. Moreover, it seems as if time with Otoha may even be changing the mad doctor just a bit…

Taken just as a Marvel spin-off, Octo-Girl is a lot of weird fun in its first volume. Naturally, it’s fun to see Otto Octavius rage against his current situation. (Even author Furuhashi says his greatest dream is to see the manga referenced in Western media someday.) But there’s a lot of super-antics going on here. For one thing, Sakura Spider leaps from the pages of Deadpool: Samurai into the action. But she isn’t the only variant stalking the pages of this manga!

If elements of this storyline sound a bit familiar—specifically the Octavius clones—you may be able to guess who else makes an appearance. As it’s toward the end of this volume, we won’t spoil the reveal. Suffice to say this story digs deep into some Marvel lore. Which is great… but also not the only thing going for it.

Octo-Girl could thrive solely on its Marvel connections and drum up an admirable fanbase. But where it really shines is in using this super story to flesh out the character of Otoha. A shy shoujo manga fan who doesn’t realize she’s being bullied, Otoha is surprisingly upbeat for someone in her situation. Even the bullies in her life have their own extenuating circumstances. The schoolgirl tales that take place around the fringes of Doc Ock’s misadventures take this from a fun novelty to a legitimately compelling story.

Whether you’re a Marvel maniac or more into manga, Spider-Man: Octo-Girl will have something you enjoy. Come for the quirky story concept; stay for the surprisingly heartwarming school drama.

VIZ Media provided an early galley for review.

I am a long-time fan of Spider-Man comics, in part due to his varied rogues gallery. And one of the most iconic of those enemies is Doc Ock. The description of this manga was enough to make this a "definitely check out" book for me.

And the ride was exactly what I expected - wild and crazy. The creative team captures the personality of Ock perfectly, and the interplay between him and Spider-Man is pitch-perfect Marvel style. The addition of the bodyswap and the world of Japanese teen drama just adds to the fun. This is a fantastic "what if" kind of scenario.

There are also several more surprises in this first volume that further tie this story into other published works (both in the main Marvel 616 titles as well as other manga projects). I liked that as well. I am eager to see where this goes in the next edition.

This had all the elements of a Spider-Man, wit, fighting, and supervillains, but it was also SO cute.