Customer Reviews

Spider-Man: Son of the Goblin

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

At least two volumes, I should say. When Marvel solicited this collection, I bought it without even considering what it collected exactly. It was an unexpected collection considering it focuses on Harry Osborn as the second Green Goblin (arguably, the less popular one). I always found the stories involving Harry as the Green Goblin to be some of the best Spider-Man stories of that time period and given my age, the original Green Goblin was already a thing of the past. Harry as the Green Goblin, was MY Green Goblin. The idea that your worst enemy is also your best friend and may or may not know your secret identity, well to me that's classic Spider-Man ethos. So while I admire what this collection attempted, I felt it was ultimately incomplete.

The first two issues collected in this trade were Amazing Spider-Man #136 and 137. A great place to start but the jump from those issues to Amazing #312, and then straight to Spectacular #189 and #200 (where Harry dies) was a definite misstep on Marvel's part. It would have been better had they collected additional issues of Spectacular Spider-Man like #180-184. Maybe not all of them, but some, just to chronicle Harry's journey and his persona as the second Green Goblin. I would also argue that certain issues from Web Of Spider-Man were good candidates for inclusion (#66-67) because while the art wasn't the best, those stories dealt with Harry trying to use the Green Goblin persona for GOOD.

That's what is missing from this collection, the true capturing of how Harry went between sane and insane. From good to evil and back again (and then back AGAIN). Some may consider this comic book cliché but for this particular character (as with Norman), his struggles with insanity are vital to fully understanding him and appreciating him as villain. It's those struggles that make him even more dangerous and spirit crushing to Peter (and Spider-Man) because of the knowledge that he's capable of being a good person and he was once Peter's best friend. Plus, Harry messed with Peter's family in very insidious ways and with the exception of the original Green Goblin, none of the other villains were capable of doing that. All of this is crystallized in Spectacular #200 (the conclusion of this collection) which totally belongs here but at the end of volume TWO, not this one, if Marvel had been more conscientious. The end game comes too quickly, not enough happens between Amazing #136 and Spectacular #200 for the issue to make it's appropriate impact on the reader and this collection shares in that fate.

I gave this collection four stars because I've read all those missing issues I mentioned and I love the whole dilemma of Harry as the Green Goblin but for the casual reader, I'm sure they'll come away wanting.

This trade paperback collects AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #136-137 (the first appearance of Harry as the new Goblin) and #312 (a Todd McFarlane-illustrated Goblin/Hobgoblin fight during Marvel's "Inferno"), as well as SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #189 and #200 (Harry's death).

How many times can Harry Osborn, son of the original Green Goblin, threaten to expose Spider-Man's identity? How many times can Peter Parker and Harry trade punches without causing any real damage to each other? How many times can an Osborn hit his head and get amnesia? The recent Spider-Man reboot "Brand New Day" erased Harry's death, so the answer is "an infinite number of times."