Over the course of the last four issues, Marvel’s “Green Goblin” series has worked to overcome pacing and plotting issues that have dragged down an otherwise solid book. Part of it may be that DeFalco, a former editor-in-chief with over a decade in Spider-Man alone at this point, was also helping wrangle ‘The Clone Saga.’ But while the writing has struggled to correct itself, the art has been consistent throughout. Scott McDaniels’s pencils are a perfect fit for the material, balancing its heavy shadows with cartoon-like figures. It strikes an excellent visual tone for the series, with Gregory Wright’s bold colors meshing well. So as DeFalco works to smooth out the rough edges of his scripts, he has a skilled creative team he can rely on to–
Written by Tom DeFalcoCover by Scott McDaniel
Pencils by Kevin Kobasic
Finishes by Rodney Ramos
Letters by Michul Higgins
Colors by Ed Lazellari
Color Separations by Malibu
Cover by Scott McDanielPhil Urich is haunted by visions of Goblins past as his uncle Ben investigates the corrupt Judge Tomb.
Outside of DeFalco, and Malibu providing the color palette, the entire creative team this issue are all fill-ins, though McDaniel does provide the cover. The most noticeable shift is Kobasic taking over pencils from McDaniels. Kobasic isn’t a bad artist by any means. His linework is more defined than McDaniel’s, giving the characters added weight and depth compared to the looser figures of the last four issues. It’s better in terms of technical draftsmanship, but loses some of the kinetic energy that’s been a staple of the series so far. But I do have some issues with his faces.
Not so much the average human character faces, although they can get a little wonky at times.The totally-not-suspicious Judge Tomb looks like an evil rooster man, with his totally-court-appropriate mohawk, and goatee that disappears in one panel.. But the weirdest were the goblin visions haunting Phil. This issue was more introspective than the last few, opening with a dream sequence seeing the current Goblin tormented by the past holders of the title, such as the Osborns, Ned Leeds’s Hobgoblin, and the Demogoblin. There’s even an appearance from Bart Hamilton, the third Green Goblin that I personally completely forgot existed. It’s a cool sequence with some nice callbacks, especially showing Norman flying in on his original rocket broom. But it would maybe have had more of an impact if they didn’t just look like dudes. The lack of exaggeration on the goblin masks was surprisingly jarring.
Side note: I was wrong last week. There’s no reveal about the Hobgoblin. Maybe they just didn’t want the major threat to that issue to be some guy named Jason.
As for the plot itself, I liked the more internalized conflict this time around. Phil struggles with not only whether or not he can be a hero wearing a supervillain’s clothes, but also if it’s worth it in the long run. Other than the Hobgoblin he fought last issue, every other Goblin has ended up dead. And while Phil’s trying to be a better Goblin, he’s still only recognized as Green Goblin. If he stops a robbery, the victim runs screaming from him. If he calls the police, they try to arrest him instead. There’s even a brief sequence where he tries to get his own trading cards, because this is still 1996. But unfortunately, no one wants to produce Green Goblin Fleer Ultras in the Marvel Universe.
While Phil loves being the Goblin, the benefits are quickly dwindling, and the hallucinations that taunt him are either bloodied or burnt. The likelihood of glory is much lower than the likelihood of a gruesome death. And that’s on top of the Goblin suit causing him physical pain every time he puts it on. Although after his Uncle is assaulted by thugs, likely due to his investigation of Judge Streets of Rage NPC, Phil comes to an understanding with his anxieties. The issue ends with him acknowledging that “the ghosts of the previous Goblins” will never leave him, but he can at least “do some good and have a major blast.” He flies off vowing to beat the odds, while Norman and Harry Osborn watch on. It’s a powerful scene that works as a great mission statement for the character. Part of me almost feels like it could have been moved later in the series, because it feels like a massive culmination for Phil as a hero.
Continued belowGoing back to the trading card scene, it’s interesting for two reasons. The first being that merchandise based actual, in-universe characters is a comic trope I always thought was weird, because the set always has villains too. Even in the previous scene, we see Fast Freddie has Doc Ock and Venom figures. But when the trading card folks refuse, they say it’s because the Goblin’s a villain; even citing an actual court case about serial killer cards. They also make a comment about how no one collects trading cards anymore. Minor detail, but it does make me curious about the state of the trading card market in 1996.
A couple quick character notes: Lynn still isn’t that super rich of a character, but they’re making an effort to work her more into the story. She does deduce that Green Goblin tipped the police off about the Hobgoblin last issue. Fast Freddie goes from sketchy larcenist (who works for a guy nicknamed “The Sicko”) to lovable slacker. His movie and music collection is a mix of actual properties and legally distinct titles. His Black Adder VHS tapes and Alice Donut CDs are right next to his copies of Brade Runner and “Mortal Wombat.” Between Freddie’s taste in media and a brief discussion of trading card sales, I genuinely love it when this book shows its 90s.
This is a different kind of story than we’ve had so far, with major antagonists being a few goons and hallucinations. That and Judge Gen X Rooster Punk. But the more this issue sits with me, the more I like it. Calling this the best issue yet feels a little like damning with false praise, since every issue has been an improvement. But the character study approach worked exceptionally. Phil’s cut from the same cloth as a lot of the 90s legacy characters. But even when the plotting is rushed, DeFalco has a grasp of who he is, and what sets him apart from somebody like Kyle Rayner over at DC. The character work has been the strongest aspect of the series so far. So seeing it put on full display made this issue shine. And even with his oddly normal Goblin faces, Kobasic does a fine job. But I will be happy to see McDaniel back.
