Review by Ian Keogh
Return of the Goblin continues the haphazard reprinting of some Spider-Man stories Paul Jenkins wrote in the early 21st century, a series that’s crying out for a proper collection, not least as a great percentage are magnificently drawn by Mark Buckingham. This, though, features the cartooning of Humbeto Ramos.
Ramos is considerably more restrained than he’d be when drawing subsequent Spider-Man material, and an opening chapter set during a torrential storm is admirably atmospheric when the Green Goblin turns up for the first time.
That’s just the appetiser, though. The backdrop is the Green Goblin knowing Peter Parker is Spider-Man while Peter has long been aware that Norman Osborn is the Goblin. Only one of them though, is willing to go to extreme lengths to mess the other’s life up. The Goblin circulates faked footage of the tragic incident in which Peter’s girlfriend Gwen Stacy died, and then targets others associated with Peter, knowing it’s going to provoke the publication confrontation he seeks, one where Osborn controls the narrative.
Jenkins writes a superbly slimy and manipulative Osborn. The odds favour Spider-Man if it comes to a showdown in costume, but impoverished Peter Parker is way out of his depth in Osborn’s world of social influence. Jenkins is occasionally a little weaker when the Goblin’s in costume. He choreographs the threats very well, but attempts to have Osborn match Spider-Man’s patter deliver poor results. Also diminishing a tense final chapter is Ramos beginning to exaggerate his figures. Instead of wondering how Spider-Man’s going to cope, you’re likely to find yourself wondering about how big Spider-Man’s feet have become and how a body can twist into that position.
There’s an attempt to try something very different with the finale, which swerves predictability. While aspects of it such as Peter controlling his anger seem feasible, much of the remainder doesn’t, and so it disappoints.
Return of the Goblin has some magnificent moments, but it’s flawed. For some reason Peter Parker’s name is absent from the title logo, but it’s restored for Trials and Tribulations.
