Review by Karl Verhoven

There was a period where Norman Osborn ran the US security services and superheroes, the lunatic in charge of the asylum masquerading as a hero in a suit of Iron Man’s armour given a patriotic respray. He created a second suit for his troubled son Harry, intending he also become a hero, which worked briefly, but then Osborn senior was deposed. So who is in the red, white and blue armour calling themselves American Son?

Spider-Man believes it’s Harry, one of Peter Parker’s oldest friends, not least because the suit is genetically attuned to Osborn DNA, so is Harry just running his New York coffee shop or is he playing hero as well?

The answer to that lies in a game Brian Reed plays in constantly introducing new people who might be in the armour while eliminating other suspects. After the first chapter Harry is the central figure, trying to put together the pieces of what’s going on around him, which involves many faces known to readers of Spider-Man comics. Dad Norman puts in a particularly chilling appearance, being jailed deep in the bowels of the Earth doing nothing to diminish his offensive arrogance. “There are prison guards here that think I was a good idea”, he bellows, “Men who wish I was still up there with my hand on the wheel”. He’s not the only dangerously unhinged personality, though.

Despite earlier spells in animation French artist Philippe Briones was relatively new to comics when drawing The Osborn Identity. He delivers the action aspects and the city background details proficiently, but goes well over the top when it comes to expressions on the cackling insane.

Although Spider-Man has a part to play, Reed ensures the story remains about Harry, although stretches credibility by playing him as a man of action very shortly after having a bullet removed. Still, this is a world that features a man whose powers derive from being bitten by a radioactive spider, so maybe we’ll cut him some slack. How much impact The Osborn Identity will have is likely to depend on knowing who the villain is. While making their debut in a memorable story, they’ve been forgotten since, so if you don’t know them, this may lack punch.