Review by Ian Keogh

Roger Stern and John Romita Jr.’s creative run on Amazing Spider-Man was especially welcome for the series having been in a protracted slump beforehand, and good though it was, their work on Volume 22 wasn’t their pinnacle. That’s this selection.

It’s better for several reasons, and not just for the thrill of the Hobgoblin’s introduction and frequent menace. It’s notable that Stern is becoming a more ambitious writer. He’s already smoothly integrated web-slinging action with Peter Parker’s busy social life, and is now taking chances with the storytelling. In his introduction Stern notes plotting ‘The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man’ in a dream, which is a good night for the subconscious considering it ranks among the most highly regarded Spider-Man stories of all time. In 1983, a tearjerker about a dying kid was a considerable risk, especially as there’s no happy ending, and Ron Frenz channels Steve Ditko to draw his version of Spider-Man. This wasn’t the first storytelling experiment, though, as there’s also ‘Daydreams’ in which we see the fantasies of Black Cat, J. Jonah Jameson, Mary Jane Watson and Spider-Man himself. Many readers may have to look up who Cary Grant was, but this unconventional story still shines.

There’s an excellent two-parter featuring the Vulture, but it’s the Hobgoblin who really resonates. While the Green Goblin was one of Spider-Man’s greatest villains, back in the day it was felt bringing him back would cheapen Gwen Stacy’s death (see Volume 13). Suppose, though, someone with a grudge against Spider-Man stumbled across one of Norman Osborn’s old underground lairs and a stash of his spare costumes and equipment? Exactly who is a secret kept running well beyond the end of this book, despite a couple of covers featuring an unmasking, and the mystery adds spice to already well-plotted sequences. Stern also returns Mary Jane, figuring her wit, glamour and sense of fun made her an essential supporting character, and that also lifts the series.

Romita Jr has stepped away from the artistic limitations applied to the previous volume, and while the pages still feature a large amount of panels by today’s standards, he works exceptionally well in creating dynamism from small panels. Just look at the variety in the sample art. There are colour abstracts, a silhouette, a background so simply created for the great vertical panel and everything is crystal clear.

The less constrained art removes this slightly from the dated look of the previous volume, but Stern still uses the writing techniques of the time, which means plenty of thought balloons, although he’s more restrained with the dialogue. It means this won’t be to all tastes, but if that doesn’t matter to you, there are some cracking stories here.

Want them in an oversized format? Spider-Man by Roger Stern Omnibus provides just that, while many are also found in paperback as Origin of the Hobgoblin. In black and white paperback Essential Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 11 has these stories.