Normie Osborn has been lurking in the background of this series for a while. This month brings us a closer look at the budding young psychopath.
First Read Reactions
- I’m with ya, Normie. Birthdays are terrible.
- So are attacks by the Lizard, especially when you’re Spider-Man and you have your super powered daughter fighting him, too.
- Wow. Annie May’s actually pretty dang good at this stuff.
- Geez Norm. You don’t fire a guy for buying you a cake.
- …and here comes the obligatory goblin imagery.
- Okay, whoever decided to place that Geico Gecko ad right after Curt Connors showed up is a genius.
- Lizard vs. Spidey/Annie vs. Mini Green Goblin. Go!
- Ugh. Poor Normie…
- …okay never mind.
The Verdict
One great thing about alternate universe books is that you can do something new and different with established characters. Unfortunately, I feel like the character arc we’re seeing with Normie is a song that has been covered a few too many times.
We also hit a lot of standard friend of family/enemy of hero tropes, including the one where what should be a moment of clarity becomes a deeper dive into evil despair.
Thankfully, the issue is buoyed by lots of beautifully drawn action sequences. Still, I really hope this isn’t going to be yet another trip down the goblin rabbit hole to deranged villainy. I can read the main universe Spider titles for that.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
