Forget Stella getting her groove back–Norman Osborn’s ready to try anything to get his goblin back on!
First Read Observations
- When things aren’t going his way, Norman’s first instinct is almost always to inject himself with something.
- Okay, I can’t be the only person who thought the acupuncture scene was actually a massage parlor moment that was about to go in a very…uh, adult direction.
- Sure hope Norman doesn’t trip over Christian Bale on his way up that mountain.
- Okay, someone please tell me these (supposedly) mystically/spiritually attuned monks aren’t so obtuse that they would train a man as evil as NORMAN FREAKING OSBORN to be a sorcerer.
- Yeah, I think we all saw this coming.
- Huh. I actually didn’t see that coming.
- So…we’re right back where we started?
“Unconventional” indeed…
The Verdict
As telegraphed and and predictable as this story was, it could have been a whole lot worse. Thankfully, a neat twist near the end and some wonderful artwork by Greg Smallwood actually made it somewhat enjoyable. Also, I must admit that the issue’s lone action scene was pretty fun.
I won’t spoil the ending, but when you get there, you’ve gotta ask if the “reveal” really tells us something we didn’t already know.
Look, I realize that superhero comics have to do a lot of recycling, but it doesn’t help when a story presents something the reader assumes to be a foregone as a shocking new dynamic. Perhaps Slott still has some tricks up his sleeve for Norman, but as of right now, it feels like we’re going to down the same green-paved and twisted road we always were.
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