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'Gold Goblin' #2 reveals a connection between Norman and a new villain
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‘Gold Goblin’ #2 reveals a connection between Norman and a new villain

‘Gold Goblin’ #2 continues to probe Norman’s unique situation as he reels from his sins.

Norman Osborn is in a bad way, but he’s still trying to do the right thing backing up Spider-Man and now being the hero known as Gold Goblin. While he has the blessing of Peter Parker, he’s still reeling from the ghosts of his past. Cleansed of sins, Christopher Cantwell and Lan Medina have shown Norman is far from escaping the wrong he’s done. In Gold Goblin #2, those sins reappear in a new form as Norman realizes they didn’t just go poof.

Gold Goblin #2 opens in a familiar moment. Green Goblin is pierced by his glider, confused. Spider-Man casually hangs over him, asking what’s up, and soon Chasm is there saying he’s got nothing inside him at all. A smash cut later, we see Norman in his lab, where Chasm left him beaten. He’s in a bad way and a bit discombobulated. Cantwell moves the story along as Norman needs to get somewhere, and Jack O’Lantern wakes in the hospital after his beating in the last issue. Both characters progress their plots by the end, and those plots may meet in the next issue.

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Norman continues to see haunting things, with one peculiar moment for Norman in the park. This ghost is a nice nod to an awful thing Norman did as a child. It’s a good reminder Norman was a very bad person, even at a young age. It helps you question whether he can ever be a good person; by extension, he’s questioning that element too. This all leads to a major confrontation with a new character from the Beyond Board era of Spider-Man. It’s a fun character that feels a bit more layered after the experience she has here.

Gold Goblin #2

“Goblin Mode,” is pretty hilarious.
Credit: Marvel

Cantwell continues to make you question if Norman is or can ever be good, yet he continues to try. It’s still early, but the narrative hasn’t decided whether Norman is going to break bad again or stay the course. That’s part of the fun, but it’s hard to know if he’s leaning one way or the other. That makes it tricky to know how to feel about him.

Meanwhile, Jack O’Lantern gains an edge thanks to the events of the Dark Web. A bit of a tie-in to the event, a few inanimate objects turned demons are fun elements in the narrative, and it helps move the plot along since the chaos allows characters to do or act certain ways. I will say it’s confusing how Jack O’Lantern is powered up by the end, but we might find out more next issue.

Medina’s art in this issue is a little rougher than the last, but still good when it counts. You’re right there with Norman when he’s racked with guilt or confusion. It’s never confusing when other characters are confused by Norman’s actions, either. Art is steeped in darkness at times, maybe from the inking, which works more or less. It can look muddy, but the darker tone of the book shines through. The Gold Goblin costume looks great no matter its battle damage, which is a key element since Norman is pretty battered.

Green Goblin #2 continues to show a complex side of Norman Osborn’s past evil acts and how he’s dealing with them. One can imagine he’ll lean into it and become the man he was born to be, but you’ll root for him as he fights against evil to be better.

'Gold Goblin' #2 reveals a connection between Norman and a new villain
‘Gold Goblin’ #2 reveals a connection between Norman and a new villain
Gold Goblin #2
Green Goblin #2 continues to show a complex side of Norman Osborn's past evil acts and how he's dealing with them. One can imagine he'll lean into it and become the man he was born to be, but you'll root for him as he fights against evil to be better.
Reader Rating1 Vote
8.2
A strong second issue that reveals a villain deeply connected to Norman
Builds towards a major conflict in the next issue
Art can look too muddy or dark for its own good
Hard to know how to feel about Norman since he's not quite good or bad...yet
8.5
Great
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