Amazing Spider-Man has been filled with mystery and some epic storylines, both of which fill the third trade paperback out this week. Simply titled Hobgoblin, much of this third volume focuses on the return of Hobgoblin as Peter questions which man is behind the Hobgoblin mask. Throw in an opening issue tied to Hellfire Gala , an A.XE.: Judgment Day issue, and a closing issue tied to Dark Web, and you have one very event-heavy collection.
This trade paperback houses Amazing Spider-Man #9-14. You don’t need to read the last volume to jump into this, though you may be confused why Mary Jane is married. The entire collection is written by Zeb Wells with a bevy of artists attached, but John Romita Jr. is the official Amazing Spider-Man artist.
The collection starts with the Hellfire Gala tie-in, and guest artist Patrick Gleason gets to go ham on a cool full-page splash of Wolverine and Spidey fighting robots, and the new gold costume is on full display. In the history of artists drawing Spider-Man, Gleason will assuredly go down as one of the best to do expressive eyes, adding excellent volume and detail to the lenses. Extra props to little details like the scuffed-up and hairy arms on Wolverine.
As stories go, this issue is more of a bridge to more stories, showing us how Moira is stopped after snatching up Mary Jane and hinting at where she goes from here. Moira is a so-so villain at best here, not really doing anything of value. Again, it’s a bit odd reading this issue since it doesn’t exactly take place where we left off in the last collection, while it also spills out of the Hellfire Gala that’s long been over. That said, writer Zeb Wells does give us a little extra heat surrounding Mary Jane and Spider-Man’s relationship. All that said, this issue would have been better combined with a Hellfire Gala collection.
The Amazing Spider-Man #10 is an A.X.E.: Judgment Day tie-in issue effectively explained in the first few pages. A Celestial god has risen and set out to judge every human on Earth and judge them all collectively. So far, we’ve seen the Celestial appear as a 50-story Celestial to some while also appearing as familiar folks. In the case of Gwen Stacy, it’s the latter. Well, that’s not 100% true, but it is valid for 95% of this comic.
The Judgment Day tie-in isn’t too hard to get into thanks to decent recap.
Credit: Marvel
As an event tie-in, Wells and guest artist Nick Dragotta utilize the judging theme to show how pure of heart Peter is, like how he checks in on friends and even helps a friend pick out a tux with doomsday looming. The problem is the reader already knows Peter is pure at heart, so it’s no surprise he visits those close to him and doesn’t mind doing it. That makes the issue predictable, although it is nice to see him check in on a few folks.
Finally, we get to a regularly scheduled Spidey adventure in a three-part Hobgoblin story. As a fan of this villain, this is a great tale. It ties into deeper lore around the various personalities who wore the Hobgoblin costume and looks great doing it. John Romita Jr. does a fabulous job making every punch and throws bone crunching. Spider-Man gets beat up badly.
Amazing Spider-Man #12 opens with medics on the scene where Norma and Roderick Kingsley, along with his goons, were attacked. Norman told Peter this meet-up was the following day, and he’s likely pondering his choices since Spider-Man could have helped fight back the Hobgoblin. The question is, though, which Hobgoblin attacked him?
Nine pages are devoted to Spider-Man fighting Hobgoblin, and Romita Jr., Scott Hanna, and Marcio Menyz deliver excellent action and Spidey renderings. Whether you grew up with Romita’s style or not, you can’t argue you can feel every punch and crunch of characters thrown around. Spider-Man even shows off a few tricks with his new Norman Osborn-made Spidey suit. Fine details like Spider-Man’s web shooter poking out or the general webbing look to the glider he rides are nice touches. This also means seeing the odd edge of the Spider-Man helmet that seems just wrong for the character. The yellow also doesn’t suit the red and blue look.
Wrapping up this collection is Amazing Spider-Man #14, which is a good lead-in as far as how Ben Reilly, now known as Chasm, has teamed up with the Goblin Queen. Told via multiple artists, each is given a different season. Time passes, and we see the plot move forward. Once again, this collection feels very disjointed, as this is more of a Dark Web tale than a Spider-Man one. Unfortunately, anyone reading this collection must read the events to get the full picture.
So does this issue work as a prelude to Dark Web? Mostly, yes, but it’s not a slam dunk. We never know the motivations for most of these characters save for the general goal Ben has, which makes them more like talking heads in a narrative than people. Janine goes through a critical moment that motivates her to change, but it’s still hard to believe she’s willing to back Ben, who is going to an evil place to achieve them. Madelyne’s goals and reasons for working with Ben are also vague, and it’s unclear what she’s after. Characters seemingly do things just because, which makes it hard to care one way or the other. Themes around Madelyne and Ben being a clone are slightly touched upon but never probed in a meaningful or interesting way. There are also convenient plot-progressing moments, like Janine running into someone who knows her past or Ben getting hold of a machine to take him to Limbo.
I wanted to love Amazing Spider-Man by Wells & Romita Jr. Vol. 3: Hobgoblin, but unfortunately, it’s too tethered to three different events. Hellfire Gala, A.X.E.: Judgment Day and Dark Web permeate this collection. That said, tucked away is a nice three-issue Hobgoblin story that’s not to be missed. That alone is worth picking up for Spider-Man super fans, but be aware you’re getting into something with a high buy-in.
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