It’s safe to say Batman is to Joker as Spider-Man is to Green Goblin, or some might argue Goblins, plural. Enter a new miniseries, Spider-Man: Shadow of the Green Goblin, written by J. M. DeMatteis, that introduces a Proto-Goblin prior to Green Goblin showing up! Considering you have to break some eggs to make an omelet, of course there’d be some Goblins sprouting up prior to the “perfecting” of the serum by Norman Osborn.
For fans of a Spider-Man who has a strong inner monologue, you’ll love this issue. The internal malaise is strong with Peter, as we see in a succinct and well-told first page recapping his origin. This is a Spider-Man who is racked with guilt, a hard life, and a desire to save everyone. It’s incredibly clear DeMatteis has an impeccable handle on writing Spider-Man right down to the demons even he is dealing with.
One such demon is the fear of hurting people by accident. More specifically, punching robbers too hard, as we see in this issue. Spider-Man is still trying to get a handle on his powers. There are other demons at work in this issue, including Norman’s treatment of Harry and our new Proto-Goblin. There’s a strong sense of mental health issues and a lack of emotional maturity through all of the characters dealing with problems. Even Aunt May has a moment of anger. DeMatteis crafts a near-perfect first issue thanks to these genuine and tender moments.
By the end of the issue, one can see how this story fits within the canon, which is a nice bonus. Often, these stories set in the past are conveniently tucked into canon via memory loss or some side character that’s pointless to the bigger picture. Here, though, DeMatteis connects the Proto-Goblin to Norman in a believable way while delivering an emotional rollercoaster for Spider-Man to endure at this key moment in his history.
The purse snatcher is a classic for Spider-Man.
Credit: Marvel
The captions can seem heavy-handed at times, taking up a lot of the panels, but it’s a style choice that works. You are right there with Peter every step of the way making the story feel more intimate.
The art is strong. Michael Sta. Maria’s pencils with colors by Chris Sotomayor are in a highly detailed style that is not unlike European comics. There’s good action here, from purse snatching scenes to Proto-Goblin vs. Spidey scenes, and even a fun sequence at a birthday party. Yes, Spider-Man takes a birthday party gig! The Spidey suit looks fantastic no matter the angle, and it gives a more realistic look to his body. That helps ground things. The only slight negative is the Proto-Goblin design, which isn’t the most inventive but simple enough to get the point across.
Fans of the classic Spider-Man era will adore Spider-Man: Shadow of the Green Goblin #1. This series will take you back to a key time in Spider-Man’s life as he grapples with bills, the drama between friends, and the looming menace of Goblins before they ever entered his life. DeMatteis hits all the right Spider-Man notes – selfless, brave, relatable – while adding intriguing new canon.
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