Just weeks away from Death Spiral, Amazing Spider-Man is rapidly wrapping up its story arcs as Peter Parker heads back to Earth. Speaking of Earth, Amazing Spider-Man #21 picks up where we left off as Norman and his amazing not-so-friends, Miles Morales, Silk, and others, are getting defeated by Goblin Slayers. Norman’s lineage is in danger, along with Spider-Man’s Spidey-family, so it’s time for him to take charge and fix things, or die.
A direct continuation of Amazing Spider-Man #20, today’s issue opens on the spiritual Green Goblin informing Norman that everything he built is going up in flames. It’s a bit of a crazy spell while Norman is hurt, and chaos ensues around him. The Goblin Slayers are being remotely controlled by victims of Norman’s past, making this very much his fault, as the Spidey-family is in dire trouble.
You could split this issue up into two parts, first with Norman thinking quickly to survive the attack started in the last issue, and then Norman going it alone and proving whether he’s a villain or a hero. All told, plot threads are resolved, Norman proves himself as a decent Spider-Man, and there’s a twist or two thrown in for good measure.
The first half of the story is drawn by Todd Nauck, whose detailed and dynamic style suits the chaos of Goblin Slayer attacks. The opening splash page is a standout, featuring Norman and his family on fire, with a perfectly crazy Goblin mask laughing in the corner.
I really dug this opening page.
Credit: Marvel
Patched up with webs, Norman uses a bit of science and technology, along with Miles’ powers, to gain back an edge, and maybe survive this. It’s a satisfying collaboration that makes the upcoming Spider-Versity series a bit more compelling.
The second half features Norman going it alone to save his family from the Hobgoblin. This point of the story feels a touch rushed, but it’s hard to fault writer Joe Kelly for wrapping things up as quickly as he can before Peter comes back from space. And wrap him up, he does, complete with a full reveal of who was behind the Goblin Slayers. Again, a compelling reveal, although it’s conveniently swept under the rug for another day.
John Romita Jr. draws the Norman versus Hobgoblin sequence. The punches are dynamic, the double-page layout Romita is fond of lately is on full display, and there’s some good fight choreography thrown in. At one point, Norman is swinging a goblin bomb with a web, and it looks as if it’s limp, but mostly it’s good stuff by him.
Closing out the issue is two pages that give this arc closure while setting up what’s to come. It’s here that Kelly’s captions detailing Norman’s thoughts are satisfying and come back around.
Amazing Spider-Man #21 is a fast, sometimes messy, but satisfying wrap-up that puts Norman Osborn front and center. It resolves dangling plot threads while testing whether Norman truly deserves the second chance he’s been chasing. Joe Kelly brings this arc to a decisive close with emotional clarity, strong thematic callbacks, and a sense of momentum heading straight into Death Spiral. While a few elements feel rushed or conveniently postponed, the issue lands where it needs to, giving Norman meaningful growth and readers a clear runway into what comes next.
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