Amazing Spider-Man Creators: Writer- Zeb Wells, Pencils- Ed McGuiness, Inks- Mark Farmer, Mark Morales, Wade von Grawbadger, Ed McGuiness, Colors- Marcio Menyz, Letters VC’s Joe Caramagna
Story
Glenn: So Rek-Rap is alive, hopefully after this they’ll be sent to the great void of obscurity, but I’ll always live in fear.
Seriously, this issue was a mess. Basically its Norman and Peter batting the ‘Goblin spirit’ back and forth like Calvin Ball. The level of stupidity on display was quite frankly astounding.
I like the idea of Peter’s spirit being the difference maker in a more figurative inner battle, but I’ve seen that been done a lot more times much more effectively plenty of other places.
Then Norman and Peter give each other the ‘buds? Buds!’ talk after all this. Kill me.
It’s puzzling that this was meant to be Wells last issue (revealed in the letters column). This would be a disastrous end to the run. Given that the more grounded stuff has definitely been the better part of his run, I hope Zeb Wells can leave this book with some dignity. This ain’t it though.
Steve: Glenn, Glenn, Glenn- don’t act like Rek-Rap isn’t your guy! C’mon, it’s Parker backward. Talk about clever. I kid, I kid. But seriously, that level of clever is what we got this entire run. The culmination of what started under the equally poor Spencer run landed with a thud. Glenn mentioned it, but the passing of the aformentioned Goblin Spirit like a game of hot potato was ridiculous. Then, there is that beautiful two page spread explaining why Peter’s spirit is so special. It almost had me. It was designed in a spider web and outlined why Peter is so special. But as Glenn stated, this isn’t the first time and it isn’t the best. It could not save this arc. As for the end, when Peter and Norman have a moment. I get it. Peter is accepting and forgiving. This certainly isn’t out of his character. It’s just that we all know that Norman will not be Goblin-less forever. It’s only a matter of time until some writer figures out how to end this mess and return Norman to the villain he truly is. (see Shadows of the Green Goblin below)
Art
Glenn: McGuiness is great, he draws great things. I’m glad that he’s sticking around to re-team with Joe Kelly for the next little step on the Amazing ladder. I hope they can make magic together like they did on their Deadpool days. He deserves to have one awesome Spider-Man story on his resume because his skill level certainly warrants it.
Steve: Ditto. What is left to be said about McGuinness. He is special and deserves better.
Overall
Glenn: Great art, a disaster of a story. This has been your current era of Amazing Spider-Man. One webshooter 
Steve: One webshooter- only because of the art.
Creators: Writer- J.M. DeMatteis, Art- Michael Sta.Maria, Colors- Chris Sotomayor, Letters- VC’s Joe Camagna
Story
Glenn: I think JM DeMatteis is one of the best Spider-Man writers ever. Heck, he’s one of the best comic writers ever and a living legend. He’s been writing Spider-Man books off and on in every decade since the 80’s and always kills it. Writing Kraven’s Last Hunt alone would set him up as one of the greatest, but that’s just one brilliant Spider-Man story among oh so many.
In recent years, Marvel has been releasing retro series set in the past written by creators from roughly the same era the books are set in. I think this is a great idea as it is a way to continue giving work to comics legends from yesteryear who the industry all too often criminally leave behind, but also let’s them prove that THEY STILL GOT IT. This mini, emphasizes that more than the majority.
This takes place early in Peter’s career as Spider-Man and serves as a long delayed sequel to a minus one issue back from 1997. The minus month was a series of issues Marvel did to tell stories starring heroes and their supporting character prior to the origins we’re familiar with. Spider-Man -1 focused heavily of Norman and Harry where the former tested Stromm’s Goblin formula on an Osborp employee creating a monster.
Well, that character is back from obscurity to get their revenge with Spider-Man standing in the way. This issue heavily involves the Osborn’s and Stacy’s as Peter narrates this from some point in the present. Not knowing at the time the interactions he was having would be so important in his future. This issue deals with a lot including the return of the long thought dead Emily Osborn and the death of Gwen’s mother which if it’s ever been shown on the page, I don’t recall it.
Everything here clicked perfectly. Nothing that I noticed contrasted with continuity, and it was wonderful to get more context to these characters we’re all so familiar with. The series shows Norman at his most scheming prior to becoming the Goblin, Harry’s beginnings to a life of tragedy, context as to why Gwen is so cold initially when Peter meets her and brilliant interactions between May and her nephew.
Early Spider-Man stories used May as a glorified story device- there to just give Peter something else to worry about with little to do in terms of character. Over the years that has changed significantly of course and it’s great to get books like this that go back and add more depth to May in her early days. Here we see a worried and distraught woman who has lost her husband and fears for her nephew is becoming more distant while becoming increasingly unreliable.
It’s an excellent story that introduces new threads like Emily’s return I hope get picked up at some point. In Roger Stern and Ron Frenz’s brilliant and underrated Revenge Of The Green Goblin from back in 2000, Emily is stated as dead several times by Norman. While I don’t put it past Norman to consider Emily dead in a figurative sense, I wouldn’t put it past him to have hunted her down and murdered her during his time in Europe. There’s opportunity there either way.
Its a well crafted story that shows that DeMatteis can still conjure up a tale when it comes to Spider-Man and make it look easy.
Steve: Kudos Glenn on that rich historical walk down memory lane. I certainly don’t have that background and rely on Glenn to set me straight. I just know what I like in my Spidey books and this is IT! Spidey stories have to have heart, guilt, responsibility, empathy and this drive by Spidey to do what is right no matter the consequences. And, no less important, a good villain. See current Amazing Spider-Man to see what happens when you ruin one of the best villains in comics. Here Norman is a suitable villain, and he isn’t yet the Goblin. It’s cool to see why being the Goblin comes so easily. It’s simply in him. His showdown with Emily, his wife, and Harry is spectacular and a real surprise. It’s set up well with great payoff.
I tend to agree with Glenn in regards to DeMatteis’ skill. He tells a wonderful story here. The pacing is great and the payoff is wonderful. He fills the story with character moments that could drag a story down under a less skilled writer. Peter deals with his guilt and care for Aunt May, but not in an isolated way. It serves the story and his care for the Proto-Goblin. It totally informs his actions. That is why those moments work here and not in the reviewed issue of Amazing Spider-Man above. You can’t just drop info about Peter’s character in the middle of the arc. It has to be an integral part of it. Kudos to this creative team.
Art
Glenn: Michael Sta. Maria is an artist I’m unfamiliar with. His history seems to be primarily with Dynamite drawing vampire orientated tales so this is a big gig for him. I think he does a great job and his art matches the old school feel that this story is harkening back to.
Like most stories DeMatteis writes, there’s a healthy interjection of sorrow and quiet character moments alongside the action and I think Maria delivers both. Everything art wise hits the beats its meant to hit and the pair make a good team. I hope that Marvel continues to give him work going forward, I’d love to see his career progress.
Steve: Sta.Maria does an excellent job placing us in a yester-time. It looks dated and clearly in Peter’s past. He handles the suffering well, and especially the anguish of May and the Staceys. Overall, really well done. The only downside for me was that Norman’s face was inconsistent. There are two panels where Norman is spot on to Willem Defoe, but in others not even close. I get using reference, and in this case Norman from the movie, but it must be consistent.
Overall
Glenn: This will likely end up as a forgotten mini amongst all the relaunches, major events and stuff Marvel loves to parade around. Stories like the first 3 issues of Webspinners Tales Of Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Redemption also written by Dematteis are golden gems that nobody mentions enough. I’d say that while this story isn’t as good as those, this is an excellent mini that harkens back to a more innocent time in our hero’s life, but establishes that the darkness was definitely present. I hope to see more retro mini’s by one of the best to ever do it and if he brings a promising artist along for the ride, I wouldn’t object to that one bit.
4 Webshooters 
Steve: 4.5 webshooters 
Reviewing Spider-Man arcs, come back to Wanderings and Woolgathering.