The Amazing Spider-Man has gotten more interesting than ever with its latest change. Norman Osborn, Spider-Man’s greatest enemy, has been an ally of Peter Parker for several years now, but he’s recently taken a bigger step towards heroism than ever as Spider-Man. Norman Osborn wearing the webs is something that no Spider-Man fan ever imagined, and The Amazing Spider-Man #12 sees him getting confronted by the rest of the Spider-Man family. Now, this is a Marvel comic, so they obviously fight, but this isn’t the typical Goblin versus Spider fight we’ve seen, and it really digs into why Norman is very different than he was before.
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The Amazing Spider-Man has changed a lot since Joe Kelly came back to write the book, and this issue is yet another example of why this book has gotten so much better. Norman Osborn is one of the most important characters in the Spider-Man mythos, and this issue mostly focuses on him, starting with his battle against some criminals, a confrontation with Roderick Kingsley, and a battle with the rest of the Spider-Man family.
Kelly does an amazing job with establishing the different feel of the book with Norman Osborn as Spider-Man. The issue starts with Norman realizing just how hard being Spider-Man is, balancing the problems of real life with the superhero life, and how hard Peter had to work. It’s a nice touch by Kelly. Kelly really understands this new Norman Osborn, and I really love every caption in this book where Norman is talking. Some little snippets show us Norman’s upbringing with his own abusive father, giving us some clues as to why Norman has become who he has become.
Rating: 4.5/5
| Pros | Cons |
| Norman Osborn is incredibly well written | Nothing beyond a minor two spread issue |
| Ed McGuinness’ artwork is stunning | ๏ปฟ |
| Norman Osborn is incredibly well-written | ๏ปฟ |
The Amazing Spider-Man #12 Convincingly Reinvents Norman Osborn
The fight between Norman and the other Spiders โ Miles, Silk, Spider-Gwen, Spider-Boy, Arachne, and Spider-Girl โ is a well-paced little fight that digs more into who Norman is right now. The past weighs heavily on the former Green Goblin, and Kelly uses this to inform the fight. My favorite part is when he hears Spider-Gwen’s voice, and it breaks him completely. The relationship between Norman Osborn and Gwen Stacy is one of the most important in the history of the Spider-Man comics, and Kelly uses it perfectly. I’m not a lover of the idea of Norman as Spider-Man for any long term, but there’s something about the way that Kelly writes Norman as Spider-Man that makes me want to keep reading. I love Green Goblin, and Kelly is showing me why I should love Norman Osborn as Green Goblin, and I’m honestly pretty surprised by that.
Ed McGuinness is one of the most beloved artists in the industry, and this issue shows why we need to talk about him as one of the best Spider-Man artists of all time. Working with inker Cliff Rathburn, his pencils in this issue are gorgeous. There’s a two spread of panels early in the book that I find to be a little too busy, but that’s pretty much the only bad thing I can say about the art in this issue. His detail is amazing; seriously, just peruse every page. His linework never falters, and looking at how much he brings to every page, that’s frankly amazing. His character acting is superb; Kelly’s script is full of emotion, and McGuinness and Rathburn are more than up to the task of bringing all of that emotion to the readers. However, the fight is the centerpiece of this issue, and it’s amazing.
The Action Scenes & Art Are Both Incredible
McGuinness is one of those artists who does a tremendous job with action scenes. His cartoony style has always done a great job of imparting motion to the comics he draws, and that’s completely on display here. His action scenes are kinetic and hard-hitting, the characters making moves that are larger than the panels. The characters are drawn in such a way that they feel like they’re in motion, and the hits are drawn in such a way that the reader feels the impact. This is a spectacular action scene, and it leads to some more brilliant character acting. The art team for Amazing is on a rotating basis, and I have to say that McGuiness is probably my favorite between him, Pepe Larraz, and John Romita Jr. The art in this issue is outstanding.
The Amazing Spider-Man #12 comes on the heels of a huge change to the Spider-Man status quo and it hits it out of the park. Joe Kelly is one of those writers who has been putting out some of the best comics you’ve ever read for the past thirty years, and this issue shows why. He knows these characters, and he’s doing a tremendous job of taking them to places where they’ve never been before. McGuinness and Rathburn (with gorgeous colors from Marcio Menyz and Erick Arcieniega) gave readers the kind of visuals you always want from a Spider-Man comic. I wasn’t sure about Norman Osborn as Spider-Man, but this issue went a long way in showing me how awesome it could be.
The Amazing Spider-Man #12 is on sale now.
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Courtesy of Toei Animation
