Spider-Man is no stranger to spin-offs. With a character that has a rich history to draw from like him, it’s no wonder he has multiple comics going at once. Shadow of the Green Goblin, a spin-off, four-issue comic that was published this year, is just one of these many stories. For the sake of this article, it will be the main focus of dissection. This spin-off series was announced in a whisper, and not much attention was given to it.
That could be for a couple of reasons. This comic is only four issues long. Usually, for a limited series run, they can vary. Some short series are one-shots, which means their entire story takes place in only a single comic. For the longer spin-offs, they’re usually given around 6-12 issues to tell their story. Shadow of the Green Goblin only ran for a handful of issues, but the story it told was one that encapsulated why Spider-Man is such a legendary and beloved superhero.
Shadow of the Green Goblin’s Creative Team
Before jumping in, it must be mentioned that this comic has a stellar creative team. Shadow of the Green Goblin is written by J.M. DeMatteis, and drawn by Michael Maria. Maria’s style is grounded but stylized with dark shadows and bold colors. As for DeMatteis? What can be said about the man? He is one of the greatest, most well-regarded Spider-Man writers to ever touch the character.
He penned possibly the most famous Spider-Man story, “Kraven’s Last Hunt”, back in the 1980s. He has written dozens and dozens of spectacular issues for the character. Some of the most poignant and significant comics in the character’s history are “Amazing Spider-Man 400” and “Spectacular Spider-Man 200”. He is no stranger to the character, and his writing chops are on full display in Shadow of the Green Goblin.
Year Zero
The premise of this book is really interesting. It has been less than a month since Uncle Ben died. So Peter Parker is 15 and trying his best to grapple with his great power and even greater responsibility. The narrator of the story is Peter, from the future. No, not the 2099 future. Seemingly, the Peter who narrates this story is the Peter Parker from the 1990s. The man who was married to Mary Jane, and was about to have a child with her.
This is a great premise for multiple reasons. This is a super-unexplored area for the character, with only one major story arc in recent memory tackling this era. Also, it gives fans a bit of wish fulfillment. Many modern Spidey fans want Pete and MJ to be married again. DeMatteis knows this, obviously. And it’s great to see these characters we love, like Pete, Norman and Harry Osborn, and Gwen Stacy before everyone fully meets each other.
DeMatteis Gets Spider-Man
Shadow of the Green Goblin is just a little detour in the grand scheme of things. It has a young Spidey fight a proto-goblin villain. But what really matters here is the character studying. Understanding and seeing the trauma that characters like Norman and Peter have. Norman lets his trauma and flaws negatively affect him. He pulls away from his family and lies. Peter lets his trauma open him up.
In doing so, he becomes closer with his Aunt May and becomes a better, more patient superhero. It was such a treat to read this series. Mostly because the latest main series comics from Spider-Man have been a little unsatisfactory for lack of a better word. Shadow of the Green Goblin is a short but incredibly sweet comic that any die-hard Spidey fan owes it to themself to read.
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