Yeah, agreed. I thought the Peter Parker scenes were still well done - Ditko's bitchy, "He will RUE the day he failed to pay attention to... GWEN STACY! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!" version is still my favorite take on Gwen - but all the verve and energy just petered out of the "Spider-man" stuff. The plots were simplified, the fight scenes were half-assed, the drama was gone. (And I didn't think the Romita issues were much better until he found his own style 3-4 issues into his run.)

That's a good point, too. Honestly, the last time I read these I found myself flipping ahead looking for Peter Parker (and Gwen!) Also, the Peter Parker stuff and the SPider-man scenes tended to be separated in these last few issues. One of the things I loved were Peter's headaches when Spider-man stuff intrudes into his "real" life. I don't think anyone in superhero comics ever has mined the secret identity trope for drama and comedy as effectively as Ditko/Lee for their first few years. But after Master Planner that was all gone and replaced by simplistic plots and single issue stories.

The Amazing Spider-Man #39 (August 1966)



"How Green Was My Goblin!"
Script: Smilin’ Stan Lee
Pencils: Jazzy John Romita
Inks: Might Mickey Demeo
Letters: Adorable Artie Simek
Cover: John Romita

Summary: The Green Goblin is done waiting. Having further honed his abilities he has a new goal: Learn Spider-Man’s identity and use it to destroy him.

Spider-Man swings over to Dr Bromwell’s office. Sneaking into the maintenance closet, changing out of his costume and surprising the hell out of the janitor, he visits the doctor with complaints of a cold. Bromwell gives him some medicine but warns him about Aunt May: While she’s doing better she’s still recovering from her last operation and too much excitement could kill her. Peter heads to school in a bum mood and once again snubs Gwen and Flash, who have agreed to be friendly to him. Harry Osborn is dropped off near them by his father but instead of well wishes he gets insulted. This puts him in a bum mood and he also ignores Gwen and Flash. In class Peter sees that Harry is feeling down and asks if there's something wrong. Harry snaps at him but apologizes and explains that he and his father were always close but in the last few years he has become nothing but cruel. Peter tells Harry to look on the bright side, as Pete can’t even remember his father. Harry didn’t realize Pete is an orphan and apologizes for complaining about his dad but Peter understands. Flash witnesses this exchange and wonders if Peter is more of a man than he thought.

Doing some web slinging to clear his head, Peter spots a stickup on the lookout deck of a skyscraper. He swings in and rescues the crowd but his cold slows him down. He still manages to outfight the gang and they hit him with a gas bomb, which appears to do nothing. But the Goblin is watching from a distance and knows that the gas will dull all of his senses, including his spider sense. Spidey finishes the gang, snaps a picture and leaves them to the police.

Spidey returns to the alley where he left his clothes (tucked in a convenient web sack) and changes. Normally his spider sense keeps him from being watched but this time the Goblin is able to see the whole thing with Peter only having the slightest feeling of paranoia. As he walks to the Bugle he wonders if his spider sense is really fading on him, as it seemed to fail him in #37. Inside he bumps into Ned, who apologizes for manhandling him the other day. Peter shares the blame and tells him that he’s no longer interested in Betty. He offers the photos to Jameson but Jameson isn’t thrilled with them. Peter threatens to take them to the Globe but Jonah relents and pays up. Outside the Goblin was able to use a shotgun microphone to learn his name: Peter Parker.

Peter walks home and is attacked on his front lawn by the Goblin. Realizing his secret has been discovered he is desperate to leave the scene before Aunt May discovers them.Luckily, the exhaust from the Goblin’s glider tricks Aunt May into thinking they’re just experiencing a heavy and unseasonal fog. Still, Peter doesn’t have time to mess around. He goes after the Goblin but is suffocated with one of his ghost gadgets (used in ASM #17). Gobby ties Peter up and flies him to his hideout.

Tied to a chair, Peter tries to stall for time as he tries to free himself and insults Gobby’s pride by insisting he never won any of their fights. The Goblin wants Peter to take a good look into the last face he will ever see and unmasks himself: It’s Norman Osborn.

Observations: After five lackluster issues (with one bright spot, analogous to a dying person having one last gasp of lucidity before total system failure) it was clear something needed to change. The plotting just wasn’t there anymore. Spider-Man’s adventures were no longer fun. The poor villains made for sorry action while Peter’s personal life, always the centerpiece of the series, was neglect. Gwen Stacy and Harry Osborn were introduced and were scarcely developed as Peter’s college life was turning out to be as bitter and depressing as his high school experience was. The stories were glum, with the interpersonal drama not being balanced by the levity of Spidey’s adventures. The change the series needed, apparently, was for Steve Ditko to move on. It’s difficult to say that the series co-creator is at fault but as the lead creative force he just wasn’t cutting it.

Thankfully, the transition works out for the better. John Romita steps in and provides the new blood the series needed. Stan presumably had more input in the direction of the stories as well, giving this issue a bit more of the Marvel flair. In an age where reboots are common it’s odd to look back and see a series simply continue onwards after such a major upheaval behind the scenes. But move on it does and splendidly so.

After creating his masterpiece “If This Be My Destiny” the time was right for Ditko to leave the book. In that story Peter Parker finally ceases to be a boy and becomes a man. He finally accepts the full burden of his responsibility and triumphs over the weight of the world, a world that feels quite heavy in such a tumultuous time the late teens are in a young man’s life. That story also featured the debut of the college crowd and left them undeveloped enough that any writer could come in and mold them to fit their story. But like Peter’s relationship with Betty Brant Ditko didn’t seem to realize his work was done and he plodded ahead for five issues, working up new subplots and scratching in some rough characterization for Harry and Gwen. This keeps the transition from being absolutely perfect but it’s still good enough.

The status quo as it stood when Romita took the helm: Peter is a real man, figuratively and physically. He has come out of his shell and has matured into a deeper sort of creature. He is still new to college and has only barely established some (negative) relationships with his peers. And most significantly, his high school sweetheart has left him, leaving him primed for a more mature form of romance. In other words, it is absolutely the perfect place to Romita to come in.

Right off the bat he and Stan get to work pulling things together. Gwen and Flash have agreed to try and be nice to Peter. Harry opens up to Peter for the first time and the seeds of a friendship are planted, something that gives them all the idea that Peter isn’t the snob that they think he is. Even Flash Thompson, having held contempt for Peter for years, begins to reconsider his feelings. Off campus Ned Leeds, who had previously turned quite strongly against Peter, apologizes for his behaviour and Peter wishes him well with Betty. These characters are no longer neurotic, they’re functioning like normal human beings without the ridiculous hangups. Some may see this as watering down the core concept but I see it as development: These are teenagers who are entering an adult world and are behaving like responsible adults rather than petty hormonal children.

Of course, besides this bold new outlook there are also major plot developments. Firstly, the Green Goblin manages to figure out Spidey’s identity and confronts him on his front lawn! That alone is massive but it’s not even the capper. No, the capper is that the Goblin finally reveals himself to be Norman Osborn.

This is a twist that is criticized quite a bit. There is a lot of rumor and speculation about this twist, the logic behind it and the motivations behind the story. For starters, there's the identity itself. Norman Osborn has only been formally in the book for two issues and to many people it feels like a cheap shot to have a two year mystery end with a guy who has only been around for two issues. The classic theory is that Stan wanted the Goblin to be Norman while Ditko wanted him to be a stranger, citing realism, and with Ditko out of the way Stan took the first opportunity to reveal his version of the Goblin. This doesn’t wash. Not only has Ditko himself debunked this, if you look at the bigger picture it’s clear that Norman was the only real viable suspect.

The Goblin has been established from the beginning as having the resources to set up an elaborate hidden bunker and the technological know-how to create his weaponry. Norman is a wealthy industrialist who owns an electronics plant. That gives him the means. Norman was also able to point a gun through a second story window without any obvious means of support. The logical answer is that he was able to fly to the window on the glider.

And of course, Ditko planted Osborn in the background of Green Goblin stories more than a year before his official debut. Why do this unless there is going to be a payoff? Why feature him in those stories, a period of the book where the Green Goblin loomed largest? The reveal of Norman’s double life was no cheat, in and of itself, but while I argue that there was no other option that worked I would not argue the other major criticism: Timing.

Norman is unmasked two issues after he appears. And while his first two appearances had him acting appropriately sinister, it feels a little undercooked to reveal him in such a way. Ditko was clearly building a longer plot with Osborn and it is dramatically cut short. To end such a long mystery with such a short-timer feels like a bit of a ripoff. Norman is the best fit for the character, he just needed to show up a little more first and this story slightly suffers because of it.

Ditko left the series with six unresolved plots. Lets see what Stan and John have tackled so far:

What is Norman Osborn scheming? - Resolved. While the price on Spidey’s head is forgotten, we now know Stormin’ Norman’s secret.
Will Gwen and Peter hook up? - Peter has his first positive interaction with the college crew but never actually speaks to Gwen this issue.
Is Peter's spider sense failing? - Mentioned but nothing more.
Will Peter meet Mary Jane? - Not even given a mention.
Where is Betty? - Still unanswered.
Who is the Green Goblin? - Hand in hand with the first question.

Artwise Romita immediately proves his worth as Ditko's successor. For starters, he’s a stronger draftsman. Ditko is quite good but Romita’s faces fit together better, things are tighter while Ditko was a little sloppier. His rendition of Peter is much more conventionally handsome (again, he is now an assertive man and girls had previously noticed his good looks) while his girls are more attractive. The world doesn’t feel quite so cynical and while it slightly defangs J. Jonah Jameson the look greatly benefits the college kids. His Spider-Man is also a good fit. Not as edgy as Ditko’s but more heroic looking with more grace. Visually Ditko had been gradually bulking Spidey up and giving him more fluid movements so it feels like a natural transition. Romita handles the Spidey action quite well. I only wish he had been able to start with a different villain (again, another reason why this reveal should have been delayed), as the Goblin is the only character where Romita's clean, charming style doesn’t really work. His Goblin is too round, too smiley and too cartoony, without any of the Count Orlok touch Ditko gave him. Again, poor timing.

Overall this is a huge landmark issue, not just for the character personally but for his entire legacy. Can Spider-Man still be good without Steve Ditko? So far, a resounding yes. The Goblin reveal is mistimed and while that does keep it from total perfection everything else is fantastic. The Goblin’s scheme, the fight on the rooftop, the Peter/Harry scene, all of it. It is the dawn of a new age. 4/5

Other notes:
- Fifth appearance of the Green Goblin
- The Green Goblin's costume is slightly altered. As drawn by Ditko the Goblin's hat connected to his tunic's high collar. As drawn by Romita the tunic has no collar (like a T-shirt) and the green "skin" of his neck is visible. Also, his color scheme is changed. Previously his hat, tunic, gloves and boots were colored RB3 (a purple located halfway between magenta and blue) and his belt and bag were R (pure magenta). Now the colors are reversed so Gobby is green and pink rather than green and purple (although he still has purple boots, weirdly enough). Combined with Romita's overall less threatening portrayal the result is pretty far removed from Ditko's take.
- Peter is sick but it doesn’t affect his powers. In fact, it doesn’t seem to affect anything and seems to just be a device to get Peter to talk to Bromwell.
- First use of a web sack to hold Peter's street clothes
- First time a villain discovers Spider-Man’s identity. Technically the second, after Smythe, but Peter was able to dissuade him.
- Aunt May says it’s spring. The book is still moving in approximately real time but it has been tripped up a bit as the Master Planner saga was in September.
- By establishing that it’s spring of 1966 that must also mean Peter has or will soon turn 19.
- The Goblin says he will reveal Spidey’s identity to the world before killing him but then he immediately attacks and captures Spidey without ever making the public reveal. Change of plans?
- Stan's "Spidey Wins The Day!" blurb at the end really spoils the suspense
- Mickey Demeo is none other than Mike Esposito, who was worried about possible repercussions he may face from DC (his primary employer) if he was working at another company.
- Spider-Man turns four!

The sad thing about the botched reveal is that you only get one shot at it. There are no takebacks. It's widely known that Norman is the Goblin and it can never be used an effective mystery again, and what we're left with is the feeling of "Wait, did they skip an issue?" The first movie didn't even try to make it a mystery and the later one didn't even have Norman as the Goblin. The closest anyone got to making it work was the Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon where Norman figured heavily but Harry was initially revealed to be the Goblin, with the true reveal happening at the end of the next season. But even that one played on expectations of the Goblin being a member of the Osborn family.

I think the next Kraven story you'll be reviewing is an excellent one.

The Amazing Spider-Man #40 (September 1966)



“Spidey Saves The Day!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: John Romita
Inks: Mickey Demeo
Letters: Artie Simek

Summary: Peter is shocked by the reveal and mentions Harry, which makes Osborn go a little loopy. Peter realizes Osborn is mentally unstable and talking about Harry unsettles him. He taunts Osborn about how his son to react to finding out his dad is the Goblin, which prompts Osborn to reveal his origin: Raising Harry as a single father (his wife died when Harry was only a baby) he tried to balance parenthood with his professional life. He believes he was a great father because he bought his son everything he wanted, although the memories we see show Harry to be less interested in the material goods and more interested in bonding with his Dad, something he never got. Osborn explains how he had to be ruthless in business, which explains the Stromm situation: Stromm was Osborn’s partner and was the primary creative force but he borrowed money from the business account and Osborn had him incarcerated, earning himself complete control over the business.

Peter asks why he turned to crime and Osborn explains that he found a formula in Stromm’s notes. He decides to work up a test batch but it explodes in his face (a fantastic shot courtesy of Romita) and almost kills him. The doctors are barely able to save him and determine that he has brain damage but he believes the formula made him even smarter, while also making him act very cruelly to Harry. He realizes that he could become the greatest costumed criminal of all time and after months of obsession designs a costume. He decides to target Spider-Man to win the respect of the entire underworld. He puts his mask back on and tells Peter that he will sit there, bound and helpless and be forced to anticipate his death. Peter no longer fears dying but he does fear being unable to set things right with Betty and Aunt May.

Speaking of Aunt May, she has called Mrs. Watson over. She’s worried sick about Peter being missing. Mrs. Watson calls the Bugle to see if Peter is there but after getting an earful about how useless Peter is there isn’t much she can say. Aunt May fears the worst and Mrs. Watson calls for Dr. Bromwell to give her a sedative.

Meanwhile, at a Chicago train station, Betty Brant has decided to return to New York. A woman can’t run from a decision. She wonders if Jameson will rehire her and what Peter and Ned will say. She also wonders about Spider-Man. For some reason he stays in her thoughts. She’s obviously starting to figure it out but her own denial stops her from realizing it. She boards a train to New York and hopes she’ll be able to forget about Spider-Man forever.

Back at Osborn’s lair, Peter is doing his best to goad the Goblin. He both ignores and insults him, claiming to have beaten the Goblin every time they fought. Using a “retroscope helmet” Goblin projects his thoughts for Peter to see. He remembers their four previous battles and Peter spins reality to make the point that the Goblin has never beaten him. The goading works. Just as Peter was able to free himself from his binds Gobby releases them. He orders Spidey to put his costume on so they can have a definitive final battle.

They fight hard and ugly. Gobby uses every trick he has but Spidey is able to destroy his “flying broomstick” (really Stan?). Gobby seems defeated and Spidey wonders what he’ll do with him, as even if he’s jailed he’ll be able to spill the secret. But Gobby was playing possum and attacks him. Spidey rips a steel chair out of the floor and nails the Goblin with it. Gobby realizes he should have killed Spidey when he had the chance but he has one more trick: A fully automated Goblin Cannon, a blast ray so powerful it will even kill Spidey. But Spidey dodges the mean, flips towards Gobby and locks him back into his workstation full of chemicals. The chemicals hit live wires on the floor and Gobby gets a brutal shock (another great Jazzy John panel) that knocks him out. Spidey checks to confirm he’s still alive and pulls off his mask. Osborn appears to have amnesia and while he could be faking it doesn’t set off the spider sense. Osborn has forgotten the last few years. He thinks Harry is in high school and he doesn’t recognize Spidey. Spidey figures that the chemical shock repaired his mind.

The fire department and the cops have arrived and Spidey decides it would be unfair for Osborn to be punished for crimes committed while mentally ill. He changes Osborn into his street clothes (found in a closet) and burns the Goblin costume. He tells the firefighters to get Osborn to a hospital and leaves to check in with Aunt May. Spidey is horrified to see Dr Bromwell’s car in the driveway. He sneaks into his room, changes and heads back out and comes in through the front door. Bromwell gives him a stern talking to for being so self-centered and unfeeling and Peter promises it will never happen again. Aunt May demands to know where he has been and he says he lost track of the time while studying. She completely understands and when she touches his face she declares him to have a fever. His head is actually warm because he was just in a fire but he lets her dote on him because it makes her so happy. Meanwhile, across the East River, Harry is doting on Norman in a hospital bed. Norman can’t remember the last few years but he has a feeling the coming years will be very good for both of them.

Observations: Another blast of an issue.

Most of the issue takes place in one room and most of that time is spent talking (nine pages of conversation followed by just five of action). The Goblin turns out to be an even better villain when unmasked because he turns out to be completely nuts. Sure, Ock suffered from some brain damage in his origin, The Looter had to be on the Spectrum and Joe Smith had dramatic personality shifts but Norman Osborn is the first villain to be truly crazy. He’s not just “I’m going to take over the world, muahahaha!” He’s a sweating, ranting, unstable lunatic who gets lost in his own delusions and is viable to snap at any moment. Osborn’s characterization and Peter’s predicament is actually scary. Pete is at the mercy of a man who has lost his grip on reality. It reminds me of Francis Dolarhyde holding Freddy Lounds hostage in Red Dragon. Peter has to be careful not to set off this powder-keg of a human.

Osborn’s mental illness makes the very cliched story work. The Green Goblin holds Spider-Man captive, tells him his entire life story and instead of killing the hero when he can tries to face him in one-on-one combat. The biggest cliche is the amnesia ending, which is the laziest “How do we get out of this impossible situation?” solution out there. The Goblin being Norman makes sense but the events of this issue are pretty unoriginal, which is a shame. But as cliched as it is, it’s still very effective and it’s a relief to finally get the origin of the character (it’s a nice touch to show Norman remembering himself as a loving father when really he was a neglectful workaholic).

It’s hard to look at the ending to this issue from a modern context. We know by now that Peter not turning Osborn over to the police is a critical error he will eventually regret and that the Osborns will have the exact opposite of a happy ending and hindsight makes it read better.

Aunt May’s plot is a bit silly. By this point Peter is a nineteen-year-old who is taking what I assume is a grueling science program at a college in the city. He is no longer a child yet him staying out late makes Aunt May so worried that her doctor has to come and administer a sedative! And in the end she is cheered up by being able to candy Peter’s ass and spoon feed him! This part of the series is getting quite dated already and it needs to change quickly.

Heres the update on Stevie’s plots:

What is Norman Osborn scheming?
Will Gwen and Peter hook up? - She doesn’t even show up.
Is Peter's spider sense failing? - Up in the air. Spidey lost it to drugs last issue and that chemical may or may not have worn off.
Will Peter meet Mary Jane? - MJ is mentioned and Mrs. Watson says she occasionally comes home late, which is kind of hilarious.
Where is Betty? - She’s been in Chicago and is heading home.
Who is the Green Goblin?

One more off the list. Three down, three to go.

Overall the conclusion of the Green Goblin’s story (for now) isn’t as creative as it could be but it’s an exciting finish. Betty’s return promises to shake things up while Aunt May is a bigger millstone than ever. 4/5

Other notes:
- For the first time the implication is made that the Goblin has superpowers, as Osborn says that he is stronger than any other criminal. But the exact effects of the formula are not explained in this issue, other than causing insanity.
- Betty is either at Dearborn Station or LaSalle Street station, the two stations that featured lines to New York City in 1966.
- In a continuity error this issue seems to take place on the same night as the last issue but the radio host in Chicago (Art Roberts really did have a show on WLS in Chicago) says Spidey has been missing for days.
- The Goblin's glider is destroyed for the first time.
- Peter doesn’t want Osborn to be imprisoned for his crimes, as he feels Osborn isn’t responsible for them. The protection Peter is providing is already provided by the state in the form of the“Not guilty by reason of insanity” verdict. A successful insane plea requires the defendant to have been unable to comprehend their criminality or unable to restrain themselves due to mental defect at the time of the crime. This defense is way overplayed in the Batman comics but Osborn would be able to claim the latter and his medical records would prove that he suffered brain damage. Rather than being sentenced to prison with a defined sentence (which has so far led to the release of Dr Octopus and Molten Man within months) he would be committed to a psychiatric hospital indefinitely. The only way he could get out is by being cured and declared sane.
- Spidey finally beats the Green Goblin. Yay!

I love Ditko's stuff but it's hard to look at Romita's and not think "Thats Spider-Man." It's the iconic version and artists followed in his mold for decades.