Review: This issue gets started with the new Hobgoblin heading to the Fisk Building to meet up with the Kingpin. Hobby alerts Kingpin that Black Cat and Spidey were planning on stealing the Reverbium from Kingpin(Reverbium is some sort of deadly metal... I think). Kingpin refuses to believe that and checks in with his scientist who was working with the metal, who assures Kingpin everything was fine... And then the camera cuts off. Kingpin sends Hobby and a few Hand ninjas to check out the situation, and we discover that Spidey and Black Cat were indeed making their way into the lab. Before they could gain access to the lab however, alarms begin to ring, which leads to Black Cat ditching Spidey and heading up to the penthouse to find something to steal so that the night wasn't a total waste. On the other hand, Spidey trudges forward into the lab, still determined to get the Reverbium away from Kingpin. By this point, Hobgoblin and the Hand ninjas arrive, which leads to Spidey and Hobby going toe-to-toe. While that battle is waging, Black Cat gets captured by Kingpin and his goon Montana while searching for loot. Eventually the battle between Spidey and Hobby causes the Reverbium to become unstable and it begins to destabilize the entire Fisk Building. With the building collapsing around his ears, Spidey manages to climb to the penthouse and save Black Cat, while Hobby plucks Kingpin out right before the building comes down. The loss of his building convinces Kingpin to stay in the Shadowland compound with his army of ninjas, while being saved by Hobby convinces Kingpin of Hobby's loyalty to him. And that's pretty much that.
Thoughts: First things first. I had NO idea that Phil Urich had taken on the Hobgoblin mantle... And you know what? I love that idea! I'm probably one of maybe 7 people who read and enjoyed the Green Goblin series from the 90's starring Phil, and I enjoyed his appearances in the great Loners mini-series, although I was a bit bummed that he looked to be going crazy. But hey, even if he IS crazy now, at least he's being built up into a substantial threat using a great name and look that really never took off like it should have. I mean really, the Hobgoblin is kind of synonymous with failure. While the various Osborn Green Goblins have been major threats to Spidey, Hobby was sort of that guy who'd show up for a few issues, but not really amount to much. So Phil Urich as the Hobgoblin is a win in my book... What wasn't a win in my books was the climatic scene in this comic, with the Fisk Building collapsing. I just didn't like that at all. It REALLY hurt my enjoyment of what had been a really good little story. That's all I want to say about that. Had that scene not been in this comic I'd have scored it A LOT higher, but as it is, I'll have to go with a...
Score: 7 1/2 out of 10.
If Kingpin would have pulled off Black Cat's arms, I could have gleefully screamed out, "Fatality!!!"
If Kingpin would have pulled off Black Cat's arms, I could have gleefully screamed out, "Fatality!!!"
Glad ya picked it up buddy. As for Phil, he wasn't the Hobgoblin til he killed Kingsley via decapitation and took the mantle. I really like Phil's character and his similarities to Pete, "Uncle Ben" anyone?
ReplyDeleteYeah, I checked out Wikipedia to see when Urich took over the Hobby mantle and saw that. Like I said, I'm fine with that, maybe he can make Hobby into something more than a second(or even third)tier villain. And yeah, that one scene at the Daily Bugle where his face was split half normal and half Hobby and he was thinking about his Uncle Ben and a warped version of Peter's Power/Responsibility speech was great. I've always liked Dan Slott's work, I'm glad to be reading his writing again. He was AWESOME in the Spidey/Torch mini, Thing series and DEFINITELY Avengers: Initiative series.
ReplyDeleteI remembered you and Kello (or maybe it was Marc) talking about his Thing run, and I'm gonna look into the Spidey/Torch mini as well. I'm loving Slott's work on Spidey, and I love that Hobby is a threat now instead of a joke. I like that he seems to be making all of Spidey's smaller villains into bigger threats instead of just using the big guys. I wish more people at DC would do that with Bats instead of just using Joker, Two-Face, and his other more notable rogues.
ReplyDeleteI'd def recommend that Spidey/Torch mini. It looked at their relationship throughout the years, with each issue taking a look at a specific time period. And the last issue was frigging awesome... It's been a while since I read that(prob like 4 years), but I remember readlly liking it.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the exact title of that buddy, so I can get to looking it up because iut sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteIt's literally called: Spider-Man Human Torch! That's it. I did a quick search, there's also a digest version of the mini called Spider-Man/Human Torch: I'm With Stupid. Hope that helps!
ReplyDeleteHaha, thanks buddy. I'm gonna try to find it on ebay right now.
ReplyDeleteSo how'd that turn out?
ReplyDeleteFound it for a buck opening bid plus 5 bucks shipping, I bidded on it but there's like two days left. Hopefully I can grab it for cheap. Bwahahaha
ReplyDeleteHmm... Not to be a killjoy, but it's only a digest, so I'm not sure if $6 is that much of a deal... A quick check tells me the cover price is $8, so nevermind, you're still saving $2!
ReplyDeleteHm... I don't think it's the digest, but I could be wrong. Here, check it out. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150553433137&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
ReplyDeleteHow bout that, I had NO idea they released that in a hardcover! I wonder when the release date for the hardcover was, and why they did it, especially since the digest would have come out right after the mini. Maybe with the Torch's impending death Marvel rereleased this as a HC? Hey, that price for a HC is a great deal!
ReplyDeleteThank ya sir, hopefully you won't steal it from under me now that you have the link :P
ReplyDeleteYou read my mind... You'll be like 4 seconds away and I'll swoop in and steal it from ya! I've done that before to people you know.
ReplyDeleteBut friends X? FRIENDS?! You're just like Moss, when he stole that Miss March chick right under Bill... and we're outta OJ roomie.
ReplyDeleteHA!! That was awesome... And then he's selling knock off merchandise at the school! Who DOES that?!
ReplyDeleteHaha, I love how he's like, "we're selling them movies, so they don't download them... which is illegal!" Um... that's illegal too fool!
ReplyDeleteHA! Like that justified everything that he did! See, he was proforming an illegal act to make sure the kids didn't!
ReplyDeleteHaha, If you want a mule, go to the pet store! I think that Soldier of Misfortune is my favorite episode ever now. "Mr. Big's gone kill us!!!"
ReplyDelete