SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #261

"GOBLINS AT THE GATE PART 3: BAD BUSINESS"
Co-Plotter: Roger Stern | Co-Plotter/Scripter: Glenn Greenberg
Penciler: Luke Ross | Inks: Al Milgrom
Letters: RS&Comicraft's Liz Agraphiotis | Colors: John Kalisz
Green Goblin: Ralph Macchio | Hobgoblin: Bob Harras

The Plot: The Green Goblin prevents the Hobgoblin from unmasking Spider-Man. Grabbing both the web-slinger and Daniel Kingsley, the goblins return to Norman Osborn's waterfront hideout, where Osborn reveals that he already knows who Spider-Man is, then gets the Hobgoblin to admit that there never was any surviving journal. After showing the Hobgoblin paperwork stating that Osborn has already taken control of Kingsley Limited, Osborn declares that he no longer needs the Hobgoblin around. This prompts Hobgoblin to attack Osborn.

Meanwhile, Spider-Man comes around and breaks free of his bonds. He tussles with the Green Goblin, unmasking him and forcing him to retreat. The wall-crawler then carries Daniel Kingsley out of Osborn's warehouse, which has gone up in flames thanks to some errant pumpkin bombs from the Hobgoblin's bag. Spider-Man returns to separate Osborn and the Hobgoblin, but Osborn manages to escape. The warehouse collapses on Spider-Man and Hobgoblin, and when the webhead emerges from the wreckage, he finds that his foe has gotten away.

Days later, Roderick Kingsley relaxes on a beach in the Caribbean, reflecting on the trouble he caused himself by reassuming the mantle of the Hobgoblin. He now plans to live off his secret Swiss bank accounts, anyplace he can find without extradition treaties.

The Sub-Plots: Flash Thompson, who is currently dating Betty Leeds, reflects that Ned Leeds was not a perfect husband, but he didn't deserve to be brainwashed and killed by the Hobgoblin. Just offhand, it's interesting to note that Flash and Betty have a long-term on-again/off-again relationship in Spider-Man comics. While Betty was married, she had a brief affair with Flash. At this point, they're a couple. Though that would fall by the wayside, the two would be paired up yet again in the "Brand New Day" era of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN.

Osborn chastises the Green Goblin following his defeat at Spider-Man's hands, and the Goblin promises not to fail him again.

Continuity Notes: I failed to note this last issue, but Osborn's hideout is a Multivex warehouse. Multivex was a subsidiary of Osborn Industries, which played a role in the "Clone Saga".

When Spider-Man fights the Green Goblin, he wonders if this is the same one he battled during the recent "Spiderhunt" crossover, or someone new.

The island to which Kingsley retires is Isla Suerte, which had been introduced only a few months before in the pages of Kurt Busiek's IRON MAN series.

Uncle Rog Speaks: "I would love to write a real knockdown, drag-out fight between Norman-as-the-Green-Goblin and Rod-as-Hobgoblin. But at the moment Norman is pretty busy being the Marvel Universe's answer to Dick Cheney, so such an encounter is probably not going to happen any time soon. Meanwhile, Roderick Kingsley is drinking Margaritas on some beach in the Caribbean, just biding his time. Who knows what the future will bring?" --Comic Book Legends: Roger Stern, 2009

Glenn Greenberg Speaks: "When I look back on 'Goblins at the Gate,' I remember a very satisfying experience. I got to write a major storyline for one of the biggest, most iconic comic-book properties in the world, I collaborated on it with one of my writing idols, I wrote it for one of the most experienced and nurturing editors in the business, it was masterfully illustrated by a very talented artist, and all three covers were illustrated by John Romita Sr. What more could any comic-book writer ask for?" -- "Greenberg Gets Repackaged", Greenberg's Grumblings, 2011

Also On Sale This Month: Spider-Man teams up with Daredevil, then plays an integral part in the history of the Marvel Universe in AMAZING #438 and 439. He then battles the Rhino in SENSATIONAL #31, and gets stuck in an elevator with Norman Osborn in PETER PARKER #95.

My Thoughts: More talk of "financial empires", as Kingsley uses the phrase twice and Osborn once. And it still sounds bizarre to me. I can't imagine any high-powered businessman speaking that way in real life. It sounds like a layman's term, or something you'd read in flowery narration; not in actual dialogue.

But aside from that, this issue is easily the strongest chapter of "Goblins At the Gate". We don't get a Hobgoblin vs. Green Goblin battle, but we do get Kingsley and Osborn at one another's throats, literally and figuratively. Osborn proves that his business acumen is superior to Kingsley's as he easily takes control of the other's companies, while we see that Kingsley may perhaps have an edge over Osborn in hand-to-hand combat, which would fit with the original Hobgoblin stories that hinted the Hobgoblin had become stronger than the Green Goblin ever was.

There's also a bit more Spider-Man vs. Hobgoblin, and in a burning warehouse, no less! Those two just love to duke it out at the heart of whatever fiery inferno they can find. Plus this issue has one of my all-time favorite "bits", as Osborn attempts to escape the warehouse without being spotted by the police. He finds the Green Goblin's discarded mask on the ground, dons it, and escapes wearing it and his suit on a goblin glider. The police's reaction to this is hilarious every time I read it.

Overall, though, "Goblins At the Gate" is a bit of a disappointment. Not because we don't get a full-on fight between the two goblins; as I noted when discussing chapter one, that was never a draw for me. And while I now fully believe this story is padded and could've easily filled only two issues, that's not my complaint either. I think my main problem with the story is that it just doesn't fit well into the ongoing Spider-Man continuity.

HOBGOBLIN LIVES was set in the then-current continuity, but it was sort of a "throwback" story. Written by the returning Stern, with somewhat "old school" art by Ron Frenz, and even hand lettering by Jim Novak, it felt like something that could have been printed in the eighties. Jumping from AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 251 (or 252, as we did) directly to HOBGOBLIN LIVES #1, aside from certain changes among the cast, it barely feels like any time has passed. But going from HOBGOBLIN LIVES to "Goblins At the Gate", illustrated in a more modern style, computer lettered by Comicraft (who I love, by the way), the story seems too modern for the classic Hobgoblin it contains.

Nonetheless, I'm glad this story provides a conclusion to the saga of Roderick Kingsley. Don't get me wrong; normally I am a proponent of the villain getting what's coming to them. But the original Hobgoblin winding up in prison at the conclusion of HOBGOBLIN LIVES just never felt right to me. This was the villain who always got away. Spider-Man never caught him. He even retired into civilian life after getting a pawn killed in his place. So even though he's a manipulating, blackmailing mass murderer, I'm pleased to see Kingsley living the high life, drinking a cocktail from a coconut and smoking a big fat cigar on the beach as the story ends. Crime shouldn't pay, but some criminals are just too classy to realize that.

Next Issue: As announced Sunday, we're going to cover a bit more of Roger Stern's Spider-Man, beginning with a short story from AMAZING SPIDER-MAN FAMILY.

Note: All images above come from my original copy of SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #261, because that was a lot easier to scan than the HOBGOBLIN LIVES trade paperback.