Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 19: Death of a Goblin (v. 19)
by Brian Michael Bendis
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Book Summary Information
Author: Brian Michael BendisIllustrator: Stuart Immonen
Illustrator: Mark Bagley
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-03-05
ISBN: 0785121374
Number of pages: 144
Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Book Reviews of Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 19: Death of a Goblin (v. 19)
Book Review: You can STILL count on Ultimate Spidey!
Summary: 5 Stars
For a long, long time, Spider-Man was my all-time favourite superhero. Even though my love for the character will never die, my respect and loyalty to Marvel Comics has (in a lot of ways) BECAUSE of how they've treated their biggest icon/symbol.
Case in point, the Clone Saga, Gathering of Five, Chapter One and the ridiculous reboot stories written by Howard Mackie all left a bad taste in my mouth and senselessly disgraced and tarnished the web-slinger. Of course, it was the likes of JMS, Paul Jenkins and Brian Michael Bendis that made Peter Parker and his world refreshing and exciting to read again, saving him from extinction.
And then...Joe Quesada had to inexplicably and moronically ruin everything with the utter abomination that was "One More Day". And further degrade Stan Lee's contribution to the world with this pathetic nonsense known as "Brand New Day". It was the final straw for me, personally. I stopped reading Spidey comics and turned my back on Marvel in outrage.
Even though I've gradually leaned back towards reading Marvel Comics again, the main Spidey comics I leave well alone now thanks to the unforgivable act committed by Quesada. Ultimate Spider-Man, however, is something that THANKFULLY remains superb reading, having not been affected by any idiotic retcons or destroying Peter and MJ's relationship.
Death of a Goblin is a truly important milestone in this continuity. Ever since the beginning of Ultimate Spider-Man, his biggest nightmares, most important battles and life-changing events have all featured his creator and number one antagonist/tormentor, Norman Osborn A.K.A. The Green Goblin. Spidey and all his friends and family have suffered because of this man, including Norman's own son and Peter's best friend, Harry (who was turned into the Hobgoblin).
And after over a hundred issues...it's all about to come to it's violent, irreversible end.
Once again, Brian Michael Bendis delivers another outstanding arc. His writing is on form here and it shows. With the arc being called, "Death of a Goblin", it was obvious that he was gonna wrap it all up with a big bang, and there IS death to finish things. However, it doesn't come in the way we'd expect and Norman isn't going to go down lightly. And it makes for all the more special reading.
The greatest strengths of this graphic novel include the terrific insight Bendis gives us into Norman's mind. The fact that the Green Goblin gets as much attention as Spider-Man is most pleasing indeed. Regardless of the continuity, Osborn has remained a fascinating character. His hatred for Nick Fury, invention of OZ, metamorphosis into the Green Goblin, relationships with Peter, Harry, Otto Octavius...his reflections of all these things make for a compelling narrative, especially during the SHIELD breakout and his insidious campaign that follows.
Other great moments are the ongoing saga between Peter, MJ and Kitty Pryde, how Aunt May continues to deal with her nephew being Spider-Man, Kenny getting a real nice bit of character development, Flash getting what he deserves, outstanding battles, a haunting Ultimate Carnage/Gwen Stacy cameo, the return of Electro, Doc Ock and Harry, and the Ultimate debut of Carol Danvers (better known as Ms. Marvel). To me, the debut of Danvers here is well executed. I love Ms. Marvel a great deal, but this Ultimate Danvers is another breed of cat altogether.
Instead of giving us a reinvention of a super heroine, Bendis makes Carol a very questionable individual. As acting-in-command of SHIELD, Carol has a lot to deal with, which make her act somewhat rashly. She's not a bad person per se, and you get the impression that she's trying to do the right thing. Only that she's going about it the wrong way, making her the enemy in other's eyes as a result, to her regret. It's another fascinating concept that Bendis produces here, and that is one of the many things that make the conclusion to this saga so epic.
The pace of Bendis' writing is also perfect. The build-up to Peter and Norman's inevitable face-off is compelling and the haunting conversation between the two, amidst all their chaotic fighting, is another reminder of why the Spidey/Green Goblin rivalry is the stuff of legend. Throwing in Harry/The Hobgoblin right at the end adds even more awesomeness. The writer has really taken everything and thrown it into the pot here. Yet the result isn't spoilt in anyway. Nothing has been rushed or overdone. It's just completely in-depth and epic.
Finally, Stuart Immonen taking over from Mark Bagley as the artist. How has he fared? Well, Bagley is my favourite comic-book artist and a legend, through and through. Immonen had the biggest shoes to fill here, as it was the Bendis/Bagley combo that made Ultimate Spidey as big as it is today. In my opinion, Immonen has proven himself a worthy successor. Whether it's portraying emotion, real-life moments or epic superhero fights, Stuart delivers. The fate of Ultimate Spider-Man needn't be questioned with such superb artwork.
Ultimate Spider-Man: Death of a Goblin is an exceptional read. The only thing I could criticise is that Peter and Harry's reunion wasn't as fully-fledged as it could've been but that's all. In an age where Amazing Spider-Man doesn't mean anything anymore, its Ultimate counterpart thankfully still does. This is life-changing but in a GOOD way. Unlike Quesada's rubbish, it's utterly feasible and utterly essential. Plus, it's restored my faith in great Spidey comics. Cheers for that, Mr Bendis.
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