Don't you just love Evil?
Now before you start throwing holy water on me, listen for a sec. Where would good be without Evil, and where would heroes be without villains? Right! To have a truly good hero, you've got to have an equally bad villain. Nobody likes bad guys that aren't bad.
That brings me to my favorite old/new villain - Norman Osborn. Whether you agree he should've been brought back or not, everyone has to admit one thing - the boy is EVIL! (Amen..., Ed.).
Ever since his return, Norman has transcended almost all other Spidey villains in making Peter's life hell. True, Kraven buried him alive, and even the lowly Chameleon sent our boy Parker into another world with the whole 'cloned parents' thing. But Norman has extended his reach out and is slowly but surely picking Peter's life apart, like pulling wings off a fly.
That's what makes Norman so much more a villain than just his green-and-purple alter-ego. The Elder Osborn has successfully gained control of the Bugle, has white-washed his bruised reputation and gained the trust of New Yorkers, and has even recruited Flash Thompson as his personal assistant. He's not just a super-villain, he's bad news all the way around, and he doesn't need to hide behind a mask to get it done. Norman has dug himself into the Parkers' lives like a tick, and that puppy isn't coming out without some major hurt.
And, based on the spoilers and rumors circulating around the web and elsewhere, Peter's life is going to go even more into the toilet. Why? You guessed it. Because that's the way Norman wants it.
So what's in the future for Peter? Things have always been hard for him, and if he had it easy, he wouldn't be Spider-Man. At first I was hesitant to follow Mr. Parker through the doldrums of 'things to come', but now I find I can't wait for the next issue. And it's all because of the reign of evil caused by one man... The Man, in my opinion.
Should he have been brought back? Who cares? I think his re-emergence has marked a return to classic Spider-Man style, and has cemented the Green Goblin, and more importantly Norman Osborn, as Spider-Man's arch-enemy. The only question I have is... since Norman gained regenerative powers from the Goblin serum that allowed him to cheat death, wouldn't that hold true for Norman's first born... Harry?