Spider-Man: Goblin's Revenge

Background

This book takes place immediately after Carnage in New York. Spider-man had just recovered a deadly serum (capable of sending everyone in New York into a killer rage) from Carnage.

Story Details

This book begins with the last chapter of Carnage In New York, where Spider-man gives Reed Richards the serum. After Spider-man leaves(this is where the new book really starts), the Green Goblin swoops in and steals the unsecured serum from Richards. The identity of the Goblin is in question for most of the book, although there are clues that give it away to the reader early on.

After the serum is stolen, Peter begins having nightmares; he is dreaming that New York is filled with blood. Spider-man has three enemies in this book: The first is the man from Chicago, who is becoming the Goblin to drive Spider-man over the edge. He says that he is avenging the death of Kraven the Hunter. The second is a branch of the government that wants the serum back, and remembers Spidey as the last guy to have his hands on it. The third is Carnage, who the man from Chicago freed for reasons that were never made entirely clear.

Peter is about to go over the edge, in part because of the serum, partly because of his sightings of the supposedly dead Norman Osborn, and partly because the Goblin is about to push Mary Jane off of the Brooklyn Bridge, in a scene that is designed to draw him back into the death of Gwen neurosis. The fight scene at the bridge is extremely well done, even if Spidey did beat the Goblin and Carnage at the same time. More accurately, he beats Carnage with the Goblin's glider, and the Goblin runs. Spidey tags him with a tracer and follows him back to his hideout. In the end, Spidey recovers the serum and the Goblin escapes, but not before Spidey realises that he is the Chameleon!

General Comments

This was an incredibly well written book. The cover is awesome, and the plot is one of the best concieved in quite a while. The only drawbacks were the way the Chameleon's identity was given away too soon, and the way Spidey beat Carnage and the Goblin, despite his exhausted condition. Personally, I'm always glad to see Spider-man tear up the opposition, but this was a little far-fetched.

Overall Rating

I'm giving it a rating of four and a half webs, and I am sorely tempted to paste that other half a web back on.