COMIC BOOK COVER OF THE WEEK

COMIC BOOK COVER OF THE WEEK


Hey, hey, hey, kids!  It's Professor Mike once again with yet another comic book cover of the week.  This week, we go back to 1983 and visit our favorite Wall Crawler, as he discovers a new, devious fiend to enter his life called the Hobgoblin!  This was the beginning of the Hobgoblin saga, which was steered by writer Roger Stern, who had come over from Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man, to breath some life into Spidey's main title, and BOY DID HE.  The Hobgoblin was a mysterious new villain who came onto the scene, and seemed to be more improved than Spidey's arch nemesis, the Green Goblin.  This story arc was the beginning of what would become one of THE most drawn out, overcomplicated origins ever---and it took various writers to tell the tale, as well as editorial directions, which made Hobby's ID a mess to figure out.  And even THEN...fans weren't satisfied.  It finally took original scribe Roger Stern to settle the story once and for all in an arc called Hobgoblin Lives.  






THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #238

COVER:  John Romita, Jr., John Romita, Sr.
WRITER:  Roger Stern
ARTIST:  John Romita, Jr.
INKS:  John Romita, Sr.
COLORS:  Andy Yanchus
LETTERS:  Joe Rosen
EDITOR:  Tom DeFalco
COVER DATE:  March 1983
PUBLISHER:  Marvel Comics


TAGLINE:  From the shadows of evil's past


STORY TITLE:  "Shadow of Demons Past"


Amazing Spider-Man #238 was one of the big turning points of Spidey's illustrious career.  After the death of the Green Goblin (and sadly---for many fans--the death of Gwen Stacy), Spidey didn't have a villian that had really come onto the scene and shaken the title up.  That all changed when writer Roger Stern and artist John Romita, Jr. brought the Hobgoblin into the title.  A new villian who had raided all of Norman Osborn's secret caches of Green Goblin equipment.  Hobby was a mysterious villain, who was tactful, intelligent, and played his hand well.  This arc would last until issue #251, where--after a battle with the Wall Crawler that ended up in the Hudson River, Spidey emerged with Hobgoblin's mask...but we still had no idea WHO the new villian in Spidey's life had been.  Stern was taken off the book, and replaced by Tom DeFalco, who, from whatever notes Stern left behind, tried to finish the Hobgoblin story with his own ideas, and---due to editorial mandate, and a different writer---the Hobgoblin mystery became a huge mess.  It wasn't until Roger Stern had come BACK to the Spidey titles with a mini-series called Hobgoblin Lives, where we learn the true identity of the villain to be businessman Roderick Kingsley, who ran a modeling agency that Mary Jane Watson had worked for, and Spidey had run-ins with.  Many speculated that it was Peter's rival/friend from the Daily Bugle Ned Leeds, who then was promptly killed in the one-shot Spider-Man vs. Wolverine comic.  Then, former merecenary Jack-O-Lantern Jason Macendale took over the role, and totally botched it, prompting Kingsley's return.  


THE STORY:  After committing a crime and being thrown from the getaway car after nearly hitting Peter Parker, his Aunt May, and her boyfriend Nathan Lubenski, small time thief George Hill is on the run to avoid a pursuing Spider-Man.  He manages to hide, only to discover one of the Green Goblin's  secret hideouts, loaded with the Goblin's equipment.  George then takes this information to a mysterious figure, who is very interested in the findings. Hill would not survive the issue, as he his promptly killed by this mystery man, after giving him the Goblin's equipment.  Peter is panicked that someone may know who HE is as Spider-Man, since Norman knew his secret, as well as them having access to the Goblin's equipment.


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I have to hand it to Roger Stern.  He crafted a well thought out story, and came out swinging with having poor little Georgie the Thug not only find the Goblin's hideout, but ended up being victim #1 of the Hobgoblin's master plan.  Stern made sure to keep Hobby's ID a secret.  He was introducing the character, and he had big plans for him once he got the Goblin equipment.  We get to see Peter's panic, because of the discovery, it means that it's possible this new villain has his secret ID figured out.  He deftly lays the groundwork for the mystery, and Romita's pencils are fantastic.  He was really beginng to find his way as an artist,  He began to really develop his own style that was sparate from his father.  Overall, a fantastic issue that they developed.  I enjoyed this issue  If you want Hobby's long story, this is the place to start.