"THE GOBLIN AND THE GANGSTERS!"
Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: Steve Ditko/Inker: Steve Ditko/Letterer: Artie Simek/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Steve Ditko
Synopsis: The Green Goblin devises a plan to take over the Lucky Lobo mob, and from there, become king of New York's criminal underworld...
Review: I think one of the biggest reasons why the Green Goblin was such a formidable opponent throughout the Ditko era - and why he became firmly established as Spider-Man's arch nemesis - is the fact that Spidey never gained a decisive win over him. Practically every issue of ASM throughout Ditko's run ends with the criminal being apprehended by Spider-Man, before being taken in by the police, and even the rare exceptions to this rule generally don't last long (Doc Ock may escape in Issue #11, but he's captured in the following issue). The Goblin, on the other hand, always manages to escape just at the last minute, and nowhere is that frustration felt more than in this issue; Spider-Man so very nearly catches him, only to run out of webbing, allowing the Goblin to fly off to fight another day. It's a magnificently tense and exciting scene at the end of one of the finest Ditko extravaganzas. This issue is basically every Ditko trope that I love combined into one story. You've got a mysterious masked villain, a gang of mobsters, an intricate plot; come to think of it, we are missing some noir-ish shadows, but I suppose you can't have everything.
The Goblin is better than ever, making his transition from someone simply trying to prove his might over Spider-Man, to a major player in the criminal underworld of New York. I adore the encounters between the Goblin and Lucky Lobo's mob; his lurid costume stands out so perfectly against the crowd of ugly heavies that surround Lobo, and the way he makes fools out of all them all using his gadgets is pure Goblin brilliance - I particularly love the way he soars in through the window and casually, almost playfully, tosses a pumpkin bomb out of each hand. The issue ends on easily the best Spidey/Goblin fight thus far, with the two of them crashing through a skylight before battling it out in a generator room, the Goblin flying rings around Spider-Man and hurling every weapon he has at the wall-crawler, who only just manages to keep up - always love seeing Spidey web one of the Goblin's pumpkin bombs away before it can hit him. As stated above, the 'almost got 'im' moment is just agonising, but in the best possible way; Spidey's leap falls just short of the mark, his determination to capture his adversary all for nothing. It's a brilliant way to end the issue, and ensures that the Goblin will be back before too long.
I don't know if I've mentioned this all that much in previous posts, but I always love seeing Spider-Man tackle a whole roomful of bad guys in the Ditko era. Ditko's fight scenes are exciting, fluid and creative, and he outdoes himself here throughout the tussle between Spidey and Lobo's gang. The web-head's taking two guys out whilst standing on the ceiling, covering a goon's back with webbing before throwing him against the wall - "instant wallpaper" as Spider-Man calls it - and constantly leaping out of the way of fists and gunfire. We love seeing Spider-Man struggle and overcome seemingly insurmountable odds, but sometimes it's just as satisfying watching him totally demolish his enemies, and that's exactly what he does here. He even takes a quick time-out from the fight to call Aunt May and let her know he'll be home late, all whilst the gangsters are trying to break down the door into the room he's sitting in. This remains one of the most memorable moments of any Spidey comic - the bad guys he's fighting pose so little of a challenge that he can afford to sit down and make a quick phone call. It's classic Ditko genius.
Another wonderfully Ditko trope is the rather intricate crime story that plays out across the issue. It's not exactly a Len Deighton novel, but the plot is a little bit more complex than what readers were used to from Spider-Man at this point in time, involving stool pigeons, copies of Lobo's business accounts, police raids, the Goblin playing every side at once; it's all a bit more substantial than pretty much any other issue we've seen so far. Not only that, but we get out first real suspect in the mystery of the Goblin's identity: a returning Frederick Foswell, back on the Daily Bugle staff after being released from prison, where he was sent at the end of Issue #10 after being unmasked as the Big Man. Jameson's reasons for taking him back are entirely selfish - he thinks it'll make him look like a "loveable do-gooder" - but the issue suggests that this may have been a mistake, as the question is raised of whether there is any connection between Foswell and the Goblin. All will be revealed in time, but I love seeing Foswell back, and I especially love how Ditko uses him throughout the rest of his run. This issue also marks the first appearance of Norman Osborn himself, although he's only there briefly, as an unnamed, non-speaking member of the exclusive club that Jameson frequents. Any notion that Ditko never intended for Norman to be the Green Goblin is false; it's clear he was slyly setting him up as the ultimate villain even here.
Issue #23 is one of my all-time favourite Ditko issues, and one of the best Goblin stories ever. The Goblin is on top form, but everything around him is firing on all cylinders as well. Foswell's back, Betty receives a letter from Ned Leeds but forgets to tell Peter about it, Peter has to abort an attempt to follow Foswell because his costume's still hanging up to dry at home, there's action and intrigue galore. Everything that is great about the Green Goblin and Steve Ditko is in this one issue, and it may be the best instalment of ASM yet.
Rating: 5/5
Next time, Spider-Man Goes Mad...
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