The Amazing Spider-Man: The Origin of the Hobgoblin

The Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) #85

by Roger Stern, Tom DeFalco, Bill Mantlo

Contents:

Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #238
Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #239
Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #244
Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #245
Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #249
Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #250
Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #251
Spectacular Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #85

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Fiction

160 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1993

About the author

Roger Stern is an American comic book author and novelist.

Reviews

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

So back in the early 80s Marvel decided to bring the Green Goblin back, but with a new coat of paint. Enter the Hobgoblin. The first appearance of the Hobgoblin was a big deal back in the day. You basically got a more updated version of Spidey's greatest villains. This collection includes all of the early Hobgoblin appearances. His identity was a secret for years, and even today there's still some confusing about his true identity.

These stories suffered in places from basic 80s comic writing. (It's amazing how wordy the battle scenes are. It's harder to talk and fight at the same time than these guys made it look.) Overall, however, this is good stuff. They seemed to have a story direction in mind and were working towards something. Sadly, the creative team changed and things never came to fruition. Then, years later the team tried to go back and finish things up the right way, but by then things just felt flat.

This is important for fans of the Green Goblin, the Hobgoblin, or Spiderman fans in general.

[Rodney · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible story this is! The Origin of the Hobgoblin is incredibly drawn and penciled, written impeccably well, and captivates from start to finish. Spider-Man has to find out who this new creep who calls himself the "Hobgoblin" is and needs to do some sleuthing to actually find him. The story is grounded, characters do not automatically know everything about everybody and their decisions actually make sense.

I do miss a bit of closure, but the eight issues enclosed in this trade paperback do tell a story from start to finish. If this were to be put on the silver screen, page by page, it would actually work. Great comic!

5/5

[Marco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Previously read as single issues, but as I no longer have all of them (😭!) I bought this collection.
Still pretty happy with most of it - great stories, great art (Romita Jr. was hot back then!) - and I would give this collection 5 stars if they hadn't left out pages (even if they were extraneous to the Hobgoblin plot) and proper credits.
Also, this cover is fugly!
I love(d) Roger Stern's Spider-Man, though.

[Sylvester · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hobgoblin was the talk of the day, no one knew of his identity until much later. This volume collects all the earlier works concerning Hobgoblin, in a logical fashion. Not the greatest volume in term of the drawing but a decent story nonetheless.

[Lucas · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a great story, but it cuts out all the parts of the issues that aren't Hobgoblin focused, sometimes going as far as cutting 10 pages from a single issue. Again, a great solid standalone story, but as part of The Amazing Spider-Man saga this particular book is terrible.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice collection of the first Hobgoblin stories!

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This graphic novel looks at how the hobgoblin came into being. Spiderman chases some crooks, one of them finds one of the Green Golblins lairs while hiding, and he tells someone. We have no idea who, next the hobgoblin is around having a field day making money through criminal means. Even the Kingpin is concerned. A decent story, with a few twists and turns that keeps you guessing about who the hobgoblin is and what he wants. A good read.

[Daniel O. · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is cool is about a man discover green goblins secret lab and he turns into the hobgoblin the meanest and evilest villian yet will spider man defeat him or will the hobgoblin defeat peter? find out in the book