“The Osborn Identity” has had its fair share of highs and lows. Norman Osborn’s latest plot involving the takeover of Silver Sable’s home of Symkaria has placed Spider-Man in a unique situation. With how quickly Parker Industries has risen to be one of the top companies in the world Peter has put that all in jeopardy to help Silver Sable to save her people from Norman’s grasp. Now with a missile that threatens to cause the world to be plunged into the madness of Norman’s Goblin Serum, Spider-Man and his team are running against the clock. Will Spider-Man be able to defeat his greatest nemesis and save Silver Sable’s home? Let’s find out with Amazing Spider-Man #28.
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Stuart Immonen
Inker: Wade Von Grawdger
Colorist: Marte Gracia and Andres Mossa
Story Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10
Synopsis: In Symkaria, Spider-Man realizes what Norman Osborn’s plan is to sell the Goblin Serum to war-torn lands around the world. Mockingbird flies after the missile that Norman just launched to stop the Goblin Serum from gassing people while Silver Sable orders her team to give Mockingbird back-up.
Spider-Man thinks they should take some of Silver Sable’s team as back-up into Castle Karkov. Silver Sable disagrees and orders her team to help Mockingbird and evacuate the city while she and Spider-Man attack the castle. Spider-Man tries to say they need the back-up but Silver Sable says she is calling the shots.
Above Symkaria, Mockingbird finally gets on the missile Norman launched. Nick Fury contacts Mockingbird and learns about where the missile is going.
Inside Castle Karkov, Spider-Man and Silver Sable fight their way through Norman’s forces. They finally get to where Countess Katrina Karkov in the command room. Silver Sable quickly challenges Countess Katrina Karkov to a one-on-one sword fight. Countess Katrina accepts and Silver Sable tells Spider-Man to go after Norman.
Spider-Man listen and continues to make his way through the castle until he finally runs into the deformed Norman, who is holding the missile’s trigger. Spider-Man is surprised by Norman’s appearance. Norman says Spider-Man caused this and tells him he’ll have to catch him if Spider-Man wants to stop him. Gas fills the room as Norman makes a run for it.
As Spider-Man chases Norman he begins to feel weird and slips from the wall. Norman reveals the gas in the room uses the special chemicals he used way back in one of their first fights to inhibit his powers.
Just as Spider-Man is about to use his web shooters Norman reveals that their is no control for the missile and that the trigger he is holding is for an electric pulse. Norman uses it to destroy all the tech in Spider-Man’s costume.
Norman mocks Spider-Man that with his tech not working that things like his special lenses are an hinderance to him. Spider-Man takes off the lenses and tackles Norman out of the castle.
Above the town Mockingbird has disabled the missile but it could still release the gas if it crashes onto the ground. Foxtrot shows up in a spider-plane and asks how they can help.
Inside the castle Countess Katrina starts getting the upper hand in the fight and talks about how Symkaria will be feared by the rest of the world. Silver Sable finds strength in what Katrina just said.
Elsewhere, in the snowy mountains below the castle, Spider-Man and Norman fight with Spider-Man asking why Norman did not use his gasses to kill him right away. Norman starts overpowering Spider-Man and says he wants Spider-Man to know Norman is stronger and to watch him become overcome by the gas that will be released when his missile crashes.
Norman realizes that the missile still has not gone off.
We then see that Foxtrot used the tech inside the spider-plane to stop the missile with a giant web to cushion its fall.
Meanwhile, Silver Sable finally defeats Katrina as she has given up after her plot fails.
Spider-Man gets the upperhand in the fight against Norman and says why he always won is because Norman always thought of him as a “dumb kid.” Norman says Spider-Man is just lucky but Spider-Man says that he wins because he never gives up.
Spider-Man and Norman spot a SHIELD jet flying overhead. Spider-Man says Norman is done but Norman instead runs away. Spider-Man is unable to give chase as he collapses from his injuries.
A few hours later Mockingbird, Silver Sable and Nick Fury find Spider-Man. Silver Sable thanks Spider-Man for his help. Nick Fury tells Spider-Man that SHIELD is severing all ties with Parker Industries after Peter and Spider-Man went rogue in overthrowing a foreign government.
In Symkaria, Harry and Aunt May lead Uncle Ben Foundation workers to help people of the town by passing out food and material. Harry mentions he is going to be sticking around to help the people his father made suffer. Spider-Man reminds Harry that he does not have to pay for his father’s crime and that he should go home soon to be with his sons.
In the middle of the ocean, Norman rides a boat and now believes the only way to defeat Spider-Man is to return to being the Green Goblin. End of issue.
The Good: Amazing Spider-Man #28 ends “The Osborn Identity” arc exactly the way it needed it to. With how much has gone on recently in Spider-Man’s life he was finally able to achieve a victory that is fulfilling. At the same time Dan Slott does not make his win the cleanest as there are several things that happen that set up a darker future for Peter Parker’s Paker Industry.
The big thing that Slott is able to accomplish with Amazing Spider-Man #28 is make the entire “The Osborn Identity” to feel like it had larger ramifications to Peter’s world. As successful as Spider-Man was in stopping Norman’s plot we were reminded at the end that there are sever consequences in what Peter did. Nick Fury’s appearance at the end is the best example of this as Peter ruined his relationship with SHIELD, his biggest benefactor, to stop his greatest nemesis. In doing so Peter has placed himself, both as Peter and Spider-Man, and his company in a risky place that Slott is sure to explore further in the future.
While Peter’s company is in a worrisome status quo, his victory over Norman was exactly what he needed. After everything that has happened recently with The Clone Conspiracy, Spider-Man was in need of a big victory. That is exactly what Slott gives him with how he was able to defeat Norman at his own game. The fight between the two went down exactly how it should with how much history these two adversaries share with one another.
Leaving the fight in a tie opens the door for a greater story involving Norman Osborn down the road. What was best about this door being left open is that Slott is using this loss to motivate Norman to return to his Green Goblin persona. Now that Norman has realized that he can’t defeat Spider-Man just as “Norman Osborn” we could be in store for an even deadlier version of Green Goblin. With his current deformed face, we may see Norman become even crazier than before. What exactly Norman does as Green Goblin adds intrigue into what happens after Spider-Man deals with Secret Empire, as Norman could easily work in the shadows or in front of everyone in the hero community to see.
Norman’s loss ended up being a good thing for Harry Osborn as well. Peter, as Spider-Man, telling Harry that he needs to basically stop living in his father’s shadow is exactly what the character needed to hear. It is one of the things that has kept Harry back from being a better character as he keeps living in what his father has done. Now with Spider-Man reminding him of his life and family, it is time we see Harry move forward with his life. Hopefully that is exactly the direction Slott goes with the character.
Slott also did a good job making the story of “The Osborn Identity” to be more than just another chapter in the war between Spider-Man and Green Goblin. While she wasn’t as big of a part of Amazing Spider-Man #28 as with previous issues, it was good to see Silver Sable finally get the big win for herself and free her people. Slott made Silver Sable’s victory over Countess Katrina Karkov a well deserved ending to the story. Now with her people free, Silver Sable is open to do multiple different things depending on the direction Slott or another writer wants to take with the character.
Stuart Immonen’s artwork was once again the strength of “The Osborn Identity” arc. His artwork throughout Amazing Spider-Man #28 helped illustrate the dark nature of Norman Osborn’s plot. The way Immonen drew Norman added to how crazy the villain’s plot was and made the fight between him and Spider-Man even more intense. At the same time, Immonen was able to make the big heroic victory that Spider-Man, Mockingbird and Silver Sable achieve feel like a big moment.
The Bad: Though there was a lot of plot development the one place that felt as though was cut for time was Mockingbird’s role in the story. Though she ended up playing a big role in the story, it did seem like she was supposed to get greater screen time, especially with Spider-Man. There was definitely a rush nature in terms of her arc as Amazing Spider-Man will be moving into tying into Secret Empire, which is why we didn’t get a resolution to her story with Peter.
Overall: With Amazing Spider-Man #28, Dan Slott delivered an ending that made previous issues of “The Osborn Identity” even better. The various character moments for Spider-Man, Silver Sable and Norman Osborn made the ending feel satisfying. Now with where Slott leaves things, the door is open for several bigger plotlines to be followed up on after Secret Empire.
