Bring On The Bad Guys: Green Goblin #1 - Marvel Comics

BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: GREEN GOBLIN No. 1, September 2025

There’s probably a fair few fans of the Bronze Age of Comics who quickly became rather concerned with Ethan S. Parker and Griffin Sheridan’s script for “Bring On The Bad Guys: Green Goblin”, as the twenty-page one-shot soon makes it clear that its narrative will somehow be squeezed into Norman Osborne’s already convoluted time-line just when the merciless businessman is first succumbing to the homicidal tendencies of his criminally insane alter-ego. Indeed, this book’s plot even goes so far as to suggest that it was Mephisto who was behind the man's mental breakdown and that it was all due to the Lord of Evil needing a good person’s soul to temporarily sate the appetite of this mini-series’ mysterious Soul Forge.

Happily however, this retcon or “all-new piece” of the Green Goblin’s backstory doesn’t prove too problematic or even disagreeable, on account of the collaborative writers penning a rather touching, and ultimately tragic tale concerning one of Osborn Industries’ most hard-working employees. True, Alan’s grisly demise at the end of a demonic knife is never in any doubt. But the build-up to the workaholic’s murder must have genuinely hooked the hearts of many a reader, especially when it momentarily appears that the dutiful husband and devoted father’s behaviour might even cause his ghoulishly-masked assassin to have second thoughts; “Ten minutes! Then bed for everyone!”

In addition, the authors appear to be very aware that this ‘re-treading of old ground’ could potentially cause some inadvertent ripples in the titular character’s continuity, so drastically limit the number of cast members featured. So savvy a decision means that much of the publication has to solely focus upon Norman’s unpleasant thoughts as he wrestles with the consequences of his deal with Mephisto, and such a deep-dive into this unbalanced state-of-mind intriguingly soon shows that the maniac always had it in him to become both “the defining archnemesis of Spider-Man”, as well as “one of the most terrifying villains in the Marvel Universe.”

Competently completing this comic’s storytelling are artist Matteo Della Fonte and colourist Mattia Iacono, who together do a fine job of physically illustrating Osborn’s mania – whether it be the figure’s face suddenly featuring a deranged grin, or the Green Goblin’s wide-eyes almost hypnotically zooming in upon his victim during the death blow. Furthermore, there’s a couple of great nods to some of the criminal’s most memorable moments, most notably when the despot drags a heavily-bound, white-shirted Alan through the night sky behind his jet-glider.

The regular cover art of "BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: GREEN GOBLIN" #1 by Lee Bermejo