Red Hulk #10 - Marvel Comics

RED HULK No. 10, January 2026

Despite this twenty-page periodical undeniably containing a pulse-pounding punch-up between Thaddeus Ross’ crimson-coloured alter-ego and the cybernetically-enhanced War-Wolf, there’s probably a fair few readers of “Red Flag” which felt the comic was far from being “this explosive series finale!” Indeed, for many Marvelites who can recall the utterly unrelenting, vice-like grip Victor Von Doom holds his kingdom of Latveria with, the notion of four mercenaries – no matter how super-powered – walking into the totalitarian state and planting the American flag atop the tyrant’s own version of Mount Rushmore is utterly preposterous.

Unfortunately though, that is precisely what Benjamin Percy has the three-star General do in Issue Ten of “Red Hulk”, courtesy of Thunderbolt easily overpowering both Simon Ryker and a cavern full of gamma-spawned monstrosities. So swift a victory really is difficult to digest, especially when just a handful of the treacherous Captain’s incredibly strong mutants quickly defeat the likes of Machine Man, Deathlok and Wildstreak without breaking much of a sweat; “Now put down the gun or your friends die.”

Of course there is a significant difference in power levels between Ross and his fellow comrades-in-arms. But doubtless many a reader would have preferred to see this last edition either lengthened, or possibly even extended by another instalment or two, to better depict the old war veteran matching brains and brawn against Ryker’s misshapen army of monsters. Instead, all the audience gets are the grotesque ghouls meekly returning Thaddeus’ friends to him unharmed, and impotently walking off into the darker depths of Doctor Doom’s hollowed out mountainside without even raising a misshapen fist to him in defiance. 

So strong an aura of the creative team simply just ‘wanting to get the comic completed’ also debatably extends to Gabriel Guzman’s pencils too, with an incredible amount of the book’s backgrounds just being bare, empty spaces rather than providing any suggestion of the rugged terrain within which the story is set. This notion of ‘haste’ is also particularly noticeable when Wildstreak and Machine Man are quickly overcome, with only Luther Manning’s defeat being given much in the way of screen time – an oversight which proves especially infuriating when the artist subsequently spends seventeen panels illustrating Red Hulk’s emotional dilemma as to whether to “claim this country or reduce it to rubble.”

The regular cover art of "RED HULK" #10 by Geoff Shaw & Marte Gracia

The Infernal Hulk #2 - Marvel Comics

THE INFERNAL HULK No. 2, February 2026

Quite possibly surprising many of this comic’s audience by having the (new) titular character first go up against a deep-sea adversary rather than a land-based opponent, Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s narrative for Issue Two of “Infernal Hulk” is unequivocally packed full of some serious stomach-churning action. Indeed, Eldest’s grisly journey straight through Ngathil the Endless’ internal organs is graphically gratuitous at best, and certainly should put the odd patron of this publication off their food in the short-term.

Of course having the central lead get swallowed whole by a titanic-sized monstrosity and then punching his way to freedom is disappointingly a trope used before by this book’s American author. But at least on this occasion the American Eisner-nominated writer mixes things up a little bit by having the God-Eater’s gut populated by a seemingly sentient form of large beetle – a plot device which debatably deserves far more screen time than the half dozen panels it is eventually awarded.

Similarly as unfortunate is the fact that despite all the pre-publication promise that this twenty-page periodical would pit the Hulk against Namor the Sub-Mariner in a battle for Atlantis’ future, the former Defenders never actually come face-to-face until the adventure’s end. And then Bill Everett’s creation is casually cast aside by the firstborn of Vinruviel like he was just a hapless, impotent doll. This confrontation, or rather lack of, is really frustrating, and brings the comic to a less than satisfactory conclusion; “Hrrnn. I sent Ngathil away because your deaths do not yet interest me. When they do interest me you will see me again.”

Also slightly off-kilter appears to be the pencilling of Nic Klein whose pictures featuring the ruler of Atlantis are strangely somewhat roughly-hewn when compared to the smoother, more detailed art of the Hulk. In addition, the sudden switch from the German’s heavily embellished layouts to the cartoon style of Kev Walker for this book’s cliff-hanger is shockingly jarring, and incredibly off-putting. True, using such markedly different artists to depict contrasting situations within a storyline is not new. However, on this occasion it wouldn’t come as a great surprise if some bibliophiles passed over the British illustrator’s work the first time round – thinking it to be an advertisement of some kind rather than the magazine’s actual conclusion.

Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Artist: Nic Klein, and Color Artist: Matthew Wilson

Conan The Barbarian #26 - Titan Comics

CONAN THE BARBARIAN No. 26, December 2025

For those fans of Robert E. Howard’s sword and sorcery hero who were unaware of this ongoing series by “Titan Comics”, Jim Zub’s script for Issue Twenty-Six of “Conan The Barbarian” may well have proved the “perfect jumping on point”. In fact, such is the Canadian writer’s uncanny ability to mimic the late author’s storytelling style, that many within this book’s audience could easily have believed that “The Implausible General” was an actual adaption of one of the tales printed within the covers of “Strange Tales of Mystery and Terror” almost a hundred years ago.

Much of this marvellous mimicry seems to stem from the plot managing to mix sweeping political intrigues and betrayal, with the day-to-day exploits of the Cimmerian, and as such provides an enthralling insight into Aquilonian’s desperate days under the rule of its deranged king. Sure, sometimes it appears to be a pity that the spotlight doesn’t remain upon poor Count Trocero’s plight a little longer – such as when the soldier first leads a charge against the Zingaran blockade of his capital alongside the Westermarck Wolves. But it soon becomes clear that the Eisner Award-nominee needs this twenty-two page periodical to maintain a pulse-pounding pace, if it is to conclude on just the right note for his cliff-hanger; “Let us meet this strange Barbarian-General and see what kind of man he is!”

Furthermore, this “all new Conan story arc” fits rather snugly into Howard’s own prose canon, and promises a fascinating ‘take’ on just how the titular character might have toppled King Numedides to claim the mad tyrant’s crown. Indeed, Zub appears to have put a great deal of thought into just why an 'advanced' civilisation might have abruptly backed a primitive foreigner to become their undisputed leader, and the mercenary’s hard-fought victory at the Great Battle of Poitain goes a sizeable way to explaining the population's rationale – at least as far as Count Trocero and Captain Prospero are concerned.

Lastly, “ferocious” Fernando Dagnino does a first-rate job of depicting all the adrenalin-fuelled action, and ‘splash pages’ required for some of the yarn’s more broader brushstrokes. Of particular note though has to be the artist’s ability to imbue the Barbarian’s swordplay with all the heavily-muscled violence an onlooker would expect from a man whose living is solely carved out with a bloody blade.

The regular cover art of "CONAN THE BARBARIAN" #26 by Gerardo Zaffino

Titans #18 - DC Comics

TITANS No. 18, February 2025

Initially focusing upon Roy Harper’s numerous complaints about Donna Troy’s decision to house the titular characters three hundred feet underground in New York City, as well as the gripes and groans of the archer’s fellow team-mates, a fair few readers of “All In The Family” probably felt John Layman’s narrative made the comic somewhat difficult to ‘get into.’ Sure, the dialogue-driven sequence only lasts six pages. But it also makes Arsenal appear extremely disagreeable, and doubtless there were plenty in this book’s audience who cheered when he’s succinctly told to shut up by Starfire at the end of the scene.

Sadly however, this doesn’t seem to be the end of the American author’s obsession to portray the former sidekicks as a group of grumpy protagonists who appear to barely get along, rather than be a warm, caring collection of experienced crime-fighters who have been together since they were teenagers. Indeed, Nightwing’s sudden spate with Wonder Girl when he well intentionally addresses the Amazonian’s somewhat confrontational leadership style, strongly suggests that Batman’s former Robin may well already be questioning whether he should have stood down as team leader in her favour; “Before ruling that out, shouldn’t we find out who or what we’re up against?”

What does work though is the Titan’s subsequent battle against Mammoth and Shimmer, with the powerful pair providing an intriguing moral predicament for Troy concerning the Justice League’s current stance to simply “toss enemies into the Phantom Zone and leave them.” In addition, it eventually becomes clear that the Clock King and Deathstroke are playing a seriously long game when it comes to taking their revenge against the constantly bickering heroes – with Slade Wilson’s sudden announcement of a “newly re-formed Crime Syndicate” providing a promising cliff-hanger. 

Similarly as solid as this book’s bout of fisticuffs are the layouts (and colours) of Pete Woods, whose ability to capture all the facial expressions a bibliophile would expect of an emotionally-charged group of meta-humans battling both their own self-doubts, as well as a villain who can quite literally “transmute anything into what I want it to be -- even the air around” her. Of particular note has to be the way the artist blurs parts of his panels to denote movement, and how well this technique sells the notion of Raven’s spell attack or a shower of ice shards lashing out towards the startled do-gooders.

The regular cover art of "TITANS" #18 by Pete Woods

The Infernal Hulk #1 - Marvel Comics

THE INFERNAL HULK No. 1, January 2026

Proudly publicised by its New York City based publisher in August 2025 as “a brand-new take on Hulk” in which “an ancient horror begins its conquest of the Marvel Universe”, and weighing in as the twenty-sixth best-selling comic book of November, many a bibliophile would probably argue that Issue One of “Infernal Hulk” had an awful lot to live up to. Fortunately, Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s script succeeds in doing just that by quite literally hurling its audience straight into the thick of things as “the vessel of Eldest” descends upon poor hapless Red Creek, Kentucky, and utterly annihilates the armed forces hastily assembled to meet its threat.

Impressively though, this twenty-five page periodical isn’t simply a senseless, seemingly endless display of gratuitous violence and physical dismemberment either, with the American author cleverly weaving some more ‘humane moments’ into his narrative through the experiences of war hero-turned-local builder David Bridger. This resolute and determined soldier comes across as a character the reader can actually believe in, and resultantly makes the man's gruesome fate towards this tome’s end all the more hauntingly impactful.

Likewise, the creation of the Living City of Gologolthia should hook many a Marvelite with both its grotesque grandeur, as well as the future potential in attracting the attention of such notable super-heroes as Captain America, Spider-Man and the Avengers to its monster-infested streets. Indeed, in many ways “Rise” plays out like a major Summer Event rather than just the debut edition of a new ongoing series, and certainly seems to live up to its writer’s promise that “no corner of the Marvel Universe will be left untouched before the end."

Helping add to the sheer carnage on show throughout Johnson’s sensational storyline are the prodigious pencils of Nic Klein and Matthew Wilson’s colours. Together the creative duo really provide a pulse-poundingly strong sequence of interior visuals, with many a piece of brain matter, internal organ and partially-shredded limb being overtly splattered all over the panel whenever the utterly merciless titular character can get his enormous, purple-hued hands wrapped around a soon-to-be-slaughtered individual; “Bridger. Come down. You said you’d look out for us, Bridger. Remember? You promised.”

Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Artist: Nic Klein, and Color Artist: Matthew Wilson

Titans #17 - DC Comics

TITANS No. 17, January 2025

Having rather unconvincingly incapacitated the titular characters' entire roster due to suddenly suffering some “bizarre growth” in the centre of his brain, it probably came as quite a surprise to many of this comic’s readers that the Clock King would subsequently be so easily outwitted just twenty pages later. In fact, William Tockman’s defeat occurs so abruptly at the hands of Donna Troy, that much of John Layman’s storytelling in Issue Seventeen of “Titans” has to heavily rely upon artist Pete Woods padding the book out with a series of lengthy flashback sequences, rather than depict the protagonists making some complicated counter-attack; “No. I- -I didn’t plan for this. I - -I should have anticipated this.”

In addition, just how the former Suicide Squad member is even able to utilise Arsenal’s memories in order to mentally overwhelm the rest of the archer’s team-mates is never explained or explored. Instead, the American author expects his audience to simply accept that the villain has inexplicably gained some sort of extra-sensory, time-manipulation ability following his explosive exposure to Amanda Waller’s stolen super-powers, and is able to almost immediately use it to seek his revenge.

Similarly as unfathomable is debatably Troy’s ability to resist her fears and turn the tables upon Clock King using a shared memory. All the other Titans, including Nightwing, are subconsciously thrown back in time to repeatedly face their greatest nightmares over and over again. Yet somehow Wonder Girl manages to return to a moment “just a few hours old”, and subsequently relive it long enough for the likes of Cyborg, Beast Boy and Starfire to cross over into the recollection too.

Far more successful at entertaining any perusing bibliophiles, though just as bemusing as this publication’s penmanship, are Woods’ aforementioned layouts. The illustrator is very good at bringing some much sought after dynamic energy to Tockman’s dialogue-heavy scenes whenever the criminal is lecturing his helplessly bound prisoners. Furthermore, his splash pages showing the heroes getting beaten up by their most ferocious foes from the past are prodigiously pencilled – such as the horror on Dick Grayson’s face when he witnesses the android Failsafe mercilessly murder Batman with a giant bat-a-rang.

The regular cover art of "TITANS" #17 by Pete Woods

White Tiger: Reborn #1 - Marvel Comics

WHITE TIGER: REBORN No. 1, December 2025

Published by “Marvel Worldwide” to celebrate Hispanic and Latin America Heritage Month, this one-shot special certainly seems to do a good job of assimilating all of the titular character’s dysfunctional backstory, and setting the current wearer of the amulet of power up as a future force to be reckoned with on the streets of the South Bronx. In fact, in many ways Daniel Jose Older’s narrative for “White Tiger: Reborn” arguably reads more like the opening issue of a brand new ongoing series of adventures, rather than just a twenty-page limited release, and doubtless left many a bibliophile desperate to learn more about Ava Ayala’s new found powers, as well has her exploits alongside the private detective Nathaniel Blackbyrd.

Of particular note has to be the way in which the “superstar writer” has the “fifth incarnation of White Tiger” initially demonstrate her naivety to crime-fighting by falling hook, line and sinker for D’Spayre’s spectral shenanigans. Then impressively regain her composure when she realises the Fear God is simply feeding off her dead brother's past sorrows. Such intelligence shows there’s a lot more to this particular human mutate than just being a hot-headed, angry at the entire world vigilante, and provides some conviction to the notion that the woman won’t just be borrowing the mantle of the White Tiger, but actually owning it.

Also helping to successfully sell this yarn is Bruno Abdias, who does a splendid job of showing just how catlike Ayala’s physical movements are. Admittedly, some of the panels showing a disembodied ghost of Hector look a bit cluttered and clumsily composed. However, by the time D’Spayre is receiving his just comeuppance the Top Cow Talent Hunt Winner has clearly gotten into his stride, and does a marvellous job of super-imposing the claws of a great cat over the White Tiger’s far less sizeable fists; “This power surging through me! It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt!”

Far less impactful, though still a fun enough experience, is this publication’s second tale “Song Of The Coqui” by Cynthia Pelayo and artist Moises Hidalgo. Rather simplistic in its basic plot, as a group of Roxxon operatives storm a seemingly harmless talk at the Bronx Zoo, this five-pager shows just how much of a guiding light Hector’s phantom may well be in the future, and also brings Aya closer to her estranged cousin-turned-predecessor Angela Del Toro.

The regular cover art of "WHITE TIGER: REBORN" #1 by Mike Hawthorne & Federico Blee

Titans #16 - DC Comics

TITANS No. 16, December 2024

Set during the aftermath of DC Comics’ “Absolute Power” major storyline in which “Amanda Waller seized power and launched a worldwide crackdown on superheroes”, John Layman’s script for “Stitches In Time” doesn’t waste much sheet space in bringing any readers ignorant of the four-issue mini-series up to speed with its consequences. Indeed, for those within this nineteen-page periodical’s audience who never even encountered one of the 2024 event’s numerous tie-in titles, the sheer sense of disorientation with the super-team’s sudden roster changes must have been incredibly disconcerting at best; “You’re okay with this, Donna? Me coming back onboard the Titans?”

Foremost of these ‘swaps’ is debatably Arsenal’s unexpected decision to re-join the group, and then immediately begin to become upset when he realises that the Flash isn’t staying on, or that Nightwing will be leading him. Whether intentional or not, this discontent, coupled with Roy Harper’s arrogantly brazen attitude towards an extra-terrestrial incident aboard the Justice League’s Watchtower marks his character out as being particularly disagreeable, and simply doesn’t bode well for those bibliophiles who buy this book for its ‘family feeling’.

Furthermore, the American author doesn’t portray poor Garfield Logan in much of a good light either, with the hapless shape-shifter being depicted as a bit of a well-meaning buffoon who inadvertently puts his team-mates in jeopardy when he enrages a massively-fanged Tamaranean Carcaline. Admittedly, this mix-up is perhaps penned for laughs by the former editor for “Wildstorm” – or at least to inject a predominantly dialogue-driven comic with a bit of action. But any sense of humour is soon dispelled by the Question’s seething response to Beast Boy’s behaviour, and her all-too quick retort that it's not the first “sloppy mistake that could easily have ended in disaster” that he’s made recently.

Disappointingly, even Pete Woods’ pencils and colours arguably don’t help sell the word-heavy narrative either, with the Harvey Award-nominee’s clean lined figures appearing a little stiff-looking during some of the action sequences. Having said that though, the artist’s use of blurred figures to emphasize a sense of depth to his panels is absolutely first-rate, with the Clock King kicking Arsenal unconscious being one of the visual highlights of this entire publication.

The regular cover art of "TITANS" #16 by Pete Woods

Alien Verses Captain America #1 - Marvel Comics

ALIEN VERSES CAPTAIN AMERICA No. 1, January 2026

Announced at San Diego Comic-Con's Retailer Panel in July 2025, this four-part mini-series’ opening issue perhaps a little surprisingly focuses far more upon Baron Wolfgang von Strucker’s desperate search for a new weapon which will turn the tide of World War Two in the Red Skull’s favour than anything America’s Sentinel of Liberty is concerned with during 1944. But in doing so, Frank Tieri pens a thoroughly absorbing expedition to find “the fabled city of Attilan”, and a genuinely terrifying introduction to Twentieth Century Studios’ deadly race of killer xenomorphs.

Indeed, buried beneath the Himalayas and assaulted from every side by a small army of lightning-fast Facehuggers, it actually appears that the High Commander of Hydra himself may well succumb to the merciless aliens – just as the hapless Inhuman royal family apparently did some centuries before him. Fortuitously however, at least for the goose-stepping fascist super-villain, the human mutate’s Satan Claw provides the war criminal with just enough of an edge to escape such a horrible demise with a single, captive specimen, and subsequently plunge an already exhausted France into utter darkness; “Les monstres. We were…used as test subjects, oui? To breed… whatever those things are.”

Of course, the titular Captain America does eventually make a rather memorable appearance at this comic’s very end, when he thwarts an infant alien’s attempt to successfully escape Sergeant Nick Fury and his Howling Commandos. However, rather than be warmly welcomed by his fellow veteran, Steve Rogers (and Bucky Barnes) are quite shockingly met with angry resentment and hostility – something which bodes ill for the Silver Age of Comics characters working well together throughout the rest of this adventure.

Equally as on-form as this twenty-five-page periodical’s Brooklyn-born writer is artist Stefano Raffaele, whose layouts do a first-rate job in capturing all of Strucker’s uncompromising haughtiness and the Xenomorphs’ sheer deadliness in either a claustrophobically confined tomb or the initially idyllic, open space of a French village. Of particular note though has to be the Italian illustrator’s ability to harness all the chilling cold a reader would expect of anyone foolish enough to hike the snowy mountaintops of the Earth's highest peaks whilst doggedly looking for a potentially mythical, long-lost civilisation.

Writer: Frank Tieri, Artist: Stefano Raffaele, and Color Artist: Neeraj Menon

Conan The Barbarian #25 - Titan Comics

CONAN THE BARBARIAN No. 25, November 2025

Despite an arguably slow start to this “spectacular extra-sized twenty-fifth issue”, and a rather worrying insistence by its Canadian author to simply depict a series of nostalgic-flavoured flashbacks featuring some of Conan’s earliest adventures, “The Nomad” eventually takes on an intriguing life all of its own, and actually ends on a rather clever note that will surely have many a reader returning to this comic’s opening page for a re-read. Indeed, Jim Zub’s plan to craft a mysterious, almost hypnotic, white-skinned wanderer as the actual chronicler who pens the Cimmerian’s numerous exploits throughout the Hyborian Age is really well executed, and soundly sells the notion that the hooded wanderer’s gift of immortality to Aquilonia’s monarch is far more complex than merely making the aged King physically exist beyond the norm.

Furthermore, once the Animex Honorary Award-winner steers his ship away from merely retreading Robert E. Howard’s original short stories such as “The Frost-Giant’s Daughter”, the mix of old monsters and new predicaments proves rather exhilarating – especially when it comes to the ape-like Thak crucifying the barbarian whilst the terrifying Satha the Old One evilly watches on; “Life’s blood-rich wine still stings my palate, and I have not yet had my fill.”

Also well worthy of a mention, and a revisit, is the tension gradually built up by the disconcerting presence of the traveller before he ‘strikes’ during a grand feast. Admittedly, such is the patience shown by this book’s writer to reach this point in his narrative that a fair few bibliophiles might start to get a little tired of all the apprehension supposedly filling Conan’s royal courtiers. But with hindsight, the disquiet of Pallantides, the outrage of Publius, and loving concern of Zenobia, all help establish just how serious the situation is whilst the “tattered man” dwells within the grand gates of Tarantia.

Lastly, much of this “fully painted” periodical’s success also rests upon the shoulders of Alex Horley, whose artwork genuinely captures all the rich, colourfully vibrant life a sword and sorcery fan might envisage when visiting Howard’s Flower of the West. Of particular note has to be the illustration on canvas of this tale’s ‘antagonist’ dutifully approaching the Capital of Aquilonia, with the diminutive figure being absolutely dwarfed by the city’s huge walls and ornate entranceway.

The regular cover art of "CONAN THE BARBARIAN" #25 by Alex Horley

The Incredible Hulk [2023] #30 - Marvel Comics

THE INCREDIBLE HULK No. 30, December 2025

Whilst this “end of an era” certainly seemed to enjoy some success in October 2025 by becoming the thirty-third best-selling comic of the month, it’s probably not all that likely that the majority of its readers agreed with its New York City-based publisher’s claim that the book was a “landmark issue”. Furthermore, despite the title’s claim in its solicitation, Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s script doesn’t really feature the return of the Abomination either. But rather disappointingly, just poor Emil Blonsky’s corpse being possessed by Eldest; “Your flesh is mine!!! All flesh is mine!!! Give it to me!!!”

However, arguably this twenty-page periodical’s biggest problem is that it simply doesn’t address any of the ongoing series’ numerous plot-threads, such as the fates of Betty Ross, Doctor Voodoo or even Charlie Tidwell. In fact, none of these supporting cast members even appear in this heavily publicised “rematch to the death”, and are simply shelved off-screen in favour of Eldest apparently having the power to shockingly reach inside the founding Avenger’s chest cavity and quite literally pull Bruce Banner’s gore-splattered persona from out of it.

So sickening a spectacle is certainly as stomach-churning as it is dramatic. Yet even in victory, the Hulk’s arch-nemesis is then regrettably shown to have battled her way through countless gamma-infused characters for nothing, as the firstborn of Vinruvie soon discovers that the Mother of Horrors has actually withered and died whilst languishing in chains many moons ago. Such a lack-lustre fate for a villain who has repeatedly been plugged by this comic’s American author as being so formidable she was even capable of deposing the One Above All must surely have struck many as being something of a major cop out – and doubtless done purely to ensure the majority of this title’s audience move over to the writer’s next project “Infernal Hulk”.

Far more entertaining than this book’s narrative are Nic Klein’s layouts, which provide a truly eye-wateringly painful bout of fisticuffs between Banner's green skinned alter-ego and the aforementioned Eldest/Abomination. Any onlooker should really fell the exchange of bone-shattering blows, especially once the Green Goliath takes hold of a truly gigantic chained skull, and unceremoniously bashes Blonsky’s animated cadaver straight into the next panel.

The regular cover art of "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" #30 by Nic Klein

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