This weeks Your Nerd Side Show:
After being cleansed of his sins and Green Goblin persona during Nick Spencer's The Amazing Spider-Man run, Norman Osborn tried to make up for his mistakes, becoming the heroic Gold Goblin and earning his own limited series as a hero. However, seeking revenge against Norman, Doctor Octopus decides that the best way to punish the former villain would be to turn him back into the Green Goblin. So he injects Norman with the Goblin Formula, exposing Norman to his villainous personality and putting at risk all the hard work he put into making up for his dark past.
The Amazing Spider-Man's Controversies
Despite being the top seller in Marvel's lineup, The Amazing Spider-Man's most recent volume has been the subject of much controversy. The series has been criticized by fans for reversing the progress Peter Parker made in his relationship with Mary Jane Watson in the previous volume, which ended with the two lovebirds agreeing to move in together. It has also been criticized for its pacing and filler stories, which some attribute to the bi-monthly publishing schedule.
However, the most severe criticism has been directed at how the series handled the death of Ms. Marvel / Kamala Khan. After appearing in only a few issues as a minor supporting character -- and starring in the two-issue Dark Web tie-in, Dark Web: Ms. Marvel -- Ms. Marvel was killed in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man #26, written by Wells and illustrated by John Romita Jr. Many fans accused Marvel of killing the beloved character only to progress Peter's story -- a concept knows as "fridging" -- and pointed out that she was not killed in her own book. Marvel did release the Fallen Friend: The Death of Ms. Marvel one-shot to honor the character, but that issue also faced criticism for featuring a main cover that placed the focus on Spider-Man and not Ms. Marvel, as well as a cover that featured Christian imagery (Ms. Marvel is Muslim).
Despite the controversy, Marvel still has big plans for The Amazing Spider-Man. The oversized issue #31 will feature the wedding of Janice Lincoln and Randy Robertson, bringing Tombstone back into the mix after he starred in the volume's first arc. The issue will also introduce Mary Jane's superhero persona: Jackpot.
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