A Spider-Man Podcast

AXIS: Hobgoblin #2 – REVIEW

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The battle between art and commerce takes place in a number of arenas: music, literature, even super villainry.  Do you put on a mask for the infamy and money?  Or are you doing it for respect on the streets?  That’s what’s at stake in AXIS: Hobgoblin #2, where Kevin Shinick and Javier Rodriguez tell a hilarious story about the new commerce king, Hobgoblin, and the man who lost everything for his mask, The Goblin King.

photo 1Even though Hobgoblin is a “good guy” for the moment, he’s no hero in the eyes of The Goblin King.  He’s a sell-out, who worships the dollar.  He’s most certainly the kind of guy who would have Gene Simmons write the forward of his book.

Phil Urich has been pretty unlikable as The Goblin King, but he actually comes off as the protagonist by the end of this issue.  Not long ago, he was a lieutenant in Norman Osborn’s goblin army with a decent job at The Daily Bugle.  Now, he’s   shacking up in an empty shop with some guys who look like hobby henchers at best.  Meanwhile his protégé, Lily, is lounging in a penthouse with Roderick Kingsley.  Phil believes he deserves more respect and part of Hobby’s profits, because his evil intentions are somehow purer.

Once again, the humor in the issue is completely successful and solidifies Kevin Shinick’s place as one of the best comedic writers in comics.  The fake advertisements are hilariously nostalgic to classic Marvel ads, but they serve the story much more than just a simple punchline.  They show that Hobgoblin is really a salesman at heart, who will put his name on anything for a dollar.  In fact, at every turn in this issue, Hobby is plugging a product, even though Urich has been murdering his franchisees. Kingsley is such a salesman, he will literally try to sell a book to the man who’s trying to kill him.

Shinick doesn’t hog all the laughs.  Javier Rodriguez’s art provides just as many punchlines as the dialogue, including a great joke where some hostages aren’t so sure that they want to be rescued by any shade of goblin.  There are some big laughs in little details, like when Urich gets in the face of Missile Mate, causing his nose to press against his glass globe.

photo 4Rodriguez deserves praise beyond his punchlines.  The face of his Hobgoblin continues to be a highlight.  He gives him a simpler look than other artists in the past, with a fiendishly devilish grin.  Rodriguez also gives some great facial expressions to Urich when he’s taking a beating from Lily’s new persona, Queen Cat.

The biggest regret of this issue is that there’s only going to be one more after it.  So far, Shinick and Rodriguez have added so much texture to the Hobgoblin’s character, it would be a shame if the conclusion of AXIS proper will change this new status quo.  Few creators in comics are making such entertainingly-funny stories and still tackling meaty themes and issues.  It’s going to be interesting to see how they wrap up this mini-series.  What will the lesson of Hobgoblin be?  Is it really all about the money, or is there a place for passion, pride and reputation?  And will those “Better Call Hobgoblin” shirts be available to the public?

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