In Review: Amazing Spider-Man (2025-) #21 DAWN OF THE GOBLIN SLAYERS PART TWO!

Synopsis: DAWN OF THE GOBLIN SLAYERS PART TWO! The sins of Norman Osborn come back to haunt him and everyone he cares about! Norman and the other Spiders THROW DOWN against Hobgoblin and his Goblin Slayer army! And one of the Spiders makes the ultimate sacrifice!

The Story

Picking up from where issue #20 left off, Norman Osborn has been badly injured following his battle with the Goblin Slayers and their leader, the Hobgoblin, who is determined to finish Norman off once and for all. What Hobgoblin fails to account for, however, is that Norman has earned the trust of the Spider-Family, who arrive to help turn the tide of battle.

Enter Miles Morales, who, with some assistance from Spider-Gwen, manages to patch Norman up by webbing together his damaged suit. With their backs against the wall, Norman devises a daring plan to shut down the Goblin Slayer robots permanently, giving him the opportunity to confront Hobgoblin directly and bring the fight to an end.

The plan, however, comes at a cost, temporarily taking Miles and the rest of the Spider-Family out of the equation. This leaves them with no choice but to trust that Norman can live up to his end of the bargain.

During the final confrontation with Hobgoblin, Norman realises that victory will require him to abandon any remaining illusion that he is a good man. Instead, he embraces the darker part of himself, accepting that the “bad man” may be the only one capable of ending the fight. By the time he is reunited with Peter Parker at the close of the issue, Norman Osborn is once again a bad man on a mission, trying, however imperfectly, to do better.

Artwork

John Romita Jr. continues to deliver solid, dependable artwork on this book. The battle between Hobgoblin and Norman Osborn, along with the shock reveal at the end regarding who has truly been behind the attacks on Norman, are both well worth the wait.

Romita Jr. manages to conjure up some genuinely visceral action beats, particularly in a striking image of Norman, now wearing a tattered Spider-Man suit, facing off against Hobgoblin. It’s a powerful visual that underlines just how far removed Norman is from any illusion of heroism.

Equally effective are the panels leading up to this moment, where Miles Morales uses his bioelectric powers to help Norman take down the Slayer Robots. These sequences add a welcome burst of energy to the issue and are some of the most visually satisfying moments in the book.

Overall

This issue delivers an enjoyable and fitting conclusion to Norman Osborn’s time in the Spider-Man suit, while neatly setting the stage for Peter Parker’s homecoming. The closing image of the two men embracing provides a quiet, emotionally satisfying end to the story.