Ah, Normie Osborn. Son of Harry, grandson of Norman, child of Goblins and victim of an inexplicable comic-book aging process. And now he’s got his own comic! Red Goblin by Alex Paknadel and Jan Bazaldua.

Let’s see how the ghost of Harry factors in to Normie’s story.

The intro answers one of the many many questions posed by the nonsensical Kindred saga: Harry’s family have no idea how he actually died. Did they know he was a clone for years and years? Well, this comic rather indicates that no they didn’t, but maybe Normie will find out later.

Also “love, lust and lies?” What does the “lust” part refer to?! I guess Norman and Gwen, ewwww.

Normie gives us a quick recap of what’s been happening in his life, and refers to Norman as having “got better.” Hmmm.

We can assume Normie also doesn’t know that his mother has been torturing Dylan, as seen in the pages of Venom. There’s an awful lot Normie doesn’t know, in fact, but I hope he finds out.

Mid-fight with members of the Goblin Nation, the main baddies in this story, Normie has a flashback to the night Harry died. Ur, died the second time, I mean.

Stanley is still being drawn white of course. Sigh.

“Your father, he… died with honor,” Norman tells Normie, sounding like he was about to say something else for a moment there. While taking a fatal blow for someone is undoubtedly a honorable death, it’s more complicated if said someone is an abusive monster who’s been turned nice with a magical gun.

Normie goes totally blank, only thinking of the “destroy mode unicorn Gundam” (any Gundam fans out there who know anything about that?) he and Harry were gonna build.

Norman comes to pick Normie up from the police station after he’s found passed out from the Goblin Nation fight.

Normie brings up his kid brother, as a kid his age is wont to do, and Norman points out that Stanley is an orphan now. He’s actually not, though! His mother Lily is still alive! But I guess Norman doesn’t know that.

Normie also points out that Harry’s death is Norman’s fault. He instantly tries to walk it back but Norman hits him with the old “You’re an Osborn” line.

But Normie isn’t having it. As the car drives on he ponders, “I could tell him that the evil he’s put into this world has a life of its own now. But instead I choose to be kind. I choose not to be an Osborn.”

Maybe he’ll take the name Lyman like Harry did… Except the name Lyman isn’t so great these days either since Emily Lyman abandoned her child and all. How about Allan? Well, now Liz Allan is going around torturing children so maybe not that either. Geez.

As Normie has a fight with his actually weirdly adorable symbiote, you can see Gundam models in the background, obviously other ones he and Harry made. :(

Also, oh, Normie likes basketball does he? He takes after his old man in that regard.

(From Amazing Spider-Man Family #4, “A Matter of Trust”)

Normie takes a moment to be mad at his mother for never being there. He apologizes afterwards, but the damage is done. I can’t wait to see what happens when he finds out she tortured his best friend.

Ohhh this panel invokes such rage in me. Norman opening a treatment center in honor of the son he abused and tried to kill several times.

I wonder if the word “bridge” (i.e. a reference to Gwen’s fate) was worked into this speech on purpose?

Well that’s a bit rich coming from the guy who sold him to a literal demon. (Not that that ever seems to get remembered, two years on.) I suppose the one silver lining to Harry being dead again is that at least we’re getting a lot of nice eulogies for him. Even if they do come from his father.

The Goblin Nation attacks, not knowing the true identity of the Red Goblin yet. Normie wants to help, but since Rascal the symbiote is still stashed away in his bedroom there’s not an awful lot he can do.

A Goblin lady tazers Liz and corners the kids, and here we see what I believe is the first ever moment of Normie extending brotherly love to Stanley. Awww.

Norman allows himself to be kidnapped in order to protect Normie, and is hauled before Phil Urich, the Goblin King!

Who is certainly going to be a formidable foe for the surviving members of the Osborn family… If they don’t all tear themselves apart first.

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Next issue of this comes out on March 15! I look forward to seeing where it goes!