If you’ve been keeping up with Amazing Spider-Man, you know that while Peter Parker went off into space, Norman Osborn took over as the Spider-Man on Earth. Now he’d like to take all that knowledge he learned while under the mask — no, not his Spider-Man mask; his Green Goblin mask — and pass it on to the next generation of Spider-heroes.
Amazing Spider-Man: Spider-Versity by Jordan Morris, Joe Kelly and Pere Perez will put Norman and Spider-Woman into the roles of teachers for Miles Morales, Spider-Gwen, Spider-Boy, Spider-Girl, Arana and Silk. And the lesson plan includes how to fight the Green Goblin.
“Spider-Versity spins directly out of the events of Amazing Spider-Man,” Kelly said. “Norman has a definitive threat in mind that he’s trying to protect the young Spiders against. One he knows intimately. But even for a master planner like Norman, things may perhaps go awry, and the kids will face some unexpected threats. Nothing like learning on the job!”
Here’s how Marvel describes the five-issue series:
Miles Morales, Spider-Gwen, Silk, Araña, Spider-Boy and Spider-Girl have one thing in common – THEY AREN’T READY. According to former Resolute Spider-Man Norman Osborn. So he and Spider-Woman are going to train them to meet the next threat – the only way the Green Goblin knows how. Because the next threat might well BE the Green Goblin!
“Norman is a fascinating character, truly one of the great comic book villains of all time,” Morris told IGN. “I’m trying to look at him like Pete would. Norman has done so many terrible things, many of them to Pete specifically, but Pete believes in people and their ability to be their best selves. When I’ve been writing for Norman, I’ve been trying to summon my inner Pete and view this guy not as one of the worst villains in history, but as someone who has made mistakes, identified them as mistakes and is actively trying to change. I think there’s something heroic about taking steps to be a better person and I want to give Norman credit for that.”
Look for the first issue on April 22.