There comes a point in every man’s life that he must go into battle, especially if he’s a superhero or villain but is this latest spat one worth checking out?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Marvel:

GOBLINS GO TO WAR…and Peter Parker is caught dead-center!

If you’ve been wishing and hoping for some good old fashioned Goblin action then this story arc is certainly for you, even if you’re like me and you really would rather read an issue with Norman Osborn oppose to these two men sparring for the Hobgoblin legacy.  From start to finish, the creative team delivers a somewhat solid second segment as the pieces slowly fall into place for the forthcoming Amazing Spider-Man #700.

Dan Slott and Christos Gage handle the script and for the most part it’s a workable adventure.  The two writers tackle the dispense of dialogue quite well, but there are several moments where an overabundance of outer or inner communication slows the pace to a painful crawl.  What we end up with is the middle part of a three part jaunt, with some entertaining moments that are sure to please fans if they can find it in themselves to ignore the narrative missteps

Giuseppe Camuncoli lends his pencil to the issue and the artist continues to ebb and flow with his unique take on the world of Spider-Man.  His characters are stiff, detailed and dynamic in a way that excuses any possible shortcomings readers might spot.  Beyond that though his panel work is simply top-notch as he takes us above Shadowland to bare witness to two Goblins slugging it out while Peter Parker is trapped below.

By the end of Amazing Spider-Man #696 I was slightly underwhelmed by the cliffhanger, but there were enough good moments in this issue to let it squeak by with a very light recommendation.

3/5