To anyone who read the original Hobgoblin stories by Stern, you know that they read as good as the best mystery novel, only serialized and with superheroes. Here, Stern brings back all the old suspects and supporting cast, and successfully recreates the feeling. Ron Frenz also does some magnificent art, making "Hobby" seem quite creepy.

Fortunately, you don't need to have read the original stories in order to understand and like this one, but you do have to have done so in order to fully appreciate it. So I give this 4.5 stars if you haven't read the old stories, and 5 if you have.


The mystery starts a new !   June 30, 2001
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Back when Amazing Spiderman #238 first came out it was the beginning of one of the most exciting Spiderman stories ever. A story that went on for 52 issues, with the reader not knowing who the Hobgoblin was, untill finally in #289 Ned Leeds was unmasked and turned out to be the Hobgoblin. At least, we readers 'knew' that Ned was the Hobgoblin, because in the Spiderman reality it was 'proven' later that Jason Macendale was the Hobgoblin. They never knew Leeds to be the Hobgoblin because Macendale just stole Leeds' gear right after Ned was murdered so he was never 'caught in the act'. Macendale later got arrested and un-masked so now everybody thinks he's the one and only Hobgoblin, and Macendale never denied it.

Now it's 15 years later and it's time for 'Hobgoblin lives' (brought to you by the same writer that brought you the original saga, a big plus in my opinion), a story that takes place just after the Clone Saga thing is all over and done with. It starts of with Macendale being put on public trial to be punished for the acts of crime he committed as the Hobgoblin. When he's being led away he shouts out to the representatives of the press that he ISN'T the first Hobgoblin but that the original Hobgoblin was really the late Ned Leeds ! Then the story kicks into gear. A big scale 'who is it' investigation is started again by several different groups of interest, re-opening the whole question "who IS the real Hobgoblin." You find yourself in a fast-pacing story where the 'nominees-list' and the 'he-can't-be-it' list constantly alters in the eye of the reader (Sort of like when you first watched the movie 'Scream') and where you only find out who actually IS the real Hobgoblin in the very end. Meanwhile you're being taken through the story by good, clear, flowing art and excellent, storytelling, plot-twisting writing. A very good story in the Spiderman history and a more than worthy successor to the original Hobgoblin Saga.

Note though: When you haven't read the original Hobgoblin Saga this is a really hard story to understand and get into. The story constantly makes remarks of what happened in the original story. So if you really wanna enjoy this one you'd do best by getting the issues (or the trade) of the original Hobgoblin Saga first. After that, it's on !


Roger Stern, the best Spidey writer   November 24, 1998
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Just who was the Hob-goblin? This story answers those questions and a lot more. It marked Roger Stern's return to writing Spider-Man in almost a decade. He makes good use of the suporting cast here including Peter, Mary Jane, Joe Robertson, Flash Thomson, and Betty Brent. This story was so good, I wonder if Roger would write a novelization of it too!


An exciting mystery for fans of Spider-Man   April 11, 1998
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Hobgoblin Lives reveals the trues identity of the hobgoblin, by the writer who created him. This story takes the reader through the mystery of the Hobgoblin which went on for nearly 15 years. The book is very interesting for fans of Spider-Man and I recomend it highly. The only downside is the book may be confusing for those who have not read the origional Hobgoblin stories. If you are one of those readers I suggest you check out Spider-Man: The Origin of the Hobgoblin trade paperback.