To be honest, I'm surprised that both these stories are told in an Annual. Although not exactly central to the larger "Goblin Nation" plot, they both certainly flesh out the overall story in a way that Slott hasn't had the space to do in the main title as he rushes us to the end.
Ben Ulrich gets a rare moment in the spotlight here, and Gage uses it for all its worth. Ben holds out hope that he might be able to redeem Phil. Phil's been a one-trick pony of angst-driven fury under Slott, but Gage actually dangles the possibility that Phil is really just in over his head and in desperate need of a father figure to rescue him. This conviction makes it all the more devastating when Ben is forced to concede that some part of the Phil that he used to know may still exist, but, for the most part, Phil wants to be a Goblin. This revelation brings Ben peace, and he's in a better place at the end of this issue, with this certainty, than he was at the start. He appreciates who Phil was and mourns who he became. There's a life lesson in there somewhere for all of us.
If the Ben Ulrich story contributed some important color to the "Goblin Nation" story, the Wraith discovering that Carlie was kidnapped by the Goblins and turned into Monster seems pretty core to the plot, particularly since it directly leads to Sajani trying out her experimental cure for the Goblin Serum on Carlie. I could see the Ben story being included in an Annual, even if its absence makes the main story less emotionally compelling. However, I'm particularly surprised that the Wraith story is wrapped up here, given how much time Slott has spent on it in the main title.
Despite my surprise over them being included in the Annual, both stories are solid and really do flesh out the "Goblin Nation" story. They're definitely worth the $4.99 cover price, something that I don't often say.
**** (four of five stars)
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