The struggle of being Gwen.
Creative Staff:
Story: Jason Latour
Art: Robbi Rodriguez
What They Say:
Learn what really happened the day that Peter Parker died! Gwen comes face to face with Ben and May Parker!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Though I’ve had an uneasiness with this book since so much happened in the Spider-Verse releases that I haven’t seen yet, I’ve had a certain amount of fun with this particular world and what it represents. Admittedly, a lot of it comes from seeing the differences and just enjoying it as a big What If? kind of series but also just enjoying the disconnect from the rest of the Marvel books that keeps it from being super continuity heavy. But the book also hasn’t really stretched its wings yet to define itself as the world is small and it’s been playing with familiar characters in small ways. While I certainly don’t begrudge the use of a classic and iconic villain for the identity with the Vulture, I’m hoping to see things grow in more interesting ways as it progresses.
And this installment does do that, but not in the way some might expect. We get some familiar things here as Gwen spends her time in costume out in the streets, trying to clear her head after all the events that have gone on and the problems with her dad that’s stressing her out. So that means a little punk level time in dealing with some graffiti artists, though that ends up spiraling in a different direction as they push back on her and the way she’s perceived in the media as one aligned with the cops as opposed to a free spirit on her own. She’s struggling with her identity since so many people are projecting on her, with massive bullhorns at that, so there hasn’t been a chance for her to really define herself. And not just by words, but by actions as well. Though she’s had a few encounters, the important events all happened in otherworldly areas with the rest of the Spider-family.
Where this installment really gets me, and really humanizes Gwen, is in doing something a lot of books are fearful of doing. Having characters sit down and talk. When Gwen tries to go home to talk to her father, she instead ends up at the Parkers and then sees all that May has been doing with the clippings about Spider-Woman. This eventually leads to a really strong conversation, mostly one sided from May, about her changing and evolving views on Spider-Woman and the perceptions placed upon her. It’s enough that you get the impression May knows the truth and is just being careful, but there’s also that protective family aspect – both for Peter and his memory as well as for Gwen, as she’s family by extension. It helps to put Gwen on the right path a bit more, along with what she gets from the kids tagging at the start, and this whole scenario goes a long way towards making the May/Gwen relationship a lot more touching and engaging than I thought it would be.
In Summary:
I love it when characters sit down and talk. Some of my fondest comic book memories are not of big action stories, but of the simple things when they hang around the house, lair, base or mansion and just interact as normal people with a few unusual talents. Here, Gwen gets the heartfelt conversation she needed with May in order to feel like she can let go of some of the pressure that is just crushing her in relation to Peter’s death and it definitely plays very, very well. Both from the scripting point of view to how it’s laid out and the flow of the story. There’s fun with the bit of action at the start and definitely some enjoyment as Gwen hooks up with the Mary Janes for a bit for a performance, but what will make this book stick is the heart of it all. And May just blessed that heart in a big way.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Marvel Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: May 6th, 2015
MSRP: $3.99
