Into the Spider-Verse was the push I needed to loop back
around and check out Spider-Gwen
proper. Having now checked out the
introductory volume of the comic, I realize I’ll need to backtrack again at
some point (the Edge of Spider-Verse
comic that debuted Spider-Gwen is the jumping-off point for their
parallel-worlds spider-team-up but doesn’t actually show their adventure
together,) but I’ve at least got a better look at the character herself and the
particular New York she inhabits.
Gwen Stacy, the
against-her-best-efforts-infamous Spider-Woman, is still reeling from the death
of her close friend Peter Parker, which she was mistakenly blamed for. As the police hunt for her, her father – a
police captain who knows her secret – does his best to protect her without
condoning her vigilante work. But of
course, it’s not enough for Gwen to have enemies on just one side of thee law; she’s attracted the attention of Kingpin, who
sics the Vulture on her.
This comic feels like it’s still
figuring itself out, but it makes a good start here. I like that it has some edge and angst to
it. Gwen’s personal life is a total mess
– her relationship with her dad is strained, she’s been alienating her friends,
and she’s plagued with guilt over the constant reminders she sees of Peter’s
death, even though it wasn’t her fault.
(Side note: I also didn’t expect
Gwen Stacy to swear so much – comic-book symbol bleeps, but still.) We only got Gwen’s origin story in quick
flashes, and so we’ve pretty much gone straight to “being a superhero puts the
weight of the world on your shoulders and can really mess you up.”
But, like Into the Spider-Verse proves, no matter how different they are, all
spider-people have the same heart. And
so, Gwen keeps fighting the good fight.
Even when she’s not sure if she can,
that doesn’t stop her from trying. The
police are out to get her, the media is painting her as a dangerous menace (J.
Jonah Jameson, it seems, is a muckraking dick on every Earth,) and she has
villains banging down her door. But Gwen
is a hero, and so she leans into the storm, regardless of the danger to
herself.
Luckily, she’s not going it entirely
alone. The ongoing storyline with her
dad is a pretty good one, a classic “I don’t love what you’re doing, but I love
you and I’ll be damned if anyone hurts you on my watch” dynamic. It’s an easy bet that their relationship is
going to be central to the comic, and it’ll be interesting to see how they both
continue to navigate this change in their understanding of each other. Plus, Gwen gets a little extra moral support
from the memory of a fellow spider-friend (further reason to check out the
spider-verse team-up comic!)
As I was reading, I had to remind
myself that it’s set in a parallel Earth beyond the whole “Gwen Stacy is the
one who got bitten by the radioactive spider” thing. In other words, that’s not the only aspect
that’s different. This volume starts
playing with that, with appearances from some familiar comic-book characters in
unexpected ways. That’s definitely
something I look forward to seeing more of in future installments.
Oh yeah, and her suit is amazing.
Peter Parker’s spider suit is iconic, but Gwen’s is gorgeous. I love it so hard.
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