Spider-Gwen 6 review

I’ve been kind of on and off with this series. At times it’s a fun alternate take on the Spider-Man mythos, and other times it felt kind of mediocre to me. With this new volume though, the series is finding its vibe and is starting to get really good. This particular issue is the best Spider-Gwen comic yet and I’m starting to believe that this series, written by Jason Latour, might have some staying power.

Spider-Gwen begins where the last issue left off, with Gwen revealing herself to Harry Osborn in the middle of their fight. There’s a lot going on in the background of this fight; the two of them used to be close friends with Peter Parker, and Harry blames Spider-Woman for Peter’s death. Gwen’s version of Captain America is also involved in the fight, and it gets pretty intense in the first half of the issue. The fight ends in a rather dramatic fashion that delves deep into Gwen’s maturing personality and the lessons she’s learned since becoming Spider-Woman. The rest of this issue continues her inner reflections, ending with a nice scene between Gwen and her father. There’s nothing too surprising about this issue, but there doesn’t need to be – it works very well on a dramatic level.

The art by Robbi Rodriguez is good. There’s a real stylized approach to everything that fits the comic’s overall mood. The action flows well and it makes use of Captain America’s skill and lizard Harry’s savage nature. Facial expressions do a great job at conveying characters’ emotions, and the shading in the dark environments emphasizes characters’ body language in creative ways. The colouring by Rico Renzi is fantastic. Everything is vibrant, and even in the darker scenes it’s very easy to see what’s going on.

While I don’t think this series as a whole is great, this particular issue is. Gwen has clearly grown since she started off as Spider-Woman in her universe, and the way she deals with problems differently than Peter Parker in the main universe helps set her apart. The dramatic ending feels just right for this particular story. Spider-Gwen regulars will most likely enjoy this issue, and this series might just be worth checking out for those who are interested. As for me, this issue has convinced me to stick around at least for a bit longer.

8/10