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Spider-Gwen: Smash #1-4
Spider-Gwen: Smash
The multiversal web-slinger returns! It's time to face the music when the Mary Janes head off on a four-city tour as the opening act to one of Earth-65's biggest rock stars! Gwen has promised the band that this big break will be all about the music. No web-slinging, just drums. But when a mysterious assassin targets the headliner, Gwen begins to wonder how she got this gig in the first place. And as the tour continues, she'll share the stage with stunning new versions of some of your favorite characters - pulling double duty as drummer and secret bodyguard for Dazzler! Collecting SPIDER-GWEN: SMASH #1-4 and GIANT-SIZE SPIDER-GWEN #1.
128 pages, Paperback
Published August 27, 2024
7 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 20, 2024
This was fun but the plot was a little predictable and the dialogue skewed quite ‘younger readers’. I liked the artwork apart from the overly deformed faces, which I found off putting,
March 28, 2025
Probably aimed at younger readers..but it's pretty cool...altered Earth 65 versions of known heroes and villains
March 7, 2025
2.5 if I could. Picked this up thinking it would be a nice standalone-ish collection, and it was, but only in the sense that I *knew* there was backstory I was missing, but I could still mostly understand the plot. I liked the story, though! The art for #1-4 felt really inconsistent, although maybe it's just not my style. I liked the Giant-Size art, but mostly because it made a stylistic choice and stuck with it. I've liked other Spider-Gwen stuff, but this fell flat for me.
June 21, 2025
'Spider-Gwen: Smash' is a very flawed, but still enjoyable and funny 'Spider-Gwen' comic, filled with interesting characters and ideas. And, wow, it is a 'Spider-Gwen' comic that can be read as a self-contained book and miniseries (well, sort of, but outside continuity isn't too egregious a problem here), and you don't have to read her other comics and their convoluted, multiversal rubbish to like this one.
Shocker!
Smash! Shocker!
'Smash' isn't about the Spider-Verse, and there is no travelling between multiverses - thank *&@"£! for that - instead, it is about Gwen Stacy/Ghost-Spider and her band, The Mary Janes, and her role as a famous drummer versus her role as a (in)famous superhero (which is no longer a secret identity in Gwen's Earth-65 universe, apparently), and her contentious, complicated relationship with Mary Jane Watson, which is constantly on a thread thinner than a spiderweb. Yet it appears to be heading in a newer, fresher, and still further complicated direction...
There are bands, concerts, tours, meaningful song lyrics, and nonstop danger, kidnappings, and mutant experimentations.
Other Marvel characters include Dazzler (I haven't seen her in many things, and it's a nice change of pace that she's a major player here), Natasha Romanoff (what a twist! and in this universe, she remains a badass), the Hulk, Pixie, Mortis (my introduction to her, and I am vibing and gravitating towards the dark witch girl), Mysterio, and, uh, Carnage. Is that a spoiler? Oh well.
'Smash' is like an old school Marvel comic - short and sweet, and as simple as it can be when dealing with so many characters, each with their own individual baggage.
The superheroine comic is very girly, in that it contains a predominately female cast, and complex female relationships, that are nonetheless loving and positive. Gwen's bandmates, Glory and Betty (to be honest, I keep forgetting their names), end up being surprisingly supportive, sympathetic and understanding towards her, in her dual drummer/Ghost-Spider role, even when Mary Jane, or "Em Jay", isn't. Gwen's identity crisis is taking its toll on her, and endangering her relationship with Em Jay, in more ways than one...
Let's just say that 'Spider-Gwen: Smash' shares more in common with the 'Jem and the Holograms' comics than the outrageous, sci-fi girl bands.
Another highlight is the sweet heart-to-heart talk between Gwen and her dad near the beginning. She is his hero, as well as vice versa (I think this was established in 'Gwenverse'?), and he is her number one reason to stay on Earth-65, even when things are terrible, which they usually are. I really like how their relationship seems to have developed and evolved over time.
I'm not a fan of the artwork. It looks cartoony in an off-putting, early 2000s way, if that makes sense. But it's not all bad, as it's expressive and well detailed, even though the last issue makes the characters look like chibi children.
I would be remiss not to mention the amazing art on this universe's Carnage, however. It's one of the multitude of reasons to read 'Spider-Gwen: Smash'. What a triumph.
In conclusion, 'Spider-Gwen: Smash' is a highly interesting and new take and direction to, uh, take the superheroine Spider-Gwen. It is fun, femme, digestible, and perhaps aimed at a younger audience, but it doesn't tone down or ease up on the dark plot twists. It hits a lot of the (drum)beats of what makes any Marvel 'Spider' comic good, leaving its mark on the canon.
My reviews of the two other 'Spider-Gwen' comics I like can be found here and here.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Shocker!
Smash! Shocker!
'Smash' isn't about the Spider-Verse, and there is no travelling between multiverses - thank *&@"£! for that - instead, it is about Gwen Stacy/Ghost-Spider and her band, The Mary Janes, and her role as a famous drummer versus her role as a (in)famous superhero (which is no longer a secret identity in Gwen's Earth-65 universe, apparently), and her contentious, complicated relationship with Mary Jane Watson, which is constantly on a thread thinner than a spiderweb. Yet it appears to be heading in a newer, fresher, and still further complicated direction...
There are bands, concerts, tours, meaningful song lyrics, and nonstop danger, kidnappings, and mutant experimentations.
Other Marvel characters include Dazzler (I haven't seen her in many things, and it's a nice change of pace that she's a major player here), Natasha Romanoff (what a twist! and in this universe, she remains a badass), the Hulk, Pixie, Mortis (my introduction to her, and I am vibing and gravitating towards the dark witch girl), Mysterio, and, uh, Carnage. Is that a spoiler? Oh well.
'Smash' is like an old school Marvel comic - short and sweet, and as simple as it can be when dealing with so many characters, each with their own individual baggage.
The superheroine comic is very girly, in that it contains a predominately female cast, and complex female relationships, that are nonetheless loving and positive. Gwen's bandmates, Glory and Betty (to be honest, I keep forgetting their names), end up being surprisingly supportive, sympathetic and understanding towards her, in her dual drummer/Ghost-Spider role, even when Mary Jane, or "Em Jay", isn't. Gwen's identity crisis is taking its toll on her, and endangering her relationship with Em Jay, in more ways than one...
Let's just say that 'Spider-Gwen: Smash' shares more in common with the 'Jem and the Holograms' comics than the outrageous, sci-fi girl bands.
Another highlight is the sweet heart-to-heart talk between Gwen and her dad near the beginning. She is his hero, as well as vice versa (I think this was established in 'Gwenverse'?), and he is her number one reason to stay on Earth-65, even when things are terrible, which they usually are. I really like how their relationship seems to have developed and evolved over time.
I'm not a fan of the artwork. It looks cartoony in an off-putting, early 2000s way, if that makes sense. But it's not all bad, as it's expressive and well detailed, even though the last issue makes the characters look like chibi children.
I would be remiss not to mention the amazing art on this universe's Carnage, however. It's one of the multitude of reasons to read 'Spider-Gwen: Smash'. What a triumph.
In conclusion, 'Spider-Gwen: Smash' is a highly interesting and new take and direction to, uh, take the superheroine Spider-Gwen. It is fun, femme, digestible, and perhaps aimed at a younger audience, but it doesn't tone down or ease up on the dark plot twists. It hits a lot of the (drum)beats of what makes any Marvel 'Spider' comic good, leaving its mark on the canon.
My reviews of the two other 'Spider-Gwen' comics I like can be found here and here.
Final Score: 3.5/5
August 31, 2024
I really want to like this book, and it is okay, but I was expecting more. There is a lot going on in this book, but the problem for me is that nothing is resolved or moving forward. In a mini series with four issues and a giant sized, there should at least be some progress. This felt like a giant prelude to the next series (I think ongoing, but possible another miniseries).
Ghost Spider/Gwen is back in her home dimension. Even though she is putting an effort into fitting in and trying to be Gwen more than Ghost Spider. However, her universe has other plans. Can Gwen find a balance between her responsibilities as Ghost Spider and her life, especially with her band mates and Em Jay in particular.
There is a lot of potential in this series. I really hope that things are built on later, I would have prefered if they were built on a bit more here, but I am interested enough to see where the series goes next. The book finishes with a varient cover gallery.
Ghost Spider/Gwen is back in her home dimension. Even though she is putting an effort into fitting in and trying to be Gwen more than Ghost Spider. However, her universe has other plans. Can Gwen find a balance between her responsibilities as Ghost Spider and her life, especially with her band mates and Em Jay in particular.
There is a lot of potential in this series. I really hope that things are built on later, I would have prefered if they were built on a bit more here, but I am interested enough to see where the series goes next. The book finishes with a varient cover gallery.
December 4, 2024
ms gwen rlly should've come up with a way to resolve things w em jay for sure but i also recognize that she was being pulled in a ton of different directions at once so it really wasn't the best circumstances. gwen has a good heart! she wants the best for everyone but its hard to help everyone when she's not including herself in the picture, i cant imagine its easy to deal with band drama and be ghost spider. but also, id em jay has brought up and issue to her multiple times and it got so bad to the point that the symbiote was angry as well on her behalf,,, gwen would need to put in the Work to make sure she's helping em jay get what she needs from her. all that's to say, im here for the drama and im really invested in seeing how em jay deals with and hopefully either copes with or fully removes the carnage symbiote. especially since it was given to her against her will :(
May 29, 2025
Mild Spoilers:
Bonus points to this one for finally acknowledging the King in Black comics again in which Em Jay ends up bonded to a version of Carnage. Gwen and Carnage/MJ have an entertaining banter, especially in the connected Giant-Size. The story with Dazzler was fun but relatively predictable outside of that. I will also say they finally confirmed something about Em Jay's feelings towards Gwen so I'm glad to know I wasn't being delusional about reading into Em Jay's song lyrics these past few years haha. HOWEVER, they don't resolve the situation and now, to my understanding, in the next couple runs Gwen will supposedly move to 616 "permanently" which would leave some of the open ended threads from this one feeling narratively unsatisfying.
Bonus points to this one for finally acknowledging the King in Black comics again in which Em Jay ends up bonded to a version of Carnage. Gwen and Carnage/MJ have an entertaining banter, especially in the connected Giant-Size. The story with Dazzler was fun but relatively predictable outside of that. I will also say they finally confirmed something about Em Jay's feelings towards Gwen so I'm glad to know I wasn't being delusional about reading into Em Jay's song lyrics these past few years haha. HOWEVER, they don't resolve the situation and now, to my understanding, in the next couple runs Gwen will supposedly move to 616 "permanently" which would leave some of the open ended threads from this one feeling narratively unsatisfying.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2024
When you're popular enough to have your own book, but not popular enough to keep it from getting cancelled ...
Welcome to yet another Spider-Gwen miniseries. This one focuses on the ongoing fracture within the 'Mary Janes' and Gwen feeling distanced from her home dimension and her friends. No dimension hopping in this one. It's strictly Gwen doing Ghost Spider work in her home dimension.
The Mary Janes get a dream job, opening for Dazzler(?) [yes, that Dazzler], but there's more afoot. Can Gwen ease the tensions within her band AND help out Dazzler and her team?
===========================
Bonus: Symbiotes everywhere
Welcome to yet another Spider-Gwen miniseries. This one focuses on the ongoing fracture within the 'Mary Janes' and Gwen feeling distanced from her home dimension and her friends. No dimension hopping in this one. It's strictly Gwen doing Ghost Spider work in her home dimension.
The Mary Janes get a dream job, opening for Dazzler(?) [yes, that Dazzler], but there's more afoot. Can Gwen ease the tensions within her band AND help out Dazzler and her team?
===========================
Bonus: Symbiotes everywhere
August 16, 2024
Gwen and the Mary Janes go on tour - with Dazzler! But of course, Dazzler has a stalker, and only Spider-Gwen can save her!
These four issues were surprisingly good. While the main story of Gwen and Dazzler's stalker is a little predictable (especially since the reinventions of classic Marvel characters aren't exactly far away from their usual selves), we get to revisit the MJ-as-Carnage stuff from Absolute Carnage that I really enjoyed last time around.
It's a shame this volume doesn't seem to include the Giant-Size Spider-Gwen issue, because that's tied-in to what happens here. Maybe it'll be in one of the collections of the new Ghost Spider series at some point.
These four issues were surprisingly good. While the main story of Gwen and Dazzler's stalker is a little predictable (especially since the reinventions of classic Marvel characters aren't exactly far away from their usual selves), we get to revisit the MJ-as-Carnage stuff from Absolute Carnage that I really enjoyed last time around.
It's a shame this volume doesn't seem to include the Giant-Size Spider-Gwen issue, because that's tied-in to what happens here. Maybe it'll be in one of the collections of the new Ghost Spider series at some point.
May 15, 2025
this was my first spider-gwen experience, at the recommendation of my partner who really resonates with miles morales and thinks i look like gwen stacy. only spider-gwen my local library had.
i loved this!! it was so girly, full of subtle lesbianism and lots of fun. good female relationships. complicated female relationships. complicated characters! being a girl is hard! i loved the colours. i loved the art style. the story was clearly written by a woman, which led to an interesting and believable plot i just don’t think a man would be able to do??? the mostly woman team on this comic was very clear to me 🩷🩷
i loved this!! it was so girly, full of subtle lesbianism and lots of fun. good female relationships. complicated female relationships. complicated characters! being a girl is hard! i loved the colours. i loved the art style. the story was clearly written by a woman, which led to an interesting and believable plot i just don’t think a man would be able to do??? the mostly woman team on this comic was very clear to me 🩷🩷
March 15, 2025
SPIDER-GWEN: SMASH is a fantastic Spider-Gwen story that reminds me how much I enjoy Gwen actually being in her own world. Here, the MJs and Spider-Gwen are invited to front for the Dazzler band of Dazzler, Lilah Cheney, Pixie, and Rick Jones. Black Widow is also their manager (as well as secret agent defender). Someone is stalking Dazzler and the story is much better than the one in her more recent comic. One element I'm iffier about is that MJ is in love with Gwen and I hate that ruins MJ/Gloria Grant. I'm not sure if Marvel is going to ring the bell on a bi Gwen Stacy either.
October 22, 2024
Poor Spider-Gwen. Just trying to do a few gigs for Earth-65's Dazzler with your bandmates, and you get attacked by an assailant gunning for our favorite mutant rockstar! This won't help matters with your strained relationship with Mary Jane, or that dormant Carnage symbiote just rearing to break free and attract interest from God knows what villains.
Welp, it's a fun read in any event!
Welp, it's a fun read in any event!
May 25, 2025
Spider-Gwen comics have, for a while now, focused on dimension-hopping as opposed to decent character growth. Particularly in relation to Em Jay (a character that was practically stagnant). I was beginning to despair. I despair no longer. Flores has renewed my love for Gwen/Ghost-Spider by delivering a storyline that is worthy of her.
March 1, 2025
It's fine. It just kind of feels like not enough happened to even fill out a four issue miniseries. Maybe that's because the core of the book is Gwen bickering with her bandmates, a conflict I'm honestly tired of rehashing. At least the ending looks like it's going to forcibly retire that plotline.
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July 31, 2025Unfortunate title aside, I really enjoyed this story. I found it quite engaging, and I love the concept of Carnage Emjay with Spidey Gwen. The art style was not my favorite, though; the proportions were off.
October 22, 2024
very cute very fun! this ended up surpassing my expectations!
October 23, 2024
I LOVED LOVED LOVED this story!!!! And the plot twist for the villain was *CHEFS KISS*. Also finally a queer spider!!! Or at least hints of it.
October 23, 2024
Always fun to see what Gwen is up to. I enjoyed this volume, though the story was a bit hollow and the new characters dull.
November 5, 2024
i love the dazzler!!! i need to read more of her comics
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January 2, 2025More Dazzler please! Nice to finally see her appear in more runs.
January 28, 2025
Det var million skurker inkludert crazy stalker Bruce Banner men lesbisk Gwen og MJ er så sant
April 25, 2025
How is marvel still queerbaiting me in the year 2025
July 21, 2025
fun enough.
September 19, 2025
lots of action, surprise hulk cameo.
Lots of high speed fight scenes and romance. Surprise cameo with the original hulk without Bruce banner. Great bargain bin read for $3.
Lots of high speed fight scenes and romance. Surprise cameo with the original hulk without Bruce banner. Great bargain bin read for $3.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews