Spider-Gwen, Vol. 0: Most Wanted?

Spider-Gwen (2015) (Collected Editions)

by Jason Latour, Robbi Rodriguez (Artist)

Collects Edge of Spider-Verse #2, Spider-Gwen #1-5.

The breakout character hit of the year is Gwen Stacy: Spider-Woman! In one universe, it wasn't Peter Parker who was bitten by the radioactive spider, but Gwen Stacy! She's smart, charming and can lift a car — just don't tell her father the police chief! And now, in the wake of Spider-Verse, Gwen swings into her own solo adventures! And she soon finds herself between a rock and a hard place when the Vulture attacks, and NYPD Lieutenant Frank Castle sets his sights on bringing her down. Then, still haunted by Peter's death, Gwen visits his only family: Ben and May Parker. But what really happened the day Peter died? Find out right here as the spectacular Spider-Gwen steals not only the spotlight, but also the hearts of comic fans worldwide!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book, Fiction

112 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 18, 2015

About the author

David Jason Latour (b. 1977) is an American comic book artist and writer known for his work for Image, Dark Horse, Marvel and DC comics on titles such as Wolverine, Winter Soldier, Southern Bastards and Spider-Gwen.

Reviews

[Jesse (JesseTheReader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5)
I really enjoyed this! My main complaint is that the story kind of felt a little bit too all over the place & I think it kind of messed with the flow of the overall story. Still great though & I'll definitely be picking up the next volume. Gwen Stacey is bae.

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite me feeling that Gwen has the best costume in the Marvel Universe(!), and as well as the series having some sublime comic book issue covers, it's not all just glam and gloss as 'Most Wanted' is a neat baptism for the solo comic Spider-Gwen brand in her own universe. 6 out of 12, Three Star read.

2017 read

[Chelsea Humphrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first comic book experience and definitely a positive one. While it’s a bit confusing jumping in with no backstory (for a newbie like myself), I was able to catch on and will certainly continue with the next two paperbacks since we own them. Glad to be stepping out of my comfort zone and experiencing some new stuff.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

While I love the art style and plan to continue the series, this drops you in without any back story. It isn't even her origin, and as of the writing of this review, we don't have an origin for her. She just shows up in a Spider-verse issue, which isn't a story arc you can reasonably start either and would have to go back multiple events to fully understand. I understand that the world of comics can be complex at times, but at least allow new readers a starting point that isn't convoluted!

[Alejandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

With great parallel dimensions come great reading!


This TPB edition collects “Edge of Spider-verse” #2 + “Spider-Gwen” (Vol.1) #1-5, along with a gallery presenting variant covers of the run.


IMPORTANT: If you are only interested in the character of Spider-Gwen, if you bought this very TPB edition, you don’t need to buy the “Edge of Spider-verse” TPB anymore, since here, you can find the only issue that presents the mentioned character over there.


Creative Team:

Writer & Co-creator: Jason Latour

Illustrator & Co-creator: Robbi Rodriguez


WILL THE REAL SPIDER-MAN PLEASE STAND UP?

As Spider-Woman I’ve traveled the multiverse.

The comic book event Spider-verse was about the amazing gathering of parallel versions of Spider-Man from multiple realities, to battle against a villain known as Morlun. This crossover event presented several Spider-men who had appeared before due different reasons and in various media formats, but also it introduced new versions of your friendly neighborhood hero.

In the middle of the Spider-verse risen an instant pop icon…

…Spider-Gwen!!!

In Earth-65 (Marvel Comics numbering (please don’t confuse with the numbering of parallel Earths of their distinguished comic book publishing competition)), Peter Parker wasn’t bitten by a radioactive spider but instead Gwen Stacy was, so she was the one who got amazing spider-powers, becoming “Spider-Woman” (because no, it’s not like she uses a battle name like “Mary Marvel”, the thing of “Spider-Gwen” is just how the comic book was titled (along the usual way that fans differentiate her from the other Spider-women in comics),…

…but the interchange reality catch didn’t stop there!

…since the same as sad, in this parallel Earth, it was Peter Parker who died instead of Gwen Stacy.

I just… just… wanted to be special… like you…

But if you think that then, Peter was thrown from a bridge by a parallel Green Goblin…

…think again!

Since it didn’t happen in that way there!

And nope, I won’t spoil it!

First, they still need to develop the whole picture of how it happened, and second,…

…what you can grasp about it…

…it’s so amazing that I won’t be the one to spoil your entertainment while reading it!

What I can say it’s that Spider-Gwen is definitely the hottest new character of Marvel Comics in years, where her popularity got astronomical levels.


YOU GOTTA FACE YOUR LIFE!

Because being a super-hero is way more than facing bad guys, -- …sometimes you gotta face real life.

Gwen Stacy is still in the grieving process due Peter Parker’s death (that by the way, thanks to Daily Bugle, the city population think that Spider-Woman murdered him and therefore she is wanted for the Police (and nope, I don’t mean the music group!)) and having her own father, NYPD Captain George Stacy, chasing Spider-Woman considering her a criminal doesn’t make the things any easier. Even worse, the NYPD Special Crimes Task Force is getting heavy reinforcements…

…Detective Jean DeWolff and…

--DRUMROLL!--

…Captain Frank Castle!!!

Dang!

However, Gwen enjoys to be Spider-Woman and after Peter’s death, she knows that she just can’t quit, she has a great power and with that comes a great responsibility.

Gwen Stacy is Spider-Woman, but not matter how much she’d wish to be only that costume, she has to be also…

…Gwen Stacy and all the personal baggage that implies that.

THAT has been the backbone of what made Spider-man titles so good, so different than other comic book super-hero titles out ther and definitely a trademark established by Stan Lee when he wrote the first years of Marvel.

Life is complicated. Life is hard. Each day in your life is full of many little things that you have to do.

Stan Lee knew that, and the creative team here (Latour & Rodriguez) know that, and they are fearless of not giving us what we may want...

…but what we need.

Gwen Stacy is the drummer of the “Mary Janes” band, along with the other members, Betty Brant and Gloria Grant, where Mary Jane Watson is the leader (duh!). And while you may think that that isn’t relevant compared of being Spider-Woman saving lives and battling super-villains,…

…it’s revelant to her friends, it’s their chance for success, it’s their shot for making a life of their own, and not matter how much Gwen’d wish of deny it, she is a key part of trying to reach that group goal.

You’re here. You’re badass drummer. And as much as we need you tonight, it’s obvious-- --you need us more.

She can’t quit of being Spider-Woman.

She can’t quit of being Gwen Stacy.

You can’t quit your life, not when your friends count on you, not when you a power to make a difference in the world.

Don’t miss the amazing beginning of Spider-Gwen, in a parallel world where familiar faces have unexpected roles, like Matt Murdock, Ben Grimm and Felicia Hardy, but also familiar villains in very classic roles like The Vulture and the Kingpin, but even, a very singular “cameo” of…

--DRUMROLL AGAIN!—

…Peter Porker, the Sporktacular Spider-Ham!!!

Oh, yeah, baby!

Meet the amazing!

Meet the spectacular!

Meet the radioactive!

Meet…

…SPIDER-GWEN!!!

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of me really likes this, and part of me thinks it's over-hyped for what's actually between the pages. I'm settling on 3 stars, because I did enjoy it, but at the same time (I thought) there were problems with the story.



So for those of you who live under a rock (or just don't read comics) Spider-Gwen is from an alternate reality where she lived & got powers, and Peter Parker died.
And, yes, she and our Pete have already met.
*see Spider-verse - Astonishing Anne



There's no real (as far as I can tell) Origin for this title, so you kind of just get thrown into the story after all of the stuff with the radioactive spider & Pete has already gone down.
Gwen already has a costume (very cool, by the way) and has been pegged as Public Enemy #1 before we even open the first page.



The biggest problem with her being hunted by the police is that her father (Captain Stacy) is the leading the charge to capture the vigilante Spider-Woman.
Oops.
I gotta say, I thought the big reveal was a bit rushed, but whatever.



Okey dokey.
Besides, fighting crime (to honor Pete's memory), Gwen is also the drummer in a band called the Mary Janes, and they're on the cusp of becoming famous. So, there's so drama coming from that corner, as well.
Oh, and apparently, Mary Jane Watson is a bitch in this universe...



The good?
The art is cool, and I liked seeing all of the flip-flopped personalities in this universe.
For example, Matt Murdock is an evil lawyer working for the bad guys, & bumping off anyone who gets in his client's way. And Frank Castle is the cop who likes beating confessions out of inmates, and doesn't like getting beat up by little girls in a costume.



The bad?
You sorta get plopped down in the middle of a pretty (at times) disjointed story. I mean, Spider-Ham makes an appearance, Vulture is running around cackling, the band is breaking up (because reasons), and everyone with a badge is trigger happy.



It also seemed a little too cutsey for me in certain parts, but that may just be because these characters are brand new, and they just haven't found their legs yet.



Overall, I'd say this wasn't bad, though. Looking forward to seeing what they do in the next volume.

[Calista · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was ok. It was Zip, Zang Bang, all over the place. It was so kinetic that there was nothing to really hold the story together. I'm still not exactly sure what is going on and how this fits into the previous story.

It does seem just about everyone knows her identity. I might try another one of these.

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

**read the single issues of this. trade actually releases in november! READ IT READ IT READ IT.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than I expected given how poor Marvel's new titles have been from this latest Marvel Now relaunch. Great costume design but I thought the overall color palette in the book was a bit garish.

[Terence · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gwen Stacy is Spider-Woman in an alternate universe where she was bitten by a radioactive spider. She's fighting crime while causing her father Captain Stacy significant grief over it.

So I like to laugh. I enjoy a good joke and funny things, but this is just way too goofy for me.

I at times enjoy goofy humor, but it's best used sparingly. They just poured on the goofiness like little kids pour syrup on pancakes...all over everything. If I said it's a shame then I'd be lying I think there are an adequate amount of Spider-people at this point. There are so many Spider-people that one comic book joked about it asking if Spider-Man started franchising.

Spider-Gwen isn't the Spider-Person I'm looking for.

[CS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bullet Review:

I like superheroines. I like to read their stories. But while I find Spider-Gwen admirable, I find myself asking questions like:

1) How the f@#$ did this happen?

2) How many "back issues" and other Spider-verse lines do I have to read to understand this?

3) Why is her life nearly exclusively built on the men around her? (If it's supposed to be a gender-flip of sorts, why not have her mother be Captain Stacy? Have we not moved from the 50's/60's?)

4) Are there superheroines whose fathers' AREN'T cops that are trying to arrest them? (Batgirl...)

5) Are there superheroines who AREN'T members of a band? (Black Canary...)

6) Who is copying whom - Marvel or DC?

7) Why the f@#$ is Felicia Hardy completely different looking than her incarnation from Sillk?! Instead of gender-flipping, these authors thought they would race flip? HUH?

It's just sad the only way you can get women in comics is if you gender-flip them (Spider-Gwen) or have a woman replace them (Thor) or create some weird timeline thing. I'm not saying I hate it or anything, I really loved the art, but as these things go, there are a bajillion comics with the same exact storyline. I'd rather find ones where I didn't have to read an encyclopedia of backstory to figure out the story I'm reading.

[Ashley Cruzen · Rating 3 out of 5]

So the 3 star rating on this is solely due to my lack of Spider-Verse knowledge. Spider-Man has never really tickled my fancy so naturally I never kept up on any of it. Spider-Gwen caught my eye though with its beautiful art so I had to give it a go.

There's nothing inherently wrong with it, it just references a lot of Spider-Verse things that were lost on me. If you're a Spidey fan and have not yet picked this up though, you probably definitely should. Or if you're just a fan of pretty comics. This is a pretty comic.

Will probably do a little back reading and maybe continue the series afterwards.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was...okay? Issue 4 being by far the best issue. The five issue volume covers Gwen dealing with Peter's death, fighting the vulture, learning how dangerous Matt is in this universe, and last but not least Spider-pig. Oh and the Mary Janes...yeah...we'll get to that.

So what did I like? The talk with Gwen and May parker was handled real well. The loss of Peter should be as impactful as the loss of Gwen for Peter in 616. So to see that played out, and well done, is always a plus in my book. Another plus would be Matt being evil. He's not just "hahaha I'm EVIL!" He's a lawyer, who's evil, and smug, and merciless. Everything that he is in 616 but used for evil. This is what makes him interesting in this universe. Also the art for most part is solid.

Now the bad. Vulture's fights, or the fights in general, are kind of generic and boring. None have the regular flair of the great Spider-man fights we've come to see and love. Also what the fuck was with Spider-pig? I guess to give some humor but it didn't work well here. Oh and the Mary Janes...this idea is terrible. Basically Gwen's band....and it just feels so "hipster" that it hurts me reading it.

Overall it's decent start. I'm sure as it goes on it'll get better cause it's laying out alot of good seeds, but let's see if it grows to something worth reading. 2.5 for this one.

[Jim C · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection is the beginning of a comic run in the Marvel universe. In this one we visit an alternate universe where Gwen Stacy was bitten by the radioactive spider and Peter Parker died.

Recently I watched Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Before watching that movie I had no interest in this character. But the opening scene where they concentrated on this character drew me in with the emotions and I had to explore the character more. Unfortunately I did not feel the emotional impact from this collection like I did from that opening scene. I liked this collection. It was fun but there were flaws. Many aspects I agree with other reviewers on. The costume design is awesome. The look and the colors are terrific. But like others have said the reader gets plopped right into the action without any backstory. I can see why they did this because do we really need the story of someone getting bit by a radioactive spider. I would have liked some back story to Gwen though. I also thought the story was all over the place. Vulture is attacking our hero for a reason. Our hero is a public enemy because of the death of Peter Parker. We just have to go with the flow with these concepts and accept them at face value without any exploration. Honestly it felt like I missed an entire collection before this one. I wasn't lost but the build up was not there.

This aforementioned movie does take from this collection. This is the rare instance where the movie does it better than the book. I do like this character and I would have no problem having more adventures with her. I just think it needs a little tighter storytelling. It is the first collection so maybe the writers were just getting use to the character. I will read the second collection to see if that is the case.

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the Spider-verse event, it turned out there was a world in which Gwen Stacey was bitten by the radioactive spider, and in the end Peter Parker actually died. The origins are a little murky, because thankfully they don’t rehash the origin story, leaving it just sketched in and suggested. This book has Gwen back in her own universe, leading her normal life… and leading her cop father an awful dance while she’s caped up. Her costume design is really cool (love the hood), and Rodriguez’s art works well — and it was a relief reading this so soon after The Movement, which was typically DC-ian in its gloomy colour palettes.

The story itself doesn’t really get on its feet here, I think; we’re still trying to get used to who Gwen is here and how her world has changed. Like, it turns out Mary Jane Watson is… a bit of a diva. And she and Gwen are in a rock band together. Which Gwen has been kind of letting down and might quit? Maybe? But then she turns up and it’s all good.

At times, it’s a little bit goofy — it might be less so if you’ve read Spider-verse, but suddenly having Spider-Ham (a version of Peter Parker who is a pig, no I am not kidding) appear as Gwen’s conscience is a bit outta nowhere from my point of view.

It’s not groundbreaking, except that it’s another female character stepping up and taking on a big role, and dealing in different ways with the same problems. I loved that Gwen went to speak to Aunt May, for example, and the way they talked things over. It’s not the level of quality of, say, Ms Marvel, but it’s fun and I’m looking forward to the next TPB. (And wondering why my pull list on Comixology has disappeared…)

Originally posted here.

[Kenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5. I really wanted to like this. I think the premise is great but the entire thing is a mess. There's a lot of interesting ideas here, but it's like spokes without a hub. In the end it becomes more like a soap opera than a super hero adventure.

[Murat Dural · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jason Latour tarafından yazılan Robbi Rodriguez tarafından çizilen "Spider Gwen" İlke Keskin editörlüğünde ve Tulgan Köksal çevirisi ile Marmara Çizgi tarafından Türkçe'ye kazandırıldı. Serinin ilk kitabı olan "En çok Aranan", Örümcek Adam - Peter Parker severler için büyük süprizler barındırıyor. "Başka Bir Evren" diyerek söze girmek en doğrusu sanırım. Çünkü bunu bilmediğim ve Örümcek Adam hikayesine, kökenine paralel yürüdüğünü düşündüğüm için önce küçük bir şok yaşadım. Ancak kitabın ortalarında bu durum dengelendi. Başta canımı sıkan bu durum ilerledikçe kendi dünyasını kabul ettirdi. Çizimleri beğendim, diyalog/anlatı kısımları ise bana sıkıntılı geldi. Çeviri mi? Hayır sorun orada değil, bence kendi dilinde öykülendirme yapılırken bir sorun var. Belki de öykü/kurgu tamamen Amerikalı genç bir kızın, bugünün dünyasının sokak dilini kullandığı için böyle zorladı beni, bilemiyorum. Son olarak ilginç bir benzetme yapmak istiyorum; Gwen ülkemizin en önemli çizerlerinden Kenan Yarar'ın "Hilal"ini hatırlattı bana. tamam öylesi fantastik, direk, atraksiyonlu değil ama yine de andırıyor. Tabii ki kimse bir Hilal olamaz :)

[Rory Wilding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of the relatable charm in the original Spider-Man concept is how the head-to-toe costume can make anyone be Spider-Man as in the comics, not only have we seen Peter Parker don the Spidey suit but also Miles Morales who for many people is their Spider-Man. As much as we do have Spider-Woman in the shape of Jessica Drew, who has been in various positions since her inception in the late seventies, there is another universe where the only figure web-slinging around New York City is a Gwen Stacy who didn't meet her untimely demise.

As part of Dan Slott's Spider-Verse storyline, the character debuted in Edge of Spider-Verse #2 which opens this initial volume of Jason Latour and Robbie Rodriguez. Opening with the introduction of this incarnation of Gwen, who not only got bitten by a radioactive spider and becomes the superhero Spider-Woman, but also the struggling drummer of the Mary Janes, named of course after lead vocalist Mary Jane Watson.

During the first few pages, we are given a ton of backstory, with Spider-Woman being a "Most Wanted" criminal after the death of Peter Parker (who mutated himself into The Lizard), whilst her father George is the police captain assigned to capture the vigilante without knowing who's under the mask. Throughout the nice initial volume, the narrative is disjointed in terms of the amount of information thrown in, even without an in-depth origin story. Certainly the most baffling decision is the second issue, in which Gwen hallucinates Spider-Ham as her own Jiminy Cricket, which was a failed comedic attempt of an internal monologue from Gwen.

However, what works best about the book is how in this other universe, Latour presents a different angle to the Spidey mythos as no matter how many times Gwen saves the day in her spider-costume (and witty quips), she will be ridiculed by the public – largely from J. Jonah Jameson – as well as how her other persona affects her personal life with her father and bandmates. There are also clever alterations to iconic Marvel characters, from Frank Castle as a Dirty Harry-ish rogue cop to Matt Murdock is the Kingpin's own lawyer and leads his own band of ninjas; however, the reinvention of Felicia Hardy doesn’t work as a Lady Gaga-ish popstar with a convoluted backstory.

If there's one thing to praise regarding artist Robbi Rodriguez is Spider-Gwen's awesome costume with her hoodie and the pink and turquoise coloring. His artwork is vibrant and along with Rico Renzi's coloring, as the visuals are eye-poppingly stylized with Gwen fighting various types of villains including the Vulture, even if none of them create a strong conflict for our heroine.

Due to gaining popularity from her initial debut, Spider-Gwen presents a unique spin of the Spidey mythos and even if the narrative is somewhat unbalanced, there is enough to enjoy from this Spider-Woman and her battles, internally and externally, whilst Robbi Rodriguez's art is a sight to behold.

[Aydin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The good: The character design, the art, the most gorgeous use of sound effects in an ongoing comic. It's a good-looking book. Also, the world and its alternate versions of established Marvel characters are intriguing. I'd love to see more stories set in this universe.

The bad: The story is horribly scattered and incoherent. The world, with its alternate versions of well-known Marvel characters, is one of the book's greatest strengths, but it often feels as though the creative team was more concerned with jamming in cool alternate universe characters than with developing what the characters and relationships the book already has.

I would have liked for the story slow down and focus on Gwen's headspace. We know her trauma, but what does she want? Does she want to be in her band or doesn't she? Is she conflicted about it? We see her try a little to juggle being Spider-Woman and being in a band, but never to the same extent as countless Spider-Man stories, Sailor Moon, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or other secret identity stories. (Does she go to school? She is allegedly in college but she never even mentions going to class.) Has her relationship with her bandmates always been rocky? We don't know because it isn't explored.

And it isn't that I want all this to be in the first book. Instead, it's that there's so much in the first book that does not need to be there, so many pages spent introducing and weakly developing other characters when we don't even know Gwen.

The book also takes for granted that the reader is familiar with the larger Marvel multiverse, which is not uncommon for a Marvel book but feels particularly like a wasted opportunity for this book, which, being its own universe, has the potential to bring new readers into Marvel by being self-contained.

Slow down. Focus on Gwen. Tell the story.

Overall: I like the world enough that I've kept the series on my pull list. I'm disappointed enough with the storytelling that I may drop it if the second arc doesn't shape up.

[Artemy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a decent book, however it didn't do much for me story-wise. I'm not a fan of Spider-Man, although I love Miles Morales, who is the one and only Spider-Man for me, and absolutely adore any version of Jessica Drew. Basically, I believe that there are much more interesting Spider-People than Peter Parker. So when I heard about this series, I thought that Gwen Stacy should be a great fit for Spider-Woman. However, it feels like we haven't seen enough of her here, with all the running away from cops and villains and the scandals inside The Mary Janes, the band Gwen is a part of. I wanted to learn more about who she is and what she is like, and there wasn't much of that. I didn't read Spider-Verse though, so maybe I missed something there.
But I do have to say, this comic is BEAUTIFUL. It's all in neon glow. Colours and inks look absolutely stunning. And it really adds a lot of charm and atmosphere to the world of this book.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

So how do you bring back Gwen Stacy without bringing her back from the dead or have her being a clone? Multiverse! Gwen from a different Universe! And she has spider powers and a band!

This was pretty cool. It's another spin on the Spider-man mythology. If you're a Scott Pilgrim fan or a fan of what Gillen and McKelvie did with Young Avengers, this is for you.

But this, along with Southern Bastards and his short run on Winter Soldier has made Jason Latour a creator I keep an eye out for. I hope they keep him on Spider-Gwen post Secret Wars.

[Peter Derk · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know what it was about this book, but I just did not give two fucks.

Okay, I kinda know what it was.

I'm kinda over the whole thing where we have an alternate Earth where everything is different...but not.

Wha? Gwen Stacy is Spider-Man instead of Peter Parker? And she, essentially, behaves exactly like Peter Parker and is Peter Parker's soul in Gwen Stacy's body?

No way! Captain America is a black woman whose origin seems nearly identical and whose story is the same?

In fact, let's talk a little more about this Cap.

She's a black woman who was subjected to a super soldier process of some kind. Then got displaced from her time or dimension or whatever for 75 years, after which she returned to her Earth without having aged and with society having moved forward 75 years. So instead of being frozen in a block of ice, she was off on dino world or something.

The thing is, I feel like books that take place on alternate Earths sometimes bend over backwards to make things different while also maintaining the same status quo. Which I find boring. I don't see the purpose of it. Why create a Captain America backstory where it seems the bookends and end are the same and the middle part is different but with the same result? It's not so much an alternate universe as a universe that took a different path to arrive at the same place.

By the way, I don't mean this in a "Steve Rogers is MY Captain America kind of way." I mean this in a way where if I'm going to read a "new" Captain America story, then give me a new story. It's totes rad (I put that slang in there for the kids) to make a black Spider-Man, and what they didn't do was remake Amazing Fantasy 15 using different colors and the exact same story. It's totes #bazinga (I'm out of slang now) to make a black female Captain America, but if she's going to be very much the same kind of person as Steve Rogers, from what I can tell, then I need you to tell me a new story. A new character AND a new story would be nice, but a new character OR a new story is the minimum I'm looking for.

Take it outside the Captain America thing, in this book Punisher is basically the same dude except he has a 401k. What the hell is the point of that? He's a big, intimidating asshole who has a brutal vision of law. Which one am I talking about? This alternate Earth or the regular one we're used to? Haha, you'll never know!

Also, assuming history of a different Earth is different, I have no idea what black history might be there, I have no idea about women's history. So is having a black female Captain America a thing on this Earth, or is it status quo? Again, I have no idea. I don't get any of THAT backstory.

What it comes down to is that sometimes these alternate worlds feel like cheating to me. If you read this having never read stories from Earth-616 (that's the standard Earth for you non-comics people) then it would be a bunch of insane, meaningless gobblidiegook. Yoosaplatz. Gilgamoosh. But this alternate world uses our familiarity with Earth-616 to basically shortcut the need to make characters distinct. I know nothing about the new Captain America, but she seems to behave and talk and occupy the space of Earth-616 Cap. In fact, the fistfight between Spider-Gwen and Cap seems to be almost an exact mirror of the fistfight between Spidey and Cap during Civil War. Maybe this is cute fan service or something, I don't know, but I also just don't really care.

All of it begs the question, why am I reading the same story again?

So I quit.

Rather than offering something brand new, I felt like we were re-treading everything Spider-Man. And I've read those stories already. I'm ready for something new and fresh. I think there are some interesting What If? elements going on here, but it's not enough.

Some might say that this is fine because, hey, some people want to grow up with Spider-Gwen as their primary Spider-Man, so why not just do a more diverse remake? I can dig it, but the problem is that there's almost no story here that makes any sense, really.

There's that old saying that goes like "Any comic book could be someone's first." If this was your first comic book, I can't fathom what you'd derive from it. I just don't see this book accomplishing and establishing an existence that's outside of and independent of Earth-616 Spidey. There's virtually no discussion of her powers, there's really no explanation of who the hell these side characters are. It wouldn't mean anything to you that Uncle Ben was alive or that some guy named Peter Parker was the Lizard.

Also, why in the fuck does Spider-Gwen need to be in a rock band? Seriously. There are a couple things I generally have a problem with in comics. One of them is music. I can't hear it. I have no idea what it sounds like. It doesn't move me in any way. This is true of books of pure text too. My god did I flip past the songs in Lord of the Rings. My kingdom for a version with the songs redacted. Or Dio lyrics in there instead. At least I can imagine the song that way.

The other thing that kills me is food. There are some exceptions, but again, I can't taste it, I can't smell it. I can't feel the temperature or texture. The only information I get is visual, which is possibly the least important information regarding food. It matters, but not as much as those other senses. Notably, CHEW does a great job with food stuff because it doesn't really talk about flavor so much as narrative. Imagine that. In a narrative form, we use something like food to unlock narrative.

I guess what I wanted was simple.

What I wanted was new characters in a new story.

What I would have settled for would have been new characters in an old story OR old characters in a new story.

What I got was the same characters in a story that didn't feel particularly new to me.

And perhaps I didn't read far enough. I didn't finish the book. I honestly was so confused and bored at the same time that I just wasn't having a good time reading it. So maybe the book finds its spider legs (ew) and things improve quickly. But I just couldn't hang.

[Malum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, fun, fun!

Spider-Gwen has bright, almost neon colors and cartoony artwork, and yet it totally works for the kinds of stories that they are telling.

It is also fun to see the Marvel universe shaken up a bit. Ben Grimm and Frank Castle are cops. Uncle Ben and Aunt May are Gwen's next-door neighbors. Gwen is tormented by the death of her universe's Peter Parker. And, in an extra fun twist, Matt Murdock (or Matt "Murderdock" as she calls him) is her arch-nemesis.

So, if you are a Spider-family fan and you want something a little different, definatley check this out!

[Susie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt a bit out of my element with this one. I needed just a smidge more background to help with my confusion. There were definitely strong points - like the Gwen/Aunt May interactions and The Mary Janes stuff. I'm not sure I'll continue on in the series, but if you're into Spider Man check this one out. :)

[guille (littlebitmoody) · Rating 3 out of 5]

comics are weird.

[Ronyell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Introduction:

Wait a minute…Gwen Stacy is…SPIDER WOMAN!? And who ever heard of a graphic novel having a volume 0?

Before you get confused about this (as I was), there was an event called “Spider-Verse” that might explain about all this (except that I haven’t read the “Spider-Verse” event yet, so that point might be moot at this time). Anyway, I have been hearing so many good things about the “Spider-Gwen” series that I had to give “Spider-Gwen: Most Wanted? Volume Zero” a shot and I must admit that I actually liked this graphic novel!

What is this story about?

In this universe, it was Gwen Stacy who was bitten by a radioactive spider and possessed spider powers (not Peter Parker). It turns out that Peter Parker was bullied so much at school that one day he decided to transform himself into the lizard and went on a rampage throughout the city and ended up getting himself killed. Because of this, Gwen harbored a lot of guilt over what happened to Peter since Peter was doing all this to be like Gwen. After this tragic event, J. Jonah Jameson had caused the public to turn against Spider-Gwen by stating that she was responsible for Peter Parker’s death and Gwen ends up being on the run from the law, including from her father Captain Stacy (at least until she tells him who she really is). Now Gwen has to prove to the public that she did not kill Peter Parker and that she is a true hero while also avoiding the people after her including Frank Castle (A.K.A. The Punisher), the Vulture and Matt Murdock himself!

What I loved about this story:

Jason Latour’s writing: Jason Latour’s writing was quite unique and interesting to read as this universe’s Gwen Stacy is one of the most interesting characters I had ever read! I loved the way that Jason Latour made Gwen Stacy into such a strong female protagonist as Gwen also cracks jokes like Spider-Man, but she can be moody at times due to her guilt over Peter’s death and I loved the way that Jason Latour wrote Gwen’s struggles with trying to cope with Peter’s death as it made Gwen into a truly relatable character. I also loved the fact that Gwen Stacy is involved in a rock band as it adds even more dimension to her character and I just loved the fact that we have a heroine who is into music! I also enjoyed the moments between Gwen and her father, Captain Stacy, as while it was quite intense due to Captain Stacy not wanting his daughter to get in danger, it was nice seeing how much Captain Stacy cares about his daughter and only wants what is best for her. Jason Latour also did an interesting job at giving us a Spider-Man universe where Gwen Stacy is Spider Woman as I never would have thought that Gwen Stacy of all people could become a superheroine. But, this version of Gwen Stacy is so well written that I actually loved the fact that Gwen Stacy makes an interesting Spider Woman!

Robbi Rodriguez’s artwork: Robbi Rodriguez’s artwork was quite creative to look at, especially Spider Gwen’s outfit! I just loved the reddish hues that cover the pages whenever Gwen is performing in her rock band as it makes those moments really stand out. But the best part of Robbi Rodriguez’s artwork is Spider-Gwen’s outfit! I think I have fallen in love with Spider-Gwen’s outfit since it is actually white and pink all over and it makes her look like a savior type being within the pages!



What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

The reason why I gave this book a four-star rating was because I felt that the dialogue was a bit disjointed at times. I was not sure if it was because the dialogue was trying to use street slang to make the characters seem more modern or if it was the writing itself. I often had a difficult time trying to understand what the characters are actually saying due to how the dialogue is being written. Also, if you have not read “Spider-Verse,” chances are you will probably be confused about what is really going on in this book (although this is technically an alternate universe of the “Spider-Man” universe).

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Spider-Gwen: Most Wanted? Volume Zero” is a great graphic novel to read if you want to see a different take on Gwen Stacy!

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

[Emily Matview · Rating 4 out of 5]

So first things first - the Spider-Gwen costume is just awesome.


I feel like the character wouldn’t have been given a chance past the Spider-Verse 1 shot if not for Robbi Rodriguez turning in such a great character design.

The story, written by Jason Latour, is sort of a cross between Ultimate Spider-Man and Scott Pilgrim, with crime fighting, indie rocking and humor.

Here, Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker’s long dead girlfriend in regular Marvel continuity, is very much alive. She’s in a band – The Mary Janes – and she also has the powers of Spidey, bitten by the radioactive spider in place of Peter.


Shortly after gaining her abilities, Peter Parker becomes the Lizard and ends up passing away, with blame falling on Gwen.

With J Jonah Jameson spearheading a smear campaign against her and her own father – Captain George Stacy of the NYPD – leading the charge to arrest her, Gwen is stressed out and missing band practice and other responsibilities.

But like Peter, she plays off the stress with sarcasm and quips, which makes for an enjoyable read.

The art by Rodriguez and colorist Rico Renzi is great. I'd recommend this book on the art alone. Latour's writing fun. He does a good job setting up Gwen's universe and giving her a distinct personality.

kit: Twitter | Tumblr

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so happy with this series. I'd seen bits and pieces of this version of Gwen throughout the Spider-Verse stuff, and I really liked her. I've always liked her version of the spider suit, too. Impractical, sure, but really cool looking and both distinctly her and distinctly Spidey. I liked her even more as the protagonist of her own story. There's a lot of backstory that's presented as a quick flashback: Gwen was the one bitten by a spider and given powers, and Peter made himself the Lizard out of envy, leading to his death. I was somewhat skeptical about such an important storyline happening entirely before this comic even started, but I'm not sure Spider-Gwen was intended to have her own series at all. At any rate, Latour makes the plot focus on the aftermath of Peter's death, and it works surprisingly well. And it works in no small part because Gwen herself is such an incredibly appealing character, and her relationship with her father is appropriately complex. In all honesty, this book reminded me of Ultimate Spider-Man, in the best possible way. It's a reimagining of a familiar story, with an admirable focus on emotions and interpersonal relationships. I don't think this book has a future, and that makes me a little sad.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beim Wiederlesen, veranlasst durch den wie ich finde wirklich gelungenen Film SPIDER-MAN: A NEW UNIVERSE festigt sich der Eindruck, dass meine ursprüngliche 3=Sterne=Bewertung ausgesprochen fair war. Die Artwork von Rodriguez lebt viel von der Kolorierung, spricht mich ansonsten aber wenig an.
Irritierender noch finde ich, dass das MÄDCHEN, DAS IN EINER BAND SPIELT inzwischen zum Topos geworden ist, auf den kein Comic verzichten kann, das Mädchen als Leser gewinnen will: Egal ob BLACK CANARY bei DC, JOSIE UND DIE PUSSYCATS bei Archie oder eben Gwen hier: Der Traum, ein Pop=Star zu sein, beschränkt sich nicht mehr auf das Superhero=Biz. Soziale Medien, Graffiti und Handys sind weitere unverzichtbare Bestandteile. Da ist viel Schein im Spiel, auch wenn Ideale und Individualität weiterhin eine große Rolle spielen.
Ich verstehe, dass die Comics mit der Zeit gehen müssen, denn gerade das macht sie für mich immer (noch) lesenswert: dass sie ein Spiegel ihrer Zeit sind. Aber von diesem neuen Lebensgefühl, diesem Lifestyle, bin ich doch schon sehr, sehr weit entfernt.
Vielleicht triggert auch das meine Eindruck, dass das Gesamtkonzept von Spider Gwen einfach nicht richtig aufgeht und zündet. SILK ist konzeptionell dann doch etwas innovativer.

[Laci Carrera | Book Pairings · Rating 3 out of 5]

In case you have been living under a rock, I’ll tell you a little bit about Spider-Gwen. This is an alternate version of the story we all know so well, Spiderman. Peter Parker’s girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, who has been long dead in the original Marvel run of this story is very much alive. In fact she is so alive that she has the spidey sense. Gwen was bitten by that radioactive spider, not Peter.

This comic run we see lots of alternative story arcs and crossovers. I found it a little confusing in this collected volume, but you have to realize that this was not originally going to be a spinoff.

But, back to the comic. The art and humor are great. This is a comic for millennials. Gwen is in a band, The Mary Janes, and is definitely “alternative” but still classically pretty. She’s full of snarky comments and bad puns, which only makes you love her more.

The only reason I am not giving this 4 stars, is because it was a little confusing to follow without reading the crossovers.