Spider-Gwen #2
Marvel
Written by: Jason Latour
Art by: Robbi Rodriguez
Color by: Rico Renzi
As good as Spider-Gwen #1 was for a debut issue, you had to figure issue #2 would be slight step back. Story wise a lot of the intrigue that derives from Spider-Gwen is the World building of this particular spidey universe, which Jason Latour did an excellent job of establishing in Spider-Gwen’s last two appearances. Now with issue #2 the real challenge comes. Will the characters that inhabit this brand-new hip Spider-Verse and their stories actually be interesting?
After an encounter with the Vulture in the previous issue, our new Spider-Woman now has to begin to truly ponder the risk of being a hero. Conjuring up the age-old superhero trope of: Is this risk of being a hero worth it, if it means endangering my love ones? The plot device used to deliver this question is where this book strays a bit, in that Peter Parker’s ghost speaks to Gwen in the form of Spider-Ham. While many Spider-verse fans will love the return of Spider-Ham, this outlet just has a way of cheapening what could have been an otherwise iconic moment.
Latour does a strong job of bringing in two previous characters to his version of Spidey in: Wilson “King-Pin” Fisk and Detective Jean DeWolff. To further this interesting dynamic we fully establish this universe’s Matt Murdock as a despicable Kingpin cohort, opening up some enticing storytelling opportunities. Seeing these new characters interact with George Stacy is really where this book begins to thrive. Rather than completely have the book caught up in some of the non-sense drama of the Mary Jane’s, this title stays grounded through the eyes of Captain Stacy. The weight of Gwen being Spider-Woman, combined with the recklessness of Frank Castle, cement the Father-Stacy plot as a solid foundation of the book.
Despite getting “hammed” up with some classic tropes and pointless drama early on, Spider-Gwen #2 manages to set the stage for a George Stacy arc that should keep most readers sticking around.