[easyazon_link identifier=”B01D8ZT144″ locale=”US” tag=”bounintocomi-20″]The Unbelievable Gwenpool #1[/easyazon_link] explores a question friends have been discussing around tables for decades, “What would you do if you had superpowers?”
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To be fair, Ms.Poole and her new found sidekick, Cecil, stress the idea that she has no superpowers in her debut solo comic, however some of the situations Gwen gets herself into challenge that assumption.
Gwenpool encounters everything from bank robberies, sentinels, free falling directly into unbreakable glass, and explosions ( a LOT of explosions) without a scratch. The comic is very clear in telling us that we will not be receiving an origin story this go around. However what we are given explains Gwen has been transported from a different universe, assumed to be the one we are currently occupying, where the entirety of the Marvel Universe exists as comics, games, and movies.
Given that she knows she is part of a world she believes to be fictional, Gwenpool borrows heavily from her namesake and breaks the fourth-wall throughout this issue. She explains to the reader the basics or her story, how she plans her strategy in defeating enemies, and the fact that no one really ever needs to see a Spider-Man origin story ever again. R.I.P. Uncle Ben or wait, was it Aunt May that got offed?
I’ll be the first to admit I was skeptical of this title from the start. Spider-Gwen is a great addition to Marvel’s titles, not to mention she sports what I think might be the best costume in comics from the past 20 years (eat your heart out Batgirl), and Deadpool has gone from often times annoying comic relief to having a solid solo comic run, every type of merchandise known to man, and I think they made a movie or something recently, right?
So logically it makes financial sense to put these characters together in some fashion, but it also seemed like this could easily be a cash grab with no substance. Happily, I was wrong. This title turned out to be a lot of fun. While the story seems packed to an almost breaking point, it flows really well and wraps up to a conclusion that has me eager to get to the next issue.
Christopher Hastings gives us a story that never takes itself too seriously, but sets the stage for some really interesting character development in the future. This issue is elevated even higher by artist Gurihiru and colorist Tamra Bonvillain, who provide the closest experience of watching animation in a still format that you can get from a comic. The movement on the page is exciting and the bright popping colors are a nice change from the muted format that has been popular in the medium for so long now. Seriously, I am still seeing pink.
The Verdict
All in all, [easyazon_link identifier=”B01D8ZT144″ locale=”US” tag=”bounintocomi-20″]The Unbelievable Gwenpool #1[/easyazon_link] is a funny, action packed comic that keeps itself open for a bright (probably pink) future and definitely deserves a spot on the pull list.