The Unbelievable Gwenpool #1
Writer: Christopher Hastings
Main Story Artist: Gurihiru
Prologue Artist: Danilo Beyruth
Prologue Colorist: Tamra Bonvillian
Publisher: Marvel
Review by Dave Hildebrand
When I first saw Gwenpool grace a variant cover for Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars last year, I knew deep down that this would not be the last time I would see her. Immediately the internet lit up with both positive and negative reactions towards Gwenpool. Spider-Gwen had skyrocketed in popularity and now Gwenpool has appeared. Cries of overexposure about Gwen were everywhere, but I was still curious to see if Marvel would carry Gwenpool further. News came out that she would make her first appearance in Howard the Duck and next would be a special holiday themed issue. Here we are today and she now has her own ongoing series. Marvel’s little joke appears to have paid off.
The first issue starts out with Gwen explaining that there is no need for an origin story. She can only see only see Uncle Ben die so many times. So we will begin with a prologue. With a scene that appears to be taken right from the movie Point Break, complete with masks, Gwen is in a bank when a robbery happens. She is in the process of opening a bank account and having a hard time doing so. The robbery occurs and she tries to make a deal with the personal banker to let her open an account without an ID if she stops the robbery. The banker says he cannot help her with that, Gwen decides to take out the bad guys anyway. She pulls no punches and shoots them, just like her male counterpart Deadpool would do. This opening sequence eases you into the rest of the issue where you see her struggle to be respected as a mercenary and get hired to do jobs.
Hastings story to begin Gwen’s first adventure is a very good start for the series. Like Deadpool, Gwenpool knows she is a character in a book. The difference here is that she believes that she is a real person while everything and everyone around her are fictional. One example being, she watches how a Sentinel moves and it moves in the same pattern from an old X-Men arcade game. Gwen remembers the pattern and is able to take care of the Sentinel. It is almost like she treats this world she is in as a playground.
I was mixed on the art. The prologue done by Beyruth didn’t flow as well with the story as it did when the main story takes over with Gurihiru illustrating. Gurihiru’s art looks very sleek and has a manga influenced style. The book is colourful and almost a little too cutesy, but it works.
Verdict:
I’m gonna say BUY IT! Gwenpool surprised me. I had plans on buying this and giving it a shot when it was first announced. The Deadpool Secret Secret Wars cover pulled me in. I read the holiday themed book when it came out, wasn’t too impressed with it, but wasn’t ready to give up on the character just yet. I am pleased that I went ahead and purchased this issue. I will definitely continue the series for now. If you like Deadpool, then this is well worth the time to check this out. It is delightful to see the similarities between the two Pools, but at the same time, they are oh so different! Start counting down the days until they meet, because it is sure to happen!
