Radioactive Spider-Gwen #13 Review

Writer: Jason Latour / Artist: Robbi Rodriguez / Marvel Comics Nah, fam. Spider-Gwen is on its 13th issue, not to mention the 5-issue series before the character was restarted at #1, so it should be afforded an issue like this. It should be able to have a playful standalone Halloween episode. It’s earned it. But… nah, fam. For those who can appreciate moderate fillers for extra insight into a character, or exposure to the supporting cast, or just a light isolated adventure, Radioactive Spider-Gwen #13 will fit the bill as a fun story that captures all three. For others though, the first issue after the “Weapon of Choice” arc will read like the moment Switch looked down on Apoc’s body on The Matrix as you feel abruptly removed from the stakes of Gwen Stacy’s real adventure for a side mission you’d rather pass if only you’d known.

“Night of the Living Dread” gives us a closer look at The Mary Janes, Gwen’s band named after the Earth-65-edition Mary Jane Watson. Although this type of issue is rarely my jam, I appreciate the emphasis given to Gwen’s friends here. A shortcoming of the series for some time now has been the lack of strong supporting characters – those who love our protagonist, bring out different parts of her personality, and reflect how we might feel as characters in her life. We’ve seen what it can look like when done well, with Spider-Women Omega in particular, so issues like this one definitely serve to begin doing the same with non-superpowered friends.

In th…