Spider-Gwen #23 Review

Writer: Hannah Blumenreich, Jason Latour / Artist: Hannah Blumenreich, Jordan Gibson, Robbi Rodriguez / Marvel Comics I can make one specific prediction about Spider-Gwen #23: fan response will range somewhere from the tepid “this isn’t what I wanted” to the furious “traditional” comic book reader bro-nerd upset at the all-woman cast that revolves nowhere around them – that, in fact, the only inclusion of a man is a negative portrayal of an entitled harasser who can’t take no for an answer. For the rest of us, though, I’ll go ahead and say it: this shit was both needed and welcome. Unexpected, but needed and welcome. Spider-Gwen takes a complete break in the middle of its Predators story line, right on the heels of the major plot turn of the symbiote merging with Gwen to create the long-awaited Gwenom, to highlight the rarely seen supporting cast of Gwen Stacy’s life: her best friends, The Mary Janes.

Without Spider-Gwen the story builds the supporting cast around her character in a way that has long been necessary. I have discussed this before – from Spider-Gwen #3 and Spider-Gwen #5, all the way through the recent Spider-Gwen #22 – a challenge of the series has been the lack of strong supporting characters, and this was a great issue to help rectify that challenge. Every hero needs those who love our protagonist, bring out different parts of her personality, and reflect how we might feel as characters in her life. By developing Glory, Betty, and Mary Jane we gain an angle …