Writer: Jason Latour / Artist: Robbi Rodriguez / Marvel Comics
Earth-65’s Frank Castle hasn’t proven to be as intimidating a nemesis as you might expect from The Punisher, but this cover still has to be the hardest we’ve ever seen on Radioactive Spider-Gwen. Looming over the city skyline, opposite of Frank Castle stands Gwen Stacy, mask off, fists balled, looking defiantly into that sky. Here goes the finale of “Weapon of Choice.”
Radioactive Spider-Gwen #12 fits the mold of previous arc finales marrying long action sequences with Gwen’s internal dialogue. The twist this time is that Gwen didn’t reach much personal discovery, at least not compared to her understanding of Frank Castle and the self-discovery seen by her dad, Captain Stacy. Entertainment-wise the “Weapon of Choice” finale hits the right notes, and stays on par with an arc that was pretty good despite being quite different from the game-changing clash I expected. There’s a still a lot that feels unanswered – how Gwen defines her identity, the sustainability of her powers – and those left outstanding make the arc seem less impactful while adding some pressure to the story arc to come. If they’re addressed directly “Weapon of Choice” will have been an appropriate build up, but if they’re glazed over or made convoluted with new challenges it may feel like filler in retrospect.
Gwen’s left in a rough emotional state, and a smirk at the end makes us wonder just where she is mentally and what she plans to do after her deal with the devil, so that itself is enough to keep us interested in what’s to come for issue #13. Overall, “Weapon of Choice” has been my least favorite arc, but still as entertaining as most comics on shelves.
Reading Radioactive Spider-Gwen? Catch up on previous reviews here.
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