MARCO SPEAKS SPIDEY: WHAT IF…? DARK: SPIDER-GWEN (2023) #1 REVIEW

At the risk of giving away my age, I will openly admit that my very first comic book ever was ‘What if… Spider-Man became a murderer?’ and from that moment on, my life had been changed forever. From my research, the issue came out on February 1995, so I leave it to you to make your guess about my age. I know, it is a pretty weird place to start my romance with comic books, and Spider-Man specifically. But, at the end of the day, it got the job done. So, when I saw that Marvel was coming out with a tale centering on Gwen’s fate if she was the one who survived Green Goblin, instead of Peter Parker, I knew that I had to not only read it, but also share my thoughts on the special issue.

OFFICIAL MARVEL DESCRIPTION:

Published:

July 26, 2023

Writer:

Gerry Conway, Jody Houser

Penciler:

Ramon Bachs

Cover Artist:

Greg Land

Spider-Legend Gerry Conway returns to his most famous Spider-Story for this WHAT IF along with co-writer Jody Houser! WHAT IF Gwen Stacy didn’t die on the bridge that day, but Spider-Man DID?! ‘Nuff said, I presume!

PROS:

• First and foremost, I always love a good comic book story when it tackles the possibility of becoming a superhero even if you do not have any powers. And ultimately, that is what Gwen did in this story. I applaud the team’s choice to not dwell so much on the mourning over Peter Parker’s death. We see how Gwen automatically is driven to action… and more importantly, revenge. This reaction feels even more real because of the nature of the situation, as Gwen has to deal with a mixture of guilt, shock, and violent thoughts.
• The ending was twisted, painful, but there really was no other way to justify the storyline. It was a poetic tragedy that had Harry Osborn kill his own father, without him even knowing it. And in a tale as old as time, we see how Harry once again goes down that dark path laid out for him by his sinister father, even after his demise. But what makes this an even stronger moment is the fact that Gwen has to make up for her own sins, taking on the costume and the role of the previous Spider-Man to put a stop to Harry’s eventual madness. It’s a vicious cycle that comes in all shapes and forms, regardless of what Spidey universe we find ourselves in.
• The art in this special issue was just masterful, as it captured the retro, old-school vibe of its era of inspiration. But the work was clean, dynamic, emotional and just plain dark, as the title of the book suggests. Just scanning the pages, you already feel a sense of pain, witnessing the characters go through their own personal struggles and demons. It is written all over their faces.
• The story of Gwen would not be complete without her championing Peter’s cause and turning her back on the potential violence she was about to unleash on Green Goblin. It was a beautiful moment when she finally chose to honor Peter’s memory, cherishing what made him a true superhero, rather than give into her own violent, blind rage. This comic book knew exactly who Gwen was and knew WHAT exactly Peter Parker was… a hero until his last breath.

CONS:

• The only con I see is that this has to end in one shot. While I absolutely love and adore our more mainstream Spider-Gwen counterpart, this version does such a good job of bringing the past back to our present day, creating a classic Gwen with a modern take. With the legendary team behind it, this story can surely stretch as long as it wants to… so, take my money!!!

FINAL GRADE: A++

As I mentioned earlier in this review, my love story with Spider-Man, and comic books in general, started on a dark note when I was a young boy. Seeing Peter Parker become a murderer fascinated me and grabbed my attention right away, making me a fan for life. And this special one-shot also has the same effect, reigniting in me a new, different kind of flame that makes me want to read more Spider-Man, and even more Gwen. It will be interesting to see what other dark stories the ‘What If’ line of comic books has in store for us, and I am eager to see additional tales of this version of Gwen.