The Unbelievable Gwenpool: Beyond the Fourth Wall

by Christopher Hastings & Gurihiru
collects The Unbelievable Gwenpool #16-20
original series: volumes one | two | three | four | five [complete]
miniseries: Gwenpool Strikes Back

After a dismal third volume I was *almost* done with Gwenpool, but volume four’s great reviews on Goodreads convinced me to continue with Gwen, and wow, am I glad I did. This was one of the most entertaining volumes I’ve read in a long time.

We pick up immediately after volume three, when Gwenpool goes back to her home (according to our reality), and her brother Teddy recognizes her! This sets off a wacky, very Gwenpool adventure that brilliantly addresses what Hastings has put off until now – who was Gwen in our reality, and how did she get to the Marvel Universe? I won’t spoil anything, but it’s real fun, well written and worth the wait, and still retains some mystery.

Hastings also addresses Gwenpool’s uber-violent nature and her precarious “superpower” of knowing heroes’ identities. This eventually leads to what must have been an absolute ball for Hastings and Gurihiru, as both play with the form and nature of comics; constraints that Marvel (and DC) impose on creators; subvert and satirize the superhero genre, all through Gwen breaking the fourth wall, and beyond.

But throughout, Gwen goes through some strong character development, as she is forced to reckon with her adventures so far, her sense of “free will” while knowing she is a product of her creators, and what kind of character she might become. spoilers: We also meet a future, evil version of Gwen who’s not only convincing, but ultimately sympathetic, which is a huge accomplishment for one-arc villains.

And the artist team known as Gurihiru pulls out all the stops for this volume, and it’s absolutely delightful. I love their anime style (though it might not work for everyone), bright and cheery colors (particularly when things get violent), and soft gradients (especially Gwen’s hair). The little baby shark sighting towards the beginning was cute too. But most of all, the way Gwen breaks the fourth wall is both amusing and also showcases Gurihiru’s mastery of the form, particularly as she learns how to grasp the panel edges, travels between gutters, pages and even previous arcs. (The cover to #18 and the trade, while not actually occurring in the story, features cameos across all her arcs, and therefore itself breaks the fourth wall.)

Unfortunately the fifth and final volume doesn’t seem to be as strong, but I’ve gotten this far with Gwen and we’ll tough it out, and then jump to her next series after West Coast Avengers. Hastings and Gurihiru make a fantastic case that Gwen belongs in the Marvel universe, both as a compelling wildcard but also as an opportunity to satirize the nature of comics and the superhero genre.