Chris Visions

After the death of Peter Parker, a citywide search continues for his killer, who many believe to be Spider-Woman. But Gwen Stacey knows she didn't kill Peter so she's determined to find out what exactly happened to lead up to his death and why other giant lizard people have been spotted since then.

I liked the Spider-Gwen character from the recent-ish Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and this book caught my eye because the cover art looked similar to the animation style for her world in show more that movie. Unfortunately, even though this book says it's volume 1, we are clearly picking up in the middle of a story started elsewhere. There's a brief recap at the beginning of the book so it's not insurmountable to jump into it, but I dislike when the first volume isn't really the start of a series.

My bigger gripe with this particular story was that it felt the need to cram so many Marvel characters into it. We aren't just dealing with the multi-verse and Spider-Man characters from a variety of previous stories, but we also have Captain America, Peggy Carter, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Matt Murdock, Frank Castle, and probably others I'm forgetting already. Crossovers can be fun from time to time but after a while it gets to be ridiculous. This may be a Spider-Gwen title but we're lucky if we see her half the time given how many other characters are jammed in to remind us about every Marvel property.

This title provided some brief escapism and is mostly just full of fight scenes so it would appeal to folks who like those sort of comics more than ones that have character building. (To be clear, there's a small amount of that here, but not enough for my liking to offset the things I didn't like about it.) Really, at the end of the day, the story didn't say much that wasn't already familiar to me from the aforementioned movie and I have no interest in continuing on with this series. show less

Gwen grapples with her baggage around Peter Parker's death when a Lizard 2.0 arrives on the scene. Meanwhile, her father must make his own choices between knowing what his career asks of him and what his daughter needs from him.

I'm really enjoying this series. Gwen is a fascinating character, it's delightful to see an alternate universe spin on major Marvel characters (Captain America is an African-American woman! Matt Murdock is evil!), and the larger superhero universe remains intriguing.

The second volume moves the overall plot of the series forwards and introduces even more of this world's versions of existing Marvel heroes. Some of them are a lot like their original counterparts, but mostly they are interesting variations.

What I liked best about this volume is that it was surprisingly heartwarming. Gwen is a more thoughtful and deliberate Spider-hero than the impulsive Peter Parker or the naive and inexperienced Miles Morales. I look forward to seeing how she continues to show more come up with creative solutions that don't just rely on hitting people until they're unconscious. show less

Spider-Gwen, Vol. 1: Greater Power collects Spider-Gwen volume 2, nos. 1-6, written by Jason Latour with art by Robbi Rodriguez and Chris Visions (on issue 5). Rico Renzi continues to provide a distinctive color palette for the series. Following the events of Secret Wars, Latour and his artists relaunched Spider-Gwen as part of the All-New, All-Different Marvel brand. Despite the start back at issue number one, this follows the story as it had been going without much mention of the Secret show more Wars.
The story begins with Gwen Stacy seeking out Dr. Curt Connors to find out how Earth-65 Peter Parker managed to turn himself into a lizard. Along the way, she encounters a team of lizards and her universe's Captain America. Meanwhile, Matt Murdock tries to use her father to recruit her to the Kingpin's side. Visits to the main 616 Marvel Universe to meet with Jessica Drew lead to discussions about the role of destiny and the meaning of life.
Latour continues to tell an exciting and innovated story and the art and inks by Rodriguez and Renzi make this one just as much of a treat as the previous volume. My only complaint is the art by Chris Visions on issue 5, which doesn't match anything before or after in this volume. It has a rough, unfinished look compared to the stylized appearance of the rest. Still, fans of the character will find a lot to enjoy here. show less