Review: Gwenpool: Strikes Back #1

Marvel“s “Gwenpool: Strikes Back”“ is a genre defying epiphany of what meta means in the world of comic book creation. Gwendolyn Poole is Gwenpool, a near reject from the Marvel universe who validates her existence in the Marvel comic book universe via the first issue of “Gwenpool: Strikes Back.”“ Panels and pages are malleable tools for Gwen“s narration. It takes a few panels for Gwen to realize that she is the star of her own story. Once she figures it out, she rolls through the narrative like a locomotive.

The cold meta opening is not a gimmick ”“ even it feels like it for a few pages. Gwen is in search of a super power. She believes that the only way to guarantee her ongoing existence in this comic book and/or in the Marvel comic book universe is to become more interesting; less dispensable. One way to do this, according to her, is to acquire super powers. So . . . she decides to rob a bank. This may not make sense, but explaining much more might spoil what will be a delightful read.

Gwendolyn Pool ”“ no relation to Deadpool or Gwen Stacy ”“ is a self-professed “comic super-fan.”“ She is from our world. Which is to say, she is like us. And her role in comics is to demolish the fourth wall and to serve as our cynic-in-residence as we read the latest variation on the multiverse concept in comics. She is a little like Deadpool ”“ irreverent and at times laugh-out-loud hilarious. But somehow, Deadpool quickly becomes an afterthought in the elastic gutters of this Gwenpool comic.

In general, meta-fiction tends to describe fiction that is self-conscious about its structure, about it“s “fiction-ness.”“ “Gwenpool Strikes Back”“ is meta-fictional in this way. But it is also something more. It is a book that uses everything ”“ every aspect of comics and the comic book form ”“ to tell its absolutely unique story. Fans might ultimately argue that Gwenpool“s “superpower”“ is the most consequential ability in the Marvel universe. Gwenpool would laugh at them, but they might argue it anyway.

The visual artistry by David Baldeon and Jesus Aburtov, is stunning and technically more innovative than it initially looks on the page. But look again. VC“s Joe Caramagna“s lettering is exceptional. The letters are essentially an additional character or character frame depending on which page and what folding panel you are reading. And Leah Williams“ writing is impeccable. Humor is hard in comics. Meta-fiction is hard in comics. Scripting a meta-fictional comedy in comics is really hard. Scripting a meta-fictional comedy in comics that is this deeply committed to deconstructing the form itself is almost impossible. Almost. 4.5/5

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

(W) Leah Williams (A) David Baldeon (CA) Terry Dodson