It's Medieval Mayhem in SPIDER-GWEN ANNUAL #1

This week’s Marvel Rundown jumps into the continuing Contest of Chaos, becoming a member of Spider-Gwen and White Fox as they duke it out in the newest summer time annual. This overview is SPOILER-LITE, so leap on right down to the Rapid Rundown for some Spoiler-Free critiques of Amazing Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, and X-Men!

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Spider-Gwen Annual #1

Writer: Karla Pacheco
Artists: Rosi Kämpe & Marika Cresta
Color Artist: Irma Kniivila
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Cover Artist: R1c0

Contest of Chaos – Part 5
Writer: Stephanie Phillips
Artist: Alberto Foche
Colorist: Raúl Angulo

This week’s installment in the Contest of Chaos summer time smackdown takes us again to medieval instances (and I don’t imply dinner theatre), as Spider-Gwen and White Fox sq. off to defend their respective kingdoms.

I’m not fully accustomed to the premise of this occasion, however I’m grateful that Spider-Gwen is simply as misplaced as I’m. The difficulty begins in medias res, as Gwen recounts how she discovered herself in this medieval world, one thing White Fox additionally later does. Stories like these keep enjoyable when it’s potential to leap into a problem with out an excessive amount of context, and Karla Pacheco manages that stability all through the opening sequence.

However, the problem feels a bit too disorienting, leaping from scene to scene with none nice clarification. We observe Gwen and Ami as they attempt to retrieve a mysterious orb and escape the unusual lure they’ve discovered themselves in, slowly realizing they’re in Questworld, an deserted Japanese amusement park. I do know that is meant to confuse us, however the swap from setting to setting leaves me misplaced versus invested as to the place we’ll wind up subsequent.

Rosi Kämpe and Marika Cresta, together with colorist Irma Kniivila, do a terrific job of retaining this story partaking, with effectively choreographed motion and thrilling locales. The opening web page is drawn to seem like a tapestry, and it’s an actual standout from the problem. Their kinds don’t fully line up, however Kniivila’s colours keep consistency between each on the level the place they swap duties. Ariana Maher is on letters for each tales, and does a terrific job of differentiating the tones from one to the opposite.

The stakes don’t ramp up till the very finish of the problem, which considerably hurts the piece. This is, by and huge, a regular ‘beat up then team up’ story that doesn’t twist or play with that setup in the slightest. The ending is attention-grabbing (I gained’t spoil it right here), but it surely’s a conclusion that could possibly be anticipated from the type of difficulty that is speculated to be.

The backup is from Stephanie Phillips, Alberto Foche, and Raúl Angulo; this does a very good job of staying compelling even when it’s solely three pages. The ongoing thriller of chaos magic and what it’s doing to the Marvel Universe could be very attention-grabbing, and having a POV character like Spider-Man permits us to be taught alongside him at each revelation. I believe studying all the annuals in this story back-to-back may make elements of this repetitive, however by itself, this caught me as much as the story in a manner that felt additive, fairly than distracting.

Verdict: STRONG BROWSE. There’s lots of enjoyable available right here, however there’s not a ton of variation from any of the opposite versus tales which are already on the market.

Rapid Rundown!

The Amazing Spider-Man #33
- The Amazing Spider-Man #33 picks up shortly after the earlier difficulty’s climax, which noticed the son of Kraven the Hunter, AKA Kraven the Hunter, stab Spider-Man with a cursed spear and imbue Spidey with the accrued sins of the Green Goblin. I haven’t been enthusiastic about this e book because the disappointing finish to the “Dead Language” arc, however this can be a stable outing. It’s enjoyable to see this darker Spider-Man minimize unfastened along with his powers, and author Zeb Wells hints at some attention-grabbing thematic concepts round morality and redemption which were seeded all through his run. What units this difficulty, yet one more riff on “Kraven’s Last Hunt”, other than earlier remixes of that basic is the gorgeous artwork by Patrick Gleason and colorist Marcio Menyz. Gleason is likely one of the finest artists to grace the pages of Amazing Spider-Man over the previous couple of years and his creative layouts and twisted Spider-Man imagery remind us why this character is so typically mistrusted and at odds with the general public. Despite some controversy over leaked pages forward of its launch, this difficulty doesn’t break any new floor. But if you end up getting 20 pages of unchained Spider-Man motion drawn by Patrick Gleason at his highest degree, it’s exhausting to complain. —TR
Fantastic Four #11
- This so-far satisfying Fantastic Four run serves up one other largely-contained difficulty this week, in which Ben Grimm and a stray canine are in the brand new base (the Fantastic Farmhouse), and stated base finally ends up into some type of void, placing our heroes…in complete freefall. It’s a enjoyable premise, given to a number of Thing grumbling. I believe points like this one play to this run’s overarching strengths: there’s a personality focus, a bit of little bit of thriller, a shock reveal of an outdated foe, and a neat decision by the tip. These particular person points may really feel small, but it surely’s beginning to add as much as one thing that feels greater — a brand new FF period that feels without delay basic and new. Also, further factors for subtitling this canine story Slobberin’ Time. This difficulty was written by Ryan North, with artwork by Iban Coello, colours by Jesus Aburtov, and letters by Joe Caramagna. —ZQ
X-Men #26
- Writer Gerry Duggan, together with artists Jim Towe & Javier Pina, are out right here taking part in thoughts video games, which is acceptable as we’re coping with the wedding of Emma Frost, one of many premiere telepaths on the planet, to Tony Stark, the Invincible Iron Man. Possibly essentially the most out-of-left-field union you possibly can think about, and in fact didn’t ask for. To hold this as spoiler-free as potential, Duggan makes this second attention-grabbing. But this difficulty does greater than hook up two of essentially the most narcissistic characters in the Marvel Universe as we dive into the rising Mutant resistance and the damaging new world that they exist in. Kate Pryde aka Shadowkat continues her one-woman revenge tour taking out targets of alternative whereas looking for Cyclops, Ms. Marvel witnesses the collateral harm of an harmless one who’s accused of being a Mutant, and the uneasy alliance between the Mutant Underground and Wilson Fisk, now the brand new White King of the Hellfire Club. The Mutant panorama has been fully shaken up and it’s wanting like a protracted street for his or her restoration, and proper now I’m right here for it. —GC3