The Unbelievable Gwenpool #12
Writer: Christopher Hastings
Art Team: Gurihiru
Marvel Comics
Release Date: February 15, 2017
Gwen’s Dungeon Crawling Misadventures in
Murderworld
The guys here at this site have their DC title New Super-Man
that they like to shout about from the rooftops and I have my Marvel
counterpart the Unbelievable Gwenpool.
Now I wouldn’t suggest my choice, Gwenpool, go duke it out with New
Supes in a winner take all battle royal for readers hearts. Obviously that most
likely wouldn’t go well for Gwen, she doesn’t read DC after all, but I do still
suggest you give my choice a shot regardless.
So with that being said donate a click and let’s see what crazy
situations Gwen got herself into this issue.
I love me some cold openings done right and that’s exactly
what we get off the jump here in issue #12. Gwenpool finds herself in a cold
dark prison cell stuck on a ‘world’ that doesn’t look very Earth like. From there we immediately flashback to an
earlier time as Gwenpool, in Ronnie’s super hero outfitting shop, runs into her
former M.O.D.A.K. teammate Mega Tony, also looking for some Merc work. Much to the dismay of Gwen she quickly
realizes Mega Tony still seems peeved at his old partner.
The issue jumps back to Gwen breaking out of her cell after
freaking out from the creepy noises coming from the other side of the door. Gwen
comes flying out, with her cell door, quickly discovering none other than Mega
Tony was the one on the other side, attempting to break our anti-heroine free. Tony
after initially trying to go his own separate way from Gwen gets lured back
into working with her when she reveal she finally is starting to understand
where they are. Since Tony has seen Gwen’s
luck in action he decides the better course of choice for his health is to stay
with the girl in pink.
Gwenpool reveals it appears the two are stuck in a classic
sword and sorcery dungeon, even going as far to call Mega Tony, known for his
science abilities and potion mixing, her Cleric. The two partners try to figure out how they
ended up in the dungeon as they trudge through the hallways stumbling upon a “level
one” room full of bad guys … the type of situation where you start the game and
get the hang of the controls. Gwen using
her knowledge works her way to a lever in the room, flushing all the bad guys
down a sink hole.
Shortly after the room is clear the wandering pair stumbles
upon the rest of the old team M.O.D.A.K. characters from previous issues in the
series. The group decides to move together and move on
to a RPG-esque store front where Gwen quickly sniffs out what’s on the up and
up and what’s all a game. We discover
here the big reveal of our issue is that this team has all been tricked here,
by answering the Merc advertisement via Ronnie’s service, in a cruel game being
played by none other than Arcade. Arcade
breaks the rules down of the mission for the team, which essentially boils down
to get to the end of the dungeon, or die trying.
The crew suits up in hysterical fashion, full armor and RPG
garb, heading out into the dungeon depths, after Arcade, and on a quest for their
escape out of here. The team enters a
new room and are forced to clear out the attacking bad guys, in order to get to
the next door on the trudge through to their goal, when it bursts open seemingly
on its own. Flying out of the newly
opened door comes a severed hand. Shortly after that scene we discover just who
that someone is that ends up reaching down to grab their missing
appendage. Our final page cliffhanger is
the first meeting between Gwenpool and Deadpool as the Merc with a Mouth,
reattaches his removed hand to his arm, while revealing that he himself is
stuck in the dungeon crawl as well.
Overall Gwenpool continues to be one of my highlight comic books
that I truly look forward to reading each month it comes out. While some people can question the direction
Marvel may have taken over the last few years, there’s no doubt there are still
some very enjoyable books being published, so it isn’t all doom and gloom like
people can make it out to be at times. With another relaunch not too far off on the
horizon in the future I hope Gwenpool continues to find a home and Christopher
Hastings continues to be the voice of the character the ride has been very very
enjoyable.
The artist, Gurihiru, returns to the series with #12 and there
isn’t a damn bad thing I can say about it.
The paneling, colors, character designs and everything else I didn’t mention
is truly a complete joy to look at and take in.
I hope Gurihiru is here for another arc with few interruptions.
Bits and Pieces
The Unbelievable Gwenpool is a comedic superhero title that
is among the best being published today by any company. Christopher Hastings paired with Gurihiru are
a creative team I can’t get enough off. To top it all off their latest
adventure, a spoof on RPG dungeon crawlers, with a self-aware hero whose played Elder
Scrolls once or twice, is the best story idea to date making this a must read
for anybody still on the fence.
9.5/10
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