The Unbelievable Gwenpool #4 Review - Marvel Mondays

One shall stand, One shall fall 

Written by: Chris Hastings

Art by: Gurihiru
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: July 13, 2016
Publisher: Marvel
Review by: Branden Murray

Marvel has thrown a lot of shit at the wall the last few years in an effort, I think, to see what the public will and won’t tolerate.  This has resulted in some very random comics being published...for example; Black Night, WeirdWorld, and yes, even Drax has a solo title. Who knew what the hell a Drax was before Guardians of the Galaxy came out in theaters a few years ago? My point being, every once in awhile, Marvel is able to surprise us with a title that has no right being published, yet somehow ends up producing an over the top enjoyable show. Think about a hamburger with a glazed donut as the bun...it’s scary yet delicious all at the same time.  I say all this because the Unbelievable Gwenpool is my favorite shit show being published right now, so Marvel, thank you for that.

When we last left Gwen Poole (her real and code name by the way!) she was offered the opportunity to train with Bartoc the Leaper, so she wouldn’t get killed in action. Since figuring out she lacks any semblance of skill or super powers, he sees this as something done for his own and the team’s well-being. 

Meanwhile, M.O.D.A.K. discovers Gwen isn’t exactly what he was led to believe when he hired her, either. If you’re familiar with M.O.D.A.K., this is bad news for Gwen.  So, how exactly will our new favorite hero get herself out of this pickle?

Things immediately start off on a high note as we see Bartoc begin training Gwen as she works on target practice and, in old school Karate Kid fashion, sweeping the leg before they're called away for a mission briefing by the boss.  M.O.D.A.K. starts by giving specific instructions to this poor man’s version of the Suicide Squad, but he asks Gwenpool specifically to stay back for a little chat. We find out he wants to know exactly what her powers are and how she killed his best agent a few issues back.  As I said earlier, M.O.D.A.K. is onto our loveable lady in pink.

This begins some clever back and forth between the two characters which Hastings never fails to nail. This includes Gwen throwing out the sick burn that M.O.D.A.K. looks like an overgrown Mr. Potato Head amongst other things. The way the insults are tossed about here it’s obviously not long before this little “argument” leads to an inevitable showdown, which is the meat and cheese of this issue.

In this great fight scene, rendered by Gurihiru whose art is top notch in every way again here, both sides get their shots in, but ultimately Gwenpool is able to get the upper hand via her Magic Skull. The Magic Skull summons her previously dead hacker buddy (via a Dr. Strange spell placed on it last issue) and he is able to hack M.O.D.A.K.’s rocket system and send him to outer orbit.  The rest of the team returns back to base to find Gwen boosting about her victory until they’re interrupted with a cliffhanger guest on the teleprompter called “the client”.

Bits and Pieces:

I find it difficult to sum up my love for this series into words. In the superhero medium of comics it’s incredibly rare to find such a charming and fun original hero so this is something truly special and I have a blast every time this comic is released.   While some might argue that the character isn’t wholly original, the argument being she's a knock off of Gwen Stacy and Deadpool, I would argue otherwise and tell anybody listening to keep reading because you're missing something on another level altogether.

9.5/10