The Unbelievable Gwenpool #7 Review

When Teuthidans Attack!!!

Written by: Christopher Hastings
Art by: Gurihiru

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 12, 2016
Review by: Branden Murray

I’m not really someone who analyzes comic book numbers. This is mostly because I like what I like and how many copies a book sells doesn’t impact my enjoyment of the events within the issues I buy.  What I do notice however is that Gwenpool has climbed the ladder of my own personal pull list to must buy territory each month it’s released.  Now I’m well aware of the backlash and hate various people have for this book too and my response would be to read any issue and try your damnedest not to smile, or even belly laugh, half a dozen times. This book is on par with Marvel’s best comedy offerings to date and with a fresh jumping on point, to go along with Marvel Now!, it’s time to take down that no fun wall you’ve built in your brain and join me for a good time.

Our issue kicks off with just a hint of madness on the streets of New York as a new group of Aliens return flying through Times Square, NY firing with guns blazing chasing a pig dressed as Gwenpool.  Now to the overseas fans of Weird Science DC Comics site that may sound odd but this is New York, NY weird shit happens like this all the time … just substitute pig in this case for naked homeless man. Meanwhile the narration fills us in on why these aliens have returned and exactly why they’ve confused the pig for Gwen.

We finally catch up with our hero Gwen and see she’s safe and sound walking talking with Batroc the Leaper.  Since the aliens are a newer creation “all Earthers look the same to them” so Gwen used the pig as a distraction in an effort to buy time and finally get to her meeting with team M.O.D.A.K.’s main financial funder. She arrives at a normal looking residential home with the goal of continuing to make a good impression in an effort to keep receiving his work.  This is a much larger task than it has any right be because it’s in the hands of Gwen.

When a normal looking, older gentlemen, named Vincent walks into the meeting room Gwen is initially thrown off by his overall plainness obviously expecting someone more sinister.  Vincent explains he simply yearns for a “mundane” life, one before “the skies above Manhattan were just super hero flight lanes” so he uses the funds he has to “do what I can to bring a bit of that (feeling) back”.  Before she leaves he makes a request for her to get rid of these returning aliens once again.

Our issue wraps up with a few clever little twists and turns as we flash to a NYPD police station to discover our aliens have a name, the Teuthidans. The aliens don’t seem to be as dumb as Gwen seems to think they are because they have unmasked her identity, have the police out looking for her in their favor, and before our issue ends seemingly have her cornered.  Not bad for a group of aliens chasing a Gwen-pig about twenty pages earlier. 

Chris Hastings has provided the fans a great start to a new arc, hopefully hooking in the new readers jumping in during the latest Marvel Now! re-launch with quite an interesting premise to a hilariously written book.  There’s the perfect amount of information provided for the villains, who are making another appearance, to interest newbies about what happened prior to this, but not overly necessary to read for enjoyment of the story provided.  Hastings comedic timing is the highlight of every issue as the writer crushes several situations each issue with jokes that makes me laugh my ass off.

Ever hear the saying, beg long enough and you’ll get what you ask for?  Me either but it actually happened in this instance as Gurihiru returned on artistic duties to the title.  Gurihiru was a major contributor responsible for me falling in love with this comic in the first place so I’m pumped to see a return to the book after a few issues off.  No more vacations for you kind sir, madam, or team Gurihiru, whoever you are I love your work so much.

Bits and Pieces:

The Unbelievable Gwenpool gets back on track, with an oink-oink here and an oink-oink there, which is actually a very good thing, believe me.  Christopher Hastings and Gurihiru provide us with a light hearted entertaining book that is nothing but a pleasure to look at.  When this creative team gets together there’s not a thing I would change and it’s always worth a buy.

9.0/10