While not every story in the issue is a home run, SPIDER-GWEN ANNUAL #1 is definitely a fun read that fans of the series will enjoy. At its best, the annual is a perfect meld of the series' hallmark character-work combined with meta humor about the very concept of comics. Latour reworks a classic Spider-Man tale to fit his universe, comments upon the inherent strangeness of the concept of The Watcher, recasts Steve Rogers as a comic book artist, and even finds room for Spider-Ham all in the same issue. Read Full Review

An impressive lineup comes together for a comic book jam session. Sneak peeks at Gwen's weird past and hints at a weirder future make for a fun anthology collection that's a break from the norm. Recommended! Read Full Review

In short, there's plenty for Spider-Gwen fans to savor here, but this issue might have worked even better with fewer, longer tales rather than the rapid-fire approach it takes. Read Full Review

"Spider-Gwen Annual" #1 is a rare kind of anthology issue where all of the stories are enjoyable and well-crafted; the issue reads like a roll of assorted Life-Savers with no green or yellow ones inside. Read Full Review

This issue is a better than expected surprise that will surely bring some new perspective on Spider-Gwen. The varied art in this issue is a nice balance to provide a little something for everyone who picks up this issue, with a wide variety of styles on display in each story. Latour really took a lot on his plate by writing the entire issue, but it absolutely paid off. The stories are as varied as the art, but there is a reason for each story and the order they are presented in provides a great overarching understanding to this character. When Spider-Gwen was first introduced in Edge of Spider-Verse #2 in 2014, many thought it would be a flash in the pan that she would not really take off in a self-titled book. Thanks in large part to the love and dedication of writer Jason Latour; we have seen Spider-Gwen become a mainstay in the Marvel Universe. She has a wide-reaching audience and plenty of stories to share. Read Full Review

This issue is a type of anthology that we don’t see all too often. Each story is enjoyable in its own way, and we see some stories that feature Gwen but are not necessarily about her. There is no Gwen-overload, and that’s a really great way to keep us interested. This is a great read for anyone who’s even moderately a fan of Spider-Gwen. Read Full Review

As with the other Contest of Chaos books, this issue includes a back-up tale by writer Stephanie Phillips and artist Alberto Foche, continuing the adventures of Clea, Spider-Man, and Jessica Jones. In the latest chapter, Marvels most unlikely trio uncover more secrets about the strange events transpiring in the main universe, leading to a metaphysical confrontation with the enemy behind it all. Spoiler: it was Agatha all along. Read Full Review

As with most annuals Spider-Gwen is filled with new stories from different creative teams. All of them being tons of fun to read and very lighthearted in nature. Touching on pop culture, social, and paradoxes this is just an all around fun read. Read Full Review

Overall, other than it being a part of a larger whole, it's not a bad issue. Read Full Review

All in all, I would say that this was a rather weak annual as I expected it would be, but I need to have it since I collect all the Spider-Women issues.  At the $4.99 cover price, I would advise casual readers and non Spider-Gwen fans to skip it all together. Thankfully we will be back to the regular issues next month! So, until next time... DatBeardedBastard is out! Read Full Review