Despite the title, What If? Dark Spider-Gwen isn't a piece of edgelord superheroics. It's actually a comics legend getting to revisit one of his classic storylines and with the help of co-writer Houser and artists Bachs and Cunniffe, Gerry Conway gets to give Gwen Stacy agency and a robust character arc even if the inciting incident of the story (Spider-Man drowning) is a little flimsy. Read Full Review

What If? Dark Spider-Gwen delivers exactly on the potential these What If? one-shots have. Jody Houser and Ramon Bachs did a very good job at utilizing Gerry Conway and Gil Kane's iconic "The Night Gwen Stacy Died to tell a different Spider-Gwen origin story. The way this story ended was a bit disappointing that this was simply a one-shot as the end isn't as definitive as fans may hope. Read Full Review

Despite these flaws, What If? Dark: Spider-Gwen #1 is a serviceable What If? story. Spider-Gwen fans will appreciate it as a new take on the idea of Gwen Stacy as a hero. Classic Spider-Man fans may have trouble with the details, but should enjoy it as a light read. Read Full Review

It feels harsh to describe What If? Dark: Spider-Gwen #1 as redundant, but Spider-Gwen has become such a fandom in her own right now not to mention the many Gwen variants that have since sprung into existence because of that that it has the unfortunate effect of making this story feel a little rote. Read Full Review

The story makes sense and the characters are realistic/authentic. The climax is full of tragic irony, fitting the "Dark" theme. But the storytelling--in both words and art--is workmanlike, middle-shelf stuff. It's slow, expository, and illustrated with functional but forgettable visuals.

None of which is to say it's a BAD comic. This premise could produce a good or great comic without any big changes in the content. It'd just need some more creative horsepower.