Wow I was so excited for this comic and... yeah, it's terrible, actually. Joe Casey is desperately trying to write a modern teenager and the result is one of those cringe-inducing affairs where an adult makes it clear that they haven't spoken to a teenager since they were in high school. It reads like he made a list of every slang term employed by anyone under 40 in the last ten years and wanted to get every single one of them into the comic so we could all see how "down with the kids" he is. Casey tries to have America not-Chavez distinguish herself from Millennials, but he doesn't seem clear on what the distinction is between the generations. Most notably, the constant use of #hashtags for their own sake, which makes for both an unreadable experience, and is a thing many Gen Z'ers have specifically described as something they find obnoxious about Millennials. I'll throw on a couple points for the art because Dustin Nguyen never disappoints, but it's really hard to recommend this. more

I despised this series with every fiber of my being and am glad to see it's over. If you wanted gwenpool without any of her charm fans have come to love, this book is for you. A derivative concept that became it's own unique entity driven back to her derivative roots at whiplash speeds, this book is for you. A series with humor that is 100% reliant on what ever was trending at the time, immortalizing the cringiest moments of 2019, this goddamn book is for you. Oh btw she's a mutant chilling on krakoa, but that's something some other writer will have to deal with. In conclusion: I want to bash my head in with a brick. more

This is a recap issue summarizing the stories important for the Empyre event from all of Marvel history (Kree/Skrull war, Mar-Vell, Celestial Madonna stuff, Wiccan and Hulkling from Young Avengers etc.) for that it's awesome, don't expect much more though.

But if you aren't particularly interested it's hell of a lot cheaper than getting the relevant trades.

I might die of pun overdose. HALP!

It's good. But it's also an issue long fight scene. And why do I have strong feelings of "the road to hell is paved by good intentions" about this story?

I still love this series. I can't even really tell you why.

Be warned though: If you've a low tolerance to incredibly stupid puns this comic might count as a health hazard and you're better off skipping it.

I don't want to give a higher score for a first issue, but this run starts promising... albeit it's funny how some of Aaron's "WILL LAST FOR THE END OF TIME (SIRIUSLY!*)" changes get undone in the span of a single issue (not much of a spoiler, the biggest was literally on the cover).

Schadenfreude isn't a nice thing, but I take what I can get.




* Typeo intentional / Pun intended more

I love Gwenpool & Quentin Quire.

It's not bad...

But these type of initiative starting one-shot advertisements should be FCBD giveaways or 1$ promotional issues at most... not 10$ overpriced/sized collectors bait.

This was loads of fun.

The writer is totally committed to the stupid stupid puns that double as continuity when Spider-Ham is concerned, and I respect the shit out of that!

If you can't blind them with your brilliance baffle them with bullshit! - The comic book issue.

It's not as bad as the last one was... but it's very much a collection of pretty pictures and sentences which look cool / sound profound as long you don't think about them. The second you do however the whole thing falls apart. It wants to have its cake and eat it too like it acknowledges the power and necessity of stories (and with them gods) in one sentence, but restates that Gorr was right in the next... ie. the world would be better without gods, even the concept of them (but they're also stories, sooooo?!).

That's pretty much how all of Aaron's run* was to be honest so it's kinda fitting to get a final issue distilling the whole thing.



* Which for a great epic about gods and men never actually touched upon religion for some strange reason. AND I am an atheist (post-modern Neo-pagan; ie. I believe in people, and their beliefs are an important part of them), but such idiotic nonsensical presentation of our (un-)beliefs is downright insulting. more

I dub this: "How to destroy a character in a single issue."

EDIT: What I mean, this book is textbook franchise washing. Ie. Let's make her more like the popular character she derives off of and her previous book worked very hard to distance her from (Deadpool), the readers who liked her FOR being different be damned, also let's slot her under the biggest franchise umbrella we can find (mutants; yeah, IRL mutant books are not in any way shape or form an underdog) even if we have to GUT the character and remove her interesting backstory which was a big part of what made her appealing to begin with.

I wish this hollowed out husk to go up in the flames it deserves... but realistically it won't. People apparently like soulless heartless shit. more

One issue from its conclusion, Aaron's Thor run continues to be The Best. Aaron does that thing he loves doing where he introduces a team of one-off characters who have such great designs and gimmicks that they feel like they could headline their own book--it's great as always. And the final page is KILLER, thanks to the pure genius of Esad Ribic. Seriously, the man is an artistic god. Long live Gorr. more

Edit:

I write this several days after I rated this issue because I needed to calm down. I did previously mention that I find this mini unnecessary, self-congratulatory, and disrespectful.

Now we crossed over to sick and wrong.

WHATEVER GOOD HAPPENS IN THE AFTERMATH OF EVIL DIDN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE, BUT DESPITE THE EVIL. SO SAID EVIL DESERVES NO CREDIT FOR IT. ESPECIALLY NOT FROM THE PEOPLE THEY WRONGED! more

This series was too good to last. I'll mourn it for a long time.

Someone should just give this creative team a Deadpool book instead. I don't know if they would be happier that way, but I sure would.

Art is still good if you like Esad Ribic's style.

On the story...

Just characters hitting each other and being wildly out of character (if you even buy they're the characters they supposed to be... which I really don't) so Aaron can make a point that never existed.

OR

Jason Aaron fundamentally misunderstands Loki, but he insists on writing him anyway, and is in the progress of shitting up the best part of his Thor run.

(Edit: Also more Freyja apologia. I loath that. She needs punishment not excuses.) more

Okay. Not lower because I had some good laughs out of it but... Do you remember I felt as I was getting used to the pace of this last month? Nope. It lost me again.

I'm sorry.

This book only makes me wish the Unbelievable Gwenpool, or even West Coast Avengers, lasted longer.

Art is nice, the idea behind the issue is awesome, the last page unfortunately teases the return of the same old... but I've to ask:

Is it in Aaron's contract to shit up continuity for no good reason or does he do it recreationally? I mean, the Angels of Heven have an afterlife. Hel, and later an autonomous part of it they name Elisyum, so they don't have to "create or steal one". (I really expected better from a comic co-written by Al Ewing.) more

This is a fun start.

Has whimsy and foreshadowing and fun even if the art is wonky at times. It almost washes out the bad taste Aaron's Thor left in my mouth. Almost. Unfortunately it has to start with presenting the (deeply messed up) angle Marvel marketing pushed for months, but that's not the fault of this book or creative team.

I'm not sure if I got used to the pace of it, or it genuinely improved, but I like this issue a lot better.

Art is good if you like Esad Ribic's style.

On everything else: The Three Faces of Eve...umm... granddaughters of Thor try to find information, while King Thor is fighting 'generic villain #2077'... I mean, "Loki". Thanks to the last page reveal it doesn't even matter, but at least now I've hope Aaron will finally mess up his OWN work for a change. (Is there a chance in my opinion that this could turn out well? Yes. But I don't give it more than 5%. Yes. I think we could have done without this mini.) more

Well, this ending was pretty, inoffensive, so the result is pretty inoffensive.