Gwenpool Strikes Back #2
Leah Williams (w), David Baldeón (a)
Marvel Comics

Liz says: The internet was in a froth this week over the cover of Gwenpool Strikes Back #2, which features a teenaged Gwen planting a smacker on a gobsmacked Reed Richards. As it happens, in the meta-context of a Gwenpool comic, the Twitter-verse’s reaction to this deliberately provocative image is entirely the point. The self-proclaimed “sex sells” issue begins with Gwen smooching us, the readers, and awkwardly shoving her butt in our faces. Very sexy, indeed! Then Deadpool turns up for some banter and some intentionally icky “Daddy” jokes. Gwen clarifies her age (nineteen) and both she and DP point out to readers and potential future writers that while she’s of legal age, any hanky-panky between them is age-inappropriate and gross. Then there’s the stuff involving Gwenpool practice-kissing cardboard cut-outs of the Fantastic Four in the basement of the Baxter Building, which is hilarious, especially when an unsuspecting Reed actually shows up. Lots of the biggest LOLs were in a lot of the little details (Deadpool referring to Spider-Man as his “Special Boy”, Gwen’s texts with Quentin Quire). Writer Leah Williams and artist David Baldeón are clearly having a blast on this miniseries, taking every opportunity to make the most of Gwen and Deadpool’s fourth-wall-breaking wackiness. Here’s hoping every issue is as gleefully, knowingly absurd as this one!