Writer: Stephanie Phillips
Artists: Paolo Villanelli
Colorist: Matt Milla
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Cover Artists: Mark Brooks, Pasqual Ferry & Rachelle Rosenberg; Jeehyung Lee
Publisher: Marvel
Price: $3.99
Release Date: August 28, 2024
Chameleon captured Gwen, stole her face, and became a menace to society. Gwen escaped and fought him. But now she wields the power of a god. Worse, her new power has supercharged Chameleon. Can New York City sustain another confrontation between these superpowered combatants? Let's thwip into Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider #4 and find out!
Story
Ouroborus of the Time Variance Authority stole Gwen from Earth-65. OB hid her away on Earth-616 and stole her identity. Then, Chameleon stole Gwen's Ghost-Spider appearance and powers. Now, she's supposed to lie low as Lisa Rogers, yet she wields Thor's lightning. Gwen is keeping secrets from her spider friends, and they are keeping secrets from her.
As in issue #2, Gwen awakens in her apartment in Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider #4. This time, Peter and Miles are elsewhere, but Silk is there. Like OB, Silk wants Gwen to lie low and not use her powers. The police have issued a warrant for her arrest after Chameleon used her identity to steal cars and kids' ice cream cones. More importantly, Silk senses that Gwen's anxiety is nearing a tipping point. After two explosions yesterday, Silk worries about what Gwen might do if she feels overwhelmed and loses control of her emotions.
When Silk encourages her to share her burdens, she unknowingly echoes George Stacy’s warning in issue #3. Gwen understands Silk's concerns. But OB insisted she cannot share what she knows, or the apocalypse that struck Earth-65 can consume Earth-616. OB also warned her that acting as Spider-Gwen could initiate the apocalypse. So, in addition to keeping secrets from those who want to help, Gwen feels guilty for ignoring his advice. Is her strange transformation the first step toward the end of this world?
Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider #4 begins with an analogy and ends with a fable. Both speak to Gwen’s guilt. But while the fable speaks to her actions, the analogy addresses actions yet to be performed. Stephanie Phillips' intriguing installment raises a question. If OB asked her not to do anything, why does Gwen feel overwhelmed by all the actions she has not yet performed?
Art
Gwen thwips past devastated buildings while ravens fly alongside. Then her web snaps, and she falls. Lightning flares from her eyes as Gwen awakens on her mattress. She doesn’t start a fire, but Silk does her best to turn Gwen's apartment into a burnt place by making her breakfast. Darkness falls on Silk as she drops a charred pancake onto Gwen's place. Then Silk crosses her arms over the lightning-bolt letter S on her chest and frowns at the message on Gwen’s white tank top.
Matt Milla lavishes vibrant colors on the spider-gals' chat in Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider #4. After surrounding the girls with bright greens, blues, and pink, Paolo Villanelli’s conversation between Chameleon and Black Tarantula occurs amid purple and dark blue pipes and blue-tinged brown shelves. Tarantula's exhalations appear as white clouds. But after consuming Gwen's power and the nutrient energy of a future generation, the Chameleon crackles with white lightning. Gwen seeks anonymity at Bear Coffee. Amid her conversation with a stranger, a purple shadow obscures her yellow hoodie and fern-green hat as a police car siren glows outside their window. Is the whirling yellow light radiating a red glare a metaphor for the all-consuming fire rising on Earth-616?
Ariana Maher thwips uppercase black letters into white dialogue balloons with long white arrows and rouge words into white narrative boxes outlined with turquoise. The text varies in size as it grows bold and enlarges for intonation, while epic-sized dialogue elevates tense drama and action. Vibrant and energizing sound effects accompany a Giant-Size Lively Marvel bursting through a wall, Gwen saving a bystander from an explosion, and Gwen hitting someone she later helps in Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider #4. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.
Final Thoughts
Peter Parker’s concerns about Gwen’s presence on Earth-616 echo through Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider #4. After Silk suggests she rely on others for support, Gwen makes a new friend and helps someone in need. She may elude the cops who want to lock her away. But can Gwen escape her destiny as the power within her grows?
Rating 9.2/10
To preview interior art see the Previews World website.
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