Writer: Cavan Scott
Artist: Stefano Nesi
Colorist: Matt Milla
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Cover Artists: Chad Hardin & Edgar Delgado; Karen S Darboe & Ruth Redmond
Graphic Designer: Kat Walkington
Editors: Kaeden McGahey, Jordan D White & CB Cebulski
Publisher: Marvel
Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 23, 2025
When Gwen Stacy died, it should have been forever. The problem with resurrection is that no matter how glad you are to be alive, you remember who put you in the grave. Resentment threw Gwen into the clutches of the Great Architect. And instead of designing the next Battleworld, the Great Architect transformed Gwen Stacy into Dark Gwenpool. Gwen dislikes the name. She finds her past so distasteful that she prefers to be called X-31. Yet when she meets up with Spider-Man, Gwen’s concern for Peter Parker outweighs her urge to kill him.
Gwen and Peter shared a close bond. So, when Gwenpool tries to get between them, Gwen Stacy reacts like the Great Architect trained her. Even if the woman’s name was Gwendolyne Poole, how will Gwen Stacy face killing another version of herself? And can Peter Parker forgive the woman he never stopped loving? Let's grab our swords, leap into Gwenpool #3, and see!
Story
The Avengers couldn't defeat Fin Fang Foom. Spider-Man, Hawkeye, and Jeff the Land Shark also failed. So Gwenpool took out the giant dragon that wanted to crack open Earth's shell and feast on its molten core. But instead of celebrating over Shawarma, Gwendolyne Poole rests in peace. None of the Avengers attended her funeral. So, Kate Bishop and Jeff the Land Shark stand vigil as a priest sends Gwendolyne on her final adventure.
Still, another person watches in Gwenpool #3. He stands atop a headstone-dotted rise in Mount Olivet Cemetery. Unlike Spider-Man, Kate’s not anxious to know the man dressed in a dark suit standing in the driving rain. And when she climbs the slope, he runs away. But Kate doesn’t need webshooters to unmask him like Spider-Man revealed Dark Gwenpool’s secret identity. As a private investigator, it’s Kate Bishop’s job to uncover hidden clues. Kate knows that, once she confirms her suspicions, she cannot unlearn her colleague's secrets.
Cavan Scott’s supernatural mystery hums with fourth-wall-breaking dialogue that made Gwenpool a fan favorite character. But while acknowledging that the Ghostbusters are just a phone call away, Cavan ponders where our spirits go when we die. Cavan Scott also contemplates how death changes us. Some people lock memories away and rarely revisit them. Others barricade themselves against new relationships by holding onto the past, or feed on the resentment of losing their loved one. Unlike a visit to Las Vegas, Kate Bishop, Jeff the Land Shark, and Peter Parker will leave the graveyard changed in Gwenpool #3.
Art
Purple hangs in the moist air, tinging the New York skyline. Like the falling raindrops, it bathes Hawkeye's face and shines from her costume. But Dark Gwenpool (or Gwen Stacy, or X-31) also wears purple, hinting at who she could become. While Jeff shines as blue as the sea, Peter wears black and white as he wades into a moral gray area. Yet yellow also radiates the life-giving energy of the sun, reinforcing the allure of holding onto memories.
While Matt Milla enhances the energy and moodiness of Gwenpool #3, Stefano Nesi captures the action and drama of this confrontation in the cemetery. His art reveals Hawkeye's sadness, Jeff’s anger, Dark Gwenpool’s frustration, and Peter’s struggle to cope with what has occurred. A glimpse inside Peter's mind pays homage to Steve Ditko, who helped bring Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy to life. Yet in the same panels, Stefano Nesi reveals how comic art has progressed since Ditko’s time.
Ariana Maher casts uppercase black letters into white and pink balloons and narrative boxes. The letters grow bold for inflection, enlarge for volume, and shrink for lowered voices. Sound effects help us hear arrows impacting, smoke grenades detonating, blades appearing, and an aggrieved land shark. Thanks to Marvel for providing a review copy.
Final Thoughts
Gwenpool was Jeff the Land Shark’s best friend. But she was also an interloper, and another version of Peter Parker’s girlfriend. Her superior knowledge of Earth-616 and her ability to exploit hidden aspects of their world kept other heroes away. Gwenpool #3 flips the script in this story about identity, mourning, and the indomitable spirits of the characters we love.
Rating 9.4/10
To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.
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