Spider-Gwen and her team went through time and tracked down Finale! Can they restore the timeline before it is too late? Find out in Spider-Gwen: Gwenverse #5 by Marvel Comics!

SPIDER-GWEN: GWENVERSE #5 (OF 5)

Writer: Tim Seeley
Artist: Jodi Nishijima
Colorist: Photobunker’s Fernando Sifuentes
Letterer: VC’s Ariana Maher
Editor: Kat Gregorowicz
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: August 24th, 2022

Previously in Spider-Gwen: Gwen Stacy is the Ghost-Spider! A pop idol, Finale, tried to rewrite the timeline and inadvertently created many distinct Gwen Stacys! Now Gwenthor, Captain America, Iron Stacy, Wolverine, Iron Gwen, and Nightbird follow the Ghost-Spider to the end of time to defeat Finale and repair the multiverse!

GWENVENGERS ASSEMBLE

Spider-Gwen: Gwenverse #5 starts with Ghost-Spider and her team fighting Finale and losing. Spider-Gwen realizes they are a bunch of heroes fighting Finale one-on-one instead of working as a team. She then realizes that they need to stop bickering and focus on their common weakness: each version of Gwen Stacy has low self-esteem. If they can overcome that and work together, they can beat Finale. Finale, realizing she is now losing, starts breaking the multiverse. The Gwens know Ghost-Spider needs to jump back in time to stop Finale. But the only way to power it is if they sacrifice themselves, to which they solemnly agree.

Ghost-Spider time travels and stops Finale from killing many people and taking their life energy. In doing so, she saves her timeline before it breaks. She realizes that all those Gwen’s is a reflection of herself. She returns to her earth and returns to her life. And she learns to love herself a little more.

THE FINAL FINALE

Spider-Gwen: Gwenverse #5 presented the complex idea of imposter syndrome in a well-thought-out manner. However, I didn’t see this theme develop much in any middle issues. Or rather, I interpreted this theme as character tension rather than a self-esteem block. I want to go back and read the previous comics to study this theme a bit more. And a final issue of a miniseries that makes me want to buy the trade paperback to reread the story shows that this issue does a spectacular job. I am sad that it took me this long to understand what the creative team was trying to tell me because it may change my perspective on the story.

One of the best aspects of this series is the character design. The complex combat scenes are visually engaging, but I think I enjoyed the art in the epilogue more. The panels where you see Gwen reflecting on the incident or observing her band show a lot of emotion and character growth. And I think those visual moments stand out more than the large cinematic fights.

BOTTOM LINE: SAD THAT THIS IS OVER

I enjoyed Spider-Gwen: Gwenverse #5. Sometimes, I was lukewarm at some of the narrative decisions, but I am convinced I wasn’t reading into the story as intended. This issue brought everything together and made me appreciate the character and the narrative arc. 4.5 out of 5 stars for Spider-Gwen: Gwenverse #5.

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