When Melissa Flores discussed the overall story of Spider-Gwen: Smash at last year’s LA Comic Con, she said a large part of the series would touch upon how out of place Gwen felt in Earth-65. Spider-Gwen: Smash #2 begins to fulfill that promise in more ways than one. Following the events of the debut issue, Gwen struggles with the fact that she’s mainly there to protect the Dazzler – and how it drives a wedge between her and the rest of the Mary Janes. While Gwen prepares for the return of the Hulk, she also has to figure out how to repair her friendship with Mary Jane.
It’s this balance of personal elements and superhero shenanigans that make Spider-Man books stand out from the rest of the pack, and when done right, they’re a joy to behold. Flores does it right; Gwen confesses to Dazzler that she feels adrift. “This doesn’t feel like home anymore,” she says. One simple sentence cuts to the heart of the dilemma and makes it more relatable to readers. After all, who hasn’t felt like they don’t belong in a place that used to be home? Or that they’re drifting away from friends and family? Once again, Flores builds character by exploring Gwen’s various emotions.
Artist Enid Balam takes advantage of the quieter moments, letting the characters’ emotions shine through her depiction of their facial expressions. Gwen cycles from tired to contemplative to regretful in a few panels. When characters yell, you can feel the anger radiating off of them in waves. Balam even draws another great action sequence between Spider-Gwen and the Hulk, showcasing how Gwen has to use her brains to stay one step ahead of the jade behemoth. She even adds more characters to Earth-65, including a fan favorite X-Man! Fer-Sifuentes Sijo sets the scene with a vibrant palette of pinks, blues, whites, and blacks, which offer a wide variety of contrasts.
Credit: Marvel
The only minor quibble is that a major twist is telegraphed halfway through the issue. Granted, this is a four-issue miniseries, so there are only so many pages to work with, but I feel like this is a twist that could have been reserved for the third issue. Then again, I could be wrong, and the creative team has something else up their sleeve.
Spider-Gwen: Smash #2 explores the ups and downs of superhero life, showcasing Melissa Flores’ aptitude for character work. This kind of writing makes for good superhero comics, and other creators could take a few notes.
Spider-Gwen: Smash #2 is available wherever comics are sold.
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