Final Thoughts [1] Hawkeye (#16) by Kelly Thompson & The Unbelievable Gwenpool (#25) by Christopher Hastings

 

Hawkeye #16 by Kelly Thompson

Leonardo Romero (Illustrator)

Julian Tedesco (Illustrator)

I picked up Hawkeye on a whim when I stumbled across the first few issues at a Half Price Books. They looked interesting, and I've always liked Hawkeye, so... I fell in love. Kate Bishop is an incredible Hawkeye. She's clever, silly, and I frequently found myself laughing at the things she said and did.

Jessica Jones made an appearance for a few issues. Kate is a Private Investigator (or trying to be), and JJ offered to show her the ropes (prior to the comic starting). She pops in for a visit with a little business on the side, and I really enjoyed the banter between the two.

Hawkeye (Clint Barton) shows up at the end, and it's like seeing your brother and best friend for the first time in forever. They have an easy relationship, and they just understand each other. Watching two Hawkeyes fight baddies was so much fun!

I cannot believe this is ending so soon, but the final page said she (Kate Bishop) would return in August, so we'll see! It could mean a lot of things: a new arc, a new writer, etc. This one left something major unresolved (not really a cliffhanger per se...), so there is plenty to build on. I hope they do! I would like to know what happens with a certain something. Read my review of the first few issues here.

♡

Gwenpool #25 by Christopher Hastings

Gurihiru (Illustrator)

When we decided to start getting comics every month, Gwenpool was my first choice. I actually knew very little about her (other than the basics), but thought it would be fun to read. I grabbed the issues I could find, and my LCS helped me find the rest (the comic had been running for awhile, so sometimes it's hard to find the first few issues).

I binge-read the first ten and knew this was the perfect comic for me! Gwen is stabby, insane, and the best friend you could have. She actually tried to teach herself how to fight with swords by searching the internet, and a lot of her battles were only won because some unforeseen accident happened. Luck seemed to play a big part in her comic book experience. 

Gwen has a mysterious past, and she willingly chose to insert herself into the Marvel Universe. She grew up reading comics, and eventually found herself living in one. She knew everything about everyone, which caused problems for her a few times. She didn't always get scared, because she was able to use this "other" knowledge to her advantage. It was like a super power (almost).

The Unbelievable Gwenpool offers a unique perspective to the MCU, and her presence will be sorely missed. Gwenpool always has something else to say, even if you don't want to hear it. She's very in-your-face and constantly surprised me. She could be terrified one second, but giggling about it the next. She didn't rely on her prior knowledge too much, but tried to fend for herself and help her friends.

Another thing I loved about The Unbelievable Gwenpool was the other characters. We get to see so many different superheroes, and a few of them play significant roles in her personal story. Dr. Strange, Deadpool, Thor (Jane Foster), and a lot of others. It was interesting to see how they looked outside of their own comics.

It was so weird to read about a character that knew we were reading about her, and also that this was her final issue. It was twisty, unpredictable, and perfectly Gwenpool. I'm pretty sure every version of Spider-Man made an appearance. Gwenpool wrapped things up with a bittersweet conclusion, but hopefully not a permanent one. Read my review of the first few issues here.

The Unbelievable Gwenpool (#0-5) by Christopher Hastings

The Unbelievable Gwenpool (#0-5) by Christopher Hastings, Irene Strychalski (Illustrator), Gurihiru (Illustrator)

Synopsis (via Goodreads): "Who is Gwenpool, and where did she come from?" Ever since she made a splash in her first cover appearance, those have been the questions on everyone's lips as they lounge about, sipping from a tropical beverage! Now, get all three of the original Gwepool backup stories featuring Ms. Poole's first appearance and her battle alongside our favorite private duck Howard the Duck in one convenient package! Plus: See Gwen's first Xmas in the Marvel Universe, and the guy she killed to mark the occasion! (Collecting the Gwenpool backup stories from HOWARD THE DUCK (2015B) #1-3 and material from Gwenpool Special #1)

𑁋

J (my spouse) has always had a few comics around the house, but it wasn't until our son showed an interest in them that we decided to get a little more serious ourselves. I've loved reading my entire life, but it never occurred to me to read comics. It took a three-year old to push us in that direction, and I'm so happy it happened. I LOVE COMICS. It's a book, but it's not. There are so many different stories, a lot of them overlapping, and the illustrations are always beautiful. I'll admit, it can be incredibly confusing at times, but that's what I have J for. He knows everything (or is capable of looking up an answer).

We each decided to choose a comic we would get monthly. J chose Spider-Men II, my son went with the All New Guardians of the Galaxy, and I wanted something feminine so I picked Gwenpool. We quickly realized that just one wasn't going to work for us. We now get 10-15 comics every month. A few of them are just going to be a limited series while others are ongoing. I have been reading Gwenpool and the new Hulk (which will soon be transitioning into She-Hulk), and the boys get things like Venom, Venomverse, Daredevil, Astonishing X-Men, TMNT--it's a long list now. 

Marvel has been introducing a lot of new characters to their universe, and I find most of them to be really interesting. Female versions of Hawkeye, Thor and Iron Man? Yes, please! I've read a few of the Generations comics (which have the traditional character confronted with a newer version), and I've enjoyed seeing how they interact with each other. 

I was trying to adequately describe all of this, and now I'm three paragraph's into this post without discussing the first few issues of Gwenpool. 😅

If you like Deadpool, his knack for the inappropriate, and love of violence, then Gwenpool is probably a comic you'd enjoy. Gwen Poole is from the "real" world, has read comic books her entire life, and then somehow manages to insert herself into the Marvel universe. She is fully aware of who she is and what she's doing, and she's determined to make herself a hero with her very own story. It helps that she knows everyone, their histories, secret identities, etc. She uses that information to survive in the beginning, but after a few comics she tries to learn basic fighting skills. Her only source of information has been the internet, so I'll let you come to your own conclusions. 

I love her snarky personality and the unexpected things that pop out of her mouth. If you're her friend, she will try to keep you safe, but Gwenpool has a borderline scary obsession with violence and killing. She sees people as extras in her story, which means to her they are expendable. Unfortunately, the supporting characters don't see things that way, and they want to fight for the lives they believe themselves to be living. Have I lost you yet? If this sounds even the least bit interesting, I highly recommend that you read it! It will make more sense when you do, but know that with Gwenpool there will always be a little bit of confusion.

Some information can be found on Goodreads, but Comic Vine is slightly more thorough.