The Unbelievable Gwenpool #18 Review: Weaponizing The Fourth Wall


Issue eighteen takes a small break from Gwen's story to show Teddy's journey through the Marvel universe, beginning during the first Gwenpool-centered Christmas special. It's a fascinating look at what someone would do if they had no knowledge of the Marvel world, but accidentally got roped in. It's a similar conceit to the main premise of The Unbelievable Gwenpool itself, but with potentially even worse consequences. I'm not sure what Teddy is more upset about, not being recognized by the comic counterparts of his family and friends or seeing Gwen murder a group of criminals.


I also love the official debut of Gwen's new superpowers. She's able to effortlessly pluck objects from within panels, jump from location to location, and view 'scenes' from the comics that don't involve her. Just in one issue, we get a truly intense use of fourth-wall breaking as a power, time travel shenanigans, and a cameo from Benjamin Grimm.

I miss the Fantastic Four.

As we get further and further into "Beyond The Fourth Wall", I'm getting increasingly excited to see just how creative Christopher Hastings and Gurihiru will get. I don't know how this arc will end, but I'm sure it'll be great, especially because we'll see a fully superpowered Gwen vs Doctor Doom once Marvel Legacy arrives. Part of me hopes it's just twenty-two pages of Duck Amuck-style jokes.

The Unbelievable Gwenpool #18 is written by Christopher Hastings, drawn by Gurihiru, and lettered by VC's Clayton Cowles. You can find it at your local comic book shop.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.