Seeing Double in Ghost-Spider #5
Multiple universes can result in many strange dilemmas, such as having to face off against two copies of the same antagonist. That’s probably not something Gwen Stacy, Ghost-Spider, was expecting to face. And yet that is what she comes up against in Ghost-Spider #5.
Gwen Stacy has made a new life for herself, courtesy of having access to two different earths. But sometimes, that means doubling up the trouble. You’d think that’s a fact that most Spider characters would be familiar with at this point. But everybody’s got to learn the hard way from time to time, right?
It has been refreshing to see Gwen regain control over her life. That being said, this plot has been building for a while now, so it’s pretty satisfying to see it come to a head here.
Writing
Ghost-Spider #5 was an interesting and exciting issue. One that balanced some incredible highs with a few truly alarming moments. It’s exactly the balance we’ve been hoping to see from Gwen’s story. And all of the stakes have been truly raised, thanks to this plot arc hitting critical mass.
Seanan McGuire nailed the creepy undertones required for this plot in Ghost-Spider #5. Everything about Miles Warren is disturbing – his behavior and tones feel so alarming and familiar to something many people have experienced. And that only increases all of those creepy feelings.
The last several issues have been building up this plot, with the Jackal getting increasingly obsessed with Gwen. This issue went a lot in letting that tension explode outward while showing just how unstable this character can be.
Despite all of those seriously creepy and disturbing tones, McGuire did manage to weave in a couple of feel-good moments. That balance has felt more vital than ever, with all the personal threats to Gwen and her life.
Art
There’s a whole lot of groundwork that Ghost-Spider #5 had to cover. And yet the artistic team could keep up with it, even when that meant following the antagonists and all of their many contacts.
What was impressive about this issue was the level of expression and emotion shown by the characters. If not for some creative artistic licensing, several scenes could have been much more graphic than they were. It felt like the right call in this case.
Several artists were working on this issue to make it what it was. Takeshi Miyazawa and Ig Guara were the lead artists for this issue. At the same time, Rosi Kampe did the inking alongside Guara. Then there was coloring provided by Ian Herring (I love his sense of colors). And finally, the lettering was done by VC’s Clayton Cowles.
Conclusion
Ghost-Spider #5 was another fascinating installment in Gwen’s adventure. There’s something so satisfying about seeing the consequences of Gwen’s time spent on two different earths. Not to mention that this is a plot that has been building for quite some time.
I’m personally looking forward to seeing how far this plot gets pushed. Also, I desperately want to see how the Bodega Bandit is doing. Anybody else?
This review was originally written for Word of the Nerd, but has been ported over to Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks now that the site has shut down.
Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat’s Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
Quirky Cats Comics 