Writer: Stephanie Phillips
Penciller: Paolo Villanelli
I’ll be real with you all—I almost missed this one. It was hiding in my backlog like a symbiote in the shadows. But thank the Spider-Totem I gave it a read, because All-New Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider #3 is not just worth your time—it’s one of the hardest-hitting, emotionally complex, and brutal issues of the series so far.
🕷 A Web of Family, Legacy, and Regret
What immediately stood out to me in this issue was the emotional gut punch that is the original Black Tarantula. Now imprisoned, this version of the character shows more depth and vulnerability than we’ve ever seen before. For maybe the first time in forever, we see him scared—not for himself, but because he desperately wants to reconnect with his son, Fabian, the new Black Tarantula. There’s this quiet tragedy running through his scenes, and honestly? It makes him scarier than ever. He knows he has done a lot of wrong. But for him, everybody else is the villain. Everybody else is the bad guy. And it is this exact kind of delusion that makes somebody truly dangerous.
But let’s talk about Fabian. Because whoa. The guy brings the heat in this issue, throwing down hard with Gwen against a truly monstrous foe. And I mean monstrous—because surprise: the thing hunting and killing Gwen’s friends? It’s her old symbiote. Yeah. Gwen’s former partner-in-venom has come back with a personal vendetta and a lot of teeth.
😈 The Symbiote’s Revenge
Here’s where the issue gets deep. We obviously know Gwen had lost her powers before and with it, her will to continue being a superhero. But just in case, we also get a cool flashback. She fought back at first. But in a moment of desperation, she took back the symbiote—despite knowing how dangerous it was. Once she got her powers back and stabilized, she ditched it.
Now, the symbiote is pissed. Not just in a generic “villain-of-the-week” kind of way, but in a deeply emotional, almost human way. It felt abandoned and angry. Betrayed. What we’re seeing isn’t just a horror angle—it’s the heartbreak of a bond severed, and the monster that heartbreak became.
It’s twisted. It’s tragic. And it’s terrifying. So grab your popcorn, because it’s going to be bloody cinema over here.
💥 The Brutality of the Battle
Let me just say: this issue does not hold back on the action. Gwen and Fabian versus the symbiote is gritty, raw, and brutal. You can feel every punch, every slam into a wall, every web-snap. Gwen gets wrecked here. And just when it feels like she and Fabian might have a chance?
Boom. Fabian falls. The symbiote overtakes him.
Yep. Now HE’S the monster.
It’s a heartbreaking twist because Fabian really proved himself this issue. He fought with heart, precision, and just enough of his father’s grit. You could see the legacy being rewritten in real time—until it was literally consumed by the past Gwen tried to bury.
🧠 Guest Appearances and Setup
Oh, and who pops in near the end? None other than Flash Thompson. Perfect timing. Flash has been through enough with symbiotes to know how to handle one. And with Gwen bloodied and desperate, a Gwen + Flash team-up feels like exactly what the next issue needs to balance out the carnage we just witnessed.
We’re also clearly building toward a high-stakes hunt for the symbiote-controlled Fabian—and I am so here for it. This is the kind of serialized tension that makes monthly comic book reading such a thrill.
🕸 Final Thoughts
This was pretty much as good as it can get, when it comes to Gwen! I have no complaints with this one! All-New Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider #3 is brutal, tragic, and exhilarating in equal measure. It’s a reminder of why Gwen Stacy remains one of Marvel’s most compelling heroes—because no matter how far she falls, she always gets back up. But this time, the symbiote she left behind is making sure it’s personal. There’s real narrative weight here, some awesome character work, and just the right amount of superhero horror.
And I’ll say this: If you’re sleeping on this current Gwen run, wake up. This series is shaping up to be one of the most exciting and emotionally raw books on the stands right now.
FINAL GRADE: A++
English (US) · 