Marvel Comics still likes being in the Gwen Stacy business.
Nearly 50 years after her death Gwen's second life as a Marvel mainstay continues in August's Giant-Size Gwen Stacy #1, which is the completion of the 2019 unfinished solo series. The final issues were caught up in the COVID-19 industry slowdown that resulted in the delay of dozen of series by Marvel, DC, and other publishers.
Written by Christos Gage and drawn by Todd Nauck, Giant-Size Gwen Stacy #1 collects the previously published first two issues and prints the final three issues for the first time.
The story is not about a super-powered Gwen Stacy variant, but the original, civilian Peter-Parker's-girlfriend-Gwen in a Silver Age-ish but in-continuity story that put her up against the likes of the Kingpin and her eventual killer Green Goblin.
The story takes place before she met Peter in Amazing Spider-Man #31 and becomes entangled in Spider-Man's life, however.
In the delayed series, Gwen is both a beauty queen and science whiz at Standard High, who much to the frustration of her father, police Captain George Stacy, gets into a lot of trouble including a "Marvel Universe-spanning conspiracy that has her cross paths with dangerous Marvel villains and team-up with the original X-Men!"
"Working on the Gwen Stacy miniseries with the brilliant Todd Nauck and Rachelle Rosenberg was a huge thrill, as I got to play in the timeline of the original Stan Lee/Steve Ditko Spider-Man stories - but before Gwen ever met Peter Parker - revealing untold tales about folks like Gwen, Green Goblin and Captain George Stacy," Gage explains in Marvel's announcement.
"Unfortunately, COVID put the series on hold after just two issues. And it's been a while, but...Gwen is back! And I couldn't be happier! The icing on the cake is that for the first time I get to see my name on a Giant-Size title...a nice thick volume containing all five issues! Ever since I was a kid, Marvel's Giant-Size books have held a special place in my heart, so I couldn't think of a better, more exciting way for Gwen to return. I thank everyone who's waited so long, kept asking about the book and retained their enthusiasm for it...I hope you find it worth the wait!"
"I am so excited to see our complete Gwen Stacy story is coming to the fans!" Nauck adds. "I had so much fun drawing this series and working with Christos, Nick Lowe, Lindsey Cohick, Ralph Macchio, and Rachelle Rosenberg! I really enjoyed brainstorming and working in aspects of the Marvel Universe of that era around Gwen and her story. Wait till fans see issue #4!"
Giant-Size Gwen Stacy #1 goes on sale August 10 with a cover by Olivier Vatine and a variant cover by Peach Momoko.
