A method for preparing a water-insoluble, water-absorbent adhesive composition, comprising combining, under conditions effective to form a homogeneous admixture: a) a film-forming, hydrophilic polymer comprising at least one linear segment containing a plurality of recurring polar groups; b) a complementary multifunctional polymer containing a plurality of recurring functional groups along the polymer backbone, said recurring functional groups capable of noncovalently binding to the recurring polar groups so that a ladder-like interpolymer complex is formed between the at least one linear segment and the complementary multifunctional polymer; and c) a plasticizer capable of plasticizing the film-forming polymer, wherein the weight fraction of the film-forming polymer in the admixture is greater than the weight fraction of either the complementary multifunctional polymer or the plasticizer; characterized in that either: i) the film-forming hydrophilic polymer is selected from poly(dialkyl aminoalkyl acrylates), poly(dialkyl aminoalkyl methacrylates), poly(N,N-dialkyl acrylamides), poly(trimethylammonioethyl methacrylate), poly(N-vinyl lactams), copolymers thereof, and combinations of any of the foregoing; and ii) the complementary multifunctional polymer is selected from poly(acrylic acid), poly(methacrylic acid), poly(maleic acid), poly(hydroxyalkyl methacrylates), cellulose derivatives, copolymers thereof, and combinations of any of the foregoing; or i) the film-forming hydrophilic polymer is selected from poly(acrylic acid), poly(methacrylic acid), poly(maleic acid), poly(hydroxyalkyl methacrylates), cellulose derivatives, copolymers thereof, and combinations of any of the foregoing; and ii) the complementary multifunctional polymer is selected from poly(dialkyl aminoalkyl acrylates), poly(dialkyl aminoalkyl methacrylates), poly(N,N-dialkyl acrylamides), poly(trimethylammonioethyl methacrylate), poly(N-vinyl lactams), copolymers thereof, and combinations of any of the foregoing. a) a film-forming, hydrophilic polymer comprising at least one linear segment containing a plurality of recurring polar groups; b) a complementary multifunctional polymer containing a plurality of recurring functional groups along the polymer backbone, said recurring functional groups capable of noncovalently binding to the recurring polar groups so that a ladder-like interpolymer complex is formed between the at least one linear segment and the complementary multifunctional polymer; and c) a plasticizer capable of plasticizing the film-forming polymer, i) the film-forming hydrophilic polymer is selected from poly(dialkyl aminoalkyl acrylates), poly(dialkyl aminoalkyl methacrylates), poly(N,N-dialkyl acrylamides), poly(trimethylammonioethyl methacrylate), poly(N-vinyl lactams), copolymers thereof, and combinations of any of the foregoing; and ii) the complementary multifunctional polymer is selected from poly(acrylic acid), poly(methacrylic acid), poly(maleic acid), poly(hydroxyalkyl methacrylates), cellulose derivatives, copolymers thereof, and combinations of any of the foregoing; i) the film-forming hydrophilic polymer is selected from poly(acrylic acid), poly(methacrylic acid), poly(maleic acid), poly(hydroxyalkyl methacrylates), cellulose derivatives, copolymers thereof, and combinations of any of the foregoing; and ii) the complementary multifunctional polymer is selected from poly(dialkyl aminoalkyl acrylates), poly(dialkyl aminoalkyl methacrylates), poly(N,N-dialkyl acrylamides), poly(trimethylammonioethyl methacrylate), poly(N-vinyl lactams), copolymers thereof, and combinations of any of the foregoing.