SPIDER-WOMAN #1, out this Wednesday from Marvel Comics brings back a beloved character, Spider-Woman, aka Jessica Drew. Once again, the sassy hero is back, and she’s going to leave her mark on these pages, don’t you worry.
***SPOILER WARNING***
Is it true? Is Spider-Woman really getting her own series? (Again). While it may be hard to believe, it is in fact, true! Jessica Drew is back in action, and she’s getting her own series to boot. That means more explosions (naturally), venom, and sass than ever before.
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Taking lead on Spider-Woman you’ll find a new creative team worth getting excited about. Karla Pacheco (Fantastic Four 2099), Pere Perez (Uncanny X-Men), Frank D’Armata, and many more creatives have already become involved.
After the attention Drew has been getting during Strikeforce, it’s really no surprise that she’s getting another shot at a solo series. That being said, if you’re behind on Strikeforce, you really won’t have any problem following along. Just know that Jessica Drew is as active as ever, and that means she’s facing all-new challenges.
The Writing
Spider-Woman #1 starts off explosively, being unafraid to throw Jessica Drew into the thick of things. Though perhaps this is not what she had in mind when she opted to take on a few new jobs. But such is the life of a superhero, huh?
Karla Pacheco has managed to simultaneously portray the sass and tension that tend to go hand and hand with Drew. And she’s done so in perfect balance. Here is a character we all love, but she’s been taken to all new heights…and risks.
This issue is actually split into two parts and is part of the reason why it’s slightly longer than normal (which you probably already noticed). There’s the main plot, in which Jessica is gloriously back and dealing with villains and teens.
Then there’s the second half, which is humorously titled ‘New Costume, Who Dis?’ This second plot went a lot way in explaining some of the hints and concerns revealed earlier, all while leaving us with more questions. Not to mention a renewed interest in reading Spider-Woman #2.
The Art
The artistic team behind Spider-Woman #1 is absolutely massive, thanks in part to the split-plot arcs. It was worth it. The panels in this issue varied dramatically, jumping from humorous to dramatic, and then back again. It’s everything we could have wanted from a Spider-Woman comic.
Pere Perez (pencils/inks) and Frank D’Armata (colorist) took charge of the first plot, and you can tell that they had more than a little bit of fun portrayed Drew’s antics. It was an entertaining read, one that showed Jessica’s powers to the full extent. Okay, it also showed her frustration, but that just made it all the more entertaining.
Paulo Siqueira, Oren Junior, and D’Armata all teamed up for the second arc in the issue, ‘New Costume, Who Dis?’ It’s safe to say that this was a dramatic change, due in part to the time and costume changes. But it’s also the tone and setting as well. The artists did an excellent job of portraying all of that and managed to sneak in a bit of humor along the way.
VC’s Travis Lanham was the letterer for the issue, and their work is exactly what was needed here. It provided a cohesive element for the whole issue and guaranteed that we followed through each panel accordingly.
In Conclusion
Spider-Woman #1 was everything we could have hoped for, and then some. It’s great to see Jessica Drew getting her solo series back, and we have high hopes for where it’ll take her (and the readers, by proxy).
The dramatic and sassy introduction was perfection and a strong reminder to fans old and new for what is in store. It’ll be fascinating to see what sort of trouble she gets in next…and how she’ll get out of it.
