Spider-Woman #1

The Good

Jessica Drew is a really cool character. She has a complex background and is a great choice of a character to have their own series. With Spider-Verse underway, it's a little strange but cool to have characters like Jessica, Araña, and others involved despite not being directly tied to Spider-Man's origins.

This issue starts off right in the middle of the action and Jessica is seen as the one in charge. This offers some respect to her character's history and the fact that she's more than capable of leading others. Seeing her teaming up with Silk and Spider-Man Noir is odd but also very cool, as we see them in another universe, trying to protect Silk from the Inheritors.

During the mission, we get to visit yet another world. There's some interesting action as some of the locals show what they can do, which leads to some intervention on our heroes' part. We also get to visit a familiar world of one of the Spider-characters.

The Bad

Simply put, this is a horrible way to start a new series. Readers are thrown in the midst of a huge crossover and readers only have the intro page to fill them in on everything going on. Even though I am reading the Spider-Verse and THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, I was even confused as to what was going on. Was I supposed to read this week's ASM first? When was it decided that Jessica, Silk and Spider-Man Noir would go off on a mission? There's no clarification for readers how they easily teleport to other realities either. Do they have a teleporting device? Even later [our] Spider-Man shows up and there's no sign of how they're moving about.

With the art, we have some moments where characters seem to be standing in model poses, hand on the hip and all. I understand 'artistic interpretation' and all but Silk's face didn't quite look right. Some body proportions were off. I'm not one to usually critique art style at this level but there was one scene at the beginning where Jessica's breasts looked a little odd and oversized (when they were riding the "giant lizard donkeys"). There were just moments where the art was a little distracting from the story.

The Verdict

Launching a brand new series in the midst of an ongoing comic event isn't the best idea. Usually new series seem to arise as a result of the end of events. New readers and those not reading Spider-Verse are thrown in the middle of a pretty crazy story. It is great that Jessica has her own series and a big amount of importance is placed upon her. It's just unfortunate there are issues with the art and too much going on to even become concerned or attached to Spider-Woman. I was looking forward to this series and hopefully things will move in a different direction once Spider-Verse is over. Jessica Drew deserved better than this.

Ouch. I gave it 3 stars, but this is a disappointing issue because it is very much so a Spider-Verse/Silk book rather than a Spider-Woman book

Read ASM #10 first.

I gave it a higher score than this however I do have to agree that launching this in the midst of an event is a very poor choice, and it felt like Jessica Drew wasn't even the main character. It was so focused on Silk that you forgot this was a book about Jessica. Hopefully once this event is over, it'll be better. I still enjoyed it and the art was better than I thought.

3.5-4/5

ooouch that score

This is a shame, I have high hopes for this in the future though because Dennis Hopeless has REALLY impressed me in the past.

I'm sorry but did anyone really think this would be good?

This.

@thewhere: I assumed that after reading this. It would've been nice if there an editor's note saying that. I did flip through it later but haven't had a chance to read yet.

Man, I still can't get past the butt cover variant. Lol

@g_man: there is a reading order at the back of every issue.

I can't help but laugh. I didn't, and don't care to read this, but I can plainly vision what a Greg Land drawn "oversized breasted Jessica riding a giant lizard donkey" must look like.

@captainhoopla: There's a preview here: http://www.comicvine.com/articles/preview-spider-woman-1/1100-150411/

Here's the image.

@averywetfrog: There's no reading order or check list in this issue. And if there was, at the back would be a bad place. I don't want to have to turn to the last page and possible spoil the issue by glancing at the last story page. I didn't note or memorize the list at the end of ASM #9 either.

"With the art, we have some moments where characters seem to be standing in model poses, hand on the hip and all."

You sound like you've never seen a Greg Land comic before.

*Sigh* I wanted to like this comic because Jessica deserves to have a good series after how poorly managed her last attempt at a solo series went, but any comic where reading Slobb's Spider-Man is a prerequisite is a no-go for me. And Jessica wasn't even really the focus of this issue! You could have told me this was the first issue of Silk's new series, and I'd have believed you.

Yikes!! Guess I will stick with carnage

@sparty_dbq: No, trying to be objective and not bring in any concerns or issues with his past stuff. And not everyone reading this review may be familiar with his work. I didn't feel the need to bring up past stuff when focusing on this issue.

Eugh. This was expected. I really don't want to read this too because of Land's disgusting art, but it ties into Spider-Verse, particularly Silk, so I don't know if I should give it a shot...

@g_man: I didn't pick up Spider Woman yet so I just assumed they'd do the same thing as with ASM. I agree though that there should be a clearer numbering system at the start of each issue. I was just saying if anyone gets confused the order is in the back.

@g_man: That's actually not as bad as what I had in my mind, but yeah. On top of the breasts, that looks like almost freakishly long forearms and hands. Though the breasts could be visually exaggerating the proportions. Even worse, my biggest issue with that panel is her lopped off head.

@captainhoopla: It's like, why does her head matter? As long as her breasts are showing, it's fine. Ugh.

I tried to follow it but damn was I lost. I haven't read any of the Spider verse stuff yet and the only spider related books I am reading is Miles Morales..

Wow. Why do they keep putting Land on the comics I would otherwise want to read? Although the story sounds just as bad. Seriously, they need to get rid of this guy from Marvel once and for all, let him draw some random self-published stuff in a forgotten corner of the comics world or something. All his fans will still buy it and the rest of us won't have to worry about him polluting the rest of the comics.

This strangely doesn't surprise me.

Honestly I thought the title was Hopeless to begin with... Just something about it didn't Land with me

People have been saying that about Rob Liefeld for years but the man still gets work. Some people just like terrible things it seems.

I'd give it a 4 out of 5, I enjoyed it as a 4.5 out of 5 but had to deduct a half point for just jumping into spider-verse with no context other than the one page set up that everyone always skips (I totally get others deducting more but I enjoyed it).

It said Spider-Verse on the cover and ASM last two issues where Spider-Verse too... I get that it's an issue 1 with no required reading list in the beginning but the cover was a hint. I only read Spider-Verse due to being a Jessica Drew fan ever since New Avengers & Spider-Woman: Agent of Sword. I'm not a big Spider-Man fan but I gotta say I really like Spider-Verse event so far (thouGH Spider-Verse #1 was just a boring anthology imho), so if you're not reading it you should be. I never even heard of this Spider-man villain before now but I'm rather liking them so far, good solid villains. In ASM #9 it had a reading list that put ASM #10 before SW#1. I fully agree that this was a horrible setup and the first issue should have been more about setting up Jessica Drew as Spider-Woman, just saying I was prepared for this so it didn't phase me so you get the context of a fan who wasn't lost due to this and was just able to enjoy the issue for what it did not what it didn't (it's all point of view)

Maybe if we had 2 issues of Spider-Woman prior to this staring Jessica Drew and Anya as her sidekick (which she was setup as in ASM #9 and #10 very briefly) that set them up and also was an edge of spider-verse starting off lightly in the first issue then getting heavier in the second issue this would have been an amazing issue 3 (which in a way it was as part of the Spider-Verse).

I didn't like the previews anyway and that cover is hilariously bad, I know what it is supposed to look like, but it looks like something else instead.

Um what idiot approved that horrible cover? You have two Hot pieces on the same cover together & they are NOT about to kiss? WTF? At least have them unzip their tops & their bare boobs pressed against each other to obscure any nipplage.

SW's boobs on the lizard donkey are not THAT big, I just wish people would complain more about the fact that silk should NEVER have been created in the first place.

As some one who read this issue before ASM issue #10 i couldn't agree with this review more. Silk has been taking up way to much space in these spider books imo. I have't really found the overwhelming appeal of her yet and I'm tryinggg to get into her. The whole shooting webs out of her fingers thing confuses the hell out of me as well. Where is that webbing generating from?? It's a shame they have to make Silk such an idiot so that Spider-Woman can be seen has a more mature and "better" hero.

Dang, I wish I knew more about Spider-Woman, but I just don't have the time to do the research, if only there were a way to become an expert in 3 minutes.

I ask myself the same thing every time Ultimate Spider-Woman spins a web.

This book is not a successful hit like Miss Marvel

I think that there was an editorial decision to start this in the middle of Spider-Verse, and this didn't work for the issue, but with the story stolen from it, the creative team that had this forced on them, still managed to do well with its characters.

I actually enjoyed this issue, but maybe reading ASM 10 beforehand played some part in it. I definitely checked the back of 9 for the reading order.

Marvel has so many amazing illustrators with distinct style who can create this beautiful, decadent imagery...then there's Greg Land who is horrible and who, in spite of A DECADE of scrutiny, they refuse to fire. It makes them look terrible, it makes the medium look terrible, it gives people a license to crap all over the art that goes behind comicbooks to continue to employ blatantly tacky people like Greg Land. So if they don't want to be taken seriously, they can go right ahead, just don't take it out on Jessica Drew.

And while we're on the subject of looks, Spiderwoman desperately needs a better costume, she looks like a Happy Meal.

Greg Land's art only works for covers. Remember that Spider-verse 2 Gwen Stacy variant cover? It's crazy expensive now

Was going to pick this up but didn't in the end. I think i'll wait for the trade on this one.

Figured that Land was involved with the scoring somehow...

I see what you did there

I'd be interested to see how this title fared under a different artist, since that seems to be the big sticking point for most people.

Call me crazy, but I didn't think this was that bad. I enjoyed it actually, and didn't find it confusing despite the fact that I've read no other Spider-Verse titles. I thought some of the dialogue between SW and Silk was pretty funny. I agree that it wasn't fantastic for a #1 issue, but I'm still interested enough to see what happens in the next one. Hopefully Jessica will take more of a lead role.

That's part of the reason I've loved the Julia Carpenter (classic) Spider-Woman more than Drew. I just love that black and white costume so much, and it worked real well as the Spider-Woman costume.

When I first saw this score all I could think was that it was way way too harsh, but after reading this I can see why...I had no idea what was going on and the story changes setting before I get to understand the first part. I don't know if Issue 2 will be a Spider Verse Tie in but I think I'll give it one more issue to see if I stick with it or ignore this series..

@jonnyh101 I believe issues #1-3 will tie into Spider-Verse.

I'm not understanding the hate. I thought it was a decent read. Although I agree it does focus more on silk rather then Jessica and the story doesn't really explan how those three where paired together. But all in all it was a good read

Spider Woman I'm fine with although personally I did not get the Spider-verse and thought the whole concept to be a contrived way to introduce characters. Silk I simply hate. I'm sorry, but she's been here for 6 issues and already gets a book? Does she seriously have this kind of popularity? I'm suspecting not.

Eh, It's already on the way to my house.

@g_man said:

@captainhoopla: There's a preview here: http://www.comicvine.com/articles/preview-spider-woman-1/1100-150411/

Here's the image.

Yeah in the preview, I didn't like this shot either. Her torso's too narrow.

(O_O) It's a shame that the best that can be said is that this series starts in the middle of a story from another book that I'd have to read to understand what's going on; and the star of the series isn't even a major character in her own book. Not even waiting for the trade paperback is going to fix that kind of a gaffe...that really messes with my completest OCD...