Spider-Woman #10 is unexpectedly the series' swan song, but if it has to end, at least it's going out with a bang. Read Full Review

Spider-Woman's search for her son is sidetracked by the launch of Marvel's "New Hotness", ending Jess' latest series with ambiguity and more than a little frustration, despite strong art and some nice character work. Read Full Review

Thank goodness it’s over.

I guess it was nice to see Spider-Woman finally coming off the bench for a few scant moments in the final issue but it amounted to nothing.

There was never any sense of danger, despite the hyperbolically written teasers, and no real resolution to anything. Overall, it was pointless and toothless. If the Gang War section was slow and painfully obvious from the start, the second half amplified both those flaws. There was no mystery in either story because it was obvious how both would progress. Plus what happened to the plot point that Hydra have seemingly been able to make everyone forget Jess had a son? If they have that kind of mind control at their disposal surely that should be a Marvel wide concern and something that Jess should be alerting people about rather than staying quiet about.

I never thought it was the right choice to make Jess a mother and it’s just ended up making her, and her plot lines, repetitive and dull.

Giving Jess, a queer coded character, yet another simpering romantic moment with a male character when Lindsay was ignominiously written out stinks. Marvel have done their level best to make Jessica as one dimensional as possible and it’s boring. To see Steve Foxe praising the Hopeless run which was basically Pygmalion writ large, so Patriarchal, and filled with queer baiting is majorly disappointing, but no surprise considering this storyline. Jessica has learned the error of her ways and now is a conduit for motherhood, god forbid she get a story that doesn’t revolve around her being a super-straight mommy.

Presumably, the unnecessary Gremlin back story was there to promote the upcoming Armour Wars, and that along with the heavy focus on the product placement kids who showed no distinct personalities beyond their obvious namesake dress-up, reduced Jess to a guest star in her own book. Plus Russians pronounce “farewell” as “do svidánʹja” so it was lazy editing too. Jess making one call to Fury to sort things out for the kids but still using obsolete tech herself was just cringe.

This really has just left me feeling that Marvel have no idea what to do with Jess except for treating her as an cliched afterthought. I really don’t hold out much hope for her future at this point. Reading the sign off by Steve Foxe it very much reads that Marvel gave no opportunity for anything particularly off the wall or exciting to happen. They’ve put her in a very small box and seem hellishly proud of it. Hardly surprising it didn’t do well.

I think I’m mostly disappointed because this plot could have produced an exciting emotional ride but ended up being a whimsical YA romp with a painfully cliched redemptive arc that had already been delivered within the fifth issue with Spider-Boy, and the sixth issue on the train. After that it was just more of exactly the same. Great if you like watching repeats. I don’t care that Jess was originally a blonde, I care that she used to glide from ground level. If you’re going for detail at least try to get it right. If this was mission accomplished for Marvel then I honestly don’t know what they were thinking. more

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Jawnyblaze - Aug 22, 2024

Uh, you seemed to hate this for what it wasn't rather than for what it was. Jessica Drew isn't queer coded and motherhood has long been a part of her character. Ultimate Jessica Drew is gay, not this Jessica Drew.

UW - Aug 22, 2024

Nah I didn’t enjoy it for what it was either. It was shambolic mostly and devoid of tension. It promised continuity but messed it up a lot of times, re-writing Karla Pacheco’s take. Ironic, and a bit rude really when she was given the option to reboot and leave Hopeless’ run as a huge What If…? It was unsatisfactory for what it was. It was too on the nose and repetitive imo. I started out wishing for the best but didn’t get that. No, I mean OG Jess and her relationship with Lindsay.

UW - Aug 22, 2024 (edited)

I’ve reviewed every issue and given wildly different marks. It’s just my honest opinion. I guess had I felt entertained I wouldn’t have noticed all the flaws, but it left me cold. And motherhood doesn’t have to be the constant facet of her we see. Surely there are other stories we could get too.

Jawnyblaze - Aug 22, 2024

Fair enough.

UW - Aug 22, 2024 (edited)

Thanks. Don’t get me wrong, I hated that Jess went from being against motherhood and saying things like “Yes, that is a baby, now get it away from me” because Hopeless and the other male staff had recently become fathers and wanted to use her to tell their stories. Yet, even though I never liked the kid, I appreciate what other commenters have said about how aging him up has ruined the book and that emotional journey for them. That didn’t bother me but I didn’t think the story was told well.

UW - Aug 22, 2024 (edited)

I guess, like you, I’d prefer to see Jess given better treatment by Marvel. I even believe this storyline could have worked well if it hadn’t been so sloppy, uninvolving, and way too pat.

Jawnyblaze - Aug 23, 2024

Yea, I get it. I really would love for Marvel to give her an A-team. Something similar at least to what they did with the recent She Hulk runs, which were incredible. Not similar tonally, but similar level quality. It would be a permanent title in my pullbox for however long they want to run it.

UW - Aug 23, 2024

Snap.

UW - Aug 23, 2024

I’d love to see Jed MacKay take her on and dig into her mythology. Crossing the Astral Plains, having multiple strands to her personality, still compartmentalising, thriving on her strength and humour, no matter how battered, no matter how bruised. A lot like the guy he’s currently writing. .

UW - Aug 23, 2024

Did you ever read ‘Secret Avengers’ by Aleš Kot? It’s great comics, and I love Jess in that.

Jawnyblaze - Aug 23, 2024

Yea, Jed McCay would be good. Benjamin Percy could probably do a good gritty story with her. I’m pretty sure I read Secret Avengers, the whole New Avengers and Secret Invasion run is what really made me start liking the character

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