Review: SPIDER-WOMAN #2

 

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SPIDER-WOMAN #2
Written By Dennis Hopeless
Art by Javier Rodriguez & Alvaro Lopez
Published by Marvel Comics
Release Date: December 23, 2015

What do you get when Grey’s Anatomy meets space opera? Spider-Woman #2!

If you didn’t know before now, Jessica Drew does not like being accosted by Skrulls. After taking care of a couple of soldiers with extreme prejudice, Jessica leads a crew of expecting aliens to fight against their captors. In a galaxy far far away, Carol is racing to help her friend, only to reveal some important intel and come up against a major hurdle.

Jessica is a character who is most certainly accustomed to conflict, and her experiences always come to the forefront when faced with any Skrull threat. While I don’t want trauma to be her defining feature, I do like that she has very reasonable and real reactions to Skrulls. Also, you have to consider that there’s maybe two people with Skrull DNA who are at least acceptable. Jessica is balancing her desire for independence with recognizing when to ask for help, something she and her BFF Carol tend to struggle with.

If there’s a running theme through Dennis Hopeless’ time with Jessica it’s that she is determined to do things for herself. Ever since the Skrull invasion, Jessica has tried hard to reclaim her life, and that’s a defining feature in this series and especially this issue. Hopeless writes a Jessica that is somewhat vulnerable but no less capable and who also struggles with changing her boundaries and limits. She eventually recognizes that help is beneficial, but is put in a situation where that may not be possible. From here, I have absolute faith that she will rise to the occasion. Carol and Jessica’s interactions in particular are some of my favorite moments, and I love that Hopeless shows different parts of both of these characters’ personalities.

It wasn’t until this issue that I recognized how Javier Rodriguez and Alvaro Lopez have are a team that has major retro feels. The Skrulls in this issue are reminiscent of their first appearance, which is drastically different from how other artists have portrayed them in the past few years. Still, the art is very modern, a great synthesis of an older style with vivid colors, lines, and movement.

What I like about Spider-Woman #2 is that it puts Jessica in the place she wanted to be in the previous issue, but after she has decided to stop doing things by her lonesome. I feel like the following issues will bring out what makes her great, but also how she has coped with being forced off planet for so long before. I want to see how Jessica resolves this current issue and what it leads to for her in the future.

The Verdict: 8.5/10

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