SPIDER-WOMAN #3
Written by Dennis Hopeless
Art by Javier Rodriguez, Alvaro Lopez, & Rachelle Rosenberg
Published by Marvel Comics
Release Date: January 27, 2016
When faced with shape-shifting rebels, sometimes nature calls.
Among a bevy of pregnant aliens, Jessica takes up the courage of leading the front against the rebellious Skrulls. After swimming, climbing, and dashing through a variety of environments, she arrives at her target after receiving from unexpected intel from Carol. Faced with the coming Skrull onslaught, Jessica is ready to come out guns blazing until she finds that her baby has different plans.
This issue is rife with wonderful and innovative scenes, great character development, and a natural progression from our main Spider and her supporting cast. The latest volume of Spider-Woman truly is a chance to explore Jessica from a new angle. The use of Skrulls in the story helps to capitalize on her anger and frustration at being held relatively accountable for a large scale conflict and the loss she feels from being held captive. Jessica is a definite gradient of characterization as the series moves forward, and the next issue is likely to bring out a new shade of her.
Dennis Hopeless has written some great developments for the series so far, but a few really stand out. For one, Jessica has assumed much more agency and gumption as each of the issues have progressed. In this installment, she’s taking on the Skrull threat, escalating the stakes with each step. Carol’s presence as an apologetic best friend (but also officer) is a nice take on her as a character. I always love bad-ass and introspective Carol, so to see Hopeless add another dimension to her as someone who looks out for her best friend, but regrets her mistake, is human. Both Carol and Jessica are definitely multi-faceted, and I feel Hopeless does great at conveying different parts of them.
I cannot get over the art for this issue. Jessica has been on an interstellar space hospital for the past couple of issues, but much of the sci-fi and fantastical elements come out in Spider-Woman #3. As Jessica is traversing the hospital, there are some truly stellar pages. From descending a giant, amorphous alien to diving through cubes, this team expertly made use of the limitless imagination necessary for illustrating this issue’s setting.
As this story arc builds, I trust that it’s going to reveal something integral for Jessica, and not just in the sense of her pregnancy. Already, we have seen her acquiesce to her friends’ wishes then take up her venom blasts when she needs to. Motherhood will be an interesting change for Jessica, and at this point, I believe it won’t be in a way that defines or limits her. I’m excited for what we get to see as this arc moves closer to being finished.
The Verdict: 9.0/10
