Spider-Woman #1 Review: Kicking Off a New Era in Grand Fashion

Spider-Woman has been at the center of several beloved runs over the past decade, and each one took a slightly different angle on the character and her supporting cast. Now a new creative team takes on the adventures of Jessica Drew, and while there are a lot of ties to current events in Spider-Man's world, there are also several strong elements from previous runs mixed in for good measure. All this results in a compelling new concoction that feels fresh and familiar simultaneously, with immediately identifiable and significant stakes for her as a hero and as a human being. Spider-Woman #1 is a hell of a start, and hopefully, things only get better from here.

At the helm this time around are writer Steve Foxe, artist Carola Borelli, colorist Arif Prianto, and letterer Joe Sabino, and the first thing that strikes you is the series' new visual style. Borelli and Prianto catch your attention with eye-popping colors and wonderfully expressive characters that excel in close-ups. So much is accomplished simply through expressions, especially when Jessica has someone else to play off of like Carol or Stryker.

That said, it doesn't mean the more isolated moments don't pack a punch, and for longtime Spider-Woman fans, one particular sequence will have them reeling. There's been a certain character missing from things, and one of this comic book's central focuses is on why that's happened and the effect it's having on Jessica. Foxe knocked me off my feet with that reveal, and Borelli and Prianto ratchet up the emotion in the panels that follow.

I won't spoil it here, but having that as the main focus of the story completely hooked me on a personal level, and the "Gang War" aspects to the story are then expertly placed atop that core. It allows those story elements to take on greater meaning, as you know what is powering Jessica's journey, and the comic book never loses sight of that, even when incorporating other characters. The "Gang War" elements are also compelling on their own, and they give Jessica opportunities to do what she does best, which is throw out sarcastic zingers and kick ass.

Having Carol in the mix also feels right, and their dynamic is spot-on, including Carol's protective nature. While Jessica is keeping her at arm's length at the moment, hopefully, we will get some team-ups between the two down the line, as Foxe already has a stellar grasp of their relationship and general banter.

As for the main antagonist of the issue, Stryker's confidence and new backing raise his threat level sufficiently to feel like a true threat, and that new backing then ties directly into Jessica's past history. It all connects and the characters within the story are all acting as they should, so nothing seems forced. There is one character design (the Green Mamba) that leaves a bit to be desired, but the fight itself has a welcome close-quarters physicality to it, and that seems to be something the series will excel at moving forward.

There are moments where the artwork feels a little off, but those moments don't occur too frequently. For new readers, the issue does a good job of getting catching them up to speed, but there are still elements that become important but brand new readers won't have a solid enough understanding of to make those reveals connect as they should. For longtime fans, that won't be a problem, and as one of those very fans, I'm over the moon that we're addressing these areas of Jessica's life once again.

Spider-Woman #1 had big shoes to fill, but it's already off to a grand start, and this new era for Jessica Drew seems as promising as any before it.

Published by Marvel Comics

On November 29, 2023

Written by Steve Foxe

Art by Carola Borelli

Colors by Arif Prianto

Letters by Joe Sabino

Cover by Leinil Francis Yu