Spider-Woman (2015) #17

Previously, in Spider-Woman #16

I’ve made no secret of how much I love this series. I’ve often said its biggest appeal is how realistic it is for a story about a superhero; it managed to be a story about motherhood, building a family that isn’t traditional, and juggling being a mother with a commitment to serving others. Project Fandom contributor Shanna recently covered Emerald City Comicon and sent me copies of Spider-Woman’s first two volumes, and they were signed by Dennis Hopeless. Needless to say, I freaked out. Seriously. You can’t tell me shit for at least six months. I say all this so you understand how completely saddened I am that this is the last issue of the series. And I had no idea until the end!

It was a fitting farewell, though. Jessica is throwing a party to introduce her superhero friends to the new man in her life, Roger. Their relationship raises a lot of eyebrows because they really don’t make sense on paper and you have Roger’s past life as a D-list villain to consider. Natasha (Black Widow) is the judgiest, openly questioning Jessica’s life choices.

Like I said, it’s hard to put their relationship into words so it’s a good thing little Gerry chooses now to display his budding superpowers. Roger quickly jumps into action to keep the superbaby from hurting himself as he plays, coos, and sticks to ceilings. When Roger, without hesitation, launches himself off the rooftop to catch Gerry, it becomes crystal clear what Jessica sees in him. Talk about getting an instant superhero seal of approval.

I am a little bummed that we don’t get the exploration of how this new dynamic will affect Roger’s relationship with his ex and his daughter; I mean, how did that “hey, I’m not dead” conversation go? This isn’t a criticism on the series. In fact, it’s a testament to how Hopeless was able to make these people matter to the reader. You often hear creators say how special it is to be able to tell the story they wanted from beginning to end. I hope Hopeless, Rodriguez, Fish, and Rosenberg know that it was just as special to be given this story.

Thank you.