Spider-Woman (2015) #8

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Previously in Spider-Woman #7

Spider-Woman #8 | Writer: Dennis Hopeless | Penciler and Color Artist: Javier Rodriguez | Inker: Alvaro Lopez | Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham | Cover Artist: Javier Rodriguez

I had fun with the Spider-Women crossover event, and as my fellow reviewer Shanna suggested, it should be an annual event.

That said, there’s nothing like having the team back together. Upon my first look at the first panel, I threw my head back and said, “He’s so good!” Rodriquez’s work in this series is truly a feast for the eyes. The full-page panoramic action sequences are back and they are fantastic. And there’s a wonderful balance of darkness and bright colors, swirling together for an iridescent glow. Just look at this panel of Ben Urich in the rain.

Art is subjective, but I don’t know how anyone could look at this book and not love what’s being done. Either way, I’m so happy it works for me. Like Jessica admits at the end of this issue: I like what I like.

And it’s not just the artwork that blows me away each month. At the center of this story about a super-powered superhero is something really grounded, beautiful, and relatable. This month, we witness Jessica finding her groove juggling her web-slinging crimefighting with being a mom. She has help in the form of Ben, who provides the tips and details on the cases they work, and Roger, who watches little Gerry so much that he knows the baby’s habits, likes, and dislikes. It’s an odd family unit, but it clearly works.

As trying to apprehend Tiger Shark takes Jessica from his swanky Upper East Side penthouse to the grimy sewers below, Roger calls her with a question about the baby’s pajamas. Their exchange is filled with the kind of familiar shorthand reserved for married couples. Still, I was a little surprised when I thought one of the two sent an “I love you” text to the other.

It was revealed on the next page that the texting was happening elsewhere, but it did make me wonder: What’s going on with Roger’s wife? I need to read the resolution of him finding his wife and daughter again. Are they back together? If so, she’s the most understanding woman ever to not be bothered by all the time Roger spends helping to raise Gerry.

Jessica’s actual daily bumps and bruises may seem like an exaggeration of what real life parents go through, but it doesn’t feel that far off when you’re in the thick of it with middle-of-the-night feedings and self-doubt. It’s another reason this series is so damn important. It normalizes all the crappy feelings you have as a new parent, because that shit is hard.

Oh, and it shows Jessica breastfeeding her baby while she eats pancakes after a long night of ass-kicking. What’s not to love about that?