Review: Spider-Woman #1

The controversy surrounding the variant cover of the first issue of Spider-Woman had one positive: it put this new series on my radar. And despite the fact that Spider-Woman looks like a double-amputee below the knees, I think this cover is gorgeous.

The Inheritors are an evil family who travel the multiverse hunting down Spider-Totems to feed off of their life force. Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) and other Spiders race through space and time to fight them. Silk, another Spider, attracts the Inheritors (no one is yet sure why) so she stays on the run, hoping to lure them away from others. Jessica travels with Silk as her protector, and they’re accompanied by a Spider-Man from the 1930s.

There was no way I wasn’t going to love this. Superheroes and time travel? I’m so in.

Silk is young and impetuous so she ends up getting into a fight while Jessica is off trying to find food. While she and Spidey fight a few thugs who were robbing an elderly woman, they attract two Inheritor siblings.

They get away, but not before Speakeasy Spider-Man takes some damage so they head to Earth 90124 so he can get medical attention in the back of a speakeasy.

Present day Spider-Man (I’m not sure if this is supposed to be Miles or Peter - he never takes off his mask, but I’m going with Peter) arrives with Gwen and Anya, also Spiders. He needs to pull Jessica off Silk duty so she can embark on a new mission. He believes it will help turn the tide in the war they’re fighting against the Inheritors.

Silk is left in the care of Gwen and Anya, who quickly lose her after Silk goes off to pout. She doesn’t appreciate being called careless by Jessica. Of course, she runs into trouble in the form of a giant creature with sharp teeth. While she’s running from it, the Inheritor siblings prepare to follow.

Thoughts & Questions:

• Is Gwen Peter’s girlfriend, Gwen Stacy? I love diving into new series, but they almost always require SOME prior knowledge of old storylines.
• The artwork throughout this issue is fantastic. I love the different looks among the many Spiders. I’m also intrigued by this 1930s Spider-Man and really looking forward to meeting new Spiders from different times and universes.
• The Inheritors are wonderfully scary.
• “Pretty sure it looks weird for all three of us to be spider-crouching at the same time.” Favorite line of the issue.