‘Spider-Woman by Dennis Hopeless’ is a must-have for Jessica Drew fans

There’s little to complain about with this run and these creatives.

June 11, 2023

A lot of bad things have happened to Jessica Drew (she once called herself “the most screwed-over human in the history of the world”, after all) but having a slew of bad solos is not among those bad things. Dennis Hopeless’ Spider-Woman omnibus collects his 2014 and 2015 runs on Spider-Woman in addition to 2015’s Amazing Spider-Man #1, finally putting this exciting Jess era into one package for fans to collect.

Spider-Woman 2015 has the misfortune of starting amidst an event, so if you don’t remember all the ins and outs of the Spider-Verse saga at the time, some of this might be hard to follow. The writing is fun (loomworld Jess is a favorite of mine) but the Greg Land art really does dampen a lot of the book’s high points. I don’t know what to say that hasn’t been said already about Greg Land, but if you read his ’90s DC work like Birds of Prey or his Nightwing, there’s proof he can actually draw. Somewhere along the line he simply started tracing and stopped trying at all and the books he’s been on have been uglier for it.

Listen to the latest episode of our weekly comics podcast!

The highest point of this portion of the run is the last issue Land is on, which serves as a transitionary issue in more ways than one. To me, this is the portion of the run that feels like the real start of Hopeless’ tenure on the book because it’s not a Spider-Verse tie-in anymore, but rather Jessica setting her roots down and taking time for herself. Jessica quitting the Avengers was a really good time period for her and narratively was an interesting point for her, especially given her complicated history with the Avengers and her sense of self post Secret Invasion.

Jessica returning to detective work is a breath of fresh air and her quest for inner peace and to finally find some happiness after all she’s been through feels like such a natural step for the character. Issue #6 also is the debut of the great Kris Anka’s redesign of the Spider-Woman suit, which is easily my favorite Jessica costume to date. This is also when Javier Rodriguez starts drawing the book, and his art is synonymous with this run for good reason. This is a costume that captures her personality so perfectly and deserves more hype than it gets (and I’m insanely happy Across the Spider-Verse picked this suit for their Jess costume).

Marvel Comics

The ambiance here is what this run is known for, and rightfully so – the aesthetic of it all (including the writing choices like setting and cast) fit so well. The final issue of 2015 ties in with Secret Wars, and given Jessica’s newfound quest for peace after quitting the Avengers, there’s a heartbreaking element to it and how it’s all ending and how she can’t have that peace for long because she must hop in the action again. Something will always bring her back.

2016’s run is the part 2 of this era and what people know it for: Jessica becomes a mom. At first when this was announced I remember being apprehensive to how it would be done. Jessica was a character that never expressed an interest in motherhood before and there is a tendency people have to assume that there is nothing a woman could possibly want more than the chance to be a mother, but once the book came out, those worries I had were quelled.

The “who is the father” question and answer truly sell this plot point because Jessica eventually explains to Carol that there is no father. She was dating a guy and thought she might be pregnant and took the test only to realize she was disappointed it was negative — so she got a donor and decided to have a child on her own. Jessica is a character that has so little autonomy historically and has lamented how little control she’s had over her life and her body so there’s something powerful about her making this choice for herself. She’s been told over and over that she doesn’t matter and has this feeling that she isn’t enough for anyone, so to have her say “no I am enough” and decide she can be a mother and do it on her own is equally compelling. The panels where she sees her son for the first time (and naming him Gerry was such a cute move when she has had a son in MC2 with that name) are beautiful. Once again Rodriguez delivers.

The vibe of this book is Jessica wanting to be much more down to earth and settling down and finding peace and the scale of everything makes so much sense. Roger is truly the only misstep in this run because the two have no chemistry and it feels like such an unnecessary love interest for her. Him admitting he’s in love with her felt out of nowhere at the time, and rereading it now I still feel like that. It’s always wild to me when characters can have no chemistry because they really are drawings on paper with dialogue being written for them, but Roger and Jess somehow manage to have no chemistry regardless.

Civil War II is one of the worst events Marvel has ever published, but Jessica’s inclusion in it here makes sense given Carol’s unfortunate starring role in it. The banter between Carol and Jess in this entire run is top tier and they thankfully make up. Jess trying to get acceptance for her new life from all her friends is one of the highlights of this run and Carol’s relationship with Gerry is another highlight.

After Rodriguez, Veronica Fish takes over and her art fits the book just perfectly. If Rodriguez couldn’t finish the title, I don’t think there could be a better option for a followup than Fish. Her aesthetic matches the vibe perfectly and is a great successor.

There’s little to complain about with this run and these creatives and if you like Jessica Drew, this omnibus is a must-have.