Return to
Polar Blair's Den Menu Page(Series 1 & 2)
Back to "Comic Books: Marvel" Main Page
About This Series
All-Time Greatest Issues!
Covers Gallery
Issues
Pictures
About This
Series:
Issues:
Marketing-wise,
the character of Spider-Woman was a pretty smart idea. Marvel was
certainly playing off the name and popularity of
their hot Spider-Man franchise. However, the character of
Spider-Woman has almost nothing to do with Spider-Man except by
name. It took well over two years for the two to first meet in
comics. Spider-Woman/Spider-Man crossovers were
rare.
Spider-Woman will always be one of my all-time favorite superheroines. The original Jessica Drew character of Spider-Woman is, without a doubt, the best incarnation of the character and, not surprising, is the one Marvel always revisits. The second Spider-Woman character of Julia Carpenter (the black and white costume) was around for a number of years, but has never gained the strong following of her predecessor among comic fans. Other versions of Spider-Woman type characters came after Julia Carpenter, but since the 2000s, Marvel has gone back to Jessica Drew.
Jessica Drew is the sexiest of the Spider-Women. Her red and yellow costume...WOW! Spider-Woman 1 was an alluring character, and had the best personality. She was very much a woman, but could do amazing things. The writers always gave Spider-Woman 1 a very real personality, despite her circumstances.
The villains introduced in Spider-Woman comics were also some of the most interesting to appear in any Marvel title. Even in the 1970s and 80s it was hard to create new villains that hadn't already been done. For some strange reason, most of Spider-Woman's enemies were visual standouts in the already thick forest of supervillain characters of comicdom.
Marvel tried very hard to catch the ring with Spider-Woman and, ultimately, failed. People loved the character and still do, as is apparent, but the writers could never settle on a saga! If you missed one or two issues of Spider-Woman, you would sometimes miss enormous changes that affected the entire scope of the character! That was not wise. One direction should have been taken and stayed with for awhile. When Spider-Woman's cast and occupation kept changing, it was very hard to follow the comics and, as a result, a lot of people got bored with her.
Series 1 of Spider-Woman ended after only 50 issues. This was a pity, because she could have gone on forever with a solid premise. The series ended with Spider-Woman's death, but she was brought back to life in the "Avengers" title. Even as the second version of Spider-Woman took over, writers still experimented with the Jessica Drew character in back stories of various comics. Simply put, the character of Spider-Woman 1 was kept on the back burner until Marvel felt they could introduce her again.
The character of Spider-Woman, and her first regular series, is still looked upon rather fondly by many comic readers. The second series of "Spider-Woman" was a four-issue mini-series starring the Spider-Woman 2 character of Julia Carpenter. I liked the black-and-white Spider-Woman, but she was no Jessica Drew. This series had nothing to do with "Spider-Woman" (Series 1). Long before this mini-series, the Julia Carpenter Spider-Woman had been a long-established character in the Marvel universe. It is a bit surprising she wasn't given her own regular series long before this attempt. I believe this mini-series was meant to feel out the audience for a regular series of the character, but it just didn't take off. I had a very hard time finding issue #4 in stores, and I didn't find it as a back issue until years later!
"Spider-Woman" (Series 1): These are the standout issues. Get them wherever you can find them!
#1- although not Spider-Woman's first appearance, it IS a new beginning for the heroine, and a great starting point for readers.
#7- Spider-Woman learns more about herself and avenges the murder of her father. Sexy knockout scene!
#9- Fights The Needle. Great Spider-Woman posings!
#10- First time Spider-Woman meets Gypsy Moth. Hot!
#20- Spider-Woman meets Spider-Man for the first time!
#29- Spider-Woman meets Spider-Man again and fights The Enforcer!
#30- Spider-Woman fights The Fly! One of Spider-Woman's better-known villains thanks to the TV cartoon series.
#33- Fights Turner D. Century.
#38- Spider-Woman meets the X-Men and fights Black Tom, Juggernaut, and Siryn!
#46- Spider-Woman fights the Mandroids and meets Kingpin!
#48- Spider-Woman meets Gypsy Moth for the second time! Incredible!
#49- Spider-Woman meets Tigra for the first time!
#50- A double issue. The first story wraps up the disappearing super-beings plot. The second story features the ultimate showdown between Spider-Woman and Morgan Le Fay.
Spider-Woman will always be one of my all-time favorite superheroines. The original Jessica Drew character of Spider-Woman is, without a doubt, the best incarnation of the character and, not surprising, is the one Marvel always revisits. The second Spider-Woman character of Julia Carpenter (the black and white costume) was around for a number of years, but has never gained the strong following of her predecessor among comic fans. Other versions of Spider-Woman type characters came after Julia Carpenter, but since the 2000s, Marvel has gone back to Jessica Drew.
Jessica Drew is the sexiest of the Spider-Women. Her red and yellow costume...WOW! Spider-Woman 1 was an alluring character, and had the best personality. She was very much a woman, but could do amazing things. The writers always gave Spider-Woman 1 a very real personality, despite her circumstances.
The villains introduced in Spider-Woman comics were also some of the most interesting to appear in any Marvel title. Even in the 1970s and 80s it was hard to create new villains that hadn't already been done. For some strange reason, most of Spider-Woman's enemies were visual standouts in the already thick forest of supervillain characters of comicdom.
Marvel tried very hard to catch the ring with Spider-Woman and, ultimately, failed. People loved the character and still do, as is apparent, but the writers could never settle on a saga! If you missed one or two issues of Spider-Woman, you would sometimes miss enormous changes that affected the entire scope of the character! That was not wise. One direction should have been taken and stayed with for awhile. When Spider-Woman's cast and occupation kept changing, it was very hard to follow the comics and, as a result, a lot of people got bored with her.
Series 1 of Spider-Woman ended after only 50 issues. This was a pity, because she could have gone on forever with a solid premise. The series ended with Spider-Woman's death, but she was brought back to life in the "Avengers" title. Even as the second version of Spider-Woman took over, writers still experimented with the Jessica Drew character in back stories of various comics. Simply put, the character of Spider-Woman 1 was kept on the back burner until Marvel felt they could introduce her again.
The character of Spider-Woman, and her first regular series, is still looked upon rather fondly by many comic readers. The second series of "Spider-Woman" was a four-issue mini-series starring the Spider-Woman 2 character of Julia Carpenter. I liked the black-and-white Spider-Woman, but she was no Jessica Drew. This series had nothing to do with "Spider-Woman" (Series 1). Long before this mini-series, the Julia Carpenter Spider-Woman had been a long-established character in the Marvel universe. It is a bit surprising she wasn't given her own regular series long before this attempt. I believe this mini-series was meant to feel out the audience for a regular series of the character, but it just didn't take off. I had a very hard time finding issue #4 in stores, and I didn't find it as a back issue until years later!
"Spider-Woman" (Series 1): These are the standout issues. Get them wherever you can find them!
#1- although not Spider-Woman's first appearance, it IS a new beginning for the heroine, and a great starting point for readers.
#7- Spider-Woman learns more about herself and avenges the murder of her father. Sexy knockout scene!
#9- Fights The Needle. Great Spider-Woman posings!
#10- First time Spider-Woman meets Gypsy Moth. Hot!
#20- Spider-Woman meets Spider-Man for the first time!
#29- Spider-Woman meets Spider-Man again and fights The Enforcer!
#30- Spider-Woman fights The Fly! One of Spider-Woman's better-known villains thanks to the TV cartoon series.
#33- Fights Turner D. Century.
#38- Spider-Woman meets the X-Men and fights Black Tom, Juggernaut, and Siryn!
#46- Spider-Woman fights the Mandroids and meets Kingpin!
#48- Spider-Woman meets Gypsy Moth for the second time! Incredible!
#49- Spider-Woman meets Tigra for the first time!
#50- A double issue. The first story wraps up the disappearing super-beings plot. The second story features the ultimate showdown between Spider-Woman and Morgan Le Fay.
Issues:
#9: December,
1978.
Villain
is
The
Needle.
A
cool
issue with Spider-Woman
fighting the bizarre villain. No real sexy knockout sequence
here, but a lot of sexy Spider-Woman posings. Art by Carmine
Infantino and Al Gordon. Story by Mark Gruenwald.
#10: Villain is Gypsy Moth. Sweet and sexy artwork! Great story! Spider-Woman reluctantly battles a winged beauty called Gypsy Moth.
#12: March, 1979. Villains are The Brothers Grimm. Art by Carmine Infantino and Al Gordon. Story by Mark Gruenwald. This issue was an interesting premise. An occult ritual takes place in a theater where Spider-Woman and her boyfriend, S.H.I.E.L.D. secret agent Jerry Hunt, are strung up like puppets on the stage. Spider-Woman's mentor, Magnus, has been forced to work his magic for the villains in order to save the lives of his friends. Of course, Spider-Woman and Magnus manage to overtake the villains and win.
#13: April, 1979. This is a "nowhere story"; filler stuff for the ongoing Spider-Woman soap opera. This sets up the story with Shroud for the next issue. Excellent art by Carmine Infantino and Al Gordon. Story by Mark Gruenwald.
#14: May, 1979. Guest star is The Shroud. It's an okay issue, but nothing too eventful. There aren't that many sexy shots of Spider-Woman here. Great artwork, though, by Carmine Infantino and Al Gordon. Story by Mark Gruenwald.
#15: June, 1979. Guest star is The Shroud. Better than the previous issue. Shroud is a cool hero character that Marvel hasn't really done too much with over the years. He's blind, and has quite a sense of humor for being such a mysterious sort. He's comparable to the classic Shadow character, or other such mysterious superheroes. The Shroud's a fun-to-read character with some great lines. Again, delivered by the team of Gruenwald, Infantino, and Gordon.
#18: September, 1979. The villain is Waxman. It's an interesting story, but not really right for "Spider-Woman". It's kind of gross, really. Perfect for "Doctor Strange" or "X-Men", but not for the gorgeous "Spider-Woman" and her sleeker, more sophisticated style. The Waxman is more of a villain character for the "in your face" superhero comics. "Spider-Woman" was always more subtle. Gruenwald and Infantino bring it to you, again.
#19: October, 1979. Villain is The Enforcer. Guest superhero is Werewolf by Night. Nothing too important happens here. Per usual, Gruenwald and Infantino deliver this issue.
#20: November, 1979. This is a special issue for a few reasons. For one, there is no villain. Also, it is the first time Spider-Woman meets her male counterpart, Spider-Man. This was a highly-anticipated event since Spider-Woman made her first appearance more than two years before! Now in Los Angeles, Spider-Woman is caught by Spider-Man actually returning money to an office safe. The two heroes eventually settle their misunderstanding. The artwork is awesome and I love the story. This is what Marvel's superhero comics used to be about. Mark Gruenwald is an excellent, fun writer and Frank Springer is a fantastic artist. His Spider-Woman looks so sleek and sexy!
#23: Villain is The Gamesman. The Gamesman is an awesome villain. I like it that Spider-Woman works with wheelchair-bound criminologist Scotty McDowell in catching dangerous criminals. The Gamesman, out of costume, pretends he is a newspaper reporter named Tim Braverman. He makes Spider-Woman think he loves her in order to get her out of the way. Fortunately, skeptical Scotty comes to Spider-Woman's rescue and Tim/Gamesman is sent to prison.
#25: April, 1980. Spider-Woman fights the successors of The Gamesman, using an actress as a double. Fairly sexy art...great, nonetheless. Art by Steve Leialoha. Story by Michael Fleisher.
#27: June, 1980. Villain is The Enforcer. Exciting action story where Spider-Woman battles the costumed gun nut. She gets knocked out, but it's not a typically sexy sequence. Great artwork, but not as sleek or veluptous as the Spider-Woman of early issues. It's important for the Spider-Woman character to be visually sexy, and I think a lot of the people who worked on the series forgot about that somewhere along the lines. Art by Jerry Bingham and Mike Esposito. Story by Michael Fleisher.
#28: July, 1980. Villain is The Enforcer. Spider-Man makes a tiny appearance at the end of this issue. Written by Michael Fleisher. Knockout art by Stephen Leialoha. A lot of activity, but nothing much happens. Next issue is more interesting.
#29: August, 1980. Villain is The Enforcer. Guest superhero is Spider-Man. This is a cool issue. Spider-Man is at his classically funny best, and at odds with Spider-Woman throughout the issue. Story by Michael Fleisher. Wonderful art by Ernie Chan and Frank Springer.
#30: Villain is The Fly. Great artwork and story! Spider-Woman fights The Fly.
#31: October, 1980. Villain is The Hornet. Spider-Woman's wheelchair bound friend Scotty actually becomes the Hornet. Story by Michael Fleisher. Sleek art by Steve Leialoha and Jim Mooney. Cool action, but little more than a long fight sequence.
#33: December, 1980. This issue is awesome! Villain is Turner D. Century, a retro-early 1900s man who uses gadgetry to fight anything he considers evil. In the process, he kills innocent people trying to bring our country back to "wholesome". He actually ends up dying at the end of this issue. Great, stand-alone issue of "Spider-Woman". Story by J.M. De Matteis. Art by Steve Leialoha and Bruce Patterson.
#38: June, 1981. Incredible issue! Spider-Woman joins the X-Men (Storm, Angel, Colossus) in taking down Black Tom, Juggernaut, and Siryn. At this time, Siryn was a villain. After Spider-Woman stuns Siryn and causes her capture, the teenager is taken to X-Men's headquarters where she is reunited with her long-lost father, Banshee. The cover is misguiding. Spider-Woman NEVER fights the X-Men in this issue. Also, at the end of this issue, Jessica Drew opens her private detective agency. Jessica/Spider-Woman kept this going long after this series ended and for years when she was powerless. This issue was written by the legendary Chris Claremont (X-Men writer) with art by Steve Leialoha and Wiacek.
#44: June, 1982. Great issue! Villains are Viper and Chthon. Spider-Woman is on a revenge mission to take out Viper, who has put her best friend Lindsay McCabe in the hospital. Viper reveals she is actually Meriem Drew, Jessica Drew's (Spider-Woman) mother! She was believed to be dead since 1931, but has stayed youthful due to a pact with the demon Chthon. All these years, she has gone by the name Viper and serves as deadly handmaiden for the terrorist organization known as Hydra. Viper/Meriem leads her own daughter into Chthon's trap but, in reality, does so only to break the force matrix that allows him to function on Earth. She ends the curse, but has also lost her immortality. Now Viper will age like everyone else. Spider-Woman and Viper now part on good terms.
I would have liked it if this revelation held true for Spider-Woman and Viper. However, Marvel Comics has a nasty habit of retweaking superhero sagas. In later issues of Marvel titles, it is revealed that Chthon merely made Viper think she was Meriem Drew in order to trap both Viper and Spider-Woman and place them under his demonic control. In other words, Viper and Spider-Woman are NOT related.
Besides that, this is an entertaining issue with a lot of action, a great story, and great artwork. Writer is Chris Claremont. Artist is Steve Leialoha. The only thing I don't like about this issue is that it is a total jerk-around thanks to someone's idea of retconning Viper. I think they should have left things as they were. Might have been nice to see Spider-Woman reform her mother in later issues.
#46: October, 1982. AWESOME ISSUE! Villains are the Mandroids. Writer is Chris Claremont. Art is by Steve Leialoha. The action and the writing is incredible! I really felt that Spider-Woman's character was finally becoming grounded once she started as a private eye. It's too bad the series ended, and Spider-Woman began her decades long period of obscurity, before its readership could really pick up.
Jessica Drew is with boyfriend David Ishima at the beach. Just when they go for a swim, they are attacked by hitmen in scuba gear! Jessica makes short work of them in a spectacular fight sequence, but passes out from a gunshot wound. Before she blacks out, Jessica learns this was a failed assassination attempt by one of the enemies she made as a private eye. Jessica and David are then rescued by the Dragon Clan faction of the Yakuza. Unlike the rest of the Yakuza, the Dragon Clan are good guys that follow the original precepts of the Yakuza. They are NOT gangsters and, in fact, fight gangsters. Jessica meets the leader of the Dragon Clan, Ieyasu Imura, and discovers that her American cop friend Sabrina Morrell is one of them!
Imura and Morrell know Jessica is Spider-Woman, but do not threaten to expose her identity. Instead, they request her help in a most desperate situation. A group called DRC (Deterrance Research Corporation) plots to assassinate two major criminal masterminds in order to spark an international gang war and sell weapons. One of the two targets is Yakuza head, General Coy; the other is massive supervillain, the Kingpin. Jessica agrees.
As Spider-Woman, Jessica gets the job done. Needless to say there is a lot of action! Spider-Woman has to stop the DRC's would-be assassins, the Mandroids, from killing Kingpin and Coy. Our ravishing, red-suited heroine had previously fought the Mandroids, men in heavy metal android suits, in issue #34. There's a lot of them, but Spider-Woman deals with the Mandroids very well...old school style!
Despite the fact Kingpin and Coy SHOULD die, their lives had to be saved for the greater good. Kingpin, still a heartless villain, fancies the lovely and well-mannered Spider-Woman. Spider-Woman, in turn, thinks that Kingpin's charm, power and intelligence could be used for better things than criminal activity. This was their first meeting, and it ended on good terms besides the fact they both knew they might be potential adversaries in the future. FYI: Kingpin HATES, HATES, HATES Spider-Man.
Jessica returns to the Dragon Clan and officially declines their earlier request to join. She prefers to be a solo act, but is glad to be their ally.
In my opinion, Spider-Woman comics were always better when there was action. Too often, writers liked to play up the drama and make her series like a "super soap opera". I loved her fighting the Mandroids, and I think Kingpin would have made a great recurring guest in the series. Kingpin's relationship to most of his superhero enemies is very bitter. Spider-Woman's relationship to most of her enemies is very bitter. There is a show of respect between these two potential enemies that I believe would be neat to explore. In addition, we finally see Kingpin as having some human emotions. I also like the fact that Spider-Woman now had allies in the Yakuza. How cool is that?!
#47: December, 1982. S'okay. Villain is Daddy Longlegs. I suppose it's good action and all, but it just doesn't really grab you. Ann Nocenti is the writer. Brian Postman is the artist. It's a good enough issue, and the villain is an interesting visual. But I've read more interesting stories in "Spider-Woman". However, Ann Nocenti is certainly one of the best things to happen to "Spider-Woman" and her later issues are amazing!
#48: February, 1982. INCREDIBLE ISSUE! Villain is Gypsy Moth. Writer is Ann Nocenti. Art by Brian Postman. Excellent cover art, also by Postman. Ann Nocenti is one of the best things to happen to the "Spider-Woman" series. I think she's more in touch with the feminine side of Spider-Woman than many of the series other writers. She also wrote in some interesting action and generally great story ideas. It's too bad Nocenti came in so late. I think if she had come to the series earlier, she might have saved it. Brian Postman is a great artist, but he made the webbing under Spider-Woman's arms look too big. What's that about? Besides that, he does an excellent job! Gypsy Moth was a great villainess for Spider-Woman, but this is only the second time we see her in the series! The first was in #10. I think Gypsy Moth missed her calling as a regular Spider-Woman bad girl! There's a knockout scene where Spider-Woman gets injected with a needle, but it's not particularly sexy. Spider-Woman's sexiest knockouts happened earlier in the series.
Spider-Woman tracks down a mysterious criminal mastermind known as Sybarite. She is kidnapped and taken to Sybarite, who is discovered to be Gypsy Moth. Way back in issue #10, Spider-Woman tried to be Gypsy Moth's friend and ended up fighting her. Gypsy Moth apparently doesn't care about Spider-Woman's earlier attempts to be buddies. The two get in a great fight! Spider-Woman ends up having to rip off most of her long, beautiful hair in order to save herself. Our alluring heroine really beats the hell out of Gypsy Moth this time. Then the unconscious super bad girl disappears. How did Gypsy Moth disappear? We find out a few issues later.
Starting with this issue, Spider-Woman's hair is short. I think they should have grown it long again by the next issue, but they kept it short through #50. Spider-Woman just HAS to have long hair.
#49: April, 1983. Great issue! Ann Nocenti was a great writer for "Spider-Woman". She really had it going on, and a general feel for the character a lot of other writers missed. Brian Postman is a great artist, but he still makes Spider-Woman's webbing look too big.
Spider-Woman is after runaway Mickey Silk, a mutant teenager with perplexing powers. She crosses paths with superheroine Tigra and the two fight over a misunderstanding. Jessica Drew finally reveals to her boyfriend David Ishima that she is, in fact, Spider-Woman. All this, and the strange trend of disappearing super-beings continues. It started with Daddy Longlegs in #47, then with Gypsy Moth in #48. In this issue, Werewolf by Night, Tigra, and Mickey Silk also disappear.
Jessica's hair is short due to the fact she had to rip it off during the fight with Gypsy Moth. However, she wears a wig as Spider-Woman for this issue. This issue also features an excellent front cover, done by Brian Postman.
#50: Villains are Ticktock, Locksmith, and Morgan Le Fay. This issue is really two stories in one. The first story is cool, where Spider-Woman fights Ticktock and Locksmith. The unhappy pair kidnap super types good and bad because they're jealous of them. The second story is a downer, because Spider-Woman fights her ultimate enemy, the sorceress Morgan Le Fay, and dies. Morgan dies, too. The book ends with Spider-Woman entering the spirit realm. Although Spider-Woman is later resurrected in Marvel Comics, this still wasn't a good way to end the issue OR the series. I also don't like Spider-Woman with short hair; just doesn't look right.
#10: Villain is Gypsy Moth. Sweet and sexy artwork! Great story! Spider-Woman reluctantly battles a winged beauty called Gypsy Moth.
#12: March, 1979. Villains are The Brothers Grimm. Art by Carmine Infantino and Al Gordon. Story by Mark Gruenwald. This issue was an interesting premise. An occult ritual takes place in a theater where Spider-Woman and her boyfriend, S.H.I.E.L.D. secret agent Jerry Hunt, are strung up like puppets on the stage. Spider-Woman's mentor, Magnus, has been forced to work his magic for the villains in order to save the lives of his friends. Of course, Spider-Woman and Magnus manage to overtake the villains and win.
#13: April, 1979. This is a "nowhere story"; filler stuff for the ongoing Spider-Woman soap opera. This sets up the story with Shroud for the next issue. Excellent art by Carmine Infantino and Al Gordon. Story by Mark Gruenwald.
#14: May, 1979. Guest star is The Shroud. It's an okay issue, but nothing too eventful. There aren't that many sexy shots of Spider-Woman here. Great artwork, though, by Carmine Infantino and Al Gordon. Story by Mark Gruenwald.
#15: June, 1979. Guest star is The Shroud. Better than the previous issue. Shroud is a cool hero character that Marvel hasn't really done too much with over the years. He's blind, and has quite a sense of humor for being such a mysterious sort. He's comparable to the classic Shadow character, or other such mysterious superheroes. The Shroud's a fun-to-read character with some great lines. Again, delivered by the team of Gruenwald, Infantino, and Gordon.
#18: September, 1979. The villain is Waxman. It's an interesting story, but not really right for "Spider-Woman". It's kind of gross, really. Perfect for "Doctor Strange" or "X-Men", but not for the gorgeous "Spider-Woman" and her sleeker, more sophisticated style. The Waxman is more of a villain character for the "in your face" superhero comics. "Spider-Woman" was always more subtle. Gruenwald and Infantino bring it to you, again.
#19: October, 1979. Villain is The Enforcer. Guest superhero is Werewolf by Night. Nothing too important happens here. Per usual, Gruenwald and Infantino deliver this issue.
#20: November, 1979. This is a special issue for a few reasons. For one, there is no villain. Also, it is the first time Spider-Woman meets her male counterpart, Spider-Man. This was a highly-anticipated event since Spider-Woman made her first appearance more than two years before! Now in Los Angeles, Spider-Woman is caught by Spider-Man actually returning money to an office safe. The two heroes eventually settle their misunderstanding. The artwork is awesome and I love the story. This is what Marvel's superhero comics used to be about. Mark Gruenwald is an excellent, fun writer and Frank Springer is a fantastic artist. His Spider-Woman looks so sleek and sexy!
#23: Villain is The Gamesman. The Gamesman is an awesome villain. I like it that Spider-Woman works with wheelchair-bound criminologist Scotty McDowell in catching dangerous criminals. The Gamesman, out of costume, pretends he is a newspaper reporter named Tim Braverman. He makes Spider-Woman think he loves her in order to get her out of the way. Fortunately, skeptical Scotty comes to Spider-Woman's rescue and Tim/Gamesman is sent to prison.
#25: April, 1980. Spider-Woman fights the successors of The Gamesman, using an actress as a double. Fairly sexy art...great, nonetheless. Art by Steve Leialoha. Story by Michael Fleisher.
#27: June, 1980. Villain is The Enforcer. Exciting action story where Spider-Woman battles the costumed gun nut. She gets knocked out, but it's not a typically sexy sequence. Great artwork, but not as sleek or veluptous as the Spider-Woman of early issues. It's important for the Spider-Woman character to be visually sexy, and I think a lot of the people who worked on the series forgot about that somewhere along the lines. Art by Jerry Bingham and Mike Esposito. Story by Michael Fleisher.
#28: July, 1980. Villain is The Enforcer. Spider-Man makes a tiny appearance at the end of this issue. Written by Michael Fleisher. Knockout art by Stephen Leialoha. A lot of activity, but nothing much happens. Next issue is more interesting.
#29: August, 1980. Villain is The Enforcer. Guest superhero is Spider-Man. This is a cool issue. Spider-Man is at his classically funny best, and at odds with Spider-Woman throughout the issue. Story by Michael Fleisher. Wonderful art by Ernie Chan and Frank Springer.
#30: Villain is The Fly. Great artwork and story! Spider-Woman fights The Fly.
#31: October, 1980. Villain is The Hornet. Spider-Woman's wheelchair bound friend Scotty actually becomes the Hornet. Story by Michael Fleisher. Sleek art by Steve Leialoha and Jim Mooney. Cool action, but little more than a long fight sequence.
#33: December, 1980. This issue is awesome! Villain is Turner D. Century, a retro-early 1900s man who uses gadgetry to fight anything he considers evil. In the process, he kills innocent people trying to bring our country back to "wholesome". He actually ends up dying at the end of this issue. Great, stand-alone issue of "Spider-Woman". Story by J.M. De Matteis. Art by Steve Leialoha and Bruce Patterson.
#38: June, 1981. Incredible issue! Spider-Woman joins the X-Men (Storm, Angel, Colossus) in taking down Black Tom, Juggernaut, and Siryn. At this time, Siryn was a villain. After Spider-Woman stuns Siryn and causes her capture, the teenager is taken to X-Men's headquarters where she is reunited with her long-lost father, Banshee. The cover is misguiding. Spider-Woman NEVER fights the X-Men in this issue. Also, at the end of this issue, Jessica Drew opens her private detective agency. Jessica/Spider-Woman kept this going long after this series ended and for years when she was powerless. This issue was written by the legendary Chris Claremont (X-Men writer) with art by Steve Leialoha and Wiacek.
#44: June, 1982. Great issue! Villains are Viper and Chthon. Spider-Woman is on a revenge mission to take out Viper, who has put her best friend Lindsay McCabe in the hospital. Viper reveals she is actually Meriem Drew, Jessica Drew's (Spider-Woman) mother! She was believed to be dead since 1931, but has stayed youthful due to a pact with the demon Chthon. All these years, she has gone by the name Viper and serves as deadly handmaiden for the terrorist organization known as Hydra. Viper/Meriem leads her own daughter into Chthon's trap but, in reality, does so only to break the force matrix that allows him to function on Earth. She ends the curse, but has also lost her immortality. Now Viper will age like everyone else. Spider-Woman and Viper now part on good terms.
I would have liked it if this revelation held true for Spider-Woman and Viper. However, Marvel Comics has a nasty habit of retweaking superhero sagas. In later issues of Marvel titles, it is revealed that Chthon merely made Viper think she was Meriem Drew in order to trap both Viper and Spider-Woman and place them under his demonic control. In other words, Viper and Spider-Woman are NOT related.
Besides that, this is an entertaining issue with a lot of action, a great story, and great artwork. Writer is Chris Claremont. Artist is Steve Leialoha. The only thing I don't like about this issue is that it is a total jerk-around thanks to someone's idea of retconning Viper. I think they should have left things as they were. Might have been nice to see Spider-Woman reform her mother in later issues.
#46: October, 1982. AWESOME ISSUE! Villains are the Mandroids. Writer is Chris Claremont. Art is by Steve Leialoha. The action and the writing is incredible! I really felt that Spider-Woman's character was finally becoming grounded once she started as a private eye. It's too bad the series ended, and Spider-Woman began her decades long period of obscurity, before its readership could really pick up.
Jessica Drew is with boyfriend David Ishima at the beach. Just when they go for a swim, they are attacked by hitmen in scuba gear! Jessica makes short work of them in a spectacular fight sequence, but passes out from a gunshot wound. Before she blacks out, Jessica learns this was a failed assassination attempt by one of the enemies she made as a private eye. Jessica and David are then rescued by the Dragon Clan faction of the Yakuza. Unlike the rest of the Yakuza, the Dragon Clan are good guys that follow the original precepts of the Yakuza. They are NOT gangsters and, in fact, fight gangsters. Jessica meets the leader of the Dragon Clan, Ieyasu Imura, and discovers that her American cop friend Sabrina Morrell is one of them!
Imura and Morrell know Jessica is Spider-Woman, but do not threaten to expose her identity. Instead, they request her help in a most desperate situation. A group called DRC (Deterrance Research Corporation) plots to assassinate two major criminal masterminds in order to spark an international gang war and sell weapons. One of the two targets is Yakuza head, General Coy; the other is massive supervillain, the Kingpin. Jessica agrees.
As Spider-Woman, Jessica gets the job done. Needless to say there is a lot of action! Spider-Woman has to stop the DRC's would-be assassins, the Mandroids, from killing Kingpin and Coy. Our ravishing, red-suited heroine had previously fought the Mandroids, men in heavy metal android suits, in issue #34. There's a lot of them, but Spider-Woman deals with the Mandroids very well...old school style!
Despite the fact Kingpin and Coy SHOULD die, their lives had to be saved for the greater good. Kingpin, still a heartless villain, fancies the lovely and well-mannered Spider-Woman. Spider-Woman, in turn, thinks that Kingpin's charm, power and intelligence could be used for better things than criminal activity. This was their first meeting, and it ended on good terms besides the fact they both knew they might be potential adversaries in the future. FYI: Kingpin HATES, HATES, HATES Spider-Man.
Jessica returns to the Dragon Clan and officially declines their earlier request to join. She prefers to be a solo act, but is glad to be their ally.
In my opinion, Spider-Woman comics were always better when there was action. Too often, writers liked to play up the drama and make her series like a "super soap opera". I loved her fighting the Mandroids, and I think Kingpin would have made a great recurring guest in the series. Kingpin's relationship to most of his superhero enemies is very bitter. Spider-Woman's relationship to most of her enemies is very bitter. There is a show of respect between these two potential enemies that I believe would be neat to explore. In addition, we finally see Kingpin as having some human emotions. I also like the fact that Spider-Woman now had allies in the Yakuza. How cool is that?!
#47: December, 1982. S'okay. Villain is Daddy Longlegs. I suppose it's good action and all, but it just doesn't really grab you. Ann Nocenti is the writer. Brian Postman is the artist. It's a good enough issue, and the villain is an interesting visual. But I've read more interesting stories in "Spider-Woman". However, Ann Nocenti is certainly one of the best things to happen to "Spider-Woman" and her later issues are amazing!
#48: February, 1982. INCREDIBLE ISSUE! Villain is Gypsy Moth. Writer is Ann Nocenti. Art by Brian Postman. Excellent cover art, also by Postman. Ann Nocenti is one of the best things to happen to the "Spider-Woman" series. I think she's more in touch with the feminine side of Spider-Woman than many of the series other writers. She also wrote in some interesting action and generally great story ideas. It's too bad Nocenti came in so late. I think if she had come to the series earlier, she might have saved it. Brian Postman is a great artist, but he made the webbing under Spider-Woman's arms look too big. What's that about? Besides that, he does an excellent job! Gypsy Moth was a great villainess for Spider-Woman, but this is only the second time we see her in the series! The first was in #10. I think Gypsy Moth missed her calling as a regular Spider-Woman bad girl! There's a knockout scene where Spider-Woman gets injected with a needle, but it's not particularly sexy. Spider-Woman's sexiest knockouts happened earlier in the series.
Spider-Woman tracks down a mysterious criminal mastermind known as Sybarite. She is kidnapped and taken to Sybarite, who is discovered to be Gypsy Moth. Way back in issue #10, Spider-Woman tried to be Gypsy Moth's friend and ended up fighting her. Gypsy Moth apparently doesn't care about Spider-Woman's earlier attempts to be buddies. The two get in a great fight! Spider-Woman ends up having to rip off most of her long, beautiful hair in order to save herself. Our alluring heroine really beats the hell out of Gypsy Moth this time. Then the unconscious super bad girl disappears. How did Gypsy Moth disappear? We find out a few issues later.
Starting with this issue, Spider-Woman's hair is short. I think they should have grown it long again by the next issue, but they kept it short through #50. Spider-Woman just HAS to have long hair.
#49: April, 1983. Great issue! Ann Nocenti was a great writer for "Spider-Woman". She really had it going on, and a general feel for the character a lot of other writers missed. Brian Postman is a great artist, but he still makes Spider-Woman's webbing look too big.
Spider-Woman is after runaway Mickey Silk, a mutant teenager with perplexing powers. She crosses paths with superheroine Tigra and the two fight over a misunderstanding. Jessica Drew finally reveals to her boyfriend David Ishima that she is, in fact, Spider-Woman. All this, and the strange trend of disappearing super-beings continues. It started with Daddy Longlegs in #47, then with Gypsy Moth in #48. In this issue, Werewolf by Night, Tigra, and Mickey Silk also disappear.
Jessica's hair is short due to the fact she had to rip it off during the fight with Gypsy Moth. However, she wears a wig as Spider-Woman for this issue. This issue also features an excellent front cover, done by Brian Postman.
#50: Villains are Ticktock, Locksmith, and Morgan Le Fay. This issue is really two stories in one. The first story is cool, where Spider-Woman fights Ticktock and Locksmith. The unhappy pair kidnap super types good and bad because they're jealous of them. The second story is a downer, because Spider-Woman fights her ultimate enemy, the sorceress Morgan Le Fay, and dies. Morgan dies, too. The book ends with Spider-Woman entering the spirit realm. Although Spider-Woman is later resurrected in Marvel Comics, this still wasn't a good way to end the issue OR the series. I also don't like Spider-Woman with short hair; just doesn't look right.