Review: Spider-Woman #7

With Spider-Woman #7 Karla Pacheco crafts a funny, tragic, rich tale that makes you forget it’s part of a crossover on the strength of its characters and conflicts. We are drawn into the depths of Jessica Drew’s soul as she’s put through the wringer.

The same familial disease that caused her father to experiment on her has returned and her brother Marchand is working with her to develop a cure. Unfortunate the attempt at cure is driving Jessica mad. The madness uncovers conflicts and wounds with her friends as they fight the symbiote attack.

Linda Carter, Carol Danvers, Luke Cage, Danny Rand and Hawkeye work with Jessica with the issue beginning with some fantastic banter. This is Bendis-levels of hilarity reminiscent of the best moments of New Avengers and exactly what you want in a crossover. As she battles the symbiotes, Jessica falls deeper and deeper into madness until her friends have to turn on her.

It is enormously satisfying to see a juiced up Spider-Woman take on the likes of Captain Marvel. She is eventually taken down but the conflict and pathos are well done. The art in the action sequences is brilliant, with the battle scenes against the symbiotes as monstrous and destructive as anyone could want.

Unfortunately these scenes are interrupted by smaller panels with brilliant conversations saddled with some rushed and muddied artwork. Clearly Pere Perez in an incredible artist and the muddy panels are almost purposeful to reflect the King in Black ominous tone, but it simply hampers the overall greatness of the book. Frank D’armata’s colors similarly shone in the action scenes but are swallowed whole in the smaller panels.

In spite of these minor issues this book is a brilliant, fun and surprising look at a great character in conflict with the friends and foes around her. As the book builds up to a larger conflict with High Evolutionary, hopefully we get more of the depth and surprises seen so far in this run.

Writing: 4.7 of 5 stars
Artwork: 4.1 of 5 stars
Colors: 4.1 of 5 stars

Overall: 4.3 of 5 stars

Writer: Karla Pacheco
Art: Pere Perez
Colors: Frank D’Armata
Letters: Travis Lanham
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Author Profile

M.R. Jafri

M.R. Jafri was born and raised in Niagara Falls New York and now lives with his family in Detroit Michigan. He's a talkative introvert and argumentative geek. His loves include Star Wars, Star Trek, Superheroes, Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, Transformers, GI Joe, Films, Comics, TV Shows, Action Figures and Twizzlers.