MARCO SPEAKS SPIDEY: SPIDER-WOMAN #17 REVIEW

I have been reviewing most, if not all, of the recent Spider-Woman issues, and it has been a blast. This week, we are treated to a refreshing change of pace, after the heavy family drama that ensued in the past arc. Basically, we are given a lighter story of Spider-Woman on the movie set, fighting off ninjas who are after her friend for stealing their money. It’s a simple plot, but it works well enough to give us the action and thrills that a Spider-Woman book always promises its readers.

OFFICIAL MARVEL COMICS DESCRIPTION:

Published:

November 17, 2021

Writer:

Karla Pacheco

Penciler:

Pere Perez

Cover Artist:

Jung-Geun Yoon

LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION! Jess is still recovering from the epic showdown with her brother, Aeternum. She decides to visit her friend, stuntwoman Lindsay McCabe, on set. But wait… Those assassins aren’t in the movie! And they’re after Lindsay! AN ALL-NEW, ALL-ACTION SPIDER-WOMAN ARC STARTS HERE!

HOLLYWOOD HITS HARD!

PROS:

• You can always rely on the Spider-Woman team to provide entertaining action-packed scenes, witty dialogue, and over-the-top mayhem that feels like a big budget Hollywood action-comedy. Spider-Woman and Lindsay were literally fighting in a movie set and they pretty much banged up the entire venue. There was a slick, cool shot where we saw our protagonists fighting in the dark as shadows, only to realize that they were actually being filmed the whole time.
• At the end of the issue, you think and believe that all the dangers are already wrapped up neatly and nicely, but the shocker in the end is that the troubles for Lindsay and Spider-Woman are far from over. Now, we can’t fully be sure that the kidnapping at the end of this chapter is related to Lindsay stealing money, or from Spider-Woman’s eventual descent into Devil’s Reign, but one thing we CAN be certain about is that Spider-Woman will do whatever it takes in her power to save her friend.
• It was interesting to see how slow Spider-Woman was recovering from her prior injuries, even if she has her own healing powers. This issue showed a very vulnerable side to Spider-Woman, something that we as readers are not so familiar with… a literally broken superhero but still with a heart of a lion… although with less jokes, possibly because of all the pain.
• It was also funny seeing her support for her friend who was jumping through windows, and being put on fire.
• Those ninjas looked pretty cool, for however long that lasted. Lindsay really shouldn’t have stolen from Mack Duffin of Madripoor. Bad move. But at least she is very supportive of Spider-Woman as a momma.

CONS:

• I would have appreciated a little more detail going to the arc’s connection to Devil’s Reign. It was an abrupt change of pace from the main storyline, to the twist at the end, then right away to the preview page for next issue. But it is only a matter of time when readers will see how everything is connected.

FINAL GRADE: B+

This is a solid issue and arc, following up the family drama that Spider-Woman had to endure and survive in the past storylines. The next issue will already directly fall under the Devil’s Reign event, as teased at the end of the issue. Buckle up, folks, as this is going to be one wild ride!

For those wondering what Devil’s Reign will be about, here are the official details from Marvel:

“The story that’s been building for years is finally here! Wilson Fisk has risen from Kingpin of Crime to mayor of the biggest city in America. Now he’s going to bring his full criminal and political power to bear on the super heroes who call NYC home! The man who once destroyed Daredevil has targeted the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and more. Fisk has an army of super villains at his command — including Crossbones, Taskmaster, Typhoid Mary, Shocker, Whiplash, Rhino and Kraven — and that’s just his opening salvo. Wait until you meet his Thunderbolts! But Mayor Fisk isn’t the only one with ambitions…and you know what they say about honor among thieves. From the blockbuster creative team of DAREDEVIL comes the final act in Wilson Fisk’s master plan!”