This is the second in Marvel's renewed line of giant size specials, and like the recent Giant Size X-Men #3, the main story here is too short and contributes little in the way of actual plot to be satisfying. And like the previous special, the reprint material turns out to be far more fun than the new stuff. What's different this time is that the title character is a little more obscure. Sure, we've all heard of her, and thanks to her role in New Avengers, she's far more visible these days. But I'm betting there are few readers out there who know a lot about her outside of her powers. This reprint material shines the spotlight on her unusual (even by super-hero genre standards) background, and I surprised to discover just how much the espionage genre plays a role in her character.
Before signing on as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and long before joining the New Avengers, Jessica Drew, AKA Spider-Woman, was a down-on-her-luck private eye barely scraping out a living. Her powers were on the fritz, rarely working when she needed them, but her life turned around when she's approached by a mysterious stranger with an offer. We also learn how she got her powers, how she went from being a weapon used by evil and how she became a heroine.
Mays's art on the new story certainly has plenty of energy, which is in keeping with the action-oriented nature of the script. But it has a youthful energy that's not in keeping with the tone of the main character. Here, she feels worn down and a bit beaten by life, and a darker, harsher look in the art is called for as a result. The art from the previous Spider-Woman material is obviously from a simpler time, but it was interesting to see how little the character design has changed over the years. I also found it interesting to see some early work from Steve Leialoha. His style was quite different in the earlier days in his career, and these efforts from Spider-Woman #s 37 & 38 show how heavily he was influenced by Steve Ditko's style.
It's been a long time since I read a Marvel Handbook profile about Spider-Woman or one of her early stories, so the notion that she started out steeped in a world of espionage, intrigue and betrayal took me by surprise. It certainly puts the choices Bendis has made with the character in New Avengers in context. By making her a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and casting aside her private-eye gig, the writer is actually taking her back to roots. The character's European flavor really shines through in this early material as well.
"I'm a cheap slut." That's the first line in Bendis's script for the short story that opens this issue, and it doesn't sit well. Spider-Woman's sexuality has been played a part in her role in New Avengers. Artists (such as cover artist Andrea DiVito) seem to place her in poses that emphasize her sexuality, and other characters are always commenting on how hot she is (which is a little more disconcerting considering she's the only female member on the team). So in that context, the character's self-denigrating "cheap slut" comment is a bit unsettling. 6/10
