Spider-Woman #20 // Review
Jess has got to relax. It's been a rough couple of weeks. Maybe hang out in the park. Maybe practice a little tai chi. There are people after her, though. She's made enemies throughout the past couple of years, and they all have a reason to want her dead. Relaxation is going to be difficult in Spider-Woman #20. Writer Karla Pacheco has a little bit of fun with a web-slinger's rouges gallery in a fun issue rendered for the page by artist Pere Pérez. Colorist Frank D'Armata beautifully gives an enjoyable issue a sense of atmosphere.
They call themselves the Anti-Arach9.(Okay, so it's kind of a silly name, but it could catch on. I mean...it could catch on if they met with any kind of success.) They might find some success in their mutual vendettas against Spider-Woman. Still, first, there's the buffet in what is definitely not in any way the back room of the Rainforest Cafe in Times Square. Jess is just minding her own business, trying to get herself centered. With any luck, 9 old foes won't keep her from engaging in a hopefully restful day.
Pacheco calls her shot right away on the first page of the issue. It clearly states, "Unbelievable non-action on every page!!!" in dramatic lettering beneath a totally peaceful Jess seated in a full lotus position. The comedy of a Sinister Six-style group of supervillains makes for a fun departure from all of the weirdness of the series thus far. The breather between action sequences is presented with clever humor and an endearing sense of connection with the title character...even if she never actually appears in the issue in costume. It's a fun chance to spend a bit of time with Jess between moments, and it's genuinely funny throughout.
There is also drama in the issue...and it's a drama that Pérez and D'Armata bring vividly to the page. The comedy in the chapter wouldn't work nearly as well were it not deeply rooted in a very real and believable emotional center. As silly as the villains come across, there's a substantial grounding in reality that feeds through the entire issue in thoughtful, emotional renderings of people who happen to be supervillains. Pérez keeps the flow of comedy and drama flowing beautifully throughout the issue. D'Armata gives the emotional end of the story deep resonance with carefully highlighted faces and a deep sense of atmosphere.
Pacheco and Pérez's time with Jess has been great fun for what is fast approaching a full two years. With all the flux and fluctuation in creative teams that superhero books are given to, it's nice to see a really good pair of people reliably bringing solidly engrossing superhero action to the page month after month. Is it silly in places? Absolutely. The reliability of the action and the steady quality in the creative team are quietly producing one of the most endearing series on comic racks today.
