10 Best Spider-Woman Comics To Read before the ‘Madame Web’ Movie
While we do know that Spider-Man has always been the face of the Spider-Man comic book franchise in Marvel Comics, one of the things that we know is that there are a lot of Spider-People in the grander Spider-Verse. Of course, we know that Sony is looking to go all-in on the Spider-Verse involving the Sinister Six as the ‘Madame Web’ is set to become the next movie in Sony’s list of Spider-Man films.
Spider-Woman, of course, is one of the characters featured in the upcoming ‘Madame Web’ movie, and some fans aren’t really sure about what they can expect from this character because she isn’t as popular as Spider-Man. So, with that said, let’s look at some of the best Spider-Woman comics that you might want to read before watching ‘Madame Web.’
10. ‘Spider-Woman’ Vol. 1
What it’s about: Jessica Drew finally got a solo series as Vol. 1 of Spider-Woman’s character tells the story of how the character came to be and how she got her powers. In this storyline, Spider-Woman is introduced to have powers that are different from the standard powers of all of the other Spider-People, especially Peter Parker. And one of the powers she has is the ability to secrete a special fluid that allows her to attach herself to solid objects.
Why you need to read it: Of course, it would make sense to start things off with the first Spider-Woman storyline in the comics, as this is the beginning of Jessica Drew’s solo run in the comics. That means that fans of the character would want to try reading this volume first before anything else, as it allows people to get to know more about Spider-Woman.
9. ‘Spider-Woman: Origin’
What it’s about: In 2005, a comic book was released to retell the origin story of Spider-Woman due to the fact that the original comic book was released decades ago. Of course, this comic book series basically retells what happened in the first Spider-Woman comics, but with a few twists involving Jessica Drew and the things that she finds out about her powers and special abilities. In this comic book series, she became the product of a genetic experiment involving spiders, and that explains her powers.
Why you need to read it: Basically, this comic book series is a good way of looking at the origin story of Spider-Woman from a different angle despite the fact that it is more or less similar to the original origin story. Not a lot of things were changed, but the story was allowed to become more modern compared to the original comic book storyline written decades ago.
8. ‘Spider-Woman’ Vol. 3
What it’s about: Spider-Woman Vol 3 is the third set of comic books about the titular character, as this storyline involves several different versions of Spider-Woman from alternate universes. They all fight together and each other in a story that allows them to battle Charlotte Witter, a Spider-Woman created by Doc Ock. In fact, Jessica passed the Spider-Woman mantle onto Mattie Franklin after their battle with Charlotte.
Why you need to read it: One of the reasons why this is one of the most interesting Spider-Woman comic books is that it involves Madame Web, who we know plays an important role in the storyline of Spider-Woman and the grander Spider-Verse due to her clairvoyant abilities. Of course, it is also nice to see a lot of different versions of Spider-Woman battling one another and fighting together against a common enemy.
7. ‘New Avengers’ Vol. 1
What it’s about: This isn’t necessarily a Spider-Woman storyline but is actually a storyline about the New Avengers. Vol. 1 of this comic book series allows us to see Jessica Drew working well with other heroes, especially after joining forces with Steve Rogers, Luke Cage, Wolverine, and Spider-Man, among others. It’s a fun comic book that will allow you to see a lot of action despite the fact that it isn’t focused on Spider-Woman.
Why you need to read it: We often see some of the most popular comic book characters teaming up with other popular heroes, and this is Spider-Woman’s few team-ups with an entire superhero group. It’s a great place for fans to see Jessica working together with other superheroes and how she performs in a team. Of course, she also had her own fair share of moments in this storyline, especially because the Avengers needed all the help that they could get against a powerful foe.
6. ‘Spider-Women Alpha’
What it’s about: The storyline of Spider-Women Alpha takes place years after she battled Julia Carpenter and Mattie Franklin. This time, she teams up with Gwen Stacy and Cindy Moon as they take on a secret organization called SILK, which is founded by one of the variants of Cindy Moon from a different universe. This variant teams up with Jessica’s male counterpart, Jesse, who is also from a different universe.
Why you need to read it: What makes this storyline so enjoyable to read is the fact that there are a lot of different Spider-Woman and Spider-People working together in this comic book. It’s a fun ride that should be able to allow fans to see how Jessica works with other female Spider-People, specifically Gwen and Cindy.
5. ‘Spider-Woman’ Vol. 4
What it’s about: In this series, Jessica Drew becomes a member of SWORD, which is a government agency that is tasked with facing threats that are extraterrestrial in nature. In that regard, she is tasked with seeking out Skrulls all over the world, as these shapeshifting aliens are threats to humanity. Unfortunately, the series lasted for only seven issues despite how enjoyable it was.
Why you need to read it: While this series is short, it is actually quite enjoyable due to the fact that Spider-Woman now has a role that’s bigger than ever, as she is no longer just confined to one city. In fact, she is now tasked with a mission so important that it involves the fate of humanity. Of course, it is also nice seeing SWORD in action in this storyline.
4. ‘Spider-Woman’ Vol. 6
What it’s about: Vol. 6 of the Spider-Woman comics follows the story of how Jessica is now working as a private investigator before finding out that she is actually pregnant. The problem here is that she now has to juggle her responsibilities as a superhero and an expectant mother as she has to recruit some people to help her out in her investigations. Then again, Porcupine and Ben Urich weren’t much help to her at all.
Why you need to read it: What makes this storyline so compelling is the fact that Spider-Woman is shown to be a very human character here as she has to juggle her responsibilities. Of course, one of the other things that makes this storyline so fun is the fact that Captain Marvel was also there to team up with Spider-Woman. But the best part about this story is that it allows us to see how motivated Jessica is now that she has to become the best version of herself for her son.
3. ‘Spider-Woman’ Vol. 5
What it’s about: Spider-Woman Vol. 5 is incredibly unique due to the fact that it takes Jessica Drew back to the Spider-Verse storyline instead of the run-ins she had with SWORD and the Avengers. In this volume, she teams up with Silk once more as they end up facing an army of Spider-People from different universes, including none other than Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy, among others. She also ends up facing villains called the Inheritors, who are hunters who eat humans who are connected to the animal world, making the Spider-People some of their prime targets.
Why you need to read it: In terms of pure entertainment factor, we can’t say anything wrong about this storyline as it has almost everything a fan needs. It includes cameo appearances from other Spider-People and even has a very uncanny story that involves man-eating people. We can’t say no to any of those awesome additions.
2. ‘Avengers’ Vol. 4
What it’s about: Like some of the other storylines on this list, this storyline isn’t about Spider-Woman but includes the Avengers as a whole as Jessica Drew is running with the Avengers in a high-stakes battle that involves the likes of Captain America (Bucky), Peter Parker, Wolverine, and Tony Stark. She even starts a romantic relationship with Hawkeye in later issues. In this story, Spider-Woman and the Avengers go up against none other than Kang the Conqueror.
Why you need to read it: There are a lot of things to love about this Spider-Woman storyline, but the best reason to love it is the fact that it has a lot of different familiar heroes and villains fighting one another. Of course, Spider-Woman’s own storyline (especially her romance with Hawkeye) is also quite entertaining.
1. ‘Spider-Woman’ Vol. 7
What it’s about: This is the most recent Spider-Woman storyline on this list as it shifts its focus on Jessica Drew in a solo narrative. She comes face-to-face with a few familiar faces from Hydra but is hindered by an illness that she needs to find a cure for. Spider-Woman also wears a new black outfit that is quite a big change compared to the usual red outfit she wears. As such, she resembles the famous Spider-Man symbiote suit in this story.
Why you need to read it: This is the most interesting out of all of the different Spider-Woman comic book storylines as it puts Jessica at the center of the attention instead of shifting the storyline to other characters. While there are other characters involved here, Spider-Woman is still the centerpiece as we get to see more of her in action while she deals with problems she has never faced before.
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