All throughout November and December, guest writers will be weighing in on fandom, specifically guest writers who identify strongly with characters, teams, or franchises online. Each piece will feature a personal look at why a writer gravitates to a character, what keeps their interest, and — most importantly — a set of reading recommendations for folks looking to better understand that character.

Today, Seren of the Twitter account @spiderwomndaily has written a fantastic guest piece about none other than Jessica Drew…

by Seren (@SpiderWomnDaily) — I’m a relative newcomer when it comes to comics. I didn’t pick up my first comic book until midway through 2015, after seeing some of Phil Noto’s work from Black Widow in my internet wanderings.  The art was so beautiful that I had to have it. The story was as good as the artwork and the first thing I did for myself was get a Marvel Unlimited subscription.

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t initially drawn to Jessica Drew at all, even though her series was recommended to me. Initially, I just assumed she was a female Spider-Man, who likely got her powers from him, which didn’t really interest me. And, in my first foray through comics, Jessica was often drawn for the male gaze (particularly during Bendis’ Avengers run, and while I appreciate that story NOW, I was put off by the art at the time) and every time I looked at her, my first reaction was, “This character isn’t for me.” 

It was only when I stumbled my way into Kelly Sue Deconnick’s Captain Marvel and Avengers Assemble runs did I really start to gravitate toward the character. It was then I learned that she wasn’t just a female Spider-Man and that she had a completely different origin than him. Jessica Drew is her own character and is as far removed from Peter Parker as you can imagine, despite her superhero name.

Under Kelly Sue’s pen Jessica became so much more to me. She is sarcastic, self-deprecating and bitter as hell about the cards she had been dealt in life. But underneath all of that was the solid resolve to be the opposite of what Hydra wanted her to be. Here is a hero with the origin of a super villain, who looked at that life and went, “I am better than this.” Add to that a wicked sense of humor and deep loyalty to those she cares about – I soon found myself devouring everything I could find on Jessica Drew.

Jessica Drew is a survivor who has had to reinvent herself over and over. She has literally been just about everywhere in the Marvel universe. Jess has been a member of Hydra, an Agent of SHIELD, an Avenger, a private investigator. Her rogues gallery consists of the likes of Viper and Morgan le Fay. On top of that is her friendship with Captain Marvel (they’re the greatest dynamic duo in comics) - what’s not to love?  

Yet, while Jessica Drew had quickly climbed to being in my top 3 favorite heroes, she still wasn’t my favorite. That all changed with this panel from Spider-Woman #6 (vol 5) by Dennis Hallum, Javier Rodriguez and Alvaro Lopez:

I’m not going to give you context for this panel. You’ll have to read it for yourself to find out the series of events that leads to this. Never before had I so thoroughly related to a character than I had in this moment. Ever since then, Spider-Woman has been my ride-or-die favorite superhero. 

Before I get on to recommended reading, I am going to file a few disclaimers: 

1. While Jessica Drew is certainly a funny character with a lot of charm and a sense of humor, she also tends to be a darker character (Dennis Hallum run aside) that has explored some dark themes, up to and including thoughts of suicide. Her original series bordered on horror at one point.

2. My reading recommendations are not necessarily in chronological order.

3. Most of them CAN be found on Marvel Unlimited or will make their way there soon. If you don’t have a subscription, I highly recommend it. 

Anyway, without further ado, here’s my recommended reading list…

Spider-Woman Reading Recommendations

SPIDER-WOMAN ORIGIN written by Brian Michael Bendis, Brian Reed,;Art by  Jonathan and Joshua Luna; Letters by VC’s Cory Petit

It’s no secret that Jessica Drew’s origins are more than a little convoluted. This series does much to streamline that and is an excellent introduction to Jessica Drew. Warning: not for the faint hearted. Jessica’s origins are anything but a walk in the park. Be ready to be hit with a lot of emotions.

SPIDER-WOMAN VOL. 7 (#7 drops Dec. 23, 2020!) written by Karla Pacheco, art by Pere Perez, Colors by Frank D’Armata, Letters by VC’s Travis Lanham

The current ongoing featuring our favorite Wall Crawler! With PI cases drying up, Jess needs money and takes a job as a bodyguard for a rich pharmaceutical billionaire’s daughter. Not everything is as it seems and soon Jess finds herself in a desperate situation that has her life on the line. With precious few options, Jess is forced to face her past in the most unexpected ways.  This series has it all: action, humor, heart, mystery, and a justifiably angry Jessica Drew. 

I can’t say enough about this series and how much I love it. Issue #1 was the best selling comic of March, it’s already been nominated for an award, and critics are loving it. Pick it up! 

Bonus: While Spider-Woman: Origins isn’t required to enjoy this series and you can jump right in, Karla Pacheco has sprinkled Easter eggs from Origin throughout her run. How many have you found?

SPIDER-WOMAN VOL. 5 (#5-10) and VOL. 6 (#1-17) written by Dennis Hallum, Art by Javier Rodriguez, Alvaro Lopez, Natacha Bustos (vol. 5 #10), Joelle Jones (vol. 6 #6 & 7), Tighe Walker (vol. 6 #12) and Veronica Fish (Vol. 6 #13-17), Colors by Rachelle Roseberg and Javier Rodriguez, Letters VC’s Travis Lanham

I cannot say enough about Dennis Hallum’s Spider-Woman run. At 27 issues between the two volumes (and it’s only two volumes because Secret Wars interrupted it), it’s the second longest running Spider-Woman series todate. This series sees Jess quitting the Avengers, getting a new costume, and becoming a mom. You will feel every emotion under the sun, oftentimes in a single issue. Unlike most Spider-Woman series, this one is more light-hearted and charming (think Waid & Samnee Daredevil if you need an equivalent). The artwork is nothing short of amazing. This series didn’t get near the recognition it deserved, despite it being loved by critics. Absolutely a must read for any Spider-Woman Fan.

SPIDER-WOMAN VOL. 1 (#1 - 50) written by Marv Wolfman, Chris Claremont, Anne Nocenti, among others. Art by Carmine Infantino, Steve Leialoha, among others. 

What’s a Spider-Woman reading list without recommending the series that started it all? Running for 50 issues, from 1977 – 1983, Jessica's original series is her longest running series to date. I admit the writing  suffers a bit from inconsistency due to frequent creator changes, but the artwork is outstanding and there are some fantastic arcs here. This series introduces us to not only Jess herself but also includes the first appearances of Morgan Le Fay and Skein.  She takes on the likes of the Brothers Grim and Werewolf By Night. She even spends some time as a PI and has a team up or two with Spider-Man. Sadly, only part of the series is on Marvel Unlimited. Issues 1-8 are collected in Marvel Masterworks, Spider-Woman Vol. 1. (Vol 2 is out in December!). However, the best way to binge the entire series is to get your hands on Essential Spider-Woman Volumes 1 and 2, which collects all 50 issues. 

Jessica Drew is a character with a lot of history within the Marvel Universe. She’s been through hell and back, yet has managed to maintain who she is at her core. She is a fighter, a survivor, and every inch a hero. I think, if you give her a chance, you’ll fall in love with her like I did. 

For more reading recommendations, visit To Know Her is to Fear Her: A Spider-Woman Podcast. And give the show a listen too!

Check out the rest of the Fandom Files Reading List!