Essential Marvel: Spider-Woman Vol. 2 by various authors and illustrators

(pb; 1979–1983, 2007 ─ graphic novel, collects Spider-Woman #26–50, Marvel Team-Up #97 and Uncanny X-men #148.)

From the back cover

“The first part of Spider-Woman’s career concludes as her collection of challenges and crises is completed! Some of Marvel’s most stupendous scribes set the heroine against Morgan la Fay, the Viper, Gypsy Moth and other fearsome foes, forgotten or otherwise! Plus: the first appearances of X-Factor’s Siryn and X-Force’s Caliban! But after tearing through a gauntlet of magicians, mad scientists, murder and mystery, what final fate awaits the webbed wonder? Guest-starring Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-men and the Werewolf!”

Overall review

The second half of this series is a vast improvement on it first half, which struggled to find the character “voice” of its titular character, who also went by the name Jessica Drew. For the most part, the writers ditched the uneven, sexist writing and unlikely character twists─these flaws still pop up, but they are relatively rare in the comics that make up the second Spider-Woman volume.

This is a fun, mostly well-written comic book collection, with a character who got better with each progressive issue. It is worth reading, possibly owning if you are a fan of superheroines of that era (late Seventies to early Eighties).

Issues / story arcs

“The Blades of the Grinder!” (#26): Spider-Woman’s crime-fighting activities catch the attention of a sleazy newspaper owner (Rupert Dockery), who makes Spider-Woman front-page news. He also sets her up for an attack from a new, blade-spinning foe, the easily defeated Grinder.

“Blacked Out—By the Enforcer!” (#27): Dockery, owner of the Los Angeles Courier, continues to endanger Spider-Woman by springing supervillain-thief Carson Collier (a.k.a. the Enforcer) from prison─Carson was last seen in issue #19. He goes on a robbery spree that violently reunites him and Spider-Woman. Cliffhanger finish in this issue.

“That Scotty Should Not Die!” (#28): Spider-Woman is forced to aid the Enforcer in his big-time robberies if she wants to get an antidote to save her crippled assistant, Scotty McDowell, from the Enforcer’s poison. Readers may be required to utilize a higher-than-usual suspension of realistic disbelief while reading this issue.

“Spider-Man is Dead─And I Killed Him!” (#29): News of the Enforcer/Spider-Woman robbery spree reaches Spider-Man, who flies from New York to LA to suss out whether or not his fellow arachnid-themed friend has truly turned to a career in crime. Meanwhile, LA Courier owner Rupert Dockery continues to track the super-thieves (via a listening/tracking device he planted on the Enforcer) and profit from the front-page crime wave he brought into being. Scotty McDowell clings precariously to life.

As in the previous issue, readers may be required to utilize a higher-than-usual suspension of realistic disbelief while reading this issue.

“Come Into My Parlor─Said the Fly!” (#30): Spider-Woman once again confronts Rupert Dockery in a non-violent way. The Enforcer makes an appearance. A supervillain, The Fly, repeatedly attacks Spider-Woman, his assaults indirectly aided by a scientist named Dr. Malus.

“Marvel Team-Up: Hulk and Spider-woman—‘Doctor of Madness’ (#97, crossover issue): The Hulk and Spider-Woman, taken prisoner by Dr. W. Lee Benway, make their escape from the crazed scientist and his misshapen monsters.

“The Sting of the Hornet!” (#31): Scotty McDowell is transformed into the chaos-causing Hornet, a villain who flies around L.A. and stirs up trouble with Spider-Woman. This is because of the “cure” that Dr. Karl Malus injected him with in the previous issue.

“The Fangs of Werewolf By Night” (#32): Dr. Karl Malus continues to manipulate Scotty into becoming the Hornet─an erratic, villainous irritant to the clueless Spider-Woman. Malus also tricks Jack Russell, Werewolf by Night, into becoming his lycanthropic puppet. His target? Spider-Woman, of course.

“Yesterday’s Villain” (#33): Jessica/Spider-Woman visits San Francisco to reap the bounty on an arsonist and murderer, Turner D. Century, a.k.a. Morgan MacNeil Hardy. Century’s mission: relentless purification of the city.

“The Wildfire Express!” (#34): While a wildfire blazes in L.A., the tough-to-beat techno villains Hammer and Anvil kidnap an industrialist CEO, Amanda Sheridan, one step in an attempted corporate takeover. Enter Spider-Woman, who must infiltrate DRC─Sheridan’s main corporate rival─and battle Mandroids, in order to save Amanda  and her company.

“Farewell to L.A.!” (#35): David Angar─a.k.a. the Screamer─is an escaped felon whose sonic screams cause mass hallucinations and amnesia, running loose in Los Angeles.Jessica/Spider-Woman not only has to deal with him, but the increasing tension between her and Scotty McDowell.

Lindsay McCabe, Jessica’s roommate, makes an intriguing offer to Jessica. Great storyline and artwork in this issue.

“The Wanderer!” (#36): En route to their new home, San Francisco, Jessica and Lindsay get in a car accident. They are swept into a small-town murder and a UFO visitation/confrontation.

This issue introduces the the extraterrestrial Tsyrami and their female leader, Elhalyn, into the Spider-Woman timeline. This is a fun, off-kilter tale, with great artwork.

“Who Am I?” (#37): Jessica, now living in San Francisco, interrupts a bank robbery. The robbers: rogue mutant Black Tom Cassidy and Cain Marko─a.k.a. the Juggernaut. Not only that, Jessica, as Spider-Woman, must face off against Siryn, a mutant whose voice can be used as a sonic blast.

“Criminal at Large!” (#38): Spider-Woman, accused of another crime she did not commit, is aided by select X-Men─Angel, Colossus and Storm─as they foil Black Tom, the Juggernaut and Siryn in their criminal endeavors.

Two nits: (1) The cops do not immediately unmask Spider-Woman when they catch her─this does not ring true with cop, even human, nature; (2) one character gives an unlikely confession, given his character─it’s something out of a 1950s crime drama.

I realize this is a comic book, but given how good some of the writing is in this series, these are glaring examples of sloppy writing.

“X-men: ‘Cry Mutant!’” (#148, crossover issue): In the Bermuda Triangle, Scott Summers─a.k.a. Cyclops─and Aleyty Forrester, a sailing ship captain, are shipwrecked. They wash ashore a strange metal city.

Elsewhere, when Kitty Pryde is kidnapped by a mysterious shadow man, the Dazzler, Spider-Woman and Oroco rush to rescue her. This is a fun, good issue.

“Death Stroke” (#39): When Jessica discovers her friend, David Ishima, has been implicated in a murder, she dons the Spider-Woman suit to help him. While doing so, she fights the leader of an assassination group, a spandex-wearing baddie named Death Stroke.

A Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train provides a fun backdrop for this pulpy tale, which makes overall great use of East Bay, California locations.

“Flying Tiger—Kills!” (#40): Another assassin, the Flying Tiger, is hired by Morgan Le Fay to kill Jessica/Spider-Woman.

This issue is mostly good, action-packed. There is, however, an indication that Le Fay can read Jessica’s mind─probably just a gimmick to keep the story flowing while hyping the next issue, but it is a glaring inconsistency.

“La Morte de Jessica” (#41): In the setting of Camelot, Jessica battles Morgan Le Fay, so that she might rescue Lindsay, her roommate, from the fiendish sorceress. Also: a revelation, possibly?!

“The Judas Man” (#42): A failed kidnapping attempt of a college student, Pamela Kramer, leads Jessica Drew to work with Lt. Sabrina Morrel of the SFPD. They need to put down the Silver Samurai, a metal-armored swordsman, and his boss, Viper. The latter foe, an ex-Hydra agent, was first was encountered by Jessica in Marvel Team-Up #85. Viper may have a mystical link to Jessica. Cliffhanger finish to this issue.

“Last Stands” (#43): With her roommate, Lindsay McCabe, in danger, Jessica Drew continues to battle an armor-stripped Silver Samurai and the shadowy Viper, whose physical resemblance to Jessica is uncanny. Another cliffhanger finish in this issue.

“Vengeance!” (#44): Jessica vows revenge on those who caused Lindsay’s near-death: SFPD Lt. Sabrina Morrel and Viper. Complicating Jessica’s furious mission, Morgan Le Fey─previously thought banished to another realm, and possibly dead─appears to Jessica, prophesying our arachnid heroine’s demise.

Viper’s link to Jessica is revealed. The mysterious villain is Meriem Drew, Jessica’s mother, once a Hydra agent and unwilling killer for Cthon, a demon. Fun, nice denouement to the events of the past few issues.

“Mission: Impossible” (#45): The Impossible Man, an impish, cone-headed alien, livens up Jessica’s crime-fighting adventures. Whimsical issue.

“Yakuza” (#46): When yakuza thugs try to kill her boyfriend, David Ishima, Jessica─with help from Lt. Sabrina Morrel─seeks out the orchestrator of the attack: Nguyen Ngoc Coy, a former Vietnamese general-turned-crime czar.

Also helping Jessica: Imura, Morrel’s non-criminal clan lord, and the unlikely and curiously cordial Wilson Fisk─a.k.a. the Kingpin. Fisk is a business partner with the shrill Coy.

This is one of my favorite issues. It is fun, well-written, with unexpected character and plot twists. I love the dynamic between Fisk and Jessica in this storyline.

“Twisted” (#47): Jessica Drew battles Daddy Longlegs─a mutated, freakishly tall dancer whose failed ambitions have led him toward murderous tendencies.

“Original Sin” (#48): Gypsy Moth─a.k.a. Sybarite, born Sybil Dvorak─returns as the leader of a cult of drug-induced followers. Jessica takes her on, again.

Gypsy’s origin story, that of a betrayed woman, is revealed. Also: Jessica goes to visit her friend, Jack Russell, a.k.a. Werewolf By Night, while he locks himself up and transforms into a lycanthrope.

“Runaway” (#49): While searching for a runaway boy with “weird powers” (Mickey Silk), Jessica meets─and briefly battles─his new protector, Tigra.

“Lifeline” (#50): Jessica Drew finds herself in a high-tech prison populated with fellow superheroes and supervillains. The prison is run by a failed, bitter Magician (Locksmith) and his psychic lackey, Ticktock.

Then things get strange, even for this wild-ride title. Magnuss, her mentor who disappeared, died, in issue #16, returns to astral-guide her to the sixth century, where it is likely she will fight her final battle with Morgan Le Fey.

This is the last issue of the series.

Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago. . . Volume Five by various writers and artists

(pb; early 1980s, 2012: Collects issues #86─107, “the final twenty-two US-published issues of Marvel Comics’ Star Wars series)

From the back cover

“All your favorite Star Wars characters─Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewie, the droids, and others─are bringing peace to the recently liberated galaxy after Return of the Jedi. Even without the oppressive Empire, the young Republic is finding that there are still troubles to confront, and battles to be won!

“Collected here are issues #86 through #107, the final twenty-two US-published issues of Marvel Comics’ Star Wars series from the 1980s.”

Overall review

This last stretch of original Star Wars comics is uneven in quality. Many of the issues sport a familiar, singular plot structure: An alliance character goes on a diplomatic/rescue mission, is betrayed another trusted character, and encounters Imperial troops. The writers try to wring out as many variations of this plotline as they can, but it is clear they are running dry, creatively speaking. I sympathize with them, it must have been difficult trying to maintain fresh action-oriented tension after the fuzzy warmth that is Return of the Jedi.

There are other problem as well. The writing shows some of the characters─Luke and Leia especially─to be petulant, in a distinctly adolescent way. With all these characters have gone through, surely they have matured beyond such behavior? Not according to these writers.

Also, the artwork runs from barely tolerable to godawful.

That said, a few of the issues were fun, well-written and light, and there was an admirable mix of diverse alien types. I especially like Plif, a hoojib.

Bottom line: Is Volume 5 worth reading? Only if you are a die-hard, completist Star Wars fan. If you decide to read it, borrow it from the library before buying it, unless it is really, really cheap.

Story arcs/issue #s

“The Alderaan Factor” [#86]: While embarking on a diplomatic mission to the desert planet Yinchor, Leia is betrayed, meets a fellow survivor from her home world, and tangles with Imperials, led by the nasty Governor Wessel.

“Still Active All These Years” [#87]: Rik, Chihdo and Dani accidentally turn on a doomsday device on Shawken, impelling Luke, Plif and Kiro to shut it down.

“Figurehead” [#88]: On an unfamiliar planet (Herdessa), diplomats Leia and Mon Mothma (“leader of the Alliance of Free Planets”) discover Herdessa’s heinous secret─it is a slave-based economy. When some of the slaves revolt, Leia tangles with Lumiya, a cyborg security/battle droid who used to work in the service of the Empire.

“I’ll See You in the Throne Room!” [#89]: Luke aids an anti-Imperial revolution on Solay (“brilliant planet of ten suns!”). While doing so, he falls in lust with a flighty young woman (Mary) and learns an unexpected lesson about people, and what they are willing to do to achieve their goals.

This issue is one of my least favorite entries in this collection. Skywalker comes off as a rock-dumb boy who has never seen a pretty face. Usually my irritation with his character is limited to groaning at his sometimes-condescending attitude toward others.

“The Choice!” [#90]: Luke returns to Endor with Kiro─wounded  in issue #87─as well as Rik, Chihdo, Dani and the hoojib Plif. There, along with other Alliance of Free Planets members, wrestle with the problems of forging an interplanetary body.

“Wookie World” [#91]: Chewbacca’s homecoming on planet Kazhyyyk is a bitter and violent one: he, Han and Lando discover that it─recently freed from Imperial occupation─has fallen prey to brutal slavers, led by Knife (a Nagai) who hold Chewie’s family hostage. (His family: Mala, his wife; Lumpy, his son.)

This issue features the first appearance of corpse-pale slave trader Knife, a Nagai.

“The Dream” [#92]: This is one of the more sexist, at-times soap operatic issues in this anthology.

Luke and the gang try to help Prince Denin [from the planet Naldar] restore his capitol, occupied by the Imperials─and a Jedi Knight named Flint, last seen in the “King-Sized Annual #3” issue. Not only that, Luke is plagued by nightmares reminiscent of those he experienced in the 1980 film The Empire Strikes Back.

“Catspaw” [#93]: Leia, Han and Luke try to solve the mystery of who is killing the feline-biped aliens of Cantros Seven, a capitol city in a distant part of the galaxy.

“Small Wars” [#94]: When an Ewok’s jealousy sparks an armed conflict between the Ewoks and the Lahsbee, Leia and the gang try to defuse it─unaware there is a Hiromi plot behind it. (The Hiromi are tall, cricket-like aliens.)

This is an especially fun, silly issue.

“No Zeltrons” [#95]: Han, Leia, Admiral Ackbar and some Zeltron male assistants visit Kabray, a planet, to woo more possible allies. Once there, they find that the Nagai─slave traders─have dominated Kabray.

Meanwhile, Luke, Kiro and Dani head to planet Kinooine, in search of a scouting party who have not checked in at their appointed time. Luke also battles a sword-mistress, Lumiya, who bears a long-burning hatred toward him.

This is one of the better issues: it has a lot of effective humor; its storytelling balances tone, character and storytelling in an admirable way, with a cliff-hanger finish.

“Duel with a Dark Lady!” [#96]: Luke crosses his light saber with Lumiya’s electric whip, is imprisoned by her and Den Siva, is rescued by Kiro, and battles Lumiya─whose true identity is revealed, someone familiar to Luke.

“Escape” [#97]: On Kinooine, Luke and Kiro, with Lumiya as their prisoner, try to elude Imperial and Nagai soldiers, and rescue Dani from Den Siva. (Lumiya, in the last issue, revealed that she used to be called Shira Elan Colla Brie, last seen in issue #63, “The Mind Spider”).

Meanwhile, the leaders of the Alliance of Free Planets decide to go to war with the Nagai, after the latter race’s slaver activities are exposed.

“Supply and Demand” [#98]: Han is sent out to escort a princess and a child from Vandhelm, a planet where another secret Imperial battalion is holed up. This issue has a warm, fuzzy feel.

“Touch of the Goddess” [#99]: Luke mourns Kiro, who is presumed dead. Han, Chewie, Lando and Luke revisit old─perhaps dangerous─”associates” in order to retrieve two statues, seen in earlier issues. Han shows how ruthless he can be.

“First Strike” [#100]: The Alliance of Free Planets has its first official battle with the Nagai. The Alliance is aided by Fenn Shysa (former friend of Boba Fett), The Nagai are supported by Maccabree Warriors, seemingly indestructible robots.

Also: Han discovers a dark truth about his mentor and friend, Bey.

“Far, Far Away” [#101]: Han, after having a serious argument with Leia, goes on a mission to help another royal family on another distant planet.

“School Spirit!” [#102]: Lando and Luke return to Iskalon to tell Kiro’s people about his passing, and find out he is alive─and that the Nagai are stalking and killing his people.

“Tai” [#103]: Leia and her Zeltron assistants take a Nagai prisoner, with unexpected results. Tragic ending to this one.

“Nagai and Dolls” [#104]: Den Siva and some of his soldiers invade a fancy dinner on planet Zeltros, where Han, Leia and others are at. Luke and Plif are taken prisoner by stumble-about Hiromi hit-insects. One of the lighter, more humorous issues.

“The Party’s Over” [#105]: Tofs─green-skinned burly aliens in pirate garb─take Luke, Plif and his former captors (Hiromis) prisoner. Luke, Plif and the Hiromis fight the Tofs.

In another part of the castle, the rest of the gang, along with the Zeltrons, deal with Den Siva and his race-mixed troops, as well as the Tofs. This issue, along with the next one, is also humorous.

“My Hiromi” [#106]: Luke and his new friends, the Hiromi, assault a Tof ship in Zeltros orbit─and rescue Leia’s male Zeltron attachés.

“All Together Now” [#107]: The Alliance work with a motley group of Nagai (Knife, Den Siva), as well as Fenn Shysa, Dani, Bey (Knife’s half-Corellian brother and Han’s mentor), Zeltrons and others. They attack a Star Destroyer commandeered by the Tof leadership. This is the final, optimistic-as-Star-Wars-gets issue of the original series.