I watched via Netflix Spider-Woman Agent of S.W.O.R.D. It’s a Marvel Motion Comic. The motion comic is produced by Marvel Studios. The print comic and the motion comic were produced at the same time, so one could always read the comic or watch it, which proved to be an interesting experience.
This story makes use of depravities and the unfathomable aftermath of Jessica Drew’s abduction and replacement as a hero. I could not help but feel the mood was about mental deterioration and destitution as I watched on with curiosity and a desire to see the story through.
The story features Jessica Drew, AKA Spider-Woman who accepts a role to become an agent with S.W.O.R.D. and in turn is recruited by Hydra. In the meantime she’s mulling over taking a position with the Avengers. All of this comes after she’s been abducted by Skrulls (shape-shifting aliens), replaced by the Skrull Queen, and subsequently found and rescued [see Secret Invasion]. Jessica’s definitely got a touch of hard luck and is feeling her life is out of order.
With her psyche wounded, and Skrulls hiding in plain sight, Spider-Woman plays detective and warrior. One Skrull goes so far as to pretend he is Spider-Man to lower her defenses. Spider-Woman also makes many mistakes and missteps to a point one is positive she will fail in her task of revealing her enemies.
Brian Michael Bendis wrote this series with artwork by Alex Maleev. The series brings an espionage-heavy energy with superhumans in the background. This does lend a level of distinctness to this story that’s different from other hero titles.
Definitely the art adds to the darkness, grit and moodiness of the story. The series has a very noir feel with the themes of memories/time loss, grief, exotic locations, the hard luck hero/detective/P.I., crime, the sense of hopelessness, and the voiceover/inner monologue. Both Madam Hydra and Abigail Brand provide the roles of femme fatales. Madame Hydra’s bipolar nature supplies both humor and danger. By contrast, Brand’s particular calmness and cool offer Jessica a bit of stability. Both women want a piece of Spider-Woman’s soul and control of her skills. Each woman offers insight into Jessica’s tortured psyche.
What resonates with the character is her ability to persevere in spite of the chaos and upsets handed to her. For example, when the Thunderbolts (government super team) show up, she’s forced to fight them, which requires her to outmaneuver them.
The animation is very simple, and most of the emphasis gets placed on the effects, camera angles/distance and lighting. This does allow the art to speak more than the motion. I do like hearing the inner monologue, but it has its weaknesses. The inner monologue sometimes feels overwhelming to the point of it being indecipherable. It happens too fast and eats up too much of a scene when combined with the score. When it works, the dialogue effectively mixes humor with drama.
Spider-Woman takes a serious beating/punishment in this book. She is a superhero, but the emphasis is placed on her vulnerability. Her various powers, including pheromones and bioelectricity are placed on display. The pheromone power is interesting and the animation suggests its effect works with mixed results. A man is killed on her watch. Another pisses himself in fear, which facilitates her escape. It does help her get information from a girl silly enough to believe that her boyfriend is really Spider-Man.
I enjoyed the story and atmosphere in spite of the limited animation and the occasional sound interferences. Spider-Woman is a tough character who slowly builds herself back to her confident self. Also it is refreshing to see Spider-Woman make serious mistakes and deal with the repercussions. I would love to see more, but the series was cancelled.
