In just over a month, Jessica Drew will return to the Marvel Universe in her own solo Spider-Woman title from writer Steve Foxe and artist Carola Borelli, tying into the upcoming Spider-Man-centric 'Gang War' crossover.
'Gang War' will involve all of New York's most dangerous criminals carving up the city into their own territories and duking it out to be the boss of bosses. But amongst the fray, Jessica Drew will have her own problems to deal with as she searches for her missing son, Gerry.
Newsarama caught up with Foxe ahead of Spider-Woman #1's November 29 release, digging into what to expect from the new title, what Jessica Drew is going through as she searches for her son, and even some hints about new villain Green Mamba, seen here in some advance pages from the issue.
Newsarama: Steve, it's been a little while since Spider-Woman has had her own title. How does it feel bringing her back into the spotlight?
Steve Foxe: IMMENSELY INTIMIDATING, but I'm also super grateful for the opportunity. I've always been of the opinion that Jessica Drew is one of Marvel's foremost female heroes (and solo characters in general, but you know what I mean - female characters have to fight for their share of the spotlight a little harder in most cases). Even as a kid, something about her look just grabbed me, before I even knew her fascinating and often contradictory backstory.
With Jess, there's also the pressure of following some majorly impactful runs, from Brian Michael Bendis' work with her across titles, to Dennis Hopeless and Javier Rodriguez' wildly beloved series, to Karla Pacheco and Pere Perez leaving their mark on her most recently. Big arachnid shoes to fill - but I'm stoked to try.
When we most recently saw Jessica Drew, she was on the hunt for her baby in the prelude story for this title. What can you tell us about where she's at when this kicks off?
Our prelude in Amazing Spider-Man, which featured killer art by Eric Koda, teed us up for a darker spin on Jess's life. When we last saw her before that, she had been severed from the Web of Life in Dan Slott and Mark Bagley's Spider-Man series, which means she briefly ceased to exist at all.
Now, you don't need to know all the details of the Spider-multiverse to jump into our book, as we're keeping things pretty grounded, but the setup was too good to ignore, especially since her first words when she was reinstated to reality were asking about her son, Gerry.
As we pick up in Spider-Woman #1, her mission to find her son is, understandably, her top priority. But there's a major complication to that mission, which will become apparent when readers see Jess interact with some familiar faces. And before too long… 'Gang War' erupts!
On that note, what can you tell us about how Gang War fits into the new title?
Zeb Wells has been super generous with the 'Gang War' crossover. While the core story unfolds in Amazing Spider-Man, all of us telling related tales have been able to carve out our own corners - quite literally, as NYC gets divided by gang bosses - and our own angles on the event. In our case, Jess' hunt for Gerry quickly starts to point toward the last word she wanted to hear on anyone's lips: HYDRA.
Longtime fans of Jessica Drew know that HYDRA has had a massive and frequently terrible impact on Jess' life, so discovering that they may be involved in whatever happened to Gerry certainly won't put Jess in a GOOD mood. And if a certain NYC gang boss made a pact with a certain global terrorist group to get an edge on the Gang War, well…good luck to that man.
All of that said, our 'Gang War' story is extremely Spider-Woman-focused. There won't be any moments where we point you to another series for a key part of the story or anything like that. We've got our own four-issue tale set firmly in 'Gang War' but structured closely on Jess's ongoing ordeals, setting her up for further adventures to come. While we hope you'll check out as much 'Gang War' as you can stack at your local comic shop, you'll get a complete story and any needed content just in the pages of Spider-Woman, too.
How has it been working with artist Carola Borelli on Spider-Woman?
Carola has been a dream collaborator! I have pretty dark instincts - I am finishing up Dark X-Men right now, after all - and she's met me at a grounded, somber place while also keeping the attitude and thrills readers have come to expect from Jess intact…
Part of the fun of Spider-Woman is that she's filled so many different niches, from spy to private investigator to intergalactic hero. We want to embrace all of that (or most of it - we do stay on planet Earth), and Carola's really embraced the variety. I've been referring to the second issue as the "spy issue," and Carola really brought her Mission Impossible best to it.
We've seen some of Carola's penciled pages, featuring the new villain Green Mamba. What can you reveal about him?
I don't want to give away too much, but when you get into bed with HYDRA, sometimes they loan you some toys. In this case, a very deadly toy that can help a certain gang leader maintain and advance his territory… or fend off any intrusive Spider-themed heroes who come snooping.
I've had the chance to develop a few original characters for Marvel, and working with Carola to create a relentless new assassin for one of the most loathsome organizations in the Marvel Universe has been a sick thrill. He gets to do some NASTY stuff in our first arc and I hope readers are ready to see Jess face him head on.
What do you want fans to know going into Spider-Woman #1?
If you're a longtime Jessica Drew fan, Carola and I are embracing her long, rich history to tell her next chapter and move her forward. She's at her best when her back is against the wall and she's grinning through all that life can throw at her.
This is a grounded, occasionally heart-wrenching story for Spider-Woman, but we know the charm of Jess is in her perseverance and sharp tongue. And if you're new to Jessica Drew, we hope we can make Spider-converts out of you and keep you around for the long haul!
Stay up to date on all the new Spider-Man comics Marvel has planned.
