Wolfman edited Spider-Woman too? I guess I hadn’t paid much attention. Now a lot more makes sense. Without any editorial oversight, Wolfman can keep going with whatever he thinks works (to be fair, Spider-Woman did run fifty issues–five years–so he must have been in sync with readers) and what does he go with? A dream issue.

I can’t think of a dream issue offhand I like–did Alan Moore do a Swamp Thing dream issue? I liked that one if he did. But here’s why I hated this one.

Who cares?

Wolfman doesn’t really work at making Spider-Woman a) a likable protagonist or b) even the protagonist of her own book. On the fifth issue, with all her neurosis, it’s clear she’s a lame character. He’s trying to force interesting characteristics; they aren’t helping.

Maybe I think I like Spider-Woman because of the cartoon.

Can this series make any less sense? I mean, I’m not even going after Wolfman’s characterization of Spider-Woman as a social outcast who has a great vocabulary, not even mentioning the whole, everyone hates Jessica Drew thing. I’m getting the feeling I’d hate Jessica Drew too, if Wolfman were scripting her.

I don’t even know what happens this issue. Does Brother Grimm die? I thought there were two Brother Grimms. Didn’t the last issue cliffhang on that note?

And then the Hangman, one of Wolfman’s villains from Werewolf by Night, shows up. Wolfman layers on the melodrama in this series–it’s telling how he’s got the misogynist Hangman taking Spider-Woman captive after hogging her own book from her–Wolfman barely gives the titular character any time in her own book, instead concentrating on the male characters.

Infantino does a better job this issue.

There, I said something nice.

Vixen. A spiteful or quarrelsome woman. Vixen.

Marv Wolfman refers to his protagonist as a vixen in this issue. Not so sure he knows what the word means and for someone so flatulent in his writing, he really ought to have a dictionary handy.

I’m not entirely sure what’s wrong with this comic book, whether it’s Wolfman or the editorial decisions behind Spider-Woman, but it’s a mess.

She’s heading to America at the end of this issue, presumably to have superhero guest stars, but it’s the second issue. Why bother with her in England in the first place? More, why bother with the inane romantic interest (actually, he’s more of a stalker–a stalker from SHIELD–it could be a new title).

Infantino’s professional enough to pull everything off, but he’s clearly bored. Worst is how Wolfman’s exposition sometimes doesn’t match Infantino’s panels, like Wolfman’s trying to force it.

Wow, does Wolfman like to write exposition. I mean, he just loves it. It really made this issue incredibly boring. Maybe I wasn’t paying attention, but I had no idea–until a few pages into it–the issue is taking place in London. I’m also not sure if Jessica Drew is English or not. I mean, does she have an accent? Wolfman likes doing European settings, but his dialogue never sounds like it’d be right if said with an accent.

Infantino’s art was a little disappointing. It’s competent and all (DeZuniga’s inks practically make it look like someone else), but there’s a decided lack of enthusiasm.

Wolfman’s approach to the character, with her missing memories and her anti-social behavior (her neighbors are afraid of her? That’s just lame), is under-cooked. He sets up all these contradictions for her and bypasses resolving them like he doesn’t know the answers.