Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. #3 – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (Script) and Alex Maleev (Art) w/ voice work by Nicolette Reed (Spider-Woman/Jessica Drew/Madame Hydra), Patrick Bosold (Philli Natu), Andrew Edlin (Detective Wang), David J. Murphy (Paladin), and Anthony MacKenzie (Detective Chong)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: While the motion-comic format definitely has a number of positives, I can’t help but feel that, at times, Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. is being held back a bit because of it.

The Story: Jessica Drew confronts Madame Hydra’s Skrull captive, Philli Nutu. Not long after, she soon finds herself back in a Madripoor prison with an opportunity to get back her gear…

The Script: There certainly isn’t anything wrong with Brian Michael Bendis’ script, but something about it just doesn’t really do it for me. The dialogue and storytelling is solid (and the ending is pretty cool), but I think the reason the script leaves me wanting more is because, three issues in, it still feels as though Bendis is working to establish both the main character and the Spider-Woman series as a whole. Now I’m assuming that Bendis’ approach will work perfectly fine once the story catches up in print, but it leaves the motion-comic feeling as though it’s moving forward at a fairly plodding pace With only six motion-comic episodes scheduled (from what I understand), the pacing is starting to dampen my enthusiasm for the format a bit. It seems as though it makes a slow arc feel like an even slower arc.

The Artwork: A few scenes look a bit too dark at times, but as a whole, Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. is another fantastic looking motion-comic. Alex Maleev’s artwork is a perfect fit and does an excellent job of capturing both the tone of the series and the mindset of Jessica Drew. Artistically, I really couldn’t ask for a whole lot more.

The Voice Acting: Nicolette Reed is really starting to sound comfortable as Jessica Drew. I think Reed is a nice fit for the character and her voice work in episode three is the best it’s been. Also, I really like the fact that Reed seems to have toned down her take on Madame Hydra a bit. Hydra no longer sounds like a cartoon villain and it makes it easier to take the character seriously.

The supporting cast gets the job done. Nothing more, nothing less. That said, if I had to single anyone out I would have to say that I wish Patrick Bosold’s Skrull voice was a bit more alien.

The Motion-Comic Effect: Thankfully, the motion effects are much better than they were in the second episode. In fact, I can safely say that nothing really sticks out in a negative way. The brutal fight scene is really effective, Drew’s vibrant pheromone powers help bring a more passive ability to life, and the more computer generated stuff fits with Maleev’s artwork in a much more natural way.

Conclusion: Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. is an entertaining chapter of a solid opening arc for a series, but I can’t help but feel that Marvel might have been better off launching with the Astonishing X-Men motion-comic instead.

Grade: C

-Kyle Posluszny

Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. #2 (Motion Comic) – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (Script) and Alex Maleev (Art) w/ voice work by Nicolette Reed (Spider-Woman/Jessica Drew/Madame Hydra) and Anthony MacKenzie (Detective Chong)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I enjoyed the first Spider-Woman motion comic quite a bit. It was easily worth the cheap asking price, especially considering that it was something that actually felt pretty new.

The Story: Jessica Drew wakes up in a Madripoor prison and, after using one of her powers to secure a way out, she finds herself being rescued by Madame Hydra.

The Script: While Bendis’ script definitely scores points for effectively giving the new series a distinct tone and cool twists, it gets bogged down by the fact that it feels almost too friendly to new readers (well, viewers in this case). Because Jessica Drew’s recent (New Avengers, Secret Invasion, etc.) past has been pretty screwy, I understand the need to get people caught up on her powers and all that. That said, I’m fairly certain that those interested in Agent of S.W.O.R.D. already have a pretty good grasp on the character. Therefore, the script for the second Spider-Woman motion comic isn’t as satisfying as it could be because it largely feels as though the storytelling is still firmly in the “exposition” phase. Sure there’s some action and the plot (which seems to be covering some familiar territory) goes forward, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that everything is moving forward at a slightly slower pace than it should be.

The Artwork: Alex Maleev’s art is fantastic and really one of the big reasons to check out the whole motion comic thing. Gritty, violent, and perfect for the way the story is being told, I really don’t have any real complaints. Seeing his work in action is rather impressive and adds a lot to the overall presentation of Jessica Drew’s story.

The Voice Acting: Once again, the voice acting in Spider-Woman is uneven. While Nicolette Reed handles Jessica Drew well, her Madame Hydra nearly comes across as a mustache twirling cartoon villain. While that would totally work for a comic with a less gritty, serious tone, it feels really odd in Agent of S.W.O.R.D. #2. As for Anthony MacKenzie, his Detective Chong comes across a lot like Reed’s Hydra. The character would work, but the accent is really distracting.

The Motion-Comic Effect: The motion comic effects once again elevate Maleev’s artwork when they are being used in a subtle way. When they aren’t however, the “CG look” proves to be pretty bothersome and sticks out in a negative way. I’m all for chases and explosions, but they’d be a lot more effective if integrated into the artwork in a better way.

Conclusion: While it’s pretty entertaining as a whole, the Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. #2 motion comic is held back from a higher score by a couple of major annoyances.

Grade: C

-Kyle Posluszny

Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. #1 (Motion-Comic) – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (Script) and Alex Maleev (Art) w/ voice work by Nicolette Reed (Spider-Woman/Jessica Drew), Stephanie K. Thomas (Abigail Brand), and Geoff Boothby (Spider-Man)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Since the Spider-Woman motion-comic is quite a bit different than your average comic, I’ll be reviewing it by breaking down each of its different elements before tackling the motion-comic as a whole. Let me know what you think of the format in the comments section. If it’s requested, I’ll tinker with the formula before the next chapter hits Itunes.

The Story: Jessica Drew, still reeling emotionally from having her world turned upside down by the Skrulls, is offered a job to be an agent of S.W.O.R.D. by Abigail Brand.

The Script: The script by Brian Michael Bendis is a bit predictable and fairly standard as far as first issues go. It works well enough, but it feels like a whole lot of time is spent capturing Jessica Drew’s mindset and getting readers up to speed about how things got where they are. While the expository stuff is necessary and expected, it leaves the first episode of Spider-Woman: Agent of Sword feeling a bit dry. A little bit more action would have gone a long way, though I will say that the one action beat effectively captures the emotion that Bendis is clearly shooting for.

The Artwork: Alex Maleev’s gritty artwork is very impressive. It effortlessly captures the tone, mood, and emotion of Bendis’ script. The best thing about the art though, is the fact that it’s in no way overpowered by the motion-comic effects. The effects compliment the work far better than I had expected. From the glowing signs of Madripoor to the brutal action scene, a chance to see Maleev’s work in motion is almost worth the price of admission alone.

The Voice Acting: The voice acting is, in a word, uneven. Most of the time it’s good, but every once in a while there’s a snag that serves as a reminder that a comic script works a bit different than a cartoon or live action one. Nicolette Reed does a fine job as Jessica Drew, especially since Reed’s accent fits Drew so well. My only real complaint is that a few of the more emotional moments seem a bit forced. Stephanie K. Thomas effectively captures the no-nonsense style of Abigail Brand, but something about her delivery left me wishing for a bit more. Geoff Boothby is, quite simply, a great Spider-Man. Out of the three voice actors, Boothby is the only one that delivers lines flawlessly.

The Motion-Comic Effect: Since it isn’t overpowering or intrusive, I have no problem recommending the motion-comic format. On a personal note, I think that Marvel’s motion-comic works far better than the Watchmen motion-comic did back when it was first released. The voice acting is better and the effects blend with the artwork more effectively. I realize more was put into Spider-Woman, but it’s hard to avoid comparing the two.

Conclusion: Since it’s only $0.99, I recommend giving the first issue of Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. a try. It’s a bit slow, but there’s definitely a lot of potential. And while it takes a bit to get comfortable with the format, the positives far outweigh the negatives.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny