If you’re on the hunt for a Mother’s day gift that is sure to please, look no further than Dennis Hopeless’s Spider-Woman: Shifting Gears storyline. It will make a great gift for any mother or mother to be, and follows Spider-Woman Jessica Drew through the twists and turns of pregnancy and single motherhood.
The first book in this series is titled Spider-Woman: Shifting Gears volume 1 Baby Talk. This is the volume that follows Jessica through her pregnancy, and gives insight into the frustration and apprehension that many mothers experience as people begin treating them differently in light of their pregnancy (ie. being overprotective and sometimes overbearing). It’s all the more interesting that as a superhero Jessica tends to be in harm’s way far more than a typical person, and she really can’t do her duty without doing so. It’s a wonderful and poignant look at how having a little one changes outlooks and priorities, and how to balance those new needs with your own.
Volume 2 ties into Civil War II and Jessica’s role in those events, largely focusing on whose side she’ll choose to be on and why. Of course, she’s still juggling her involvement alongside childcare and taking care of her baby boy! This theme continues into Volume 3: Scare Tactics, as Jessica’s relationships and support system take the center stage, and she has to work to preserve those she cares about.
The artwork is great in all three books, with Javier Rodriguez illustrating the first volume and Veronica Fish finishing the series out after that. It compliments the true star of the series, which is Hopeless’s heartfelt and humorous writing. It’s a shame the series ended after only three volumes, but it has a sincere ending that closes out the story nicely. Maybe we’ll get lucky and see more of this Jessica Drew someday soon!