I'll be blunt, Spider-Woman isn't a character I know much about. Consulting my household Spider-Man fan was a bit of a help, but it turns out Spider-Woman isn't the female version of Spider-Man. So a quick introduction goes like this: she doesn't web-sling, but she does stick to walls. And from the scenarios on this DVD, she also seems to be very good at falling from extreme heights, without a net, and without any sort of plan other than "fall." She's got pheromones, that's one thing she's got over Spider-Man. To round it out, she also has a rather healthy penchant for bar fights.

In Marvel Knights Animation Presents: Spider-Woman - Agent of S.W.O.R.D., we seem to be coming in at a rather late point in Spider-Woman's development. Spider-Woman, a.k.a. Jessica Drew (voiced by Nicolette Reed), is angry and feeling a bit hopeless about her situation, which is slowly revealed. We find that she's been replaced by shape-shifting aliens called the Skrulls. Well, that was old news by the time this show starts, and we never quite get the full explanation for why Jessica is so torn up, angry, and feeling rather hopeless. Her emotional state is taken advantage of by the secret group known as S.W.O.R.D., which offers her a way to take vengeance while helping them rid the world of the alien threat. You do get some hints as to why Jessica's so angry: the Skrulls shamelessly take the form of her friends, and probably used Jessica's own likeness to cause some trouble for her. Someone by the name of Hydra also drops by, opening up a painful set of memories for Jessica. It's just that the real core of the character's development was quickly summarized, which could be a problem for people who aren't fans and followers of the character.

Beyond that, Spider-Woman is a pretty good dark and broody production. Much of the dialogue happens in Jessica's head, drawing you into her dark and lonely world. It makes the ending that much more satisfying and uplifting, since you've spent so much time with the character in a very personal way. When the dark hero is rescued, it makes you wonder what's next, and what will change for her. It's a good cliffhanger.

The animation quality isn't as great as some of Marvel's other motion comic work. Astonishing X-Men, for example, has a lot more movement and visual interest. Perhaps Spider-Woman's source material was simply darker and harder to work with, but it just seems a little less exciting. The special features actually focus more on Marvel's other motion comics than on Spider-Woman as well, making it easier to believe that Spider-Woman was a side project.

With this short movie, you'll get some insight into some dark times for Spider-Woman, but you won't get the full story. It shouldn't be a problem for fans, but it does leave something lacking. Still, Spider-Woman is an emotional trainwreck of a character, and it's hard to look away. It's an easy way to enjoy 54 minutes for comic fans.