Showing posts with label Megan Wilson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Megan Wilson. Show all posts

Saturday, April 29, 2017

Review: THE UNSTOPPABLE WASP #2

THE UNSTOPPABLE WASP No. 2
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

STORY: Jeremy Whitley – @jrome58
ART: Elsa Charretier
COLORS: Megan Wilson
LETTERS: VC's Joe Caramagna
COVER: Elsa Charretier with Nicolas Bannister
VARIANT COVER: Tony Fleecs
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2017)

Rated “T+”

The Wasp a.k.a. Janet van Dyne is a Marvel Comics female super hero, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.  First appearing in Tales to Astonish #44 (cover dated:  June 1963), The Wasp is usually depicted as having the ability to shrink to a height of several centimeters; fly by means of insectoid wings; and fire bio-electric energy blasts.  The Wasp is also a founding member of the Avengers.

After Janet van Dyne, there was another version of The Wasp, Hope Pym, also known as the Red Queen and the Wasp.  Hope is the daughter of Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man.  Of course, Marvel has an alternate universe version of Hope Pym, and her name is Nadia, who is now in the main Marvel Universe.  She is the daughter of Hank Pym and Maria Trovaya.  Nadia is the star of the new Marvel comic book series, The Unstoppable Wasp.  It is written by Jeremy Whitley; drawn by Elsa Charretier; colored by Megan Wilson; and lettered by Joe Caramagna.

The Unstoppable Wasp #2 opens as Nadia continues her quest to build “G.I.R.L.” (Genius in Action Research Labs).  This is an organization “dedicated to finding the brilliant girls and women who will not just save the world, but change it.” First stop, meet Taina Miranda, before moving on to Lunella Lafayette a.k.a. “Moon Girl.”  But Nadia's past is about to make a reappearance.

I enjoyed the first issue of The Unstoppable Wasp comic book.  I had a few reservations, but everything makes sense after reading this second issue.  That's crazy because it is hard to believe that a comic book has its act together or seems fully formed after only two issues.

Perhaps, the secret is in writer Jeremy Whitley's characterization of Nadia/The Unstoppable Wasp.  She is self-assured, although not fully formed.  She is determined to make her place in the world by not having to wash a man's drawers, bake him cookies, or get him a beer.  In fact, Nadia believes that her place in the world is to make sure other girls and women have a place in the world where they can be the best they can be (or even better than that).  This is comic book where the female characters don't get together to talk about what the man is doing.  At some point, I may have to call this something like brilliant, even if I don't use that word.

Artist Elsa Charretier vivid compositions and boisterous storytelling is well served by Megan Wilson's bright colors.  The Charretier-Wilson team marries the retro-style of Daniel Clowes' Ghost World with the pop charm of Darwyn Cooke, and that is a good thing.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Review: THE UNSTOPPABLE WASP #1

THE UNSTOPPABLE WASP No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Jeremy Whitley
ART: Elsa Charretier
COLORS: Megan Wilson
LETTERS: VC's Joe Caramagna
COVER: Elsa Charretier with Nicolas Bannister
VARIANT COVERS: Elizabeth Torque; Nelson Blake II with Guru eFX; Skottie Young; John Tyler Christopher; Andy Park
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (March 2017)

Rated “T+”

The Wasp a.k.a. Janet van Dyne is a Marvel Comics female super hero. She was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appeared in Tales to Astonish #44 (cover dated:  June 1963).  The Wasp is usually depicted as having the ability to shrink to a height of several centimeters; fly by means of insectoid wings; and fire bio-electric energy blasts.  The Wasp is also a founding member of the Avengers and has been a leader of the team.

After Janet van Dyne, there is another version of The Wasp.  She is Hope Pym, also known as the Red Queen and the Wasp, and is the daughter of Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man.  Of course, Marvel has an alternate universe version of Hope Pym, and her name is Nadia, who is now in the main Marvel Universe.  She is the daughter of Hank Pym and Maria Trovaya.  Nadia is the star of the new Marvel comic book series, The Unstoppable Wasp.  It is written by Jeremy Whitley; drawn by Elsa Charretier; colored by Megan Wilson; and lettered by Joe Caramagna.

The Unstoppable Wasp #1 finds Nadia hanging with Ms. Marvel a.k.a. Kamala Khan.  It's time for Nadia to straighten out the affairs of her U.S. citizenship – remember that U.S. borders are closed to some.  We learn the story of the romance of Nadia's parents and her life in “The Red Room,” a secret facility in Russia that trained young girls to become weapons.  Then, it's time to meet a heroine/role model and villain/role model.

The Unstoppable Wasp is like many girl-hero comics that have emerged during the last few years (Batgirl, Moon Girl and Devil Dragon):  glib, snappy, snazzy, and fun-to-read.  In the case of Nadia-Wasp, it is her positivism and on-the-bright-side personality that makes her attractive.  In spite of my cranky, old-ass ways, I found myself liking her.  Page by page, writer Jeremy Whitley will not let you not like Nadia-Wasp, and he will make you want more of her, mainly because she seems to want more us – at least our positive side.

I love the retro-style art of artist Elsa Charretier.  With the coloring of Megan Wilson, the storytelling here graphically recalls early 1960s Marvel Comics and also (delightfully) Darwyn Cooke's interpretation of the Silver Age.  I won't grade this comic book just yet, but I hope to soon.  And yes, I will recommend this to young readers (especially girls) and to girl-hero lovers.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

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