[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writers: Brian Michael Bendis & David F. Walker
Artist: Jamal Campbell
Letters: Wes Abbott
Reviewed by: Carl Bryan
Summary
“Naomi? You okay?” – Naomi’s Dad, Greg, after revealing he is a space alien who arrived via the Space Ship upon which she is staring.
For those that are parents, this “talk” with your teenager goes a bit bigger than your typical “birds and bees’ story as Naomi’s Dad reveals that he, in fact, is the space alien that arrived on Earth, fought alongside Adam Strange and Green Lantern in the Rann/Thanagar War, came to Earth on a mission to track down Dee (the town’s mechanic who happened to be a Thanagarian terrorist soldier), and, by the way, fell in love with her Earthling Mom. This is more than an odd episode of “How I Met Your Mother”. With Greg and Dee abandoning their missions in the Rann/Thanagar War, and coming to a mutual “not to be spoken of” agreement to ride low and make a go out of it on Earth, we find that Greg and his wife really wanted to have kids. But they simply could not adopt due to too many questions about his background. However, this is no crashing spaceship in Kansas and a long winter to cover up a mock pregnancy. This is full blown “boom tube” excitement complete with a battle uniting Greg and Dee to defend an infant Naomi whose caregiver/Mom was slain in the battle. With Dee indicating he could not care for the baby, Greg takes Naomi home and so it begins. After telling Naomi of this beginning, her Dad reveals a box that she had in her blanket that resembles a small ring box. And it is from there, we are left hanging a bit as the conversation turns into a bit of the old Bill Murray Groundhog Day. Hang on tight…..as Naomi is definitely more than meets the eyes!
Positives
Jamal Campbell’s artwork is superb! He draws comics the way they are supposed to be drawn with a clean frame for each picture and the correct spatial measurements that keep the eyes engaged. This artwork is a big bag of M and M’s you know you cannot quit eating! Each frame of the comic is perfect and there are no shortcuts in his drawing! Again, what a great job DC has done in providing both a character that is perfect for this time, but also to dedicate an expert artist and writer to tell her story!
Bendis drips his story out, but provides more of a background for both Greg and Dee. As a parent, you want to remember when you were “cool” and your kids cannot ever believe you were “cool”. But here Naomi is confronted with a superhero Dad and an earthling Mom (uh….Clark and Lois anyone?) who really were cool and the only thing missing was …..well…was Naomi. What are the odds that both Greg and Dee…sworn enemies at a truce moment… are now in the midst of saving a baby that was in the midst of being abducted and killed?
That box….what’s in it? And why do the last two pages of the comic repeat? Word for word except for the shot of Naomi’s eyes with the box’s insignia burned into them? Bendis grabs us again….. and we have to wait!
Negatives
I am a big critic of Bendis’ writing in that I keep wanting more and he drips it out at a snail’s pace. Perhaps I am a victim of binge watching when something is that good, but Naomi is shaping up to be a wonderful story. I am curious as to why Dee and Naomi’s Mom had such words in Issue #3, but that is not mentioned in this issue. I need for all cans that are opened to be addressed!
Verdict
Naomi’s slowly finding out her origin, and we are too! It is very hard to write something new and refreshing and to not follow the same formula. But Bendis has a new take that is both exciting and curious. But Campbell’s artwork is what is winning everyone over! Jump in while you can in the early issues…Naomi is a keeper!
