Last year, I reviewed the first issue of this series, and just recently I read the Hardcover of the collected series. Written by the dynamic trio of Brian Michael Bendis, and David F. Walker, the art handled by one of the top Comic Book Artists in the Comic Book Industry today, Jamal Campbell; Naomi is a story about a young girl who tries to solve a mystery about her past and somehow it connects to this battle between Superman and Mongul, it makes her ask herself how is this connected to her parents, and how it ties into her origin and adoption. Better get that notebook, a pencil and that decoder ring from the first issue review, it’s gonna be a bumpy review!
Without going much into Spoiler territory for those who haven’t read this story, it takes place in a small town of Port Oswego, Oregon, and a HUGE battle between Superman and Mongul takes place but unfortunately for Naomi, she missed it. But the odd thing is, this wasn’t the first time that super-powered beings fought in that small town, and for some reason, it is tied around four people; The Mechanic known as Dee, Naomi’s adopted parents and then our heroine, Naomi. What I like about this series is that it’s a good introduction for new readers who already were familiar with Heroes and villains such as Superman and Mongul (thanks to past stories in DC’s history and Television shows such as Justice League, Young Justice,) not to mention adding a flare of Sci-Fi to this mystery. When it comes to Mystery and Crime Fiction, Bendis is in the zone, the series almost felt like a nod to his past Superhero Noir/Police book Powers, but having David on this book was a great choice for a Co-Writer on this series, his experience on crime stories such as Dynamite’s Shaft and Marvel’s Power-Man and Iron Fist. The humor felt a little forced at times but I was really surprised when the Mechanic was referencing his issues with anxiety, it’s nice to see a man who can fight and muscular not be written as a meathead.
As mentioned before, the artwork is absolutely phenomenal, Jamal Campbell’s detail and hard work don’t go unnoticed, the love and dedication in this origin story are touching, especially the clever easter eggs that were hidden along the way to past writers, creators. What made this feel original was that yes, there was a character element involved in it due to Superman but as you could see, she didn’t need a big name, fancy gadgets, or a Big S to keep the reader interested (an ongoing problem when introducing new characters in big publishers, having to ride on the coattails of Big Name Characters to make a name for themselves,) she gives the reader a voice, a feeling that they were standing beside her along the way, they too could become a hero.
Final Grade:
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