“Wannabe, part 1”
Writer: Joe Quesada
Artist: Joshua Middleton
Publisher: Marvel
Well, I have to admit it. Joe Q can tell a good story. I’ve never read anything he’s written before and wasn’t sure what this would be like, but I’m impressed. Maybe I just don’t know any better, but every character in this sounded real to me, and I’m always hesitant when middle-aged men write dialogue for teenage girls. But it works. Especially with the amount of time he’s taking to establish Kiden’s character. Kiden, for those of you who don’t know, is a troubled high school girl who saw her father shot in front of her when she was a child. Now she’s acting out, taking drugs, partying and fighting at school. Oh yeah, and she’s a mutant. Her power manifests itself for the first time in the final pages of this issue, and much like the opening flashback, there is a nice sense of wonder and just plain old-fashioned good storytelling.
This is enhanced dramatically by Middleton’s artwork. Not only are the people and settings realistic and expressive, but the colors play a major part in establishing the scene. The flashback in the opening pages is done in nicely muted, pale tones, which contrast sharply with the bright colors and play of light and shadow in the club on the following pages (as well as the rest of the book). The shift into purple tones when Kiden’s power manifests is very smooth and subtle, giving the scene an otherworldly feel. And that’s not even taking into consideration the actual artwork. From page layout to final inks, this is beautiful. I’d already seen the flashback scene in an online preview but upon opening the book I was immediately back in the moment and startled by the murder of Kiden’s dad. The violence of that act reverberates through the rest of the issue and I am very interested in where this story is going to go. I can’t think of any platitudes to apply to Middleton’s art that haven’t already been used, so I’m going to let it go at that. Beautiful. Says it all, really.
There’s some adult subject matter here that might offend some more prudish readers, but to hell with them. This is a good story about realistic teens with a hint of mutant abilities thrown in at the end for good measure. Hell, it could be written by a one-eyed monkey with the clap and it would be worth buying for the art alone. I’m hoping for an oversized hardback of this baby. Keep your fingers crossed.
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