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A review by hypops
Naomi: Season One by Brian Michael Bendis, David F. Walker, Jamal Campbell
4.0
Naomi is one of the strongest debuts of a new character in corporate superhero comics since Kamala Khan debuted as the new Ms. Marvel. Naomi is reminiscent of the early ‘90s Milestone Media characters of Dwayne McDuffie, et al. (is it a coincidence that the main character’s last name is also McDuffie?). Sure, it follows in many familiar superhero footsteps, but as an example of how to craft quality superhero comics, this is just about as good as it gets.
I was unfamiliar with artist Jamal Campbell’s work before this book, but after reading Naomi, I’m amazed that I haven’t encountered his work before. Among those working in the high-pressure, fast-turnaround environment of DC and Marvel, Campbell continues to turn out incredibly thoughtful layouts and sequences issue to issue. His work in issues 1 and 2 is some of the sharpest, most intricate art I’ve seen in corporate comics. He’s now firmly on my radar. Even if his careful attention to cinematic style falls away in the later issues/chapters, his work retains its “prestige” vibe throughout.
It would be easy to be cynical about this book. It prominently features a young woman of color and this first book is called “season one,” so, yeah, it’s cashing in on current market trends and aiming for what it clearly hopes will soon be a TV adaptation (for all I know, it may already be in the works). But cynicism aside, this is one of the most earnest, honest, and compelling character debuts in some time.
(Read in single issues)
I was unfamiliar with artist Jamal Campbell’s work before this book, but after reading Naomi, I’m amazed that I haven’t encountered his work before. Among those working in the high-pressure, fast-turnaround environment of DC and Marvel, Campbell continues to turn out incredibly thoughtful layouts and sequences issue to issue. His work in issues 1 and 2 is some of the sharpest, most intricate art I’ve seen in corporate comics. He’s now firmly on my radar. Even if his careful attention to cinematic style falls away in the later issues/chapters, his work retains its “prestige” vibe throughout.
It would be easy to be cynical about this book. It prominently features a young woman of color and this first book is called “season one,” so, yeah, it’s cashing in on current market trends and aiming for what it clearly hopes will soon be a TV adaptation (for all I know, it may already be in the works). But cynicism aside, this is one of the most earnest, honest, and compelling character debuts in some time.
(Read in single issues)