Comic Review: The Unstoppable Wasp #1

The Unstoppable Wasp #1

Marvel Comics

Writer: Jeremy Whitley

Artist: Gurihiru

I’m a fan of the first Unstoppable Wasp series. It was a bummer when the first series got the axe, but the character has been anything but absent since then. Nadia Van Dyne has been an Avenger and is currently a Champion. She even stars in a mini-series with Ant-Man (which is a really good series!). Now, due to popular demand, she’s back in her own series.

Taking the name back to its roots, A.I.M. is back and pulling a heist. Unable to attend to it herself, Janet Van Dyne sends Naida, the Unstoppable Wasp, stop them. With the help of her G.I.R.L. team and their wasp drones, she’s able to stop the robbery.

I like the first Unstoppable Wasp series because it was lighthearted. It’s a nice contrast to some of the more serious comics coming out around that time *cough* Secret Empire *cough*. With Jeremy Whitley behind this relaunch, that same feeling continues. The characters feel the same as before, which is good, as none of them were bad before. The story in this issue is a little straightforward. Nadia stops A.I.M. but the leader is a girl she’s met before, named Amber. Amber brings up Hank Pym, saying he’ll infect the world. Which, if you didn’t know, he’s currently merged with Ultron. It’s something that I’m almost certain will be one of, if not the first, major conflict in this series.

For such a lighthearted book, you need art to match. There’s not really anyone better for the tone here than Gurihiru. It’s bright colors, and defined lines. The characters show expression and emotion (most of which is usually happy). The art is my favorite part of this book. I can’t really complain or even nitpick about it, really. If you don’t like the general “cute” kind of style Gurihiru has, you probably won’t change your mind here (probably).

Even though the first series was canceled, this issue makes it feel more like a long hiatus. The story may be a little simple, but there are teases of what may come. And it’s the first issue, so I can’t really hold it against the book as a serious problem. Besides that, the characters feel the same as before, helping that hiatus feeling. To top it all off the art is fantastic. If you liked the original series, you’ll like this new one. If you have no idea about the original series, I’m sure you’ll still like this new one.