Naomi: Season One (2019)
Writers – Brian Michael Bendis and David F. Walker
Artist – Jamal Campbell
There is a reading challenge through Kindle that runs from January through March. I have been going back and reading comics I purchased through Comixology. Remember Comixology? I was going through the library of books and I came across the first three issues of Naomi Season Two. I decided to read Naomi Season One via Hoopla before I dive into those on my Kindle Fire.
Naomi McDuffie resides in Port Oswego and her world is changed forever after a short battle between Superman and Mongul takes place there. This major event thrills her friends and neighbors. Sadly, Naomi missed the whole thing because the fight only lasted a matter of seconds. Naomi starts digging around to see if any prior superhero events have taken place in her hometown years ago. Her curiosity will take her down a road where long held secrets about the local garage owner named Dee, her adopted parents, and herself are brought to light.
It was major news when Brian Michael Bendis was coming to DC Comics after his long tenure at Marvel. He would be taking over Action Comics. A lot of people wondered if he had enough left in the tank and I’ve read some of his run and its okay. Nothing earth- shattering and not the worst either. I think his other projects at DC Comics deserve some recognition and that’s another reason why I wanted to check out this trade.
The art by Jamal Campbell is breathtaking and I love the use of coloring throughout, especially when we get a flashback to where Naomi came from and how she ended up with her parents. Bendis does a great job balancing humor and action, while pulling the reader’s heartstrings from the very first issue. There is a sweetness to the interactions between Naomi and everyone she meets and it won’t hurt your teeth. It’s genuine, not saccharine. Just make sure you have a tissue or two nearby, just in case, while reading.
If DC and Marvel had a working relationship today, like they did in the past, I’m sure we would have gotten a team up between Naomi and Kamala Khan at some point. It’s a shame the Big Two can’t get along like they used to all those years ago.
The CW actually had a TV series called Naomi and I’m deciding if I want to watch it or not. If hindsight is 20/20, I think the suits should have turned the first trade into a live action movie. Hopefully, James Gunn has a plan in store for Naomi in the near future. A Naomi film could have led to a spin-off of a Teen Titans or Young Justice movie. The possibilities are endless!
After re-reading Batman –Last Knight on Earth and finishing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – The Last Ronin recently, I needed something fun and lighthearted and this was the right book at the right time. Now I can read Naomi Season Two. Hopefully, one day we get a Season Three! Fingers crossed!
If you are looking for a title the whole family can enjoy together, I recommend this one to share with your young teen children. Naomi Season One is available instantly via Hoopla. Check your local library for availability as well.