Naomi is written by Brian Michael Bendis and David Walker with art by Jamal Campbell. It is published by DC Comics under their Wonder Comics imprint.
I’ll admit, I haven’t read much of David Walker’s work, but I have read a fair amount from Brian Michael Bendis and he’s never written anything that I didn’t like. So, while Bendis continues his trend of being fabulous in my eyes, David Walker has also made a spot for himself in my “Writers I’ll Continue to Follow” list I keep in my head. I really enjoyed this debut issue. I like this new character of Naomi, I like her town and the people in it, I like that I’ve already been thrown into a mystery that I don’t quite understand but that’s ok because I know it’s going to be super cool.
This is the story of Naomi, a brand new character, and the quaint little town she lives in. Naomi has lived the majority of her life in this town and has never seen anything interesting happen in it. Definitely never a Superman fight. As far as she knows, at least. But following this epic battle that only lasted 17 seconds, Naomi hears a rumor that something strange did happen. Yet when she presses other townsfolk further, no one will talk. Yes, there is definitely something different about Naomi, but I think there’s something even more strange about her town.
Ultimately, not a whole lot happened. I mean, technically a whole lot happened, but we didn’t SEE it happen. Because it honestly wasn’t all that important. I mean, Naomi has an obsession with Superman, but we don’t need to see his 20 page fight with Mongul to understand it. Her interest in him is different. It’s not infatuation or a desire to be him, but something about her own mysterious past fills her with a need to see him, to talk to him. We don’t know how or why, we don’t even know it’s 100% true (we do, she’s the main character) but Naomi is special somehow. And it seems to me like everyone is in on this huge secret about her, except for Naomi herself.
I love Jamal Campbell’s art. The cover is already interesting and pretty to look at (I’m kind of a stickler about covers), but the inner art is truly beautiful as well. Sometimes you have the way the cover looks and then the way the interior looks and it doesn’t always quite live up, in this case, I think the interior is even prettier than the cover. Everything and everyone is so detailed, yet they also look smooth, almost like water color.
OVERALL SCORE: 9 / 10
Brian Michael Bendis, David Walker and Jamal Campbell are clearly creating something great here and I’m really excited to jump on board with this new character from her very beginning. It’s an opportunity we’re getting more from DC, but still not one I’d say happens very often.
So make sure you pick up a copy of Naomi #1 from your local comic shop!
Happy reading!
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