Wooo…it’s been too long. This is D.C. back to throw down once more (hopefully with more time devoted). Today? Marvel Comics’ The Unstoppable Wasp #7.
Kay wrote a praiseworthy account of the first few issues of Unstoppable Wasp, and I agree: Jeremy Whitley wrote a pretty interesting take on Nadia, the daughter of Hank Pym and the latest Avenger known as Wasp. It’s a quirky series about a scientific genius trying to start up an organization of young, female scientific geniuses. It really is an endearing and inspirational series for young women.
However, my biggest problem with the first six issues was the art by Elsa Charretier. It’s simply too childish, too amateurish, and too sub-par. Charretier can certainly invoke the quirky and silly theme of this series, but even a book presumably tailored to children can have fantastic art that even adults can laud. It’s too low a quality to bring this series to prominence.
Enter issue #7, which continues the concludes this arc, focused through the point of view of Janet Van Dyne, the original Wasp (who’s currently starring in Mike Duggan’s Uncanny Avengers). Immediately, the art provided by Veronica Fish struck me. It was a swift breath of fresh air. It was simply better in every way. While simple and still encompassing the light nature of The Unstoppable Wasp, Fish’s art also fit the seriousness of Ying’s predicament. It was as if the adult eyes of Van Dyne needed the more adult pencils of Veronica Fish, and it delivered.
Veronica Fish provided strong emotive expressions in all of her characters, even through the masked face of the villain Whirlwind.
After basking in the euphoria of Fish’s art, I realized Jeremy Whitley’s writing likewise excelled. The focus on Janet Van Dyne allows even new readers to understand just who the original Wasp is, what her life is like, how she feels about herself, her critics, and–most importantly–of her stepdaughter Nadia. This issue was simply more mature tone, while maintaining the overall lightness, the comedy, and the dynamic moments (seeing Nadia using her Red Room skills was great). It is a tone that paid off.
The Unstoppable Wasp has been a fairly endearing and well-written series, but issue #7 was the freshness that was needed. Veronica Fish’s more mature art style keeps all the lightness and pleasantry of the series with zero downsides. Whitley’s writing takes a greater turn by setting Janet Van Dyne as the point-of-view character, and even Nadia’s character seems stronger than the childish naivete Whitley has penned her with since the start. Here’s hoping that this pleasant turn continues in the later issues.
END THROWDOWN!
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