Ant-Man and the Wasp #1
Writer: Mark Waid
Penciller: Javier Garran
Colorist: Israel Silva
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Price: $3.99
Rating: T+
Plot: Scott Lang (a.k.a. Ant-Man) needs to get back to Earth for his daughter’s birthday party. Scott turns to the best genius for the job, Nadia Pym (a.k.a. the Wasp), daughter of his predecessor Hank Pym. Nadia agrees to help and devises a way for Scott to return via the microverse. However Scott messes up the timing and Nadia ends up going into the microverse to rescue him.
Story: The issue’s first page is a brief summary of the original Ant-Man and the Wasp, Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne. Mark Waid uses this as a reference to show how different Scott and Nadia’s relationship is from their predecessors. When we first see Nadia talking to Scott, she refuses to help him because she has resentment against Scott because he stole the Ant-Man equipment from Hank before earning his approval. However Nadia agrees to Scott’s request when he explains he just wants to see his daughter on her birthday. These scenes also help establish Nadia as a complex character. Plus it’s a great introduction to readers who aren’t familiar with Nadia Pym as the Wasp.
Mark Waid provides excellent dialogue for the two main characters. The banter between Ant-Man and the Wasp shows their difficulty working together while providing quality entertainment. Also the dialogue captures each character’s unique voices. Nadia is written as very intelligent and formal by the way she addresses Scott as Mr. Lang. Additionally Scott’s lines have a lot of humor in them. This is great for readers who are more familiar with Paul Rudd’s performance as Ant-Man in the MCU.
Unfortunately the ending might leave readers with mixed feelings. As a result of saving some creatures, Nadia looses her sight. This makes it difficult for her to navigate a way out of the microverse. Nadia’s blindness comes off as a cheap trick to extend the plot. However the rest of the series could use this opportunity to explore Scott’s guilt because it was his plan that caused Nadia’s blindness.
Art: This issue has some great artwork. The design of the Thetacorians is a great example of how the microverse is not just another alternate universe. Plus it gives readers a taste of the crazy things that live in the microverse. This issue also had some great coloring choices. The only time we see red is in the costumes for Ant-Man and the Wasp. This helps maintain the reader’s attention on the heroes throughout the issue. Additionally the red silhouettes used for size changing are a great visual element.
Verdict: While this has the same title as the upcoming MCU film, Ant-Man and the Wasp #1 tells a completely different story. Mark Waid highlights the differences between the current duo from their predecessors to kick off a fantastic voyage in the microverse. Since this series will only be five issues, fans of Mark Waid, Ant-Man and the Wasp should give it a shot.
Rating: 4 out of 5