Another month and another new universe to get acclimated with; this time from the folks that brought you Arrow, X-Men Gold, Star Wars: Revelations and The Old Guard; Tales Through Time, messer’s Marc Guggenheim and Justin Greenwood. If you are fans of either of these creators, you better get strapped in.
Crackerjack is the happiest-go-lucky superhero around. She has a great support network with a loving husband, is grounded by raising a child and her work, well everyone has to put up that annoying co-worker, right? Things for Crackerjack take a turn for the worst leading her to become something else, to become someone else (mind the copyright!)
Marc Guggenheim starts things off with a pacy bang, literally, taking the time to introduce the players in this book. In doing so, he seeds the story with hints of the elements that are going to play out, even if they actually end up going south. The Crackerjack is a fun character, seemingly altogether, confident in her powers, her place in the world and the technology that helps her do her job. Guggenheim takes a nod to those that have gone before, including a couple of catchphrases, a trick I have availed myself of in the previous paragraph. Giving a nod to other characters is one thing; using a plot device seen in an episode of Arrow is another thing. Still this is minor quibble at this point in time, I am intrigued as to see if other “arrow-isms” appear down the line.
Justin Greenwood’s art is a cartoony style that uses heavy lines, akin to Mike Wieringo’s style when on Impulse, though maybe not as consistent. I enjoyed the quirky art; not everything has to be super dark. Greenwood uses odd angles to demonstrate movement, quite handy when you are dealing with a speedster. Greenwood also does a great job of mixing up the panel designs with a mix of styles from the standard panel layout to layered boxes. Rico Renzi provides the colors with a scheme that harks back to the Ol’ Timers days of four color comics, giving the book a old school feel. Keith Wood rounds of the creative team with letters and design work, both which add a sense of energy to proceeding in both the action scenes along with the quieter corners of the story.
First issues are always a tricky endeavour. Those involved have to entice the reader, drop a new set of characters and situations and get the reader to care about them, prior to upsetting the apple cart. In these regards, I think that Guggenheim and Greenwood have managed their respective workloads well, creating an enjoyable fun ride that may have legs.
Writing – 3.5 Stars
Art – 3.5 Stars
Colors – 3.5 Stars
Overall – 3.5 Stars
Created & written by; Marc Guggenheim
Created & art by; Justin Greenwood
Colors by; Rico Renzi
Letters by; Keith Wood
Published by; Image Comics