Another reconnect and the start of a push forward.
Creative Staff:
Story: Marguerite Bennett
Art: Richard Ortiz
Colors: J. Nanjan
Letterer: Wes Abbott
What They Say:
Tonight, we will free Spain. Tomorrow, we will free the world!” Or so Renee Montoya hopes, but the rebels are falling to the fascists, and a new threat has arisen: Black Adam!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Bombshells: United felt like it was on a course correction over the last issue or two and this one further cements that feeling for me as it ties us back to everything that had come before. Marguerite Bennett does some good stuff when it comes to doing recap material across a few panels as you can almost imagine it in a sing-song kind of way but it covers a lot of ground in a sweeping way. What helps with it is that Richard Ortiz was a somewhat surprising favorite of mine in the previous run and getting to see him work with so many characters, even just for a panel, definitely delights. There’s a lot to convey between word and art here and this team pulls it together well all while Nanjan delivers the color consistency that defines this series.
The book kicks off with a recap of some of what Kate Kane has been up to over over the years after starting in 1943 and going back in time with how her story was told over the radio, which just delights me even more. Ortiz’s panels are fantastic here, especially with Selina, but as it delves into the larger war and all those involved it’s a crazy bit of fun that unfolds so that we can understand what she’s been through and why she’s back in Spain once again. Her time with Renee has made that a necessity so that she stops running and starts dealing with mistakes from the past and the consequences of her actions. The problem is that she has been away for some time and convincing others to let her get back in the mix of things isn’t easy, though Renee is doing her best to get it done for her.
Even though this is a continuation of the previous series it is still a new series so some character recap is expected as a new arc gets underway. Delving into what Kate and Renee have been through before, going back to 1935 and the loss of Jason to the Cheetah, may be repetitive for long time readers. But the team makes it work because it hits the right emotional beats here and follows what Renee was up to in the time since, contrasting with Kate but making it clear both have continued to fight injustices. It plays well with some of the nods in the montage sequences and the inspirational side it’s trying to evoke but it completely grabs my attention with that last page and the reveal of who looks to be running things in Spain as that makes for a compelling shift in the narrative for me – and the potential for some really intense action and character material to come.
In Summary:
I can’t help but to feel that I may have been too harsh on the opening storyline for Bombshells: United but it just didn’t click for me and the thought of losing a book I adored kind of panicked me in a way. There were good things but the series feels far more “on track” to what makes it work for me in the last few issues that I’m just thrilled to be back in this space again and reconnecting with the wide range of Bombshells that there are. The circle around to Kate, who kicked off the original series, is a very welcome piece for me and heading back to Spain even more so as there’s a lot of material to mine. Bennett keeps things moving well even while recapping a lot and she benefits hugely from some great artwork and layouts from Richard Ortiz. Very good stuff all around.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: DC Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: November 17th, 2017
MSRP: $0.99
I felt the same. Happy to see the book getting back on track.
Glad to know I’m not the only one that felt that way!