Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre #1 of 4
DC Comics
Cooke & Conner
The early years of the Silk Spectre begin here with a terrific effort by Cooke and Conner. For the most part, this book is a launching issue into a bigger story but the build-up and payoff are excellent. As you might expect, the art is gorgeous. However, the style is more Cooke-like than what Conner might produce in something like Power Girl. The shift is surprising but shows what an exceptional talent she truly is. I liked where this series is going.
Laurie is in high school and is getting training on how to be a super hero from her mom. She is a dysfunctional teenager but finds a boy that mirrors here own trap. His parents are pushing him into the military and training him as well. While the story is basically a forbidden love story I found myself getting sucked into the story and cheering on the budding couple. The character work in this issue is exceptional.
The comic book plays up with the relationship between Laurie and her mother perfectly. I can't say it's in character as they pertain to the original work, but the work done here is engaging and layered nicely. There are plenty of scenes that have the look of a normal teenager rebelling but with the elephant in the room about what we, as the reader, know about the secret the mom is carrying.
The book is also very good because it ends with a nice cliffhanger. This isn't a straightforward origin story. This is a book that leaves off with me legitimately wondering how Laurie ends up becoming a super hero. It's a clever road that Cooke has thrown down.
Conner is amazing in this book. She shifts her style during the daydreaming sequences to show her wide range, which is a trick that Cooke has perfected. Conner has captured the innocence of the young couple as they try to nurture that youthful love that only seems to come around once before life beats you up a little bit. The only part of the art I wasn't thrilled with was the nine panel layout. I understand it's a nod to the original but enough is enough already and I wish the books would just go with what works for the story rather than making it try to look like the original work. Visually, the artwork is perfect.
This series is off to a great start. I'm sure there could be some critics that might say that these characters are simply too different from how they appear in the original. However, it certainly works for Laurie because she still has some level of youthful optimism in this series and it appears we will watch how that gets washed away. This is one to pick up.
4 out of 5 Geek Goggles
