Pages

Sunday 30 April 2023

Naomi: Season Two Review (Brian Michael Bendis, Jamal Campbell)


Remember Season One of Diversity Superman? No, me neither. And that’s because it was so original: Naomi and the Justice League went to another planet to punch a generic bad guy called Zumbado. Well, hold onto your hats because you’ll never guess what happens in Season Two: Zumbado and his version of the Justice League come to Earth to punch Naomi!


The imagination contained within this title is staggering.

In its absence.

Unusually for a superhero series (and because I thought Bendis had left DC), the same creative team have returned for a second book and, as you may have guessed from my summation above, I didn’t find Naomi Season Two interesting.

Like most Bendis books, in place of an attempt at a compelling narrative there’s a whole lotta waffle that doesn’t go anywhere. That other memorable character “Dee” goes missing and then reappears, Naomi’s ma and pa fight and then make up, Naomi punches a monster, Naomi meets more Justice League characters, oh god I’m putting myself to sleep just thinking about it all again…

Each chapter starts with a 12 panel grid where random characters are talking to someone. Who are they talking to and why?! It reads like a high school play.

Jamal Campbell’s art is great and remains the best part of the series, so it’s a shame that it’s in service to Bendis/David F. Walker’s dull script. No idea though why his Superman looks like Fred Gwynne (the actor who played Herman Munster).

Naomi: Season Two is an underwhelming sequel to a middle-of-the-road first book - if you thought the first one was decent, don’t get your hopes up with the second.

Can’t wait for Naomi: Season Three where I expect Naomi will punch Zumbado on another different planet. Woohoo…

No comments:

Post a Comment