Issue #1: Mockingbird
Title: Mockingbird #1 (2016)
Writer: Chelsea Cain
Artist: Kate Niemczyk
The Buzz: Last year, I raved about Chelsea Cain’s Mockingbird one-shot as part of the SHIELD anniversary – and I wasn’t the only one. Mockingbird/Agent 19/Bobbi Morse is a fantastic character with so much potential: scientist, secret agent, martial artist, Avenger. It doesn’t hurt that she is played with great dynamism by Adrienne Palicki on the Agents of SHIELD TV show. Until the recent one-shot, she has never had her own solo series, and I am so glad that Chelsea Cain has snatched Mockingbird to her bosom.
All You Need To Know: Bobbi Morse married Hawkeye (Clint Barton) a million years ago, sometime in the 1970’s, and these banterific spy spouses made a great team… until they didn’t, anymore. With divorce on the cards, it was death that parted them – and a few years (or decades, Marvel time is screwy) later, Hawkeye discovered to his joy and horror that Bobbi never died at all, but was a prisoner of war with the Skrulls (shapechangers who have allowed for all manner of ‘not dead’ storylines).
Caught in the limbo between divorce, marriage and death-did-us-part, the two secret agents tried dating and working together on numerous occasions, to mixed results, before finally splitting for good. Oh, and Bobbi almost died again, but this time was saved by Nick Fury’s chemical experiments, which means she is on the (long) list of people whose biochemistry has been contaminated by that pesky Super Soldier serum. Luckily she’s a biochemist, right? (Sometimes it’s not good to be a biochemist in the Marvel Universe)
In the Agents of SHIELD TV series, as Hawkeye was a movie star and unavailable, they brought in dodgy British mercenary Lance Hunter to be Bobbi’s ‘significant ex.’ These two relationships were declared canon as of last year’s Mockingbird one-shot. This Mockingbird series (or this issue, at least) does not focus on Bobbi’s relationship with either man, though we have been promised both will make appearances later, possibly shirtless.
Story: Another smart, character-centric script from Cain, a New York Times bestselling author who is making the transition to superhero comics brilliantly. This issue revolves around Bobbi and her regular medical check ups, giving glimpses into her crazy life over a long period of time, and the sinister revelation of something nasty going on at SHIELD. The story is funny and sharp and I’m looking forward to finding out what the corgi means, as it seems that the later issues in this first 5-part arc will fill in a lot of the blanks. I really like this! I especially like the non-traditional narrative format, which feels effortless. Can Chelsea Cain write me a She-Hulk series too, and maybe a Zatanna? (Cough, or can we just give her Hawkeye because the current run is making me miserable)
Art: I was really sad that Joelle Jones (from the SHIELD one-shot) didn’t join the team for this, as I adored her bright, pop-art, retro stylings. She does provide a fantastic cover. However, Kate Niemczyk does a great job, here – I like that her Bobbi is solid rather than willowy, and the ongoing visual jokes in the waiting room were fantastic! (I’m assuming many of these are down to Cain as they match her style, but they are certainly conveyed cleverly. There’s definitely a cheeky sense of humour here along with the action sequences and faces-with-character. Nimczyk does well to convey the leaps in time that this issue requires, too, and I look forward to seeing how the later issues follow up the visual aspects of the running gags as well as in the dialogue.
But What Did I Miss?: It’s definitely worth reading last year’s 50 Years of SHIELD: Mockingbird #1 because it was great, but you don’t need to have read it to enjoy this one. (I suspect the portrayal of Lance Hunter in it is going to be relevant later to this series, though) You actually don’t need to have read any of Bobbi’s previous appearances – some of them are really great, don’t get me wrong, but not necessary. More than anything, this issue reminds me of the first issue of the Matt Fraction-David Aja, which felt like the beginning of a graphic novel, and was so different in tone and style to other comics that it stood entirely on its own.
Having said that if you want to catch up, check out the New Avengers: The Reunion trade, followed by Hawkeye & Mockingbird: Ghosts, and then the mini-series Widowmaker. All three of these were written by Jim McCann and drawn by David Lopez, and they form a continuous narrative about how the spy spouses attempt to work together and figure out their relationship after she comes back from the other side of the universe. Widowmaker has them teaming up with Black Widow, which is pretty great! Clint and Bobbi sadly drifted apart once they were no longer in McCann & Lopez’ hands – she has a couple of cute cameo appearances in the Fraction-Aja series, though, which I can’t recommend highly enough.
Would Read Issue 2?: Oh yes! I like that we’re told up front that the first run will be a 5 issue arc, and I’m committed at least for that run. Let’s hope this becomes more than yet another single, enjoyable trade.
Read it if you Like: Spider-Woman, She-Hulk, Matt Fraction’s Hawkeye, Young Avengers, Squirrel Girl, Hellcat, everything good and clever in comics right now. Also, Agents of SHIELD, though this comic will make you wish Agents of SHIELD gave Adrienne Palicki a lot more to do!
Other titles reviewed in 2016:
Hellcat #1
The Adventures of Supergirl #1
Archie #1
Spider-Man #1
Black Widow #1
