Naomi #6 (of 6)

   Of all the books writer Brian Michael Bendis has been working on since his move to DC Comics, one of the most mysterious has been Naomi, the story of a young woman who may or may not have a secret superhero origin.

   This issue wraps up the initial mini-series, though it seems obvious that we'll be seeing more of her in the near future.

   And while we do learn something about her true origins, there's still quite a few mysteries to uncover - and we have yet to learn just what her powers allow her to do, aside from generating fancy light effects.

   There's a lot to like here - certainly Naomi is one of the few comic book teens who actually talks and acts like a teenager - and the story moves along briskly - but it still feels very incomplete, with many more questions waiting to be answered.

   But it's a solid start for the new character, and the art by amal Campbell is fresh and striking.

    Judging by the cover, Naomi's appearances in DC Comics is just getting warmed up. Great!

Grade: B+

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Naomi #4

    Now this is a Brian Michael Bendis comic book.

   (Although to be fair, the credits give co-writing credit to David F. Walker.)

   But this is a story that is rolling out at a very deliberate, decompressed rate of speed. 

   It follows the story of a teenage girl named Naomi who has a mysterious past - and she's convinced it's connected somehow to the world of superheroes.

   So she sets out to investigate, and oh so slowly, she's uncovering bits of information that indicate her origins are... interesting.

   With this, the fourth issue, she starts getting some answers - but as with such things in the real world, more answers also bring new questions - and her story is not going to be a simple one to untangle.

   With terrific, funny dialogue and fresh artwork by Jamal Campbell, this series is a lot of fun.

   It requires patience - this story is taking its sweet time rolling out - but it's fun and rewarding, fresh and different. 

   Recommended!

Grade: A

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Naomi #1

   Stop me if you've heard this one: an orphan wonders about her unknown history - and when she notices something extraordinary, it may be linked to the society of super-heroes.

   That's the basic premise of the new series Naomi, but there's a lot more going on here.

   For one thing, the cast feels and talks and looks like real teenagers. You'd expect that from writer Brian Michael Bendis, working here with David F. Walker.

   The artwork by Jamal Campbell is very fresh and manages to create a small army of unique and interesting characters.

   The story starts with a literal bang, as Superman and Mongul crash into the small town of Port Oswego on the Pacific Coast - and just as quickly crash back out again. It's an earth-shaking event for Naomi and her friends - but there a surprising twist that only Naomi seems to notice. 

    It leads her to an investigation that reveals a mystery at the heart of the DC Universe - and we don't know what will happen next (which is a good thing, of course).

   Aside from the action sequence at the top, this is a low-key series - and a refreshing change of pace. Recommended!

Grade: A-

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