Naomi #5 Review

Writers: Brian Michael Bendis & David F. Walker

Artist: Jamal Campbell

Letterer: Wes Abbott

Published by: Wonder Comics (DC)

After four issues of keeping the secret of who Naomi is, and her potential importance to the DC Universe as a whole, Bendis, Walker and Campbell finally revealed who Naomi is in the fourth issue, and now in this issue explore her full blown origin.

The framework for this issue is deliciously simple: Naomi gets the full story from her parents of how she came to be in their care, rushes off to meet her friend Anna - introduced in the first issue - and goes into exposition mode to explain not only to her friend who she is, but also the reader. And what a story it is.

As to not spoil the origin itself, I’ll concentrate strictly on the way Bendis and Walker framed this exposition-heavy issue. Like mentioned, Naomi finds her friend Anna and starts explaining essentially the previous issues of her search for her identity. What is great about this scene is that the writers allow Naomi to have a best friend who seems to just roll with the punches and accepts, without judgment, Naomi’s explanation. I do love her line after Naomi tells her she’s taking it well that she stopped breathing fifteen minutes ago. That’s a true friend.

The second half of the book is full-on backstory time as Naomi explains to Anna her entire origin story and how she came to have the powers she has - not really a spoiler as the cover kinda gives it away, right? What we don’t know after this entire semi-soliloquy are the extent of Naomi’s powers. I imagine those will be explored in more detail in the next issue. What this second half also provides is a main villain who will also, most likely, factor into the next issue.

As for the art, there really isn’t more you can say about Campbell and his beautiful, expression heavy style. When reading Naomi, you can feel the existent, the fear, the joy, and all the emotions emanating off of the characters. It’s a perfect complement to the script.