Rating: 5/5
Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
There is a lot to like about this book. For Valiant fans, it introduces some new characters, while giving new readers a good place to get a feel for the universe. Since it is about the rejects of the Harbinger Foundation, the story is more lighthearted without being goofy. The powers that these new characters possess are lots of fun: talking to birds, making things glow, turning to stone without being able to move, and creating random objects out of thin air.
The thing is, these young people and many others have been revealed to the world. And someone out there wants to see them destroyed. A former Harbinger Foundation leader, Livewire, learns about these kids at the same time as everyone else, but sees it as her duty to protect and train them. So, as someone is hunting them down she is teaching them how to defend themselves. That part of the plot does a lot to set up future storylines, especially if they expand their circle to draw in other rejects.
I think the thing I enjoyed most about this book is how well the characters are developed. We get to see moments that wouldn't necessarily occur in other comics. For example, the character that talks to birds gets a scene where she chats with them about a woman who feeds them in the park. It might sound dull, but it creates a sense of who she is and her place in the world. To see her develop from that point is satisfying.
The art is great. It is used to wonderful effect to show off the characters' powers. But the more mundane moments aren't forgotten about. There is a good balance between the two, especially as the characters are just coming together. I would love to read more about these characters and get a chance to see what they are capable of.
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