Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Steve Epting
Published by Image Comics
Once again, another week is here and we have another new series with a new number one from Image Comics. This time it’s Velvet from the creative team of Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. This particular team has worked with each other on the excellent Captain America and The Marvels Project. This however, is their first foray in the creator-owned domain together and if the first issue is anything to go by we are in for a treat.
What if ‘Bond girl’ Miss Moneypenny left her desk-job and became a kick-ass secret agent? That’s the basic premise of Velvet. Velvet Templeton works as an assistant to the boss of British secret agency ARC-7. Sultry and seductive, she is a woman of many talents. Spending her idle time bedding the super-spies of the agency, she gets off playing the guys at their own game and by the end of the book it’s evident that she is not one to be underestimated.
While on a routine mission an agent who happens to be a ‘favorite’ of our titular character is killed and all signs point to an inside job and a whodunit mystery is introduced. Velvet, on the other hand, has plans of her own to hunt the perpetrator which could put her in extreme danger.
Brubaker has always been a favorite writer of mine right from his days of working on Gotham Central and the sublime Scene of the Crime book. I’ve followed his work right up till this. One thing is apparent; Brubaker’s jam is spies and crime, specifically noir crime. Even his fantastic Captain America run was steeped in noir and this new series is no different. Equal parts espionage and noir mystery you can tell that the writer is having a ball here.
Steve Epting is the perfect artist for this book. I’ve heard some say that Epting’s art style is very stiff but I completely disagree. Each panel is perfectly laid out and he can draw anything in a realistic manner. He’s second to none drawing action scenes and I found each page fluid in particular the fight scenes. Velvet pops with kinetic energy.
Velvet for me is another Image hit but then again I was expecting that with this particular creative team. There has been a lack of good noir/spy books of late so there is definitely room for this one especially with it being as good as it is.
4.5 out of 5 nerds
Irwin Fletcher
I'm an LA journalist who really lives for his profession. I have also published work as Jane Doe in various mags and newspapers across the globe. I normally write articles that can cause trouble but now I write for FTN because Nerds are never angry, so I feel safe.
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