User blog:Valamist/Review: Mockingbird



When I first began reading this comic, I had little idea who Mockingbird, aka Barbara "Bobbi" Morse, was. Well, that’s not strictly true. I know of her from the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D TV series, very well played by Adrianne Palicki, but when it came to the Marvel comic’s version, I knew very little about her outside the brief appearances she made in the wonderful Hawkeye solo series by Matt Fraction & David Aja. Thankfully, a little like that series, Mockingbird #1 is actually as a wonderful introduction to the character of Mockingbird.

Written as a part of the S.H.I.E.L.D 50th Anniversary collection by Marvel newcomer but experienced author Chelsea Cain the comic starts with Bobbi receiving the news that her mentor Wilma Calvin has been killed in an apparent home invasion. Unconvinced, Bobbi decides to investigate this mystery herself. Over the next few pages, we learn quite a bit about Bobbi’s past, her personality and her set of skills. It’s a bit hard not to compare her to the great Natasha Romanov aka Black Widow. Both are strong women, excellent agents, very intelligent and extremely skilled fighters, everything I love in my female superhero characters. Where they differ is in the fact that the recently returned from the dead Bobbi (It’s explained in the story… though really, how many character in Marvel comics have not ever returned from the dead?) has been given enhanced strength, and unlike Natasha, Bobbi seems to be a more witty and sociable type of character, as shown by the fact she is in a relationship with Lance Hunter (Again, another character from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D who I knew nothing about in the comic world) and the comic includes references to her ex-husband Clint ‘Hawkeye’ Barton.

The artwork by Joëlle Jones is sharp and well detailed. I like in particularly how Bobbi actually looks strong and can kick butt. I also love the colouring by Rachelle Rosenberg, who gives the comic an almost 60’s fell which works well with the character and story.

Mockingbird #1 is a little short for a murder mystery of this kind, but the comic succeeds in being a great introduction to the character of Mockingbird, and a good little story to those who already know her. Oh, and if that was not enough, a TARDIS cameos in the first few pages. What more do you want then that?

8/10

But wait, there is more! Included in this comic is Red Widow: First Strike, a prequel comic to the upcoming YA novel Black Widow: Forever Red, both of which are written by Margaret Stohl. As it’s by a different writer and is a story unconnected to Mockingbird #1, I will be giving it its own separate review.