I am glad I was not the only one who was not completely taken with this graphic novel. The Goodreads reviews were averaging two and three for scores.
Naomi Season One has almost nothing original to it. It was created to have representation of a person of color as the main character. It is filled with clichés, and steals Superman’s origin story (alien from another world, left on Earth). Naomi even learns of her alien heritage in a cave. Her white adoptive parents are typical, except for a (spoiler) her adoptive father’s secret. I am sure I was slightly biased because of the TV-tie-in cover (find a copy without this cover if you can).
One of the reason I do not like the cover is that the person on the cover looks nothing like Naomi of the story. The inside illustrations are typical comic-graphic novel art. Overly busy and in true DC fashion, too dark to make out things. I prefer the younger/young adult graphic novels that allow for a “calmer” feeling and do not necessarily relay on the flashes, blasts, crowding to set the mood of the chaos, or feelings of the characters. And while I would have liked to have seen faces and such, the chaotic nature of the artwork works to let you know what kind of story you are getting.
The story is a young teen learns she is from another Earth. She did not crash on Earth, but a friend of her biological mother and father brings her to “our Earth.” Later, we learn that Earth has been destroyed to the point where the radiation the atmosphere trapped has leaked giving almost 30 people God-Like/Superhero-Villain powers. Of course, X amount want to be Good Guys and X amount want to be Bad Guys. There are references to other DC characters (Green Lantern, Superman, and even a hint to Robin with Robin Street). There is a best friend who might be a girlfriend to Naomi, and much in the way of “buildup” to the “next chapter” of Naomi’s story (learning to handle her powers, finding herself, etc.). About five single editions were collected to make this collection.
Overall, it is a cozy read, but not a reread. While I am thankful for the reading experience, I am afraid I will not be trying to find more about Naomi. However, I am curious about Brian Michael Bendis, David F. Walter and Jamal Campbell’s other works. Are they similar or do they take another route? (Anyone have opinions?)
