Xenogenesis interrupted in MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR #1

This week, Lunella Lafayette returns in Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (2022) #1! Check out our spoiler-laden ideas on the difficulty under.

What did you consider this week’s contemporary Marvel Comics, True Believers? Which challenge was your favourite? The Beat desires to know what you’re pondering! Let us know by both leaving a remark under this text, or over on social media @comicsbeat!

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1

Written by: Jordan Ifueko
Penciled by: Alba Glez
Inked by: José Marzan Jr.
Color Art by: KJ Díaz
Letters by: Travis Lanham
Main Cover by: Ken Lashley & Rain Beredo
Devil Dinosaur Created by: Jack Kirby

Moon Girl (A.Ok.A. Lunella Lafayette) is the neatest one there may be! But being the neatest individual in the room isn’t at all times straightforward – particularly when individuals take one have a look at you and determine you don’t appear like the “smartest person” ought to. Fortunately, Lunella has Devil Dinosaur to depend on… however even a Tyrannosaur can’t present a whole assist system! Can she survive the expertise?

A History of Moon Girl

Moon Girl was first launched in 2016’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1 by Brandon Montclare, Amy Reeder, Natacha Bustos, Tamra Bonvillain, and Lanham. The collection continued for 47 points and in addition included contributions by Gustavo Duarte, Ray-Anthony Height, and Alitha Martinez. There are visible references to a number of of those adventures in this challenge, together with her faceoff in opposition to a younger Kree, Mel-Varr, who adopted the identification of Captain Kree.

More not too long ago, in summer time 2022, Moon Girl appeared in a collection of team-up one-shots. The continuity from these points additionally comes into play, as they served as set-up for the catalyst for this storyline.

MG&DD (2022) #1

After the occasions of the team-up one-shots, Lunella has to take care of the truth that her dad and mom learn about her secret identification as Moon Girl. This has led them to insist she course of her publicity to Terrigen Mist (and the following adventures) with a certified therapist. Given how laborious it’s to discover a therapist with tremendous heroic experience (they have to all be busy working with Moon Knight and Silk), the ever-capable and eternally resourceful child genius has fortuitously discovered a compromise: constructing group along with her friends!

This has led Lunella to establishing a curler derby group, the SAD SAKs (that’s “Support Alliance Derby for Sensationally Abled Kids”). I adored this growth, for a wide range of causes. For one factor, Roller Derby is a superb sport that interprets very properly to sequential graphic narratives (see additionally: 2016’s Slam). For one other, this growth builds properly on Lunella’s earlier appearances (together with her omnipresent curler blades).

A have to construct group can be a wonderful narrative step ahead for the character. In the previous, Lunella has been susceptible to trusting nobody however her dinosaur. On the one hand, you possibly can see why that is: not solely does Devil Dinosaur actually share a thoughts with Lunella, making him a superbly reliable ally, however she doesn’t have to fret about defending him in battle, like she does for her child-age friends.

Nevertheless, whereas Lunella could really feel most snug with DD, with whom she could be in management, this challenge sees her trying to type friendships with others Inhumans who skilled Terrigenesis on the identical time she did. This storyline works notably properly when one of many different children, Tasha, calls her out for trying to place herself other than her group.

Cleary, this community-based rigidity will afford a wealthy vein of thematic issues to mine in future points. Plus, this all units the muse for a considerate and considerably text-weighted collection, one the place the primary character should work carefully along with her allies to take care of issues that may’t essentially be solved with punching. This will put it shoulder-and-shoulder with a few of my very favourite Marvel Comics tales over the many years. Suffice to say you possibly can think about my curiosity in this run piqued!

OMG Olivia

This challenge additionally introduces a brand new antagonist, “OMG Olivia.” Disguising herself as a blonde-haired, blue-eyed grade schooler, Olivia is definitely a Kree invader. While it is sensible to have one other Kree antagonist – as talked about above and alluded to in the comedian, Lunella beforehand confronted Captain Kree – Olivia goes a step additional by being one of many descendants of the Kree scientists who labored on the preliminary Inhuman genetic modification mission. 

As defined by Olivia, the perceived failure of the Inhuman mission prompted her household line to fall into sick reputation. After unleashing a military of mind-controlled children on the SAD SAKs on the curler rink, Olivia reveals her plans to Lunella: to return to the mission began by her ancestors, and successfully “harness” the Inhumans in order to use their energy and create a world that rivals the Kree Empire.

All this makes for an especially participating antagonist, and one who’s poised to discover all types of attention-grabbing (and admittedly very deep) concepts. Naturally, Olivia managed to rip-off a DNA pattern off Lunella throughout the climactic scene of this very satisfying first challenge, foreshadowing large hassle forward.

Finally, I particularly loved the inclusion of a quote from Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler. This was a wonderful strategy to proceed the quotations that appeared all through the earlier run of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, and which have grow to be a attribute trope of the title.

The Parable of the Talents quote utilized right here is sensible, particularly with that novel’s concentrate on constructing group. Plus, in a Reader’s Guide interview included in my copy of Parable of the Sower, Butler cites “comic books” as one in all her early literary influences, that means this can be a dialog that flows each methods.

However, whereas the Earthseed novels are quoted right here, I couldn’t assist however consider Butler’s Xenogenesis all through this challenge’s story. In these novels, people should interbreed with extraterrestrials to create a brand new and distinct species. As the genetic results of aliens splicing human genes, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (2022) #1 units Lunella as much as face battle on an identical scale.

Conclusion

This challenge is an especially promising begin for what’s going to hopefully be an ongoing collection (quite than only a five-issue run). With the upcoming Disney+ animated adaptation on the horizon, extra new readers than ever will likely be looking for tales about Moon Girl – and this challenge goes properly above and past the expectations these readers could possess.

VERDICT: BUY.

Rapid Rundown!

• Miles Morales: Spider-Man #1

  • The new inventive group of author Cody Ziglar and artist Federico Vicentini choose up the baton from author Saladin Ahmed’s fantastical run and leap proper in with an action-packed first challenge. After swinging across the multiverse, Miles is again in his unique costume taking up Spider villain Scorpion, speaking his approach out of being dragged in by the NYPD for violating the Powers Act and coping with being a highschool teenager. And it’s this facet of the ebook that has me hooked, as we see the emotional toll on Miles as he works to maintain every part in steadiness. But this isn’t a self-therapy Spider ebook because it’s good, enjoyable, and energetic, and if that wasn’t sufficient, there’s a thriller character that is aware of a ton about Miles. All of that is introduced collectively by Vicentini’s paintings with its stellar storytelling and hyperkinetic styling enhanced by shade artist Bryan Valenza‘s vibrant coloring and gritty texturing. This is a cool quirky-looking book that I can’t wait to see the place it goes. – GC3

Next week, those have it with Dark Web: X-Men #1, Invincible Iron Man #1, Monica Rambeau: Photon #1, and Origins of Marvel Comics: Marvel Tales #1!

Miss any of our earlier evaluations? Check out our full archive!

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