Livewire #1 Review

Livewire #1

Writer: Vita Ayala
Artist: Raúl Allén, Patrica Martín
Letterer: Saida Temofonte
Publisher: Valiant

Review by Josh Rose

Amanda McKee aka Livewire has been a favourite character in the Valiant Universe. She’s a woman of colour who can control technology. She’s worn the X-O Manowar armour, been a member of the superteam Unity, and was the protege of one of Valiant’s biggest villains: Toyo Harada. After appearing in several books, Amanda finally has her own solo series! Livewire #1 sees Livewire on the run after the events of Harbinger Wars 2 (shutting off the power for the entire United States of America).

In one scene, Livewire is saving the lives of people involved in the collision of two airplanes. In the next, she is called a terrorist and is getting yelled at by one of the psiots she helped in Secret Weapons. Vita Ayala does a great job juxtaposing the two scenes and making readers question whether or not she is a truly a hero. And on top of the questioning of Livewire’s character, Ayala leaves us on a massive cliffhanger.

The art by Raúl Allén and Patrica Martín in Livewire #1 is equal parts light and dark. It’s like a Superman comic where he does good deeds during the day but has his moments of self doubt at night. The darker coloured pages create a sober atmosphere when coupled with Amanda’s thoughts. Amanda’s eyes when she uses her powers in these dark scenes reinforces the idea that she might not be a perfect hero.

The Verdict: Check it Out.

While Livewire #1 is a great start to a new story about a fan favourite character, readers would find this more enjoyable if they are familiar with the story from Secret Weapons and Harbinger Wars 2. But if you want to read a comic about a woman of colour who only wants to help people, Livewire #1 should be your first stop.