I've never been a big Adam Warren fan. His super-cute female manga characters and often busy artwork never really appealed to me, though I can see why he has such a rabid fan following. So when I picked up the first issue of Livewires, I wasn't expecting to be all that interested. Not only was it a Warren work, but it seemed a bit redundant coming from a publisher that was relaunching another teen-hero book, Runaways (also out this week). I was pleasantly surprised to find a much different kind of team book here, one with a lot of personality, energy and edge. I love the concept, I love the characters. The previous titles in the Marvel Next line are all younger versions of established Marvel icons, but this is a wholly original and new concept. "Original" and "new" are qualities that are sorely lacking in Marvel's line as a whole, so I hope readers sit up and take notice of this fun and intense series.
A teenage girl awakens in the backseat of an SUV that's hurtling toward a secured compound that seems to be in the midst of exploding, its staff scattered about the grounds, walking around in a haze. Behind the wheel is Cornfed, a beefy young guy with a rather unsettling snacking habit. He introduces the girl to his colleagues, a platoon of powerful robots dedicated to tearing the compound apart. Of course, the girl, who can't even remember her own name, is puzzled by the chaos and her calm reactins, and her sci-fi-inspired hosts assure her it's all a dream, so there's no need for her to worry about the fire-engulfed giants headed their way.
Warren may only provide the layouts here, but his eye for action definitely shines through. I liked Rick Mays's slightly softer style here, though. It makes the charactes seem far more human than they do on the cover, and the cuteness factor for the female characters is toned down significantly. The character designs are striking, but they're not made to look like traditional super-heroes either. Mays handles the tech aspect of the characters incredibly well too. The colors and inks bring a slightly edgier feel to the book as well. Of course, that feel is firmly established when one sees what Cornfed is doing as he narrates and drives.
Warren has developed a pacing and structure here that introduces the characters clearly and giving them an excuse to provide a lot of exposition that works with the plot. The writer doesn't just introduce the characters' powers here, but their personalities as well. I love their casual reactions to the insanity around them and the confidence with which they carry out their Herculean tasks.
The high concept here -- a secret government project designed to attack and destroy other secret government projects -- is off the wall but simple, and Warren has filled the book with sharp dialogue, wit and a sense of fun. There are gruesome elements as well. They show a dark imagination at work, but it's balanced by the grounded personalities of the characters. Also impressive is the fact that this property could work as something completely unconnected to the Marvel Universe. It doesn't reply on any connection to well-known Marvel properties to attract or hold the reader's attention. 9/10
