I'm betting that in retrospect, Marvel might be wishing it hadn't published the Ororo: Before the Storm limited series penned by Marc Sumerak last year. It's not a matter of quality, but of confusion. This new limited series delves into the title character's childhood as a thief on the streets of Cairo as well. But instead of the all-ages tone Sumerak strove for, this title is far darker and more mature in tone. The two comics have a lot in common, and the recency of the previous mini-series might give the impression that some of the storytelling is redundant.
On its own, this inaugural issue is pretty good. We don't really learn all that much about Storm we didn't know before, but writer Eric Jerome Dickey explores focuses on some down-to-earth subject matter that offers some good fodder for strong characterization. Still, plot-wise, there's not much here that really grabbed my attention, and I fear the book is plodding along slowly, with the publisher counting on the hype surrounding the Black Panther/Storm wedding and the Civil War event to keep readers coming back.
As a child of 12 on the streets of Cairo, Ororo Munroe has developed a reputation as a pickpocket and lockpick without equal, but her skills as a thief lack in other respects. Ororo feels inferior and weak, and the hateful insults of a rival thief make her feel even moreso. A bungled theft brings her and her emerging mutant powers to the attention of a cruel American, and after she escaped, this deadly and callous man sets out to hunt her down.
David Yardin's art tells the story clearly, and the artist manages to capture the pubescent qualities of the characters quite well. Too many artists treat characters of younger ages as just shorter adult figures, but that's not the case here. His work reminds me of the style of Doug (Paradise X) Braithwaite. I was especially taken with his cute depiction of a pudgy infant Ororo Munroe; she's cute but still has that pure, exotic beauty. The line art boasts a slightly gritty quality that's in keeping with the tone of the script, but the colors immerse much of the action in a warm glow that really drives home the Egyptian setting.
My favorite aspect of the book is how this issue really focuses on Ororo's discomfort and anxiety over her changing body. Ororo is more scared of her burgeoning womanhood than her mutantcy. Dickey's decision to discuss that aspect of the advent of adolescence humanizes the title character in an important way. The reader can't relate to a life on the streets. The reader can't relate to the daring of thievery. And the reader certainly can't relate to having dominion over the elements. But the awkwardness of becoming a teenager? We all know that all too well.
Despite the strong character focus, in terms of actual story, I honestly don't know what this is meant to be about. There's no clear direction here, and the villain's interest in Storm seems almost random. Her rival among the young thieves seems to hate her for no specific reason, and one might expect these kids to stick together as opposed to turn so easily upon one another. 6/10
