Weekly Comic Book Review

By Terry Moore (writer), Craig Rousseau (art), Guillem Mari (colors)

If you read the subsequent Mary Jane series, this revamp might take a little getting used to. Liz no longer has blonde hair, Mary Jane’s dialogue is a bit more on the valley girl side, and Craig Rousseau’s art is nothing like Takeshi Miyazawa’s beautiful manga style.

I’m sure a lot of comic readers will welcome this artistic change, but I personally loved Miyazawa’s art. His attention to contemporary clothing styles and detailed (not to mention consistent) surroundings made Mary Jane’s world come to life. Rousseau seems to fumble around in this first issue as if he’s trying to find his footing. This is understandable, but you know – first impressions. Also the backgrounds and classrooms lack of any subtle details takes away a lot of the book’s personality.

I’ll not lie, the opening pages with Spider-Man as King Kong are pretty bad and had me worried. Terry Moore, who normally displays a lot of confidence in his writing seems to struggle to find the book’s voice during the first 10 pages.  Soon enough, however, he settles in and allows of the characters and humor begin to come through. By the end of the issue, I was pretty satisfied with what I’d read. If the Moore can keep the momentum going and Rousseau improve his art, this book can definitely go places.

Let’s be real: Terry Moore’s rendition of Mary Jane may not be perfect as Sean KcKeever’s, but I have faith that the book will work out under its new direction. Moore has a proven track record of writing young people and relationships so the potential is definitely there. It’s also Mary Jane’s sophomore year in high school – things change from one day to the next and I like how the characters have moved forward and progressed. Here’s hoping Moore and Rousseau can keep things fresh and entertaining. This series has been gone for too long. Welcome back! (Grade: B)

- J. Montes