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By Jennifer Muro<\/strong> & Thomas Krajewski<\/strong>, illustrated by Gretel Lusky<\/strong> (DC Comics)<\/p>\n ISBN: 978-1-4012-9657-5 (TPB\/Digital edition)<\/p>\n In recent years DC opened up its interlinked superhero multiverse to generate Original Graphic Novels featuring its stars and new characters in stand-alone(ish) adventures for the demographic clumsily dubbed Young Adult.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve been especially scrupulous producing material catering to girls and other previously neglected comics minorities, and to date results have been rather hit or miss. However, when they\u2019re good, they are very good indeed. One such triumph is Primer<\/strong>, which taps into the communal history and mystique of the DCU to introduce a sparkling new character who encapsulates every aspect of youthful rebellion channelled into doing good in the traditional cape and cowl manner\u2026<\/p>\n Written by animation scripters Jennifer Muro (Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina<\/strong>; Spider-Man<\/strong>; Star Wars: Forces of Destiny<\/strong>; Justice League Action<\/strong>; Lego DC Super Hero Girls<\/strong>) & Thomas Krajewski (Buddy Thunderstruck<\/strong>; Fairly OddParents<\/strong>; Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?<\/strong>; Penguins of Madagascar<\/strong>; Looney Tunes<\/strong>; Iron Man<\/strong>; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles<\/strong>) this origin adventure crackles with pace and thrills whilst basking in superbly effective dialogue and sharp one-liners.<\/p>\n Making the pictures sparkle and shine is 2-D visual developer, animation\/games character designer and jobbing illustrator Gretel Lusky. Primer <\/strong>is her first comics project and augurs a long and fruitful career ahead as the artist seems able to effortlessly mix drama, pathos, spectacular action and sheer glee for maximum impact.<\/p>\n Lettered throughout by Wes Abbott, the wonderment first unfolds in \u2018Primary Colors\u2019<\/em> as a crashing airliner is plucked from the sky over Washington DC. Suddenly, everyone is saved by what appears to be a paint-spattered, super-powered thirteen year old girl\u2026<\/p>\n Flashing back three weeks, we meet troubled Ashley Rayburn<\/em>, who – after another bout of nightmares about her dad – escapes from the State group home to go tagging walls with her personal brand of street art. The cops who arrest and return her are pretty sympathetic – for cops. They realise it must be tough having a major crook for a father\u2026 even if he is currently in jail.<\/p>\n Ashley is basically a good kid acting out, and home supervisor Mrs. Bo<\/em>yd<\/em> is trying her best to be understanding, but after regular graffiti incidents with cops involved, and being swiftly returned by five sets of prospective foster parents, the child is becoming a real problem with diminishing chances of a normal life\u2026<\/p>\n If Ash doesn\u2019t gel with latest prospects Mr & Mrs Nolan<\/em>, she might be stuck in the system for her entire teen years. Thankfully, these adults are pretty cool. Kitch<\/em> is a laid back art teacher with a wicked sense of fun\/mischief, whilst his partner Yuka<\/em> is a brilliant scientist: a geneticist who\u2019s as obsessed with football as Ashley is.<\/p>\n Within a week, they\u2019re all happily settling in together \u2026so that\u2019s when things start going wrong after the kid inadvertently overhears her new mom fretting about having made a mistake that will ruin their lives\u2026<\/p>\n When there\u2019s an accident in the kitchen, Ash overreacts and relapses into old behaviours: running away to paint walls again. This time, Kitch follows and they bond over her unleashed creativity. Soon he\u2019s giving her art lessons and inviting her to share his studio. The first class is how to use brushes and canvas like she uses spray cans and other people\u2019s walls\u2026<\/p>\n Everything seems cool at home too now, but they don\u2019t know what Yuka has done and can\u2019t imagine how their lives are going to change\u2026<\/p>\n Answers come as Ashley starts Middle School in \u2018No Paint, No Gain\u2019<\/em>, but her resolution to make no new enemies only lasts until she stops bullies picking on a little kid. At least Luke<\/em> – who\u2019s being harassed for being small and a future star hairstylist – is now her ally against the rest of the jocks and jerks\u2026<\/p>\n What Yuka\u2019s actually fretting over is revealed as her employers Zecromax Labs are occupied by a client – the US Army in the forms of Major General Temple<\/em> and his extremely menacing assistant Cal Strack<\/em>. The science facility had been undertaking Project Warpaint<\/em> for them, before Dr. Nolan secretly destroyed all the files and removed the only samples of their experiments.<\/p>\n These are gel solutions enhanced with the DNA of superheroes and villains. They look like body paints and can temporarily endow specific powers – 33 different ones – in whoever absorbs them through skin contact.<\/p>\n By the time the warmongers come to claim them, Yuka has acted for the good of humanity and – she thought – completely covered her tracks\u2026<\/p>\n Sadly, she\u2019s new to parenting and doesn\u2019t realise that acting suspicious and conspicuously hiding a flashy briefcase is the best way to get a teenager about to celebrate a birthday to poke around where she shouldn\u2019t. Before long, Ash and Luke have uncovered the paint tubes and are playing with borrowed superpowers\u2026<\/p>\n From there on, things get exponentially complicated pretty quickly, as the military mavericks hunt their missing miracle weapon, even as Ashley\u2019s real dad reaches out from the maximum security penitentiary he\u2019s locked in to play his old mind games and remind her that deep down she\u2019s just like he is. The pressured girl reacts by creating her own new alter ego and fighting super-criminals (albeit not particularly effective ones) on the streets of DC in \u2018Red, White, and Bruised\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n Restricting the personal crusade of \u201cPrimer<\/em>\u201d because she\u2019s afraid of being caught by Yuka, Ashley has no idea Temple and Strack are hunting the mystery thieves of Project Warpaint, and already on the Nolan\u2019s trail, though the Major General has no idea that his deputy – and personal guinea pig – has his own ambitions involving the superpower supply\u2026<\/p>\n The flashback reaches real time as Ashley finally rejects her dad\u2019s mind games to save the falling plane and go public. Unfortunately, her televised debut enables a lot of people to recognise her and leads to the Nolans\u2019 abduction by Strack and a gaudy gladiatorial clash as the power-crazed maniac attempts to capture all the paints and discovers, to his shock, Primer\u2019s \u2018True Colors\u2019<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n Even with the drama satisfactorily concluded, there\u2019s an added inducement: an introductory section from Grace Ellis & Brittney Williams\u2019 DC OGN Lois Lane and the Friendship Challenge<\/strong> offering a light and airy sneak peek at the formative years of the ace reporter and another splendidly welcome tale aimed at inspiring younger female readers.<\/p>\n A fabulously gripping tale about origins, exploring the process of finding yourself and being your best, smartly cloaked in the bombastic trappings of costumed heroics, and the search for belonging and taking control of your life, Primer<\/strong> is a compelling romp to warm the heart, stir the pulse and light up your life. Sequel ASAP and series soon, Please!<\/p>\n \u00a9 2020 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Jennifer Muro & Thomas Krajewski, illustrated by Gretel Lusky (DC Comics) ISBN: 978-1-4012-9657-5 (TPB\/Digital edition) In recent years DC opened up its interlinked superhero multiverse to generate Original Graphic Novels featuring its stars and new characters in stand-alone(ish) adventures for the demographic clumsily dubbed Young Adult. They\u2019ve been especially scrupulous producing material catering to … <\/p>\n