Velocity #1
Writer: Ron Marz
Artist: Kenneth Rocafort
Cover A — Kenneth Rocafort
Cover B – Chriscross
Full Color
32 pages
$3.99
limited seriesThe Pilot Season Winner is Back!
Carin Taylor is the fastest woman in the world. At least, she’d better be if she wants to save her own life and the lives of her Cyberforce teammates. When a former Cyberdata scientist — and test subject — seeks revenge against the members of Cyberforce, only Velocity can save her friends before the clock literally runs out. Bringing together writer Ron Marz (Witchblade, Angelus) and artist Kenneth Rocafort (Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer) for the first time. Featuring two covers by Rocafort and Chriscross (Captain Marvel).
I must really like Ron Marz or something. This week I’m bringing you an advance of the new mini-series starring Cyberforce team member Carin Taylor, otherwise known and Velocity. The winner of last year’s Pilot Season, the series promises to expand on one of Top Cow’s most powerful females without an artifact. What did I think of it? Find out after the cut!
We open with Carin Taylor introducing herself to any new readers that may be reading. She’s inexplicably battling some robots that want her dead. She gives a monologue speech stating who she is, what she does, and why she’s a superhero (hint: it’s because she can’t fit in anywhere else). We’re also treated to a bit of a fake out, as not everything is what it seems.
The aforementioned Ron Marz did a really solid job introducing us to a new hero with whom we may or may not have been familiar. And the stakes are high enough to where you actually want to keep reading to see what happens to them, from Ripclaw to her sister.
But even if the writing doesn’t interest you, the art provided by Kenneth Rocafort is absolutely stunning. He’s every bit as good as he was on Madame Mirage, and maybe even more so. He gives Carin sass in her step and makes her sexy without being too cheesy. Well, except for one moment, but I’ll get to that.
While I enjoyed the book for the most part, there were some things I thought could use a little bit of improvement. First, the cheesy little eye wink to the reader took me out of the book for a moment. It felt like one of those times when Bugs Bunny winks to the screen after he sasses Elmer Fudd. It felt forced.
I also thought the book needed some supporting characters. Right now we have Velocity and the villain. There’s not a LOT to connect Velocity to the reader. There’s no population to protect, no sidekicks, no secret identity (for the most part, it’s hard to have one when you have Kevlar skin and a lightning bolt on your face). I can only hope that in the next issue we find more characters so we can connect with Carin a little more. I think the lack of a supporting cast consequently led to an overuse of the inner monologue. The inner monologue tended to make it drag just a bit.
Overall, the book is a lot of fun, despite a few caveats that pull it from absolute greatness. Check it out if you like speedsters and sassy redheads. Why are there so many speedster redheads?
Finale Verdict: 7.0 – Buy
