Ashley Rayburn’s new family has a few secrets. Of course, she might have just a few of her own. Your Major Spoilers review of Primer #1 from DC Comics awaits!
PRIMER #1
Writer: Jennifer Muro and Thomas Krajewski
Artist: Gretel Lusky
Colorist: Gretel Lusky
Letterer: Wes Abbott
Editor: Jim Chadwick
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: March 26, 2024
Previously in Primer: With a father in prison, Ashley Rayburn has bounced from foster home to foster home and represents a real challenge to the social workers who try to help her–not because she’s inherently bad, but because trouble always seems to find her. But her luck might just be changing when a new couple offers to take her in.
A PRELUDE
Primer #1 begins with a crashing plane and the sudden appearance of a new superhero on the scene. With her flight and super-strength, she is able to steady the plane, but her third power, pyrokinesis is of less utility, causing her to remark that it was a bad choice. Flashback three weeks, and we find young Ashley breaking out of her group home to continue working on a mural she has been doing in the park. When she’s brought in, it’s clear that the police know her well already, and take her back to the home. Not long after, Ashley is offered a new foster home, moving in with the Nolans. Kitch, her new foster father, is a bohemian and an artist, while his wife Yuka is… preoccupied with something. Ashley worries that Yuka thinks taking her in is a mistake, but there’s clearly something more dangerous going on.
THE POWER OF THE PAINT
This first chapter doesn’t give us much of the B-and-C between Ashley’s chance at a new home and her strange superpowers, but the part that is revealed is fascinating. The idea that she can choose her powers with different colors of paint feels old-school, reminding me of the gimmick of Dial H For Hero or Ultra Boy of the Legion and his one-at-a-time powers. The dynamic of the genius mother and weirdo father could have felt like a sitcom cliche, but the characterization of the Nolans feels well-rounded which, combined with the charismatic art, makes them feel like real people. The art is very much to my liking, with clear lines and styling that gives echoes of Mike Parobeck and Mike Wieringo. The action sequence that opens the story is excellent, and it’s all aided by vibrant, excellent coloring by Abbott, an absolute must in a story where the power is literally based on color.
BOTTOM LINE: THINGS ARE GONNA GET WEIRD
My pitch to anyone on the fence about Primer #1 is simple: It’s classic comics, well-written, well-drawn, with a clever hook and coloring that’s note-perfect, earning 4.5 out of 5 stars overall. Anyone who’s feeling event fatigue, continuity chaos, or a lack of well-balanced, clever, meaningful comic books would do well to give this one a look.
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PRIMER #1
The spirit of the Silver Age with a modern sensibility and clean art makes for a very enjoyable read.
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Writing9
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Art9
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Coloring10
Once upon a time, there was a young nerd from the Midwest, who loved Matter-Eater Lad and the McKenzie Brothers... If pop culture were a maze, Matthew would be the Minotaur at its center. Were it a mall, he'd be the Food Court. Were it a parking lot, he’d be the distant Cart Corral where the weird kids gather to smoke, but that’s not important right now... Matthew enjoys body surfing (so long as the bodies are fresh), writing in the third person, and dark-eyed women. Amongst his weaponry are such diverse elements as: Fear! Surprise! Ruthless efficiency! An almost fanatical devotion to pop culture! And a nice red uniform.