Unstoppable Wasp #4 (2018)

[stubbleupdate]

Unstoppable Wasp #4 was the first time that the book really clicked with me. It had Jeremy Whitley who I had enjoyed on Thor vs Hulk: Champions of the Universe, and Gurihiru, who made a huge contribution to the success of The Unbelievable Gwenpool (most of the credit goes to Dr McNinja's Christopher Hastings, whose Six Million Dollar Man comes out this week), but I just wasn't enjoying it.

Probably I should have even glanced at volume 1. Or made an effort to catch up with the large supporting cast of people who weren't Janet, Bobbi or Nadia. I found the first 3 issues confusing because I hadn't made the effort to catch up. Then Unstoppable Wasp #4 made a connection with me that elevated it above the normal Marvel book.

We start with the perennial favourite - a blackboard! But this is used for character development, not cryptic exposition.

Nadia's lab was raided by an offshoot of A.I.M. and her team got their asses kicked.

Nadia goes to the security offices and realises that her blackboard is already out of date

However, there is too much to do, and time is running out

The team come back from the hospital to find Nadia missing. Jan goes out to look for her when Nadia reappears from the pocket lab, where she has been isolated for days.

Then...there is a failure of interpersonal skills.
And Nadia's blackboard plan in full




Jan works out that she's seen this behaviour before, in Hank Pym. She suspects that Nadia has bipolar disorder aka manic depression. #4 was manic and #5 is depressive. It's a very tender look at how poor mental health can affect you and people around you.

Comments

[zachbeacon]

I really hope Marvel gives Jeremy Whitley a push this time around. They cancelled the last book before it had a chance but obviously trade sales were good enough to bring it back.

[doodleboy]

Art's nice, who did... Oh cool Gurihiru from the Air-bender comics, yeah, they're always good.

[lilacsigil]

I enjoyed the first series of this and I'm really enjoying the second as well. Why do they keep doing these cancellations/uncancellations when it just makes things more confusing for anyone who might want to actually pick up the comic?

[burkeonthesly]

Because they learned from the '90s that #1 issues sell (while conveniently forgetting the rest of the Costly Learning Experience that was the '90s comics industry)?

[lilacsigil]

I will look forward to my chromium cover with the next reboot!

[stolisomancer]

With this book in particular, IIRC, the floppy sales got it cancelled the first time around, but they brought it back due to surprisingly strong sales in trade paperback. I believe the same thing is true of Sina Grace's Iceman.

[lbd_nytetrayn]

Weird... I thought "writing for the trades" was the thing now, so why would you axe it before seeing how the trades do?

[matrix_dragon]

Oh Nadia. I've been where you are girl, and it's never fun. *Huggle*

[beyondthefringe]

This series started off as charming and vibrant and hopeful and fun and energetic and diverse and I loved it so much.

And then this storyline broke my heart and I loved it even more.

Because not only do we have a series that uplifts and supports and encourages young women of ALL backgrounds to pursue STEM careers, a series which offers understanding and forgiveness to underappreciated perennial jobbers such as Poundcakes and Letha, a series which effortlessly embraces diversity and queerness...

but now it's given us a frank, honest, and sensitive look at what it means to live with bipolar disorder. And for a character living under the shadow of an infamous father whose own mental illness defined him in a negative way, it's all the more important that Nadia come out stronger for the experience.

Yeah. This series is amazing and I will fight people who say otherwise.

[lieut_kettch]

I see the parallels between Nadia and her dad, especially in this issue where she basically beats up the people she loves, and later is simultaneously profusely apologetic yet at the same time trying to justify her behavior.

The only thing I hate about this book is Finesse's face-heel turn and her characterization. She comes off as too mustache-twirly gleefully evil when her schtick is that she has trouble with human emotions.

[mjscheer]

I love this portrayal of bipolar disorder and I LOVE seeing Lizzo's "Good As Hell" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmbmeOgWsqE) as Janet's ringtone.

[deh_tommy]

I was rather disappointed in the last series ending on the old 'Hank Pym –Wife Beater' shtick, so I'm interested to see them actually explore this idea in-depth (and especially with Nadia).