From street urchin in Cairo to the Queen of Wakanda to Headmistress of the Jean Grey School and everything in between – she is a hero with no equal. Her desire to make the world a better place is unmatched, even though that world that hates and fears her. On her mission to spread goodwill and embody Charles Xavier’s dream in her own way, she will stand alongside new faces and familiar friends – and come face to face with more than her share of enemies.
But you cannot stop her any more than you can defeat the wind. She is a force of nature. She is Storm! And the skies will tremble at the sight of their namesake.
The Good
Story– Storm is stopping a tsunami Santo Marco. Tensions between Storm and the local militia mount when Beast tells her to stand down because of “political workings” behind the scenes. Storm returns to the school where a student calls her out for being a “sell out”. The words cut deep and Storm returns to Santo Marco to help the survivors. The Militia returns and Storm decimates them before taking the Mexican girl back home.
Cover– Simply stunning! Storm (2014) #1 has a beautifully rendered cover courtesy of interior artist Victor Ibanez. It has Storm standing with her back toward the reader as she glances back over her shoulder, eyes crackling with power, a streak of white lightning cuts the background in two, lightning dancing on her hair follicles with a light shade of blue at the top while the other half of the cover is a dark purple.
Duality-Throughout the story we saw glimmers of the Storm’s. The calm level headed thinker and the force of nature this was presented well from start to finish thanks to some good writing by Greg Pak.
Art- Ibanez’s interior art has a nice cinematic feel to it which captures the strength, beauty and raw power of our titular hero.
Philosophical debate– The young Mexican mutant poses some deep questions to Storm. What “right” do the X-men have in drafting or in some cases forcibly abduct young children from their families and take them to their school where they are “indoctrinated” into the X-men’s ways of thinking and behaving. That is pretty damn deep! Especially when you consider Friere’s banking concept of education which assumes that “Knowledge is a gift bestowed by those who consider themselves knowledgeable upon those whom they consider know nothing” (Pg. 72, Pedagogy of the oppressed, 30th anniversary ed. The more you think about that single quote you realize that the X-men and this school may be founded under the wrong premise altogether. Sure some of these mutants are being persecuted and need to be rescued but how much of a choice have they been given to remain enrolled? Some of these mutants have a natural affinity for their powers and don’t need the school…..are they given a choice? Then there are others like Marisol who find the school uninviting and unbearable. Some of them are better off at home. The second notion is that the X-men like most schools send students through the exact same process in hopes of creating people with very similar belief systems and ideologies. How many of the students of Xavier’s school have gone on to lead normal lives? They were indoctrinated like soldiers and they became an army. What if you want something else? Is this the place to be? These are just a few of the Philosophical debates brought up in this issue.
Celebrity– A good chunk of writers always seem to forget that Storm like Wonder Woman is a very publicly known hero who never shies away from the spotlight. Add to that her beauty, time as an African Queen/goddess, time as an Avenger, member of the Fantastic Four and leader of the most public renditions of the X-men she is an A class celebrity superhero. This issue treats her notoriety decently with the excitement surrounding her appearance each time marked with public spectacle.
Powers– Equally as impressive as the characterization of Storm was the subtle ways that her powers and emotions affect the atmosphere around her. Heating the air around Beast right before they get into it was a nice touch.
The Bad
Excitement– This issue was a bit submissive compared to other books currently out. That may put some off.
History– I enjoyed the mentions of her time as a Queen and all but I was expecting more involvement or mention of her family. It’s never a good thing when you have high expectations.
The Ugly
In many ways Storm (2014) #1 is exactly what I wanted from an ongoing series. It manages to capture the duality of Ororo Munroe/Storm. In one sense she’s the calm, collected, motherly headmistress of the Jean Grey institute expected to be responsible and in control. In another sense she’s truly a force of nature whose power is destructive and awe-inspiring. This opening shot sees her battling who she is, who she has become and her responsibilities as a humanitarian superhero vs. Politically correct headmistress. Storm (2014) #1 is a wonderful opening salvo from Greg Pak and Victor Ibanez!- 4/5
