Livewire #1 Written by Vita Ayala Art by Raúl Allén and Patricia Martin Livewire #01 debuts December 19th, 2018

Responsibility and consequence are intimately connected elements of daily life. Conviction and capability determine which actions are taken and which are left untaken in the face of those elements. The actions or lack thereof then give birth to consequence. It arrives as an equally measured force, as a reality endured by good and bad natured people alike. What is the consequence of saving a friend’s life? What is the consequence of failing to? The debut issue of Amanda McKee’s long-overdue solo series begins as a story thoroughly impacted by questions such as these, and it is a powerful first outing.

Livewire has been a compelling supporting character in the Valiant universe for more than fifteen years, premiering first in 1993’s Harbinger #15. She’s a technopath with a firm moral compass who dedicated herself to the protection of humanity, even when that dedication put her at odds with her colleagues and her superiors. Her greatest adversary then, as with many morally-driven heroes, was always betrayal. Ultimately her conviction and her capability led Livewire to instigate a nationwide blackout in the Valiant event Harbinger Wars 2. She has been damaged by that attack, made vulnerable and unsure of her place in the world she failed to defend. Livewire #1 challenges McKee by bringing her face-to-face with the consequences of her actions.

Raúl Allén and Patricia Martin are an astonishing artistic force. They prove from the very first page that the renown and the praise received in their past projects was well-deserved. Lines are clear, bodies are defined and expressions are both varied and well-executed. The use of color, even when only filling space behind characters, focuses each panel on the persons therein and gives Livewire a sense of life. The cast can be felt as clearly as they can be seen. With that focus in mind, the titular character is elevated during each action sequence and her imposing identity becomes tangible. Livewire is a badass. There is an admitted rigidness to the characters’ motion in a select few panels but it never detracts from the sequence in question.

The narrative performs at an equal level. Despite having to include the necessary history lesson which accompanies every debut issue, Vita Ayala manages to craft an interesting story filled with a cast that feels both realized and realistic. There is no room for a new reader to become lost or to lose interest, as Ayala observes the repercussions of Livewire’s actions and the feelings they have instilled in both herself and in her past allies. Responsibility and consequence are a focal point yet again. Their examination quickly defines the sense of purpose and heroism that has grown in McKee’s character over the last 15 years of storytelling. Of course the intricacies of interactions between Livewire and her former teammates can only be fully appreciated by those who have followed the character, at least through the events of Harbinger Wars 2. In that, new readers will experience this story with a curious haze between their eyes and the pages. Fortunately Livewire #1 is compelling enough that these individuals will only be encouraged to read further back into Valiant’s acclaimed history.

However psychological the breadth of this story might be, it is not without its share of physical conflict. The final pages build into an exciting clash and conclude with the birth of a new mystery. It’s an expected cliffhanger but it follows the theme of the narrative. Suddenly the fate of our character, and the ultimate consequence of her actions, is as unknown as Livewire herself had feared. Amanda McKee has finally been given a chance to shine as the protagonist of her own comic. Through the creative expertise of Vita, Allén and Martin, Livewire has already been revealed as a must-follow series within the Valiant universe.

Final Score: 8/10