Wasp: Small Worlds, written by Al Ewing with art by Kasia Nie, is a fun, lightweight anniversary project, much like the recent Ant-Man mini series (also written by Ewing). This four-issue run celebrates the past and present of the character, while also paving the way for future stories featuring this seminal Avenger.
The Writing
Ewing plays to his strengths once again with this mini – that is to say, the story involves an obscure character making a reappearance as a major threat and a reverence for continuity that is truly exceptional. This is exemplified in the choice of antagonist, as the Creature from Kosmos made its first appearance in Tales to Astonish #44, the same issue that Janet made her first appearance. In addition, Ewing adds this to his increasingly deep catalog of interwoven works by peppering bits of connective tissue throughout the series. Though they serve as landmarks to consistent readers of his work, they can easily be passed of as simple plot elements to the unaware.
As for the actual content of the story, to take an excerpt from the book’s description:
“Celebrate 60 years of the wondrous Wasp! Fashion designer, businesswoman, founding Avenger — Janet Van Dyne has worn many hats over the course of her super-heroic career…and many costumes! But when an old enemy threatens Janet and her fellow Wasp, Nadia — seemingly against his will — the Van Dynes must confront the ghosts in their shared history to get to the bottom of the mystery!”
Ewing definitely creates some interesting connections between Janet and Nadia, again flexing his knowledge of continuity to bridge their individual histories in unique ways. Further, Ewing is able to spin this yarn in such a way that it remains largely self-contained, focusing on the Wasps and their story, yet still manages to pay homage to the current status quo of the Marvel Universe, referencing recent events like Devil’s Reign and Judgment Day.
In addition, the story addresses the concept of Wasp as a standalone heroine in an interesting, almost metatextual way. I won’t spoil exactly how it does this, but examining the story in relation to how the character has historically been paired with Ant-Man, both in and out of the comics, is curious.
The Art
Kasia Nie is a superb talent on this title, with her illustrations reminding somewhat me of Gurihiru’s work on Superman Smashes the Klan, especially as it does so without sacrificing expression and definition. The scenes in the alternate history made by the Creature are a nice display as well, with lots of little details that show an exceptional grasp of the story. In addition, much like Tom Reilly on Ant-Man: Ant-niversary, Nie is able to render scenes in a more classical, old-timey style reminiscent of Tales to Astonish and other comics of that era.
The fourth issue has some nice watercolor elements as well that really stand out from the rest of the book; this is not to say that the rest of the book looks bad, rather, that the art is so consistently presented that the handful of times that it breaks from house style are notable.
The Verdict
All in all, Small Worlds is definitely an enjoyable read. I love that Ewing is able to put out these “minor” projects like Defenders that really lean into the more mysterious corners of the Marvel Universe, while still remaining character-driven. While there’s nothing here that I would count as extraordinary or particularly exemplary, the story is tight, the art is well done, and, if my suspicions are correct, the events of this series will inform the upcoming Avengers, Inc. to some degree. I’m not sure I can ask for much more from a Wasp miniseries.
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