‘Cloak and Dagger #1’ review
By Brittney MacDonald, Life & Style Editor
4/5
Admittedly I was a little scared to pick up this series. Mostly because, on the surface, the Cloak and Dagger series looks like just another babe-meets-brawn dynamic duo. However, I found that the shallow impression that I initially had was swayed almost entirely by the time I had finished the first single issue.
On the island of Utopia, which has become a safe haven for mutants, Dagger has aspirations of joining the X-Men. Her partner, Cloak, seems to have different concerns. Neither he nor Dagger is a mutant, instead having received their powers through an illegal drug. In an effort to come to terms with his new reality, Cloak backpedals, attempting to reclaim aspects of his old life. Nothing is ever so simple though. Cloak and Dagger’s relationship is necessary for both to maintain their control over their powers.
Written by Stuart Moore, the plot blends emotion and action almost perfectly. There is clear sexual tension between the two main characters, yet their reluctance to be together in a romantic way due to the necessity of them maintaining a symbiotic relationship seems well developed and perfectly natural.
My only gripe is Dagger’s fully acquiescent nature. Hopefully as the story progresses and the characters develop, overcoming this trait will become part of her character arc, but as it is now, one can’t be sure.
Art-wise, this comic is good, but not great. It features a very cartoony aesthetic, but also has some high detail. Normally, the panels appear well planned and clean, but there are times when things can get confusing. This is common with quite a few minor Marvel titles, because they tend to feature art created by a group as opposed to one lead artist.
I liked this title, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for an action-orientated yet dramatic read.
