Review – Supermom: Expecting Trouble #1 (Action Lab)

December 11, 2019

2 minutes

Publisher: Action Lab Comics
Writer: Gordon Mclean
Artwork: Caio Oliveira
Colours: Fahriza Kamaputra
Letters: Frank Cvetkovic
Release Date: 18^th December 2019

Think being a superhero is easy? Try doing it with a baby bump!

Voltra is your typical superhero, trying to balance her great power with her great responsibility and continually trying to prevent her arch-enemy Croupe from taking over the world. Oh, and she’s pregnant.

This new series from Gordon Mclean and Caio Oliveira (the creative team behind SICBA award-winning No More Heroes back in the day) sets out its stall right from the get-go as our heavily-pregnant heroine takes on “The Carnimals”, a delightfully over-the-top troupe of circus-themed part-animal villains.

It’s all fun, slightly slapstick fun, with Mclean throwing in some choice lines of dialogue and Oliveira clearly having an absolute blast with this weird collection of bad guys. Voltra is obviously a very capable hero in the Superman vein, and is talking by radio throughout the fight with her sidekick (and kid sister) Digi-Girl and her shade-throwing mother, who is clearly less then impressed at her unwed daughter getting ‘knocked up’.

For me, and in spite of her being little more than a supporting character at this point, the mother is by the most interesting character in this first issue; an outwardly disapproving bag of sass who still clearly cares about both of her daughters and who is, surprisingly enough, a bit of a bad-ass and a crack shot with a rifle. Definitely a character I want to find out more about.

I’ve been a fan of Oliveira’s art since I first saw it, particularly his work alongside Sam Read on Exit Generations, and he tackles the subject matter with a real gusto here, even if there are perhaps some slightly awkward facial expressions along the way. Likewise, Fahriza Kamaputra leans into the superhero excess with some vibrant colours throughout, particularly during the aforementioned hero-versus-villain dust-up.

A fun, lively start to a new superhero action comedy series, and while the final page reveal is perhaps a little obvious (especially with anyone who has seen any of the preview material or read the solicitation info), the execution throughout is admirable. Definitely a new series to keep an eye out for, and now that we’ve got the big reveal out of the way, I’m definitely keen to find out where the creators take their story next.

Rating: 3.5/5.

[PREVIEW ARTWORK – CLICK TO ENLARGE]