Comic Review: Velvet Vol. 1

The year is 1973. It’s the heyday for superspies, heroes that live in the shadows of major governments. Their role is to maintain the peace of the world without the world ever noticing their existence. Behind these spies are organizations that work to protect their lives and identities. Within these organizations is Velvet Templeton, a woman you do not want to mess with.

Don’t let Velvet’s role in Allied Reconnaissance Commission fool you – she may be the personal secretary to the Director, but she’s got a few tricks up her sleeve. Like a photographic memory. And top-of-the-line gadgets. And a killer body. And a personal relationship with the top agents in the field.

It’s that relationship that gets her in trouble. When the greatest field agent, Jefferson, is killed in action, evidence points to an old acquaintance of Velvet’s. In order to clear his name, Velvet lets loose her hair and steps out from behind the desk. Little does she realize that someone is gunning for her.

Brubaker and Epting’s Velvet is a carefully crafted story that drags readers into a world that, at times, seems too violent to be true. This element adds to the exotic nature of the story, the part where we have no idea what could possibly happen next. Velvet herself is a great model of writing a complex character. Hints at her past life are expertly woven into the current storyline.

The older-agent-with-a-secret-badass-past is a common trope, but it is expertly handled in Velvet. Velvet’s rise in the field isn’t because she was hurt in the past; she had a mentor, a woman, who proved that you can make your life matter if you work at it. For Velvet, it isn’t the adventure or danger as a member of a spy agency that draws her into the world – it’s the potential to change the world. If you’re fascinated by Melinda May in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D., you’ll love Velvet.

The story wouldn’t pack as much of a punch if it wasn’t for Epting’s gorgeous artwork. Each panel brings more realism to this story while simultaneously conveying the gritty nature of Velvet’s past. Rarely do you see comic book art with such careful attention to reality and the way people move throughout space. Brubaker and Epting are a creative partnership that will blow you away.

It’s hard not to try a new Image series like Velvet, especially when the first volume in the series is priced at $9.99. The first five issues in this series will suck you in and never let you go.