Mockingbird is a great character. I feel like she's been a little underused recently in the Marvel Universe. We saw her return from the dead and even go through a pretty big change in NEW AVENGERS in 2011. She has put in several appearances here and there but she needs more time in the spotlight. And that's what we get with this S.H.I.E.L.D. anniversary issue.
Chelsea Cain turns the spotlight on Bobbi Morse. When she hears the news a mentor from her days at S.H.I.E.L.D. was murdered, she has no choice but to investigate. Despite her recent adventures in the superhero corner of the Marvel Universe, it's a blast to see her take on a mission that's closer to home. In subtle ways, we get to see Bobbi in her element. We see there's more to her than just being an Avenger and a hero. The situation calls for some different techniques from her background in order to get some answers. Of course things won't be as easy as she may have thought.
I was overjoyed upon discovering that Joëlle Jones was doing the art (have you read LADY KILLER?) Jones does a phenomenal job of capturing Bobbi's essence. She makes her look good but at the same time, you know she'll easily kick the butts of everyone in the room. Rachelle Rosenberg's colors are gorgeous and really makes the book stand out.
There's also a back up story that adapts the upcoming YA novel, Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl and includes art by Nico Leon.
The downside is the inclusion of Lance Hunter. I completely understand and can accept his appearance to create some more cohesion between the comic and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The problem with this being closer to the TV version is it ignores the version we had before. Granted, he wasn't used much but he did just 2014's REVOLUTIONARY WAR: ALPHA #1. It appears he's had a hair transplant and has been working out quite a bit. It's a minor thing and he has a small role in the issue but it will bother long time Marvel readers.
I was afraid this was going to be just a simple 'anniversary' one-shot featuring a character I really dig. Thankfully I was wrong. Chelsea Cain's story mixed with Joëlle Jones' fantastic art and Rachelle Rosenburg's gorgeous colors makes this a fun and visually stimulating read. I would be on board and love it if we had an ongoing MOCKINGBIRD series with this creative team. If you're a Mockingbird fan, you won't want to miss this.