"Miss Munroe is everything"
The title of this review is a paraphrase of something a student says during an outburst from Storm, and I'm inclined to agree with her.
Storm #1 is a very strong first issue, due in no small part to the fact that there is no need to establish the status quo or explain Storm's motivations. She's been one of the most prominent X-Men for decades. We know what she's about, and so does Greg Pak.
Storm is a badass. A leader. A former queen. And most importantly, Storm cares. Sometimes too much. And it's the conflict between her ideals and the reality of various situations that drives the narrative of this issue.
The book opens with Storm doing what she does best, and that is performing feats. She stops a tsunami, and whilst she is praised by the locals, the military arrive and order her to leave as mutants aren't allowed (standard X-Men stuff). She is then informed by Beast that she has to 'play politics'. It's familiar scene to any readers of an X-Men title, and it helps move the story along to another challenge in Storm's life. Being a headmistress.
She has to deal with a troubled teenager who throws some angsty teenage stuff in Storm's direction, and we once again see the theme of the book surface, as Storm's ideals come into stark conflict with what the troubled mutant perceives as their reality, and are subsequently rejected. This book is about Storm's character and nearly every facet of it is shown here.
I won't continue telling you about what happens, as it doesn't do justice to the writing. Pak strikes a good balance between Storm the X-Man, and Ororo Munroe the person, and shows how difficult it can be to keep the two separate. She isn't politically savvy like Cyclops, or a manipulator like Emma Frost. She doesn't put on a smile for the cameras like Steve Rogers or Luke Cage. She's just who she is, and her essence is captured well. I'm officially in love with the character, and I dare you to read this issue and not feel the same.
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