Valiant; $4.99

CiCi, the new graduate of Academy Zero, has been thrown into her first mission, and it is a doozy. She was sent into the field to join the Harbinger team in their battle with Black Sheep. The problem is that Black Sheep proved more dangerous than the Harbingers anticipated, and CiCi is soon facing the villain one on one.

This issue written by Fred Van Lente splits time between getting to know CiCi, her powers, and new-hero-awkwardness, with more details about the team and the villains they are facing. Readers learn more about Alloy and the connection between Digby and Crane, and Flamingo sees what’s outside the city walls.

There’s plenty of world building in this issue, foreshadowing the big villain plans and establishing what life is like at different places in society. It also contains multiple pages of superhero action, illustrated by Erik Tamayo and colored by Exequiel F. Roel. They fill the action with swirls of kinetic energy and pops of color that sets those panels apart from the more character focused moments.

-Amanda Sheriff