The Good
Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting and Elizabeth Breitweiser have given us something new to look forward to. Most people enjoy a good spy thriller but this is far from the typical one you've seen over and over. With the mystery of the death of a fellow agent, Velvet Templeton now finds herself the main suspect. It was believed she was the secretary of the director of the Agency but when agents try to bring her in, it starts to become clear there is much much more to her than they realized.
Steering away from what we see in most spy thrillers, Velvet as the lead character gives us a fresh take on the genre. Given the time period, we see that everyone's first impression is to underestimate her. As she easily proves them wrong, you can't help but have a smile on your face. Brubaker reveals a little about Velvet's past - just enough to tease and keep us hooked.
I'm hesitant to say this next part. Brubaker's story has me completely captivated. So much that I would be reading it regardless of the art team. The fact that we have Epting doing the art and Breitweiser doing the colors takes it to a completely different level. A lot of the story takes place outside at night in the rain. Despite that, it all looks so incredibly amazing. If that wasn't enough, there's plenty of actions and explosions that should keep the action junkies hooked as well. That being said, I am overjoyed with the art team we have here.
The Bad
The only thing to complain about is having to wait for the next issue to find out more about Velvet.
The Verdict
Should you be reading VELVET? We often see people complain about buying/reading the same thing over and over again each month. Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting and Elizabeth Breitweiser are giving us something different. As a spy thriller with a female lead, we're getting plenty of action and intrigue as we discover what Velvet is all about. This comic delivers a great story with great art and phenomenal colors. The question shouldn't be should you read it; the question is why aren't you reading it?