Moth and Whisper #1 Review

by Nathan Koffler on September 13, 2018

Writer: Ted Anderson
Artist: Jen Hickman
Letterer: Marshall Dillon
Publisher: Aftershock Comics


It is exciting when you can tell that you’re going to start following a new series after reading it’s first issue. That was my experience with Moth and Whisper, a new series by Aftershock about two spies and their child. I didn’t love everything about its debut issue, but by the end of it I was definitely very interested in the story and want to know how the rest of it will pan out.

The first several pages made me hesitant on if I was going to enjoy the whole thing because I wasn’t really a fan of the description of the two spies. Those descriptions made them seem interesting, but in those first few pages the writing almost seemed like it was done by a young and inexperienced writer and that would be absolutely fine with me if it were the case. But it just appeared very amature and I wasn’t a huge fan of it.

Fortunately, after those first few pages I really enjoyed meeting Niki and watching them do their spy work. The case of they’re missing parents seems like a pretty generic one, but Ted Anderson still makes me believe that it will be exciting to watch Niki fight for answers. The story that Anderson created as a whole may seem a little unoriginal, but that is not an issue for me. As long as it is executed well, I am always willing to dive into any story whether it is unique or not. I know I can’t know for sure right now, but this issue gives me hope that this spy story will be a really fun ride that I want to be on.

Jen Hickman is amazing at illustrating characters that feel very real and relatable. Niki is one of those characters that I already feel a connection to and is why I want to continue to follow them on their journey. Anderson’s ideas for the suit Niki wears, Weaver, becomes a very awesome and real thing thanks to Hickman’s artwork. She also nicely separates different scenes from each other in distinct ways that makes the entire issue’s visuals top notch.

Like I said, the story isn’t the most original one and the writing isn’t groundbreaking but the main character is intriguing, the action is really fun, and the mystery is exciting. These things allow me to overlook the simple concept because now I just see this as a solid and entertaining first issue as a whole. 

Our Score:

7/10

A Look Inside