Sunshine #1 Review: Well-Done

A young teenager burgeoning on womanhood has no problem defending herself from being bullied. As she writes in her journal it seems her reality is being undermined by her father. She doesn’t seem to have a champion and a girl needs her father in her corner. As Jhane is going through her feelings and is thinking of making a bad choice, something happens that changes her life. In Advent Comics latest release ‘Sunshine’ writer Tony Kittrell is not playing around.

Cosmic energy is something that should not be experimented with. The very term makes you think of otherworldly entities. And some of them may not be friendly. Of course things go pear-shaped, a villain emerges and decides not only to do her job, but kill everyone around her. Britt’s (Jhane’s best friend) mom does her best to fight back and protect her daughter. Jhane’s father also comes on the scene as he’s security for the lab where all hell breaks loose. But there are heroes in this world and as they take care of damage control a deeper plot emerges. Still, just when you think you know what’s going on there’s a shift into this nuanced origin story. In a comic book narrative, when a person gains abilities other people around them are also impacted. Jhane becomes Sunshine, but her father and friend is pulled into the vortex. Then there’s the company Tesla and the advisor Samuel. A tall, grey-haired Black man with rose-colored spectacles, Samuel sees just how out of control this situation has begun and pulls Jhane’s father aside. In a matter of hours Jhane goes from wanting to run away from her mundane problems to dealing with killers and psychopaths.

In the end Jhane has to figure out a way to survive in a world where she realizes almost too late how much she is loved. Throughout the storyline Jhane writes in her journal allowing the reader to understand her in a way her father could not. When it comes down to it this comic is about a father and daughter. That bond is important to a young girl’s development. A father is the first person a young lady sees how a man treats women. Regardless of time that imprint is always there. By the time this origin story is finished with you, you’ll either be demanding answers from your father or giving him the biggest hug. ‘Sunshine’ does that to you. Overall, well titled, well written, well done.

About Donna-Lyn Washington 639 Articles
Donna-lyn Washington has a M.A. in English from Brooklyn College. She is currently teaching at Kingsborough Community College where her love of comics and pop culture play key parts in helping her students move forward in their academic careers. As a senior writer for ReviewFix she has been able to explore a variety of worlds through comics, film and television and has met some interesting writers and artists along the way. Donna-lyn does a weekly podcast reviewing indie comics and has also contributed entries to the 'Encyclopedia of Black Comics,’ the academic anthology ‘Critical Insights: Frank Yerby’ and is the editor for the upcoming book, ‘Conversations With: John Jennings.’

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