COMIC BOOK REVIEW: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Living Legends (One-Shot)

Scott Lang, the second Ant-Man, must help the Wasp on a case that ties into an early adventure of the original Ant-Man.

Ant-Man & the Wasp: Living Legends #1
Writer: Ralph Macchio
Artist: Andrea Di Vito
Colorist: Laura Villari
Cover Artists: Andrea Di Vito
Publisher: Marvel Comics

What You Need to Know:

Janet Van Dyne is the Wasp. She received her powers from Henry Pym, the original Ant-Man. The two became partners and were founding members of the Avengers. The duo had many adventures together including defeating the Living Eraser in Dimension Z. Ant-Man and the Wasp were married for a time, but they divorced after Henry hit her and had betrayed the Avengers because his mental health was deteriorating. Henry Pym is now bonded with Ultron, and the Avengers have been unable to separate them.

Scott Lang is the second Ant-Man. He stole the Ant-Man suit from Pym but now wears it with the original’s blessing. Scott usually works alone but has been a member of the Avengers and the FF. He has teamed up with Janet on occasion. This adventure is one of those times.

What You Will Find Out:

Scott is going to visit Janet Van Dyne to demonstrate what his security business has to offer. Unfortunately, his van has a flat. He calls a flying ant and rides him to Janet’s mansion. Janet greets him fondly. They are soon interrupted by a distress call. Alzar from Dimension Z requests the assistance of Ant-Man and the Wasp. Scott mentions he is not the original Ant-Man but Janet tells Alzar that Hank is unavailable. The rebel leader Jazzar has been captured and he knows the schematic for a dangerous weapon. He is being held by a group called the Supremacy. The Wasp tells them that she will come help. Janet asks Scott for help and he readily agrees.

The Wasp tells Ant-Man about her and Henry’s original adventure in Dimension Z. They had fought and defeated the Living Eraser. The villain had a device that seemingly erased people from existence, but it actually transported them through dimensions. Their defeat of the Living Eraser inspired a rebellion to rise up. The duo went home and took the eraser device with them. Janet uses the eraser to get her and Scott to Dimension Z.

Ant-Man and the Wasp soon find Jazzar in the prison and use their size-changing powers to break him out. He tells them about the Eraser One facility that houses a giant version of the eraser device. The heroes agree to help shut it down. Eraser One is surrounded by a force barrier. Scott controls the local version of ants to create a tunnel under the barrier, which he and Janet use to get inside. They find the force field generator and the Wasp destroys it with her sting. They then discover that the bad guy behind all the recent trouble is the original Living Eraser, who now controls the Supremacy.

Ant-Man engages the Living Eraser in combat while the Wasp destroys the larger eraser device. She is stunned after she does so, and the villain turns his attention to her. While the Living Eraser is distracted, Scott uses the eraser device to erase the Eraser. I don’t think I have ever used the word eraser so many times in a sentence before. Ant-Man and the Wasp return to her home. She asks him where he sent the baddie and he had sent him to a SHIELD prison. Scott asks Janet if she has a spare tire for his van and she tells him it probably has already been impounded by then. Just Scott’s luck.

What Just Happened:

This one-shot seems geared to draw attention to the movie coming out next month. I liked how the story tied into a classic Ant-Man and the Wasp tale in Tales to Astonish # 49. This issue has the feel of the older comics. It is a fun but simplistic story. I enjoy that in this pairing that Janet is the serious, experienced hero and Scott is the hero who jokes around and thinks it is all fun and games. It is a complete role reversal compared to her and Henry. Di Vito’s art was simple as well and fit the tone of the tale.

Rating: 6/10

Final Thoughts:

I did enjoy the book, but the tale is a little too simplistic. It kind of felt like reading a Marvel Adventures comic that is for a younger audience. I know that Macchio was going for a classic feel, and he succeeded admirably at that. I was just hoping for a bit more. It was nice to see the original Wasp in action.