Scorpion: Poison Tomorrow is a 2005 superhero graphic novel written by Fred Van Lente, illustrated by Leonard Kirk with David Ross, and published by Marvel Comics Group.  After the vicious murder of her adoptive parents, Carmilla Black discovers her birth mother is the top scientist of the worldwide terrorist network A.I.M. Now, to unravel the secrets of her true identity and mysterious power, she’s tracking her mother down – with S.H.I.E.L.D. in hot pursuit.

Plot:  The story is a really good read.  It focuses on a young woman named Carmilla Black, who returns to her hometown after her parents were murdered. She then learns that her parents weren’t who she knew them to be and that her life holds more mysteries than she could ever imagine.  In hopes of learning about her past she joins S.H.I.E.L.D. and aids them with their mission against the scientific organization A.I.M.  The story is a pretty sweet spy thriller and it goes at a pretty good pace.  It’s an interesting spin on the coming-of-age story with a bit of superhero sprinkled on top.  There are some pretty good twists that keep the story interesting though if you’re into comics they’re kind of predictable.  The story does leave off for potential continuation though it appears the series has been canceled unfortunately.  However, it’s a good read.  (3 out of 5)

Characters:  Carmilla Black is just an all around awesome character.  She’s the kind of female character that’s strong but feminine, brave but vulnerable.  Yeah, she has trust issues and it’s because of her powers and her lonely life.  You can see that she wants to trust someone but is very hesitant.  I liked the character of Troy though I felt that the romance between the two by the end was a little unwarranted.  And I kind of think he’s underutilized.    Derek Khanata is a special agent in S.H.I.E.L.D. and he’s alright, but he does come off like Nick Fury.  He doesn’t have that same charisma or presence; he’s just hard and kind of by-the-book with little personality.  There are other characters both on Carmilla’s side and against her that are pretty interesting. (3 out of 5)

Art Style:  I really appreciated the art style for its heavy focus on the hard colors which in my personal opinion often add edge to the scenes to make them standout more.  I’ve haven’t seen much of Leonard Kirk’s work but I was blown away with his presentation.  I really like the focus of the facial expressions as well, details often help to show the vulnerable side of Carmilla’s personality.  Especially the emotion in her eyes. I liked David Ross’ input as well which makes for an intensity to the scenes. Her outfit design doesn’t seem plausible (though I’ve never really gotten into the crazy costume designs of comics). For someone with no training, there’s little reason for her outfit to leave such vulnerabilities. Her Stinger’s ability looks great, it looks like mixture of fire and electricity.  I think the choice to make it green was a good choice.  (4 out of 5)

Writing:  The writing is handled well enough.  I did like Fred Van Lente’s approach and direction. I do like the subliminal emphasis on politics. I like that Lente gives some exposition on S.H.I.E.L.D. and A.I.M. how the character has motivation to join either side.  There’s a good transitioning of coming-of-age to a thriller to action. Carmilla’s abilities are interesting and I like how the writing explains it. But Lente’s approach to the character of Carmilla is his shining star.  He handles the character well with her strength, anger, and trust issues.  He manages to make them believable without being over-the-top.

There are some conveniences in the writing that doesn’t seem realistic (realism from a comic about a girl who stores poisonous energies in her arm).  One thing is how fast the writing throws her into the world of espionage with no training, no partner, no anything.  Living on the streets doesn’t teach you how to be a secret agent and Carmilla comes off as just that.  During the fights she’s kicking the crap out of highly trained soldiers and performing stunts that she shouldn’t have the capacity to do.  But that’s really the nature of comics so it’s something that can be overlooked.  But in the end, the writing is good and Lente’s handles it really well. (3 out of 5)

The Verdict:  In the end, Scorpion: Poison Tomorrow is a really good read that unfortunately is killed in its infancy.  It introduces a really sweet character in the form of Carmilla Black, who’s sexy, smart, and dangerous.  Despite some of the writing, there’s a good story and a great art style.  Scorpion: Poison Tomorrow gets 3 out of 5.