Ant-Man is the latest in the Marvel NOW! launches for characters that previously were better known for their roles in teams.  For various reasons, the characters are ones that might never have been thought about whether they could lead their own series, and in Scott Lang’s case it would seem that it is because on the scale of Marvel Heroes that he is considered to be somewhat on the B-list of heroes.  Certainly he has his fans, but the question is always whether that and enough buzz is enough to carry a series by itself.  There is also an obvious tie-in to the future, as the upcoming Ant-Man film is likely to generate some interest in the character as well, and this series did have the benefit of premiering one day after the world got its first look at a trailer for the upcoming film.

The story takes a lot of this into consideration as it launches the character onto his own.  Scott Lang is a very different Ant-Man than Hank Pym, and he is not one that is considered to be one of the smartest characters as is his predecessor.  This is made abundantly clear throughout, that Scott while talented in his own ways, tends to be more reactive in his actions than proactive.  This is perhaps less true in his heroics than it is in his private life, but both are woven together well here.  The story revolves around Scott applying for a job as head of security at Stark Enterprises, and it is an interesting way to fill in his back story for the fans who are less familiar with the character.  At the same time, he is shown dealing with the issues in his personal life that are harder for him to juggle than being a superhero, namely his failed marriage and his desire to maintain a parental role with his daughter.  There are some high points throughout, particularly when he is competing for the job and then later in the last few pages when he comes to some conclusion over his family, and not any real low points throughout.

The end result is a well-packaged story that is a fun and often times funny read.  There will be those that might think to disregard an Ant-Man comic because the hero lacks the same powers as others, but in doing so they would be overlooking a less common occurrence from the big two publishers, namely a story that is character driven more so than plot driven.  As shown here, Ant-Man is a person first and a hero second, and with the tone of the book matching the sometimes awkwardly funny personality of the character, this series is likely to have a cult following for as long as it lasts.

Story: Nick Spencer Art: Ramon Rosanas
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy