PopSyndicate.com

The first thing you notice about this trade is that one of the author’s names is twice as large as anything else on the cover.  This is because White Tiger was written by Tamora Pierce, a well-known author of fantasy books for teenagers, and Timothy Liebe, her husband.  I should state up front that I have never read one of Tamora Pierce’s books.  In fact, I confess that I had never heard of her before this series.  I don’t blame Marvel for trying to take advantage of crossover potential.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.  Some great authors have been unable to make the transition from novels to a visual medium like comics (the opposite also holds true).  So, New York Times best-selling author, or not, the only thing that matters to me is how well Ms. Pierce writes the White Tiger. She gets no slack.  She doesn’t need any.  White Tiger presents an intelligent and fun look at the superhero world.  In short, the book is brilliant.

First, let’s get some background on the character.  Who is White Tiger?  Originally, the White Tiger was Hector Ayala, (he premiered in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu in the early 1970s. Using his Jade Tiger amulet, Ayala could transform into a superhuman. He dubbed himself “White Tiger” and became a crimefighter.  The first White Tiger fought along side Spider-Man, Daredevil and the Heroes for Hire.  After several misadventures, he retired. But, Ayala could not resist putting on the amulet and, eventually, the White Tiger returned. Unfortunately, he was framed and convicted of murder.  Ayala was shot on the courthouse trying to escape his sentence.

The star of the new Trade paperback is ex-FBI agent Angela Del Toro, the niece of the original White Tiger.  She inherited her uncle’s Jade Tiger amulet and was trained by Daredevil, who felt guilty because he, in his alter-ego of Matt Murdock, represented Ayala in the murder trial.  This series shows how Del Toro becomes the heroine known as the White Tiger with a little help from her friends and family. 

The authors present a great story of a strong superheroine finding her purpose.  The entire story takes place before the events in Civil War so there is no excess continuity baggage.  This also allows the story to stand on its own when Civil War is long forgotten.  The book has far too many guest stars to mention, each serving a specific role.  What is most interesting about these guest stars is how the authors portray each of their personalities with expert precision.  Emma Frost is cold, Deadpool (who carries through a running joke) is insane and Spider-Man is uncomfortably punny.  The guest appearances by Iron Fist (who is still wearing the Daredevil costume), Luke Cage and Spider-Man show how deeply ingrained the White Tiger legacy is in the Marvel Universe.  The Black Widow (whom Del Toro met in the pages of Daredevil), also plays a prominent role in Del Toro’s development. 

I guess I can’t review this book without mentioning the fact that White Tiger is a woman.  There is definitely a lack of strong female comic book heroines in comics in general, and especially at Marvel (A noticeable exception is the work Defalco is doing with Spider-Girl.) White Tiger can become one of those strong heroines.  And unlike other Marvel heroines (Ms. Marvel, Spider Woman and Elektra), Del Toro has no cheesecake factor.  In fact, she may be the first heroine to have a costume that is more function than fashion.  Moreover, her family ties within both the NYPD and the costumed community, along with her job as a bodyguard, provide her with a great back-story.  But, more important than her gender is that fact that Del Toro is an interesting character.  In short, White Tiger is not just a good superheroine story; it is a good superhero story.  The book has action adventure, with the proper mix of humor.  People should check it out.

So, if that whole best-seller thing doesn’t work out, these authors are welcome to enter the comic world full time.

I hope the authors at least return to write the sequel.

White Tiger
A Hero’s Compulsion
Author: Tamora Pierce and Timothy Liebe
Pencils: Phil Briones with Alvaro Rio and Ronaldo Adriano Silva
Inks: Don Hillsman
Colors: Chris Sotomayor
Letters: Rus Wooton

Reviewed by Joe Sergi

5