Written by: Jason Loo
Art by: Rafael Loureiro
Colors by: Java Tartaglia
Letters by: VC’s Arian Maher
Cover art by: Terry Dodson, Rachel Dodson
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: September 18, 2024
Dazzler #1, by Marvel Comics on 9/18/24, catches with Alison Blaire as she begins her world tour with an all-mutant crew. Can she slay the charts and the bigots? Only if she’s Out and Proud.
Is Dazzler #1 Good?
When I write reviews, the normal process begins with reading the comic, then jotting down notes as I go to retain key points, finishing with diving right in as soon as the reading is done or shortly after. For Dazzler #1, that process doesn’t work.
It’s rare to read a comic that impacts your senses to such a degree that you have to step away for a time after reading it to collect yourself and realign your mental state. Dazzler #1 isn’t a comic that you read and enjoy. Dazzler #1 is a comic you endure, like a root canal without anesthesia or several waterboarding sessions at Guantanamo Bay.
Why would Jason Loo write this tone-deaf tragedy? The world may never know or care, but I had to suffer through it, so now I’m sharing my pain with you.
Peppered throughout the issue is Dazzler’s inner monologue as she continually reaffirms and validates her goals of being a good ally to mutants everywhere, showing the hateful bigots that mutant pride is here and how the greater mutant community needs to feel seen by and through her performances.
Yes, you heard that right. Dazzler #1, to Jason Loo, isn’t an X-Title or a story about being an outsider who longs to find peace in a chaotic world. This issue is the thinnest of thin allegories about LGBTQ representation, complete with online testimonials from drag queens, trans pride flag colors on every narration box, and more.
Later, Wind Rider has another private chat with Dazzler and asks her not to use her mutant powers or fight if she’s attacked on stage. She urges Dazzler to let Domino handle any disruptions. Of course, a disruption is exactly what happens. A few songs into the concert, Scorpia attacks Dazzler on stage. Rather than signal Domino to come on stage and deal with the problem, Dazzler uses her glamorous dance moves and singing to trick the audience into thinking Scorpia is part of the show. After a few close calls during the “fight,” Dazzler defeats Scorpia by making her pass out with her light powers… somehow.