- Written by: Jason Loo
- Art by: Rafael Loureiro, Ruairi Coleman
- Colors by: Yen Nitro, Fer Sifuentes-Sujo
- Letters by: VC’s Ariana Maher
- Cover art by: Javier Garron, Romulo Fajardo Jr.
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: April 2, 2025
Concert Of Champions #1, by Marvel on 4/2/25, finds Dazzler overcome with stress from her last adventure when an evil rock band shows up to crash the party and summon an interdimensional demon.
Is Concert Of Champions #1 Good?
Recap
When last we saw Dazzler in her self-titled mini-series last year, Alison and her mutant crew of musicians and stagehands foiled an attempt by anti-mutant villains to use her world tour to make mutants look bad in the eyes of the world. Love, music, and the power of friendship eventually won the day.
Plot Synopsis
In Concert Of Champions #1, the one-shot story catches up with Dazzler, aka Alison Blaire, as she prepares to take part in an all-day Concert of Champions in Orange County, California. There’s just one problem – the stress of her last adventure and lack of time off is causing Dazzler’s hair to fall out.
Meanwhile, Gwen Stacy, aka Gwen from another dimension and the enigmatic Ghost Spider, eagerly sneaks her way into the concert event to catch the show. Suddenly, an unscheduled tour bus pulls up and pops open with a portable stage for the band nobody expected but dozens of band stans have been clamoring for – Deep Void. Populated by a cadre of D-list villains and a Doombot, Deep Void uses their rough brand of music, chanting, fans, and an international broadcast stream to encourage a singalong that secretly summons an interdimensional demon.
Despite her anxiety over her appearance, Dazzler joins the impromptu fighting team with Ghost Spider, Luna Snow, and Lila Cheney to defeat Deep Void and send the Lovecraftian beast packing.
First Impressions
Well, at least it’s a one-shot. Fans of Jason Loo’s abysmal Dazzler mini-series get more of the same with extra helpings of friendship and validation as Dazzler’s ad hoc super team comes together to stop a monstrous threat. Why does any of this plot happen? The world may never know, but if you’re a fan of Jason Loo’s take on Dazzler, you probably don’t care.
How’s the Art?
The art is perfectly good. Rafael Loureiro returns to partner with Jason Loo, accompanied by Ruairi Coleman, for rock star theatrics, mutant fights, and multiple costume changes. The art is at least as good as, if not better than, the writing, so you’ll probably like the comic for the visuals.
What’s great about Concert Of Champions #1?
Jason Loo’s continuation of Dazzler’s tour adventures puts the mutant musician at the heart of interpersonal drama, superheroics, and plenty of feel-good moments. Truly, if you liked Loo’s Dazzler mini, you get more of the same here.
What’s not great about Concert Of Champions #1?
If you hated, Jason Loo’s Dazzler mini, you get more of the same here. The dialog is painfully juvenile, and things happen at random for no particular reason. For example, there’s no clear explanation as to why Spider Ghost is in this issue. There’s no clear reason why a Doombot is a member of Deep Void. There’s no clear explanation as to why Deep Void summons an interdimensional demon of the Lovecraft variety. And there’s no clear reason why Dazzler’s hair is falling out from stress when she’s endured much worse during her time with the X-Men.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Final Thoughts
Concert Of Champions #1 marks Jason Loo’s second crack at bringing life to the X-Men’s most famous mutant musician, and the results are about what you expect. Fans of Dazzler get to see the musician in all her hero glory, but the plot is a convoluted mess of random events that happen without explanation or good reason. If nothing else, the art is solid from returning artist Rafael Loureiro.
5.8/10
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