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Comic Review: ANT-MAN Volume 1: Second-Chance Man

In the comics, Scott Lang was always in the shadow of Hank Pym as Ant-Man. He has a history in prison, his divorce complicates his relationship with his daughter Cassie, and he was even dead for a while. But you can’t keep a good Ant down. Back in 2015, when the first Ant-Man movie came out, Marvel relaunched the character’s comic book series, putting Scott back into the spotlight, courtesy of writer Nick Spencer. And overall, it’s a successful attempt to revive Scott Lang…literally.

“Second-Chance Man” is the first volume of this run, collecting issues 1-5, and it does a solid job of re-establishing Scott and his place in the Marvel Universe. Spencer’s writing perfectly captures the character’s sense of humor, while the art by Ramon Rosanas is colorful and has a distinct style. It has everything from Scott’s constant bad luck to his relationship with Cassie.

In this story, Scott moves to Miami to set up a security business, called Ant-Man Security Solutions. There, he works with Grizzly, a “reformed” villain who had beef with the late Eric O’Grady. The story also features Iron Man, Taskmaster, and the main villain, Darren Cross. Cross has been revived by his son, Augustine, and he looks very different from the MCU version. While Cross became Yellowjacket in the MCU, this version retains his classic giant purple appearance. Cross is an interesting villain, serving as a real physical opponent for Scott. And, of course, Cassie becomes endangered by Cross, which results in some major ramifications for her and Scott.

While it’s not the most groundbreaking or universe-changing storyline in the Marvel Universe, “Second-Chance Man” is a fun story that successfully brings Scott Lang back to form. It’s full of gorgeous art, witty writing, and flat-out hilarity. I first read this back in 2015 when the Ant-Man movie came out, and it still holds up today. I definitely recommend this to first-time Ant-Man readers, especially if you’re looking for an introduction to Scott Lang.

You can click HERE to get your copy of Ant-Man Volume 1: Second-Chance Man.

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of WOBAM! Entertainment.