With the recent news that Michelle Pfeiffer will be playing Janet Van Dyne in the upcoming Ant-Man And The Wasp, now is a good time for Jan to take a more active role in Marvel comics. After six issues spotlighting the latest Marvel character to take on The Wasp mantle, Nadia Pym, The Unstoppable Wasp has switched the focus over to Jan, who swoops in to the rescue when her step-daughter needs help. Bringing Marvel’s two Wasps together is a smart decision by writer Jeremy Whitley, paying homage to the legacy of the name while adding a new layer to the story as Jan becomes an active player in Nadia’s G.I.R.L. science initiative. (Whitley’s profile is also on the rise, with Sony announcing last weekend that it’s working on a film adaptation of his creator-owned comic series, Princeless.)
While The Unstoppable Wasp had some growing pains in its early issues, it’s become an intriguing look at an oddball teen genius fighting her personal demons while trying to carve out a place for young women to pursue their STEM education. Nadia never had a good mother figure, but Jan is starting to fill that role as she takes Nadia and her friends under her wing by funding G.I.R.L. and making it a part of Pym Labs, where Jan serves as C.E.O. This exclusive preview of The Unstoppable Wasp #8 introduces Nadia and her best friend, Ying, to the new status quo, and reunites Whitley with his Princeless collaborators Ro Stein and Ted Brandt, whose detailed, expressive artwork makes them a great fit to carry the torch after artists Elsa Charretier and Veronica Fish. Colorist Megan Wilson heightens the animated quality of the artwork with her flat rendering, and she’s played a major part in making sure The Unstoppable Wasp’s visuals match the bright personality of the lead character.