Omni or nine intelligences to save the world

Cecelia Cobbina was working in the Central African Republic for Médecins Sans Frontières when she was attacked by rebels during surgery. Under stress, she discovers that she can use her nine types of intelligences according to the theory of developmental psychologist Howard Earl Gardner. Back in the United States, she realizes that these donations have also been "activated" in other people. Accompanied by her doctor friend Mae, she decides to go in search of them but also to treat a patient in a critical condition: the world.

For Cecelia, planet earth is damaged by human action and these mutants are the symptom of this disease of the earth: each ignition, appearance of a supernatural being, corresponds to a natural disaster. Pacifist, the superheroine constantly refuses to strike but thinks to (con)conquer. We get out of the stereotype that power comes from physical strength but from its or rather its intelligences. Indeed, the great strength is the power of the main heroine with these nine intelligences. In addition, the series makes it possible to relativize the IQ: yes we can be bad at maths and be intelligent. Over the episodes, we will follow Cecelia on a motorhome road trip in search of other mutants: a woman who distributes water in the desert with her hands, a rabbi who can extinguish the flames… The X-Men fan thinks of Prof. Xavier but in a much more modern vision. Indeed, Cecelia does not seek to recruit soldiers of good but lets everyone decide. Even though she is the main character, she is never alone. She forms a duo in contrast to Mae. While Cecelia is thoughtful but cold and silent, Mae is more human but also more impulsive. To publicize their project, she decided to record it in a comic. In the conclusion of this series, she reunites with her family while her brother is in crisis. In the fourth episode, Cecilia's research takes on a whole new dimension when an Indian businessman tells her that he comes from Omni, a company created to spot the Ignited. In the second volume, Cecelia Cobbina is subsidized and now benefits from the technology of this company but she is wary of it.

Like the entire H1 universe of the Humanoïdes Associés, Omni is a work committed not only by its view of the world but also by innovative figures of superheroes. The brave doctor no longer considers herself a heroine: she refuses to even wear a uniform. Each of the Ceccelia team's meetings with Ignited is an opportunity to discuss a contemporary social issue. She will help Anthony accused without proof of the murder of a cop. The theme of state violence runs throughout the series while offering a more nuanced vision. The U.S. military does not necessarily seek to use Ignited to its advantage. In the second story, migrant children heckle an anti-immigration senator to get their parents back. We also follow in parallel a veteran who can not return to normal life. In volume two, we discover abuse in a women's prison and anti-Semitism. All these cases echo current events but are inserted into a narrative of action and investigation.

Writer Devin Grayson is a comic book veteran and the first woman to write Batman. The artist of the first volume, Alitha Evelyn Martinez, less experienced, plays on textures to show the past by dull colors as if the page had been left in the sun for too long. By a clever choice, she shows the powers of Cicelia: different scintillating clones of the doctor of a single color represent the different intelligences in action. Nevertheless, the boxes sometimes seem sloppy at the end of each episode. The creative team has totally changed in volume two. The writer is Melody Cooper. There are three cartoonists for five episodes and this change unfortunately shows. Giovanni Valletta makes more of a sketch than a drawing. The following draftsmen (Cris Bolson and Enid Balám) are more precise without being original.