POWERS (NEW) #1
What did the
iFanboy
community think?
Pulls
- 70namrepuS
- 158hoff
- 400yrs
- 01011000
- Aalbatr0ss
- aaronjscott
- aboris26
- AbsoluteMark
- ac507
- Achaniel
- ActualButt
- adickhead
- adrianhosseini
- Agent005
- agentM
- akamuu
- AL13N4112
- alexb
- AlexG
- AlphaFlightFan
- Andrew
- AngryDad
- anrcampbell
- ApesRus
- apoptosis81
- asigchris
- astoriajohnstons
- astyak
- atma
- ato220
- AtomEve
- B
- bakakaba
- bansidhewail
- BarbarianKing
- bazhorne
- bc108
- BCDX97
- beatdisciple
- BenBugenig
- Bendrix
- bffnut
- Bibble
- biftec
- BigNobes
- bigsime22
- BizDaddy
- blacklantern2010
- blackspidey1963
- BladesofJustice
- bluedream
- BobDigi76
- bobdoad
- bobstable
- Bobtrombones
- BookGnome
- brianCarbordo
- brianmaru
- BrianPereira
- broderboy
- Brotodeau
- BruceLuvsClark
- bryanpittard
- bursarman
- busboy
- bzzzash
- cabernetfranc
- CAM
- CammyKnoxville
- campbell
- Canyonwalker
- captbastrd
- Catafish
- CatEyedFox
- cav
- chad
- charlesp1138
- chazbot
- chelsea
- ChemlabPhD
- ChrisB
- chrs7637
- chuckles
- Chunkahash
- Churchill
- clay
- claynferno
- ComicBookGuy37
- conor
- Constable
- convoy83
- Cooper
- Corelli
- counterproduct
- COWoDOOM
- Cranpa
- Crin
- cromulent
- CronyC
- Croz
- csvaccaro
- CurtisFranklin
- cutty
- D
- daccampo
- Daflash00
- Dan
- danderson
- DanFleming
- DanHill
- DanLikesBeer
- DarrinH
- DashiellPleasantHorse
- dave
- daveofthedead
- DavidB
- DavidMacfarlane
- dbm
- dcrob
- DDevil1964
- DeadBear
- deezer
- DefConPrime
- Demo916
- Dietz82
- djb19538
- djgarciarx
- Dmark
- docalright
- Doctor13
- Dom
- DorkAvenger
- Doski
- Drummer
- dsaint
- dubvader
- DunDun
- dustin
- EbonPinion
- edward
- eganmcconvey
- elcapitanqwerty
- ellocomoco
- Ender35k
- ender1979
- enez
- EnFuego
- English
- epog
- Eric
- EricDee598
- erikduane
- ERock
- est1864
- esuarez27
- fanbla72
- Fantomas
- Ferrian
- Finn007
- flounder56
- FraggleUprising
- frodog28
- Gabe
- gaffergamgee
- gandalf25
- GanderSlayer
- gat0rl1vebeatz
- Gaumer
- geekmonkey
- genelaw9
- gettsr
- Ghazzi
- ghettojourno
- GigaShrimp
- Gilgamesh417
- Gimpace
- girvan
- gkelljr
- gobo
- gollygosh03
- Gramercy
- GrayDot
- Grayghost
- Grendel1972
- GrendelRK
- grigs
- grottesco
- Guardedmarman
- GungaDin
- hakaider
- HammHamm81
- HankMcCoy
- HecticPlanet
- hellboy42
- hermanspicoli
- HermitHomeboy
- hickchilli
- HipHopHead
- hoaznod
- HumphreyLee
- iamskeptopotamus
- IanF
- ichthyophobic
- Ilash
- incredibledave
- InfectiousFunk
- introvertedone
- IronBobby
- iSteve
- JackAcid
- jag2004
- james
- JAMESDEAN2020
- jamesschneider
- jamiefs
- jasondbrewer
- Jasonmatthew
- JedeyeSniv
- jedidave24
- Jeffc
- jerichobp
- JesusChrysler
- JFernandes
- Jim
- JimBilly4
- JimmyF1982
- Jimski
- Jinnpo
- JKExar
- jla728
- JMF
- joawmeens
- JoeFX
- joeycardgame
- John42
- johnthrax
- JonBoy
- jonclifton
- jonloveless
- JonSamuelson
- Joppe
- josh
- joshbiz
- Joshrector
- jramsey1
- jspegele
- jtrigg13
- juand182
- jubal1
- jwlanglois
- k5blazer
- kaonohi
- Katharsis
- kbowness
- Kerrizor
- KevinAB
- kevsname72
- KidJayson
- kidsodapop
- kingsynthithis
- kndoubleu
- kubrick1978
- kwisdumb
- lantern4life
- Lantern1025
- Lawless
- lawnbuddha
- Leprechaun
- levitakis
- Lewis
- lincolnputnam
- Lucien21
- LukeB
- Luthor
- Luvmuscle
- MacAoidh
- macdad34
- magnum240
- malakilii
- malpractice
- Marbles
- marcushill73
- MarkBiz
- markbovenzi
- MasterXell
- medz
- Megnolia
- mguy77
- mikeandzod21
- MikeD
- MikeDee
- mikegraham6
- misacke
- mitchster
- modbbt
- monkeeeboy
- Mookiblaylock
- moron
- mountainwindcat
- MrBeebs37
- MrDVD14
- mrlogical
- mrtonk
- Mrusfl
- MrWilson
- msryke
- muddi900
- mulletpeep
- musickillsme
- musicologist86
- Mustbedamned
- mynameis
- nacho
- Neb
- neerdowell
- nehrujack
- NeoApocalypse
- NeonVomit
- neutralfeatures
- nicks911e
- NJBaritone
- Nonraw
- Notahiro
- Ntpmcrtp
- OccultPanda
- odare77
- OddsBodkins
- ohcaroline
- oldmanlogan88
- Omegadark
- Ongakuhenjin
- Orange
- Orykayd
- Parker
- pathfinda
- patio
- Patman2
- PatShatner
- petefic
- peterpter
- phillyelmo
- PiePod
- piscespaul
- powerdad
- ProjectX2
- PymSlap
- queenrikki
- RaceMcCloud
- RadConsv
- ramonschenk
- RandoCalrissian
- ratekin
- rayclark
- reg5000
- Reverend13
- reversematt
- richardelgie
- RickyStardust
- RMC
- robsavino
- ron
- rsmorley
- rubra
- Ryon
- ryry
- s1lentslayer
- SamIAm
- SamMorgan
- Sauceda
- Saul
- scallionsncreme
- scim
- searlesmike
- Seba
- seNoj1
- sethkushner
- Shamrock
- shenanigans
- ShonenRafa77
- siraim
- skillzundeniable
- slippyfist
- SnrFrijole
- SomeCreepyDude
- soniaharris
- SonorousStar
- southbymidwest
- spydermon
- Sweedy
- tarrydiggs
- tazz
- tdkelly
- tdog
- TheDude007
- THEHOCHE
- thehorseman
- thelonelight
- ThePunisherMAX
- thescimitar
- TheYanni
- thinwhiteduke
- ThomasKaters
- thunderbird32
- Tiocore
- tjnewton
- toadstyle
- tomhayday
- TommyC
- Tomotov2
- TopGun
- topkat74
- trey45
- twopossums
- ultimatehoratio
- UMFskibum
- ungaro
- Unoob
- uuuhyeah
- uvayankee1
- vadamowens
- Valcyn
- vibrolux
- viewaskew117
- Viewt
- wagedomain
- wangman31888
- wanner16
- wartsandall
- wayne2001bc
- weddleb
- WildSeven
- WilliamLund
- wilson6923
- WinTheWonderboy
- WJWitherspoon
- Wolfdog
- WonderAli
- x2cwaldr
- xebix
- xiseerht
- yetihands
- ytsan
- zach
- zachtruitt
- zack
- ZackConstantine
- Zak71296
- Zedilon
- zenman
- znatit
Size: pages
Price: 3.95
This review contains spoilers, click here to read
A few years ago, when I was first hired to work in a comic book store, I asked the woman who hired me to reccomend books outside of the main DC/Marvel/Vertigo titles that I should read. I knew James Kolchalka, and had read some of Jeffrey Brown's I'm awkward around girls titles, but hadn't picked up an Image Comic since Spawn, knew very little and had never heard of IDW, Fantagraphics, or Oni. Many of the books she recommended to me are now among my favorites: American Born Chinese, Scott Pilgrim, Invincible, and The Walking Dead to name a few. Another coworker recommended incredible titles like "It's A Bird..." , Goodbye Chunky Rice, and The Boys. There was also a select group of customers who I had instant rapport with, and most of them recommended titles that I had heard of, which I then dove into and enjoyed: Y The Last Man, Ex Machina, and We3 to name a few. But the one title recommended over and over again to me that I just couldn't get into was Powers.
I didn't dislike it the way I dislike many (but not all) Superman stories or the way I dislike anything Peter Milligan has ever worked on except Hellblazer (which I love). I just had a hard time getting into it. "Who Killed Retro Girl" was ok, but it didn't blow me out of the water the way The Nightly News did. So I didn't do more than flip through the second trade, and, in the end, decided it wasn't for me.
For the most part, I'm a huge Bendis fan. Alias, his Daredevil run, and The New Avengers are excellent, but none of them are his characters. I've always thought of him as someone who does an excellent job writing Marvel titles, but not someone whose original ideas ever clicked with me.
But, with the relaunch of Powers, and it's upcoming TV series, I decided to take home the first ten trades on Tuesday night, and have them all read by Wednesday. That...didn't happen. But, Diamond screwed up our stores' shipping, so we didn't actually get Powers until today, anyway. And by this morning, I'd read as many of the trades as I need to.
For the most part, Powers is not for me. Often lately, I've felt that Bendis stories have suffered from his artist pairings. This could be beacuse he's writing seventy titles a week, and, therefore, has to work with every artist on the Marvel payroll. But, in the case of Powers, I feel that Mike Avon Eoming's art is occasionally hampered by Bendis's writing.
Many of the story arc in the first ten Powers trades just didn't connect with me. I enjoyed "Who Killed Retro Girl" a little more on the reread. And the second through fifth trades of the series all fell somewhere between 3 and 4 stars on the story and were consistenly 4 stars on the art. And then I read "The Sellouts."
While I'll give it a week to settle in my brain, I'm fairly certain Powers: "The Sellouts" will land on my top ten graphic novel/trades of all time. It is, essentially, a six issue arc in the vein of Irredeemable and The Mighty, where you read what happens when one of the world's most powerful hero goes off the rails. It's a devestating story that you don't really need to have read the first five trades for. The dialog is pitch perfect, the story never feels rushed or draggy. And the art? The art, on a scale of one to five, gets a seven. The colors and the pencils are as essential to that trade's success as the plot. It's just a testament to how a creative team can really push each other to do their best work. I loved it.
According to the back of the book, and a few internet articles, the issue that followed that story arc, #31, was controversial, as it set out to tell Walker's story from the dawn of man. I liked it. I liked many of the issues in that story arc, but after being blown away by "The Sellouts", I wanted more. And none of the other trades gave me what I was looking for. It was like reading the Star Wars novels that followed The Return Of The Jedi. It's cool to find out what happens to the characters after a fantastic story, but none of them were ever as entertaining or engaging as the movies.
I was hoping, that after the long hiatus after the last issue, that Bendis and Oeming were going to breathe some extraordinary life into the series. "The Sellouts" story arc was the first one when Powers moved from Image to Icon, and I was hoping a #1 issue for a new volume would give the title a similar kick.
For me, the kick missed the target. The art is still phenomenal. I love the way Oeming lays out a page. His use of negative space, and his panel layovers floor me every issue. But the story is just mediocre Bendis. The dialog feels stinted and forced, particularly in the flashback scenes, where Bendis can't seem to decide whether to write a fifties adventure or a Tarantino movie. And, while I'd probably love a Tarintino penned/directed 1950's adventure story, I did not love the combination in this particular issue.
I also really dislike the way Bendis "blacks up" the dialog on black characters. Whether it's ki Sunrise saying "Whuzzdiss?" in this issue, or Nick Cage saying "What's alladys?" in this week's New Avengers. I don't find it offensive, just inauthentic, like the way they wrote Gambit and Rogue's dialog in the X-Men animated series. Some writers have an ear for accents and vernacular. Bendis, while a, generally, fantastic writer of dialog, should probably stick to writing characters who speak like average Americans. He seems like the kind of writer who would have Captain Britatin saying "Pip, pip! Cheerio!" a la Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins.
All in all, I may pick up the next Powers issue or two just to ogle at Oeming's art, but I have limited faith that this particular storyline will live up to the ones that preceded it.
Art: 5 - Excellent
Leave a Comment
Login or Register to get involved and leave a comment