Reviewer: Tim Sheridan
Story Title: N/A
Written by: Brian Michael Bendis
Art by: Mike Avon Oeming
Coloring: Pater Pantazis
Lettering: Ken Bruzenak
Editing: Jamie S Rich and KC McCrory
Publisher: ICON > Marvel Comics
I’m a big fan of this comic. Always have been. I got on a bandwagon a little late, I started right after the first arc. But the concept is something that is instantly intriguing: Homicide detectives in a city that just happens to be populated by superheroes. Being that this book is written by Brian Michael Bendis, it’s extremly popular these days, and with a new relaunch, even moreso.
The way this comic is layed out, it takes every advantage of the medium, from coloring, to pacing, to story structure. Powers reads different from any other comic I read, and for that, I applaud it. People lament the fact that the arcs are too slow, and I do understand that argument, and I too would like more to happen each month. But for that to happen, we would have to sacrafice the way the story is being told, which to me is the best part about the book, moreso than its compelling stories.
Bendis and Oeming break down this issue in panels and pages that force you to take your time with them. You move at the pace they tell you to, and while you want to rush thru and find out what happens, you savor each moment.
The story this month touches on what is it like to be a ‘power’ and how society treats them. Now, it’s not a new theme in comics, but here, it is brought to such a banal, everyday level, that you have no choice but to identify with them.
In the previous arcs in Powers, they got a little further away from the detective angles, and I’m happy to see that they have returned. It was nice to see the epics that were crafted, but this is even more fun.
Anyways, this is the best issue yet from the new series. It’s a series I look forward to every month.
Final Word: A perfect comic book. Treat yourself to something good.
