Empowered Volume 1 [Paperback]

Adam Warren (Author, Artist)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 3, 2007

Not only is costumed crimefighter "Empowered" saddled with a less-than-ideal superhero name, but she wears a skintight and cruelly revealing "supersuit" that only magnifies her body-image insecurities. Worse yet, the suit's unreliable powers are prone to failure, repeatedly leaving her in appallingly distressing situations... and giving her a shameful reputation as the lamest "cape" in the masks-and-tights business. Nonetheless, she pluckily braves the ordeals of her bottom-rung superheroic life with the help of her "thugalicious" boyfriend (and former Witless Minion) and her hard-drinking ninja girlfriend, not to mention the supervillainous advice from the caged alien demonlord watching DVDs from atop her coffee table... From Adam Warren - writer/artist of the English-language Dirty Pair comics (the original "Original English-Language Manga" before OEL was cool), and writer of Livewires, Gen13 and Iron Man: Hypervelocity - comes Empowered, a butt-kicking, bootylicious superhero lampoon that raises the bar for long-john lust and low-brow laughs. Remove all previous notions of superhero entertainment from your puny mind... and prepare to be Empowered!

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse (April 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159307672X
• ISBN-13: 978-1593076726
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,124 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #79 in Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Publishers > Dark Horse

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not your typical supercheesecake idol, April 19, 2007

By 

Tom Knapp "Rambles.NET editor" (Lancaster, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Empowered Volume 1 (Paperback)

She's not a typical superheroine by any stretch. Her powers come from her tight-fitting supersuit, which gives her various abilities and, apparently, works only for her. As she takes hits in battles, the suit absorbs the damage but tears and shreds provocatively, leaving her overexposed (and weakened) until it regenerates. She learned the hard way not to wear underwear beneath tight spandex. She's pretty sure her butt's too big. She gets captured a lot, and she's usually tied up until someone thinks to rescue her. She (deservedly so) lacks self-confidence, and even her super-powered teammates don't like her much. One describes her as a "chubby, half-naked white girl who spends most of her alleged superhero career bound and gagged." That sounds about right.

But there's something simply endearing about Empowered, the oddly named heroine written and drawn by Adam Warren, best known in the U.S. for his work on Gen-13 and the American manga feature Dirty Pair.

As Warren noted in an interview about the new series, "I've created a superhero book contaminated with manga influence, a book that could very well appeal to neither audience." Actually, I think it will appeal to portions of both, at least sufficiently to warrant a second and third book in the series. The art is roughly textured, giving Warren's mangaesque lines an unfinished look that, surprisingly, works well for these short vignettes. There is also a lot of implied nudity, with key body parts blocked by draped hair, costume fragments and well-situated props, as well as suggested sexual activity that makes the book inappropriate for younger readers.

OK, so you probably can tell what audience Warren is aiming for, and since the book is cute and funny and sexy, he'll probably get it. Or at least he should. Why not? Readers looking for a more empowered heroine have plenty of options out there on the shelves. Perhaps it's time one of them did worry a little bit about the kind of message her skin-tight and concealing-nothing costume is sending to her fans, foes and teammates. And, considering her vulnerabilities and her track record against the villains, Empowered certainly is a brave little cheesecake idol.

by Tom Knapp, Rambles.(n e t) editor

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Super-satire, eye-candy with introspective, intelligent writing, September 23, 2007

By 

Ronald L. Russell (Pangaea) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Empowered Volume 1 (Paperback)

"Empowered" is the name which a fledgling superheroine has chosen for herself. Her real name is not specifically given, although it may be a variant of "Ashley", as suggested on one episode. She is a twenty-something, beautiful, blonde, and very insecure about how others perceive her.

She has superpowers, not inborn and not inherent, but only as a result of her costume, a high-tech hypermembrane which can stop bullets, give her super-strength, and the ability to cast energy blasts, but which also deteriorates as it provides protection, somewhat like the "shields" on the starship Enterprise.

In almost every battle which lasts more than a few moments, the suit eventually deteriorates to the point where the suit itself is in tatters and her powers are gone, The suit will spontaneously regenerate itself, in 8 to 12 hours, but in the meantime, Empowered is rather a liability than an asset to the team.

To "Emp's" chagrin, the suit provides no more support or concealment than a layer of body paint, so she is acutely aware of people staring at various jiggling body parts when, for example, she runs. She cannot wear any article of clothing either under or over the suit, or it simply doesn't work at all. If she fails to shave her bikini area (or presumeably, her legs or under her arms), the growth is visible through the suit, described as "latex over steel wool", leading to further embarrassment.

She works with a group of heroes who call themselves the "Superhomeys", and they hang out at the "Homeycrib" (if this sounds satirical, it is intended to be). Some of her companions include Sister Spooky (a former classmate who can cast powerful spells), Ninjette (a enemy who eventually becomes one of her closest friends), Proteus (a human who became a sort of anthropomorphic ameoba as a result of a "close encounter" of a very personal kind), Major Havoc (kind of an arrogant jerk with super-strength), and a number of others. Each character has a distinctive personality, some with considerable depth.

The villians who fight the Superhomeys are no less satirical, and every bit as imaginitive. These include giant Ammonites (shelled squids similar to the creature in "It Came From Beneath The Sea"), giant killer robots, supervillians such as "DeathSloth", teams of armored "Stormtrooper" types, as well as simple gangs of armed human thugs. One villian in particular, introduced as "He Whose Name Is Too Scarey To Be Spoken", but also known as the "Blazing Eyed Demonwolf", the "Cataclysmic Snuffer of Civilizations" and the "Eldritch 12 Cylinder Engine of Destruction" is a sort of bodiless galactic entitiy who possesses humans, and who has a recurring role AFTER being defeated to the point where he is no longer a threat, but continues to provide a great deal of comic relief and sage wisdom.

What makes "Empowered" so enjoyable is that it works on so many levels:

The drawings are gorgeous. "Emp" may be insecure with her body image, but she is actually a knockout, as are Sister Spooky and Ninjette (is there such thing as an UGLY superheroine?). Other characters are drawn in such a manner as to emphasize their particular best quality, or superpower, as the case may be.

"Empowered" might be a comic book, but it is not for kids. There are many, many scenes in which she and/or another character is almost completely nude. There are many, many sexual situations. Its all in good fun, but it ALL isn't simply gratuitious, but is often part of the natural development of relationship between characters.

The writing is also very good. There are several themes being developed simultaneously, including "Emp's" strong desire to fit in with and be accepted by the rest of the Superhomeys, their varying individual views of her (in one case including a back story showing WHY one 'homey carries a deep grudge against her), her meeting and gradual development of a relationship with a "special someone" (and the problems associated with this "forbidden fruit"), and her gradual increase of confidence and competence as she continues to take punishment and come back for more. As the stories progress, "Emp" slowly earns the grudging respect of some, the friendship of others, and the heartfelt love of at least one. The dialog between characters is alternately funny and touching.

I happened on "Empowered" browsing in a bookstore in San Francisco, and after reading the first couple of pages, looked for a chair in which to sit down and read further. I laughed out loud so many times reading this, because I had read so many superhero comics over the years, and seen so many superhero movies which take themselves a bit too seriously. This is satire done RIGHT, and what comics like "Inferior Five" and films like "Mystery Men" were trying to be (I liked Mystery Men, although I felt it could have been even better).

"Empowered" is superhero satire which does more than simply mock the genre, but rather, affectionately uses the cliches we've all come to expect to illustrate the human side of the various superheroes, specifically that, minus their various super-abilities, under the skin-tight costumes and bulging muscles, they are people very similar to ourselves.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Adult Comedy, April 14, 2007

By 

Matthew Asnip "bibliophile" (Atlanta, GA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Empowered Volume 1 (Paperback)

First off, it really is for the mature reader. Having said that, there is no frontal nudity. There are however, plenty of adult situations.

Secondly, Empowered is damn funny. Adam Warren has a great take on the whole 'superheroine in distress' schtick that's been a prominent, if unsavoury, part of comic books from their inception. The art suits the material perfectly, helping to maintain a generally light atmosphere. The characters develop, which is always nice. No one, especially the heroine, is perfect.

This is not about Superman. Or even Batman. This is a book about a heroine with the heart and soul of Wonder Woman and the powers of Speedy.

And it's absolutely lovely. Easily the best graphic novel I've read this year.